Description
TypeIt4Me for OS X is the latest update to an application first introduced in 1994. As the name implies, you can let your Mac do your typing for you ó faster and more accurately ó after you define the entries. These entries can be as short as a single word or phrase, or as long as several paragraphs.

In Use
Downloading the application is straight forward from either of the following sites:

http://members.aol.com/typeit4mespecial/TypeIt4Me.dmg.sit
http://homepage.mac.com/rettore/dl/TypeIt4Me.dmg.sit

TypeIt4Me is installed in the following location under Mac OS X: user/library/component/TypeIt4Me.component. Once installed, you must register the software to obtain a "personal code" for OS X. Two pull-down menu items will then appear on the menu bar. The first allows you to customize the keyboard (for different layouts, languages, etc.). The second controls the way TypeIt4Me works.

From each OS X application, TypeIt4Me has a floating palette that lists the previously defined abbreviations. To activate the automatic typing of the text of an entry, you can either: type the entry's abbreviation or select the abbreviation from TypeIt4Me's floating menu.

The first step is to define the entries that are to be automatically typed. Again, these entries can be as short as a single word or phrase, or as long as several paragraphs. For example, I defined "jrw" as an abbreviation for my name. Now, whenever I type "jrw" and a space in a Word document, "J. R. Wildridge" appears, with the correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. As I was writing this review, I defined "t4m" as an abbreviation for "TypeIt4Me," getting the same positive results as before.

I tried using TypeIt4Me in other applications, such as Microsoft Office v.X, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, etc. TypeIt4Me worked in all the OS X apps I tried. However, Classic apps are not supported with this version.

For the record, I conducted the evaluation on an 800 MHz TiBook, with 512 MB of RAM, running OS X version 10.2.6.

Summary
This is a great, time-saving application for anyone who has a lot of repetitious text to type, especially in word processing applications. I highly recommend it!

Pros

• Easy to use (activated by simply typing the abbreviation, or by selecting in the drop-down menu)
• Works with multiple OS X applications

Cons

• Expensive ($27 is a lot to pay for a single-function shareware utility)
• OS X version does not support Classic applications (there is a classic version however)

Overall Rating

4 out of 5 Mice