Asutype
Asyoutype
Reviewed June 2009
What’s It Do?

ASUTYPE is a real-time spell check and speed-typing software that works with the keyboard to increase typing accuracy and productivity. It learns and adapts itself to the user's keyboarding habits, spell checks and automatically corrects spelling mistakes as one types, automates difficult and repetitive typing tasks, protects from making unwanted typos, and improves typing accuracy and speed.


Does it do what it promises?

Reviewer 1: Mostly. Asutype runs in the background and monitors keyboard input for spelling mistakes and possible corrections. It is highly customizable and the quality of its corrections/suggestions improves with use. I was disappointed to find that in its default configuration, it does not spell check every word and that the publisher does not prominently disclose this. In spite of this, this is still a valuable program, most especially for its ability to spell check text in programs that normally do not have this capability.

Reviewer 2: Yes.

Reviewer 3: Asutype sits in the system tray and monitors typing in most if not all programs. It automatically checks typing and pops up on a misspelling, offering suggestions. These suggestions can then be selected by hitting the associated number key and it will roll back and retype the correct spelling in the field. The program will run in most all versions of Windows, from NT through Vista. It does not appear to support 64 bit versions. With some exceptions, it worked as advertised.

Reviewer 4: Yes. Asutype does a good job of correcting my spelling mistakes, which, I confess, are many. I type quite quickly, but not all that accurately. Because Asutype puts itself between the keyboard and any application, it works any time the keyboard is used. Given my propensity to typing errors, Asutype is a good tool to have available.

Reviewer 5: Yes; although the statement that it will check spelling “anywhere” is a bit confusing as it is not until reading further on the Web site or in the help files that I found it is not compatible with the spell check in Microsoft Word (the Word spell check must be disabled). Also, one must read the FAQ to discover that Asutype will not run “out-of-the-box” using PC Spyware Doctor (although there is a promised “tweak” available through technical support). Otherwise, it does all that it promises and more.


Was it easy to install?

Reviewer 1: Installation was fast and easy. Use is permitted by one user on multiple computers, or on one computer accessible by multiple users, but not both.

Reviewer 2: Yes, the 2.65 MB downloaded exe file installed without any problems or conflicts. The registration key entered without any conflict, making the program fully functional on its first use.

Reviewer 3: Yes, this is a typical Windows install or 5.63 MB. A 30-day free trial version is available.

Reviewer 4: Yes. The trial version of Asutype works much as the full version does, although there are a few functions that are not available. Purchase of the license provides a link to the full version with a standard Windows installation that allowed me to place the program and its icons where I chose. It asks for permission to install in the startup group during the installation process, always a desirable feature. An information window appears during the installation to give an overview of the program and links to the Web site and support.

Reviewer 5: Yes. It is a small 3.25MB download that takes up only a meager 5.60MB drive space when installed. Commendably, it installs no .dlls or Active X components. It does install approximately 27 entries in the Windows Registry (actually quite few in comparison to most software) but all entries were deleted when uninstalling the program. This is not only unusual, but the mark of well written code. The installation and registration was simple and straightforward using a standard installation wizard, and integrated seamlessly into the Window’s operating system. The EULA (End User License Agreement) was easily understood, is printable from the Web site, allows for use of the program on multiple computers by a single licensee (highly commendable), but does have the now nearly standard paranoid disclaimers as to product liability. Overall, this was a smooth and simple installation.


Good points.

Reviewer 1: Asutype can be configured to start automatically when the computer is booted and it works with all programs, not just a word processor. If there is a program one does not want it to work with, that program can be added to an exclusions list.

Asutype checks your spelling as the user types, and it monitors for key combinations to expand to larger words and phrases. For speed and writing quality, it can automatically expand often-used abbreviations to the full word or phrase.

Asutype can be configured to automatically correct:

1) no mistakes;

2) the known mistakes based on corrections previously made; or,

3) unknown mistakes based on the dictionary it comes with. The latter carries an appropriate warning that it may make corrections, which are undesired.

The safest and most effective option in my experience is to correct the previously unknown mistakes interactively, allowing a choice of corrections from a list of suggestions. The custom dictionaries are easily edited. Words can be added, removed, or edited. Words in the standard dictionary can only be removed.

