1-800-ACE-READ (223-7323)

IMPROVE READING PROFICIENCY & PRODUCTIVITY

Thanks for your Comments and Suggestions!
They ARE important to us!

At StepWare, we are constantly trying to improve our products and support . Our current versions of AceReader were developed from your suggestions, and we owe you for their success. Thank You!

Contact Information
Quick Start Guides
Manuals
Tutorials
FAQs

Contact Information:

Phone: 1-800-ACE-READ (223-7323)
Email: support@stepware.com
Fax: 1-970-243-9482
Address: StepWare, Inc., 320 Dakota Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81503

Frequently Asked Questions

Question:
What is the best way to use AceReader?

Answer:

We built the program so that you can use it in a variety of ways.

The "Course Mode" will completely automate your training process and will lead you into every training activity.
The "Menu Mode" allows you to pick and choose common training activities and gives you more control.
For the most control, you can enter the "Expert Mode" screen. In the "Expert Mode" screen you have full control over the reading material, display modes and speed settings.

We generally recommend that you use the program 15 to 25 minutes each training session (i.e. every day or every other day). Remember... Success comes from: Positive Attitude, Patience, and Practice. You can do it!

Question:
How long does delivery take? What are your delivery fees? Do you accept Purchase Orders?

Answer:
Download Option (via online credit card order): If you choose the download option you will get an email almost immediately after you place your order with instructions on how to download, install and activate the program. There is no delivery (shipping/handling) fee when you choose the download delivery option.

CD Option (via online credit card order): If you choose the CD, then we will send it to you via US Priority for US orders and US Air for International orders. Typically, US Priority takes 2 to 4 business days for US and Canada and US Air takes 10 days for International delivery. We usually ship two times a week. The delivery fee (shipping/handling) is $7 for US and Canada orders. The delivery fee (shipping/handling) is $9 for International orders. Note: You will also get an email almost immediately after you place your order with instructions on how to download, install and activate the program.

Purchase Orders: We welcome Purchase Orders. This is the typical method for getting orders from schools and learning institutions. We will ship the product and invoice once we get your purchase order. For faster processing, feel free to fax your purchase order to: 970-243-9482. We will ship via US Priority for US orders and US Air for International orders. Typically, US Priority takes 2 to 4 business days for US and Canada and US Air takes 10 days for International delivery. We usually ship two times a week. The delivery fee (shipping/handling) is $7 for US and Canada orders. The delivery fee (shipping/handling) is $9 for International orders.

Question:
What is your support policy?

Answer:
We state that we provide 90 days support, but in reality, we have never turned down a support call or email. We welcome your questions and we will always do everything in our power to make sure you have all your questions answered.

Support is a high priority with us and we make every attempt to be very responsive.

Question:
How do I get rid of my sub-vocalization problem?

Answer:
Keep in mind that most everyone sub-vocalizes when they read. Fast readers do less sub-vocalizing than slow readers. Your goal should not be to eliminate it, but to minimize it. AceReader can pace you to read at faster speeds. At these faster speeds (i.e. above 400-500 WPM), it is physically impossible to sub-vocalize all the words.

The amount of sub-vocalization that you do will depend on the reading material. It is normal to do more sub-vocalizing with certain types of reading material (i.e. unfamiliar material, poetry and technical material). You should be doing less sub-vocalizing when the reading material is more intuitive such as newspapers and novels. A simple but good example of a case where you probably do not sub-vocalize at all is when your reading the Stop sign at your street corner. The word "Stop" becomes a symbol that you instantly recognize and understand without sounding it out in your mind.

Another important point to keep in mind is that there is a difference between "reading" and "studying". When you are studying, you may come across new terms. You will need to sub-vocalize those new terms until they become familiar.

Again, your goal should not be to eliminate sub-vocalization, but to reduce it and to understand that the amount of sub-vocalization that you do will (and should) vary depending on the reading material.

Question:
How long will it take for me to see noticeable improvement with my reading speed?

Answer:
It is very realistic to expect to double or even triple your reading speed with AceReader. Students will typically see a little improvement almost immediately (i.e. after a few sessions), but for a more sustained and substantial improvement you can expect it to take weeks or even months. We generally recommend that you use the program 15 to 25 minutes each training session (i.e. every day or every other day).

