TutoreDattilo Editor's Review

TutoreDattilo is a basic typing tutor aimed at children and adult beginners.

The software installs very quickly, and the program takes up few system resources. It's fairly simple to set up and use, and would certainly enable you to improve your basic typing skills if you're a beginner. 

The colourful interface might appeal to younger users. You are dropped straight into the typing screen, with no preamble. The sentences you are supposed to type appear in the window above the onscreen keyboard, where the home keys and appropriate fingers are indicated with icons. There are two skill levels (beginner and advanced), and you have the option to write your own exercises.

Unfortunately, TutoreDattilo doesn't really measure up. Its simplicity is largely down to its lack of features. There are few options -- you can't, for instance, choose a different keyboard layout. You choose the language on installation, and once it's installed there's no obvious way to change languages. There are some even more major flaws. You can't adjust the screen size, so if you're using a notebook the top frame obscures the text you're supposed to be typing. Originally written in Italian, the English translation is sloppy -- and in some areas, non-existent. The sentences you're asked to write in English are often ungrammatical and confusing, while the menus and the help files have been left largely in Italian. 

Pros: Free, simple.

Cons: Few features, substandard translation.

Conclusion: A free typing tutor that's worth every penny. Avoid.