There is a high level of control over which words are spell checked. One can choose to check or ignore hyphenated words, capitalized words (with different patterns of capitalization), words with the “@” symbol included, etc. The program enables use of multiple clipboards to copy and paste.

Reviewer 2: Asutype has a low learning curve so the user can start using it from the install. It comes with a very good help file and online manual. The instructions include screen shots that make understanding of how to perform the desired function very easy. There is a user-oriented section of How to’s that allow jumping to the desired topic to learn quickly how to get Asutype to perform as desired. Considering all the things that Asutype can do, I found it one of the easier programs to learn to use.

The best point that I like about Asutype is that it works no matter where I was on my PC or what program I was using. I currently have other spellcheckers installed on my system and their use is restricted to a few programs. What surprised me was Asutype would detect spelling error even in Explorer when entering names for folders. Now, whatever I am doing on my PC I have a spell checker that corrects my typing and spelling errors. This fact alone makes Asutype well worth the purchase price, but it does a whole lot more. I found that I use NotePad more than I used to because I now have spell checker functions with Asutype.

Asutype will add custom words to one’s dictionary. This was a big plus with me as I write many technical papers with words that are usually not found in a spellchecker’s dictionary. In my writing, I use a lot of medical and scientific terms that most spellcheckers do not have in their dictionary. I downloaded the free medical dictionary for Asutype and was impressed with the number of these terms that the dictionary contains. I use Word when writing these technical papers and found that turning off the spell checking function in Word and using Asutype instead prevented many false misspelled tags.

A very good feature of Asutype is the shortcut lists. In writing those technical papers, one has a long group of words that has to be typed over and over again making the typing very tedious. I created shortcuts for these phrases and found that using these shortcuts made the writing job easier and much faster. I even created shortcuts for the scientific symbols that I use. This function saved me a lot of time over the use of the Alt+number code method that I used to use.

I like the tone that indicates a word is misspelled which allows me to correct the word then rather than later. Often these corrections are typing errors that Asutype identifies and selects the right correction on the first choice. A simple press of the Enter key corrects the error and I continue typing. I would rather correct as I type than wait until the end of the paper and go back and review. Often I spend more time reading the entire area of the text regaining the thought I had at the time I wrote that passage. As I used Asutype, I enjoyed the autocorrect function that made the writing even faster. Reviewing my mistakes and adding my autocorrections, I found that I make the same typing errors repeatedly. Asutype compensates for these mistakes very well.

Asutype did not appear to put any drain on my system or cause any slow down; but I have a very fast dual processor and 4 GB of RAM. It always responded rapidly and never locked up while I was using it.

Reviewer 3: This is a handy program for a non-touch typist. (I look at my keyboard while typing). Its default is to warn with the typical Windows “error” sound ding and it pops up a small window with spelling suggestions.

Most of the time, it worked fine. Sometimes I managed to really confuse it with my clumsy fingers or “creative” spelling. There is a fairly extensive selection of keyboard shortcuts that can be setup from the options menu. The little window that pops up for correction offers several choices; a numbered list of possible spellings, “delete and retype” as well as “add to dictionary” (F2) for new words not found in the loaded dictionary. Per the Web site, Asutype can use any of six dictionaries: American, British, Australian and Canadian English, Spanish, French as well as a medical dictionary. The extra ones can be downloaded from the site and installed as needed.

There is a section in the Options that allow building a “frequently miss-typed words” list. There are several common errors in typing that I make such as “teh” for “the” and “adn” for “and”. Asutype automatically corrects these. (In fact, I had a hard time typing the examples here; it kept “fixing” the mistake).

Reviewer 4: There are two basic modes offered by Asutype. One is the automatic mode, in which Asutype corrects mistakes automatically. This is most useful when I am simply "texting", as I am doing in writing up this report. It is even more useful when I am chatting or working in online situations, such as forums or online support descriptive boxes. As many of my mistakes are caused by my unimpressive typing skills, I am able to concentrate more on the content of my letter or article or message without being continually interrupted by having to go back and correct the many mistakes that I am prone to produce. There are some handy extras built into this mode. One that I particularly like is the "Undo/Redo" last correction. On the occasion when I want to force Asutype to accept a deliberate spelling error, I can Undo that correction, and it will remain as I typed it. There is another option that I can set to switch between Enable As-U-Type or Disable it. There are a number of applications that require keyboard entries that are incomplete words, or part words or abbreviations, with a hotkey, I can quickly disable Asutype, instead of accessing Asutype from the System Tray icon.