The program is also very useful to re-ramp your reading speed back up when you have been away from it for a while. Many customers use our program like an exercise machine. They use it to increase their reading fitness and continue to use the program periodically it to keep themselves in good reading shape. Good �reading shape� in this context is referring to increased �reading speed� while maintaining and many times improving their reading comprehension.

Question:
I realize that your program will help reading speed, but what about "comprehension"?

Answer:
AceReader does not teach "how to read" but rather "how to read better". Better means faster and with better comprehension. It is non-intuitive to believe that with better speed you actually gain better comprehension, but that is typically what happens. Better comprehension occurs because when you are reading with better skills, you are not letting your mind wander off, your staying more focused and you're more engaged in the reading material.

Slow readers typically will see the most improvement when it comes to comprehension. Efficient readers often report that reading becomes more like watching a movie. It becomes more effortless, easy and fun to read.

Question:
I have the multi-user Deluxe version of the program. How do I logon as the Admin if I forgot the Admin password?

Answer:
Click on the Windows Start button, then �All Programs�, then under the program group (i.e. AceReader Pro Deluxe) you will see an entry for removing the �Admin� password. Remove it, then the next time you logon, you will be double prompted for a new password.

Note: For the network version, you need to be on the computer where the full program was initially installed (i.e. AceReader Network Server machine).

Question:
I�m a home school mom. Which version of the program is right for me?

Answer:

We recommend �AceReader Pro� if only one person will be using the program and if you are not interested in customizing any of the content.

We recommend �AceReader Pro Deluxe� if there is any chance that more than one family member will use the program. Note: Often the parents use the program in addition to their children.

The Home Deluxe version of the program can handle up to 5 users. The program will remember the program settings and test scores separate for each user. Each time you logon it will remember where you left off (for each user). The program will behave differently for each user. You take timed reading comprehension tests to set your base reading speed, then the drills will pace you at speed relative to your personal Base Reading Speed. As noted above, the deluxe version also allows you to customize the tests, drills and games with custom content.

Question:
I�m a school teacher. Which version of the program is right for me?

Answer:
For school and learning environments, we recommend either �AceReader Pro Deluxe Plus� or �AceReader Pro Deluxe Network�. The Plus version is our stand-alone work station version. The network version is recommended any time you want to install the software on 6 or more computers. The network version has the versatility of working on both stand-alone computers and/or on a network. With our network version, students do not need to sit in front of the same computer for each session and teacher can monitor the progress of all the students from any computer on the network. Both versions can handle unlimited users.

If you still have questions, send us an email (support@stepware.com) and let us know how many students and how many computers will be using the software, then we will respond with our recommendation.

Question:
My unlock code is not working. What am I doing wrong?

Answer:
You will first want to make sure you are running the correct version of the program. In other words, if you purchased �AceReader Pro Deluxe�, make sure you are not running �AceReader Pro�.

You will also want to be sure you are entering the Name, Number of Licenses and Code exactly as show (Case Sensitive).

If you recently downloaded a new version of the program, your old code may not work. If this is the case you need to contact us via support@stepware.com and we will help you. If you do this, please indicate that you just downloaded the latest version and also provide enough information so that we can look up your original order (i.e. name, email address� from your original order form).

The instructions for activating your program are as follows:

When you start the program, you will see a button on the first screen that says "Unlock Demo...". Press that button and enter:
Name: registered name
Licenses: number of computer licenses you purchased
Code: your registration code

Note: Your Name and Code must be entered exactly as shown (Case Sensitive).

Question:
I downloaded the demo, but where is the code to unlock it?

Answer:
When you start the program, you should see a button that says "Unlock Demo...". That button is used to make the program fully functional after you purchase the program.

You should also see a button on the first screen that say "Start". That is how you enter the program. If you don't see that button and if it says "Expired" in red text on that screen, then that means the program was already installed on your computer by you or someone else more than 30 days ago.

Question:
Can I read .pdf or .doc documents?

Answer:
Yes. Enter the Expert mode screen, then under the File menu, select �Load File�. Then select the proper file type and select the file. Note: You can also load plain text files (.txt files)

Note: Only the text is extracted from the files.

Question:
Can you import your own text into AceReader?

Answer:
Yes. That is one of the powerful features provided by AceReader. There are several ways this can be accomplished. It can be done in a "Formal" or "Informal" manor.