The other mode is the interactive one. With this mode enabled, when I produce a word, which is not in the Asutype dictionary, it is underlined in red, and I am presented with a list of possible corrections. Typing the number beside the correct spelling will immediately replace error with a correct spelling that I have chosen from the list. I work with many people from different cultural communities, and I am often typing unusual names and words. Asutype is continually underlining these words, but included in the list presented is the F2 key, which is "Spelling Add." Although it is sometimes a nuisance to have the spelling list popping up frequently, it does provide me with a quick way to add these unusual but correctly typed words to my User dictionary. Alternatively, I can call up the Dictionary Editor, and add, delete or correct words in the User or other dictionaries. I used this function to quickly add a dozen or so community names and some of the more common personal and family names.

A number of dictionaries are available on the Asutype website. For my initial installation, I downloaded and installed the Canadian dictionary. Usually, when I use other spell-checking software, I need to add Canadian spellings to the default dictionary, which is normally that of our neighbour to the south. Now I can simply add the British and American dictionaries to my Canadian one, and say goodbye to the tedious task of continually correcting my dictionary. Being a Québec resident adds to the linguistic mix in which I live. Heureusement, il y a aussi une dictionnaire français que j'ai enregistré et qui est toujours disponible. Because that French dictionary is also loaded along with the others, I can simply start typing in French, without every word suddenly being flagged as a mistake. This happens with every other spell check product that I have used, until I tell that program that for the present I am writing in French. Asutype verifies and corrects the French words without a hiccup.

One of the ways in which people are encouraged to use this program is to learn from their mistakes to eventually make fewer of them. Asutype keeps track of mistakes, which can be reviewed at any time. I have to confess that my mistakes list is embarrassingly long. I do notice particular patterns by looking at those lists, so sometimes I try to keep those in mind as I am pounding away on the keyboard.

I have sent some requests to the support staff from time-to-time over the last few months, all of which have been answered quickly and courteously – usually within one day. With one exception, my questions have been cleared up satisfactorily. However since Asutype does not really present many difficulties in using the program, I have not had to resort to the support staff very often.

Reviewer 5: For a spell checker that works in a Web browser, email client, WordPad or Notepad, in fact anywhere typed, Asutype fulfills every wish. Asutype is a spell checker that spell checks everything typed on a computer in real time. It is a feature-rich program that it is more a writing/typing assistant than simply a spellchecker. The multitude of features can be seen on the Web site; however, after months of using this program there are a few which I think are unique and especially worth mentioning:

• It not only corrects commonly (and not so common) misspelled words from its 100,000-word dictionary; it also “learns” by monitoring keystrokes and corrects repetitive mistakes and/or typos.

• Where there is a word that is unrecognizable, it does not simply underline it as in the case of most spellcheckers, it highlights the word for easy recognition and then offers suggestions, most of which are correct. Additionally, all corrections are logged for review.

• The program can be customized to detect and expand any sequence of text into a long text string. For example, “tyvm” can be mapped to “thank you very much” so that every time “tyvm” is typed it will be expanded automatically. Similarly an abbreviated shortcut can be developed for an address, signature, or a specialized or difficult work or foreign phrase, e.g., je ne sais pas (I don’t know). A shortcut can be assigned for an entire block of text; in fact, the expanded text can be up to 32,000 characters long, so the possibilities are endless.

• Hotkeys can be assigned to insert dates, special formatting, repeated tasks, special characters, etc.

• The program offers ten distinct clipboards to the Windows Clipboard, allowing for the copying and pasting of multiple text snippets as well as a Quick Pad for filling out online forms.

• The personal dictionary can be exported from Microsoft Word to Asutype.

Asutype is easy to use, it’s fast, and it is a stable program that uses very few resources (less than 6MB of Ram on my system). It offers excellent help files and a tutorial as well as informative FAQs, and free technical support. While $39.95 might seem a bit expensive at first glance for a spellchecker, when one understands how much more than a spellchecker Asutype is, then the price is more than competitive. This is an excellent and unique program, and one, which I highly recommend.


Weak points.

Reviewer1: During installation the user is informed of where Asutype data will be stored but there is no control over that location. Since I keep my data on a different partition than my operating system and programs, I would like to have my customized Asutype data stored with my data so it is backed up more frequently and more easily restored.

There are two modes of correction: “Pop-up and Type”, enabled by default, displays a pop-up message but allows one to continue to enter text. The “Pop-up And Wait” option stops further entries until the window is closed by selecting a choice or taking an extra action. The latter mode interfered with my workflow more than it helped because I had to continually stop entering text and correct errors before I could proceed.

The pop-up menu is divided into a white and a yellow section. The white section is its list of suggested corrections and the yellow contains the commands “Spelling Add”, “Correction Add”, and “Delete and Retype”. The white list can be accessed either by entering the number of the appropriate correction or, more conveniently, by using the arrow keys to change the highlighted correction and then pressing the “enter” key. The yellow section can only be selected by pressing the “0”, “f1”, or “del” key and I would have preferred the entire menu to be selectable based on the arrow keys.

Asutype consistently recognizes a word as complete and spell checks it when the space bar is depressed. I had variable results in it checking words ending in a period or other punctuation, and words ending with a carriage return were never checked. I emailed tech support regarding this issue and this is their explanation:

The return key is a multi-purposed key, it can mean different things in
different situation. For example, it means end-of-line in normal typing; and
means start-an-action when you press it on a button. Because of that, using
return key to trigger spell checking is disabled by default. You can turn it
on as:

1. Right click Asutype's running icon (near the clock) and choose "Technical Support" command.
2. Click "Tweak" button.
3. Double click "EnterPopup" item on the list (you might need to scroll the list down a bit) and change its value from 0 to 1.
4. Click "OK" buttons to close the dialog boxes.

Give it a try to see how you like it. You can always turn it off using the
steps above.

While I appreciate the technical difficulty of this issue, the bottom line is that the default configuration of Asutype does not spell check every word. A user relying on this program could send out an important document with misspellings despite having a spell check program running. This issue should be prominently displayed and discussed in Asutype’s otherwise extensive documentation.

Reviewer 2: Asutype comes with a long list of hotkey combinations and some of the functions of Asutype are accessible only through the use of those combinations. Although they can be reassigned as desired, one is still left remembering the hotkey combination in order to access some functions. I got around this by printing a list of the hotkey combinations and with use did find remembering the hotkey combinations easier. However, I think the use of context menus in addition to hotkey combinations to activate functions in Asutype would make the program easier for first time users.

Reviewer 3: Occasionally, I found Asutype to be a bit intrusive, “correcting” words in an unintended fashion automatically. There is probably a way to turn this function off but I did not bother to dig for it. It was rare and not a big deal.

Reviewer 4: My greatest disappointment with Asutype is its inability to work with Active Words, a program so important to my daily work that it starts up with Windows, and is active at all times. Although Active Words also can correct common spelling mistakes, that is neither its main function nor its most important feature for me. It does not have the same power and scope in correcting spelling, as does Asutype. I would therefore like them to live in harmony, each doing its thing when required. I wrote to both Active Words and Asutype about this problem, but really had no satisfactory response from Asutype. The Active Words people did respond with a kind of work-around, which requires turning off the "Active Word buffer." This will allow me to have both programs active and working when called upon. However, it produces a lot of erratic behaviour in Active Words, so much so that I have permanently reactivated the buffer. With Active Words running, Asutype can flag mistakes in interactive mode, but can no longer correct them. In automatic mode, it does not work at all. Consequently, I must disable Asutype, at which time Active Words can go back to its usual daily work. When I want to use Asutype, I have to exit active Words completely. According to comments on the Active Words forum, this conflict goes back to at least 2004 and many users of Active Words have run into this same issue. It is unfortunate that the developers of these two programs have not worked out a solution to this matter, which would allow us to use both programs at all times.

Reviewer 5: I could find no real weaknesses in this program. That is not to say that there are not some minor improvements I would like to see such as:

• There are some valuable features such as the above referenced importing the Word custom dictionary found only in the FAQ which would be valuable to have in the help files.