Formal � With our Deluxe versions of the software, teachers and home school parents can create their own comprehension tests, drills and games by utilizing the built-in editors. When you use the built-in editors you can create custom content that will be made available to everyone using the software (network wide if you have the network version). One nice feature to take note of is the "readability statistics" feature. It is possible to press a button when using the reading comprehension test editor or drill text editor and it will instantly tell you the grade level and complexity of the text according the common readability formulas (i.e. Spache, Dale Chall, Fry Graph...). Also note, that the editors allow you to "paste" text into the fields so it is easy to copy/paste text from other applications (i.e. word processors, web pages...).

Informal - Students can enter the Expert mode screen and train with text of their own choice, set the options and speeds to whatever they want, then press Play/Stop (sort of like a VCR) to have the text pace them at whatever speed and mode they desire. When in the Expert mode screen, students can load plain text files, .pdf files, .doc files or load text via the clipboard. The clipboard is the easiest way to quickly load text from web pages, word processing documents, ebooks...

Note: Loading .pdf and .doc files direct without using the clipboard is only available on the PC/Windows version.

Question:
How can I load the Expert mode screen with text from other sources besides .pdf, .doc and .txt files? I would like to load AceReader with my emails, web pages, ebooks...

Answer:
To load text from sources outside of .pdf, .doc and .txt files, you can load the contents of the clipboard. For example, if you want to load the Expert mode screen with text from a web page, you first copy the text into the clipboard and then paste it into the Expert mode screen. You can paste it into the Expert mode screen by either pressing Cntrl-V or by going to the File menu and selecting �Load Clipboard (Paste)�.

Please refer to the Help or Manual for a more detailed explanation. Refer to the section under the Expert Mode called �How To Load/Save Reading Material�.

Question:
In the Expert Mode I noticed that the Target Speed does not match the Actual Speed. Why is that?

Answer:
If any of the "Fine Tune" speed options are turned on then the Target speed will most likely not match the Actual speed.

Refer to the "Fine Tune" speed options. Go to the "Options" menu, then select "Fine Tune Speed Options". Turn off all the Fine Tune speed options if you want the Target speed to match Actual speed.

Note: Many of the "Preset-Options" will set or not set the "Fine Tune" speed options.

You can refer to the bottom/left portion of the screen. That portion of the screen will indicate if any of the Fine Tune Speed options are turned on.

If you turn off all the "Fine Tune" speed options then you will have the best chance for the target speed to match the actual speed.

To demonstrate this, try turning off all the Fine Tune options. Then press Play. If you let it run until it stops on it's own, the Actual speed should be close to the Target speed. To test this, try pressing the "Burst Forward" (lower middle button) and let it run until it stops.

Question:
I live in Korea and I�m having trouble starting/using the AceReader program. How can I get AceReader to work?

Answer:
We have heard from Korean customers that you need to change the Locale setting to English. You can do that by doing the following:

Left click your Windows Start button (lower left of your computer screen).
Move your mouse over "Settings", then left click on the "Control Panel" menu item.
Double click on your "National Option" or "Regional Settings" icon.
On your machine, you may need to select the "General" or "Regional Settings" tab.
Change your User Locale from Korean to English.

I believe that the above change will only effect how dates, times, currency and numbers are displayed on your system. I think if you can live with it set to English, then your AceReader TL221MN.DLL problem will go away.

NOTE: You can also refer to: http://www.stepware.com/korean/korean.htm for another explanation on how to fix this problem.

Question:
Can I change the words that are used with the games?

Answer:
Yes. Our Deluxe versions of the software include built-in editors that allow you to incorporate your own text for all of the games. The program also includes editors that allow you to create your own tests and drills.

Question:
Can I change what keys to press for certain functions while in the Expert mode screen?

Answer:
Yes. Click on the Options menu, then select �Set Key Mapping��. You can map keys to all the main functions (i.e. Start, Stop, Load Clipboard, Faster Speed, Slower Speed, Page Back, Page Forward, Burst Forward, Burst Repeat�).

Question:
Do you support other languages?

Answer:
The user interface and the reading material that we provide is in English only. But please note that our AceReader products do support the International ASCII character set. So it will work with most of the European languages (i.e. Spanish, Italian, French, German...).

You can load AceReader with files (.txt, .doc and .pdf files) and also by using the clipboard. When you use the clipboard, you can bring in text from web pages, word processing documents, ebooks, email...