• I would like to see some turn-around time listed for technical support.

• Please remove the ALL CAPS section in the EULA; I don’t need to be shouted at!

• It would be nice if the User Manual were put in a PDF that could be printed out.

Otherwise, this is simply a problem-free and rock solid program!


Developer's Web site.

Reviewer 1: The Asutype Web site gives a clear and detailed description of the capabilities and proper use of this program.

Reviewer 2: The Asutype Web site is simple and easy to navigate with a tab-type interface. Except for the Support functions, all pages are geared toward trying and purchasing the program with at least two links for downloading and buying the program on each page. I did note that the Testimonials and History links from the User’s Manual page were dead links.

Reviewer 3: This is a decent site providing easy-to-find needed information. There is a good FAQ section and online user manual.

Reviewer 4: Fanix Software, the developers of Asutype, has set up a series of almost totally separate Web sites, each dedicated to one program. Asutype is a little more complicated than some of the other software, so there is more on the Asutype site than on the others. However, visitors to the Web site, even in the support section, are not aware of the other products while navigating around the Asutype site; everything there is focused on the one program. There is a simple tutorial, which is aimed at getting one started on the program. It seems however, that the tutorial is available only as part of the downloaded program; I suggest that it would also be a good idea to have that tutorial, or a similar one, on the site itself. Other than that comment, I found the site to be easy to navigate; it maintains a good balance between information (examples, features, manual, etc.) and sales. There are a few gaudily coloured buttons to encourage visitors to download or to buy, but they are reasonable and not too intrusive.

Reviewer 5: At first glance, the Web site seems to have more information than it can hold; however, it is quite easy to navigate due to the tabbed menus across the top of the site as well as the “Quick Facts” column running down the right side of the site. There is really no questions that should go unanswered before purchasing because even the EULA is available for inspection on the site, something I applaud the developer for doing. If one is still unsure, however, there is a free 30-day trial period before purchasing.


Other comments.

Reviewer 1: Asutype offers a 30-day trialware version plus a 30-day moneyback guarantee. I appreciate having the option to email tech support either through the Web site or through my email client. Many support sites only give the former option while the latter option provides the ability to keep a copy of the support message. My request for support was answered promptly and politely.

Reviewer 2: I like a very clean start up on my PC and routinely disable newly installed programs from being added to my start up list. It takes a very good program that I plan to use every time I boot up for me to add to my startup list. I have added Asutype to my startup list.

I did find false positives when using Asutype in Microsoft Word. Upon review of the instruction manual I learned that it is best to turn off Word’s spell checking and autocorrection functions. When I did this, the false positives no longer occurred.

Reviewer 3: The online user manual is very complete and easy to use. I was able to find answers to any questions I had fairly easily. I never did need to resort to tech support. Asutype has a very small footprint and uses minimal resources.

Reviewer 4: As described in “Weak Points” above, the conflict between Active Words and Asutype is a major drawback for me. I do enjoy using Asutype; it is in a class of its own in helping fumble-fingers such as me. But Active Words is an essential tool that I have used for a long time and have "trained" extensively. On some of the occasions that I am simply composing, I will exit Active Words, and reactivate Asutype, which really does work well and saves me time and frustration, but unfortunately, most of the day Asutype is disabled in the system tray.

Reviewer 5: Asutype is as near a perfect program as they come and based on the change log showing four major upgrades in as many years, this Australian developer (Fannix) is actively engaged in the continued development of this program. Furthermore, the philosophy as stated on the Web site indicates a company that is dedicated to keeping customers its number one priority.


Will you continue to use it?

Reviewer 1: Yes.

Reviewer 2: Yes definitely.

Reviewer 3: Yes, It’s a “keeper” for me.

Reviewer 4: Yes, within the constraints mentioned above, it is my favourite spell-checking programme.

Reviewer 5: Absolutely. In fact, I like it so well I have disabled the built in spellchecker in Word as well as the one in my email client. This has become one of my very few “must have” programs.

OPERATING SYSTEMS USED IN THIS REVIEW
Windows XP Pro, XP Home XP Media Center, Vista Premium

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