The Deluxe versions of the program allow you to incorporate your own text into the program for use with the tests, drills and games.

We also sell a text-to-speech add-on for the PC versions of the software. The text-to-speech add-on will vocalize the words as they are displayed on the screen. We have English, Spanish, French and German voices. It should be noted that these are very high quality human sounding voices.

Question:
How do I print test results?

Answer:
When viewing the test results, you will see a �Copy to Notepad� button. You can press that button and it will create a notepad document with the results. You can then print the results.

Note: It is also possible to export test results through the Admin functions to a tab or semicolon delimited file. The file can then be imported into a spreadsheet program for further processing and/or printing.

Question:
Where am I suppose to focus my eyes while playing the eye span games?

Answer:
Your really trying to accomplish two things with the Eye Span Games:

Your trying to widen your eye fixation zone (ability to take in more during single eye fixation).
Your trying to increase your speed between eye fixations.

We typically recommend that you start out with the default settings and first concentrate on item 1 (specified above) by looking pretty much in the center of the screen. Then as you widen the text to something that you can't see when looking at the center, you will start to work on item 2 (specified above) by re-fixating your eyes at a rapid rate to see all the text.

Question:
Do you have a hand held version of AceReader?

Answer:
We have considered developing a version for the hand held market, but we currently do not have plans to do so. We are concentrating on the Educational features for both the PC and Mac platforms.

Question:
What grade levels is AceReader for?

Answer:
The program is used for all grade levels? We include reading material for grades 1 through 12 plus a college level. Even for adults, it�s fine to train with level 3 on up. It�s important to remember that newspapers are written for adults and newspapers are typically written at about the 6th to 8th grade level.

It�s recommended to think of our �levels� as �complexity levels� instead of as �grade levels�.

We leveled our material by running the text through common readability formulas. We used the Spache formula for grades 1-3 and the Dale Chall formula for grade 4 on up through adult. We also cross checked with the Fry Graph.

Note: The Deluxe versions of the program come with the readability formulas built-in. When creating your own custom tests or drill text, you can perform readability stats on the text to help you determine the grade level and complexity of the text. The is a powerful and handy feature used by many teachers and home school parents.

Question:
What level should I start my child who is currently in the 5th grade?

Answer:
We typically recommend anyone in grade school to start with level 1 and we typically recommend everyone else to start at level 3. If you find that the current level is too elementary, you may want to jump up one or serval levels. Keep in mind that newspapers are written for adults and newspapers are typically written at about the 6th to 8th grade level. You should consider the "levels" as "complexity levels" and not as "grade levels".

Question:
How does your software compare to other program?

Answer:
To tell you the truth, we don't spend much time looking at other products. Instead, we simply try to implement the features that our customers (many of which are teachers and reading experts) keep requesting. We have a tight customer feedback loop and that is how our product has evolved over the past decade.

We believe that most all products have their strengths. Sometimes it may even make sense to use more than one product. For example, our product has been recommended by speed reading teachers all around the world and one in particular that we work with is located at: http://www.abbylearn.com . She has a book "10 Days to Faster Reading" that you can obtain for free if you order AceReader Pro from: http://www.stepware.com/bookspecial . A book/software combo is a nice way to get more for your money.

We can tell you that our product works. We have very many satisfied customers. It is common to hear about students that have doubled or tripled their reading speeds. You may want to refer to: http://www.acereader.com/testimonials/index.html to hear what some of them have to say. We have also won many awards: http://www.acereader.com/awards_reviews/index.html .

We have been told by customers that they like our program the best since we offer several ways to use the program. You can use the course mode, menu mode or expert mode depending on how much control you want during your training process.

One powerful feature worth mentioning is that our product is very customizable. We provide all the tests and drills you need, but you can purchase additional test sets, create your own Drills and with our Deluxe version, you can create your own Comprehension Tests. Creating your own Comprehension Tests is very useful for teacher/school environments.

If you enter our Expert Mode, you can load plain text files and/or paste text in from the clipboard. By utilizing the clipboard, you can bring in text from web pages, ebooks, word processing documents, pdf files� You can load the text of your choice, set the speed and options the way you want, then simply press Play/Stop buttons (sort of like a VCR) to practice and have full control of your practice sessions.

Another point worth mentioning is: You can also use our product as an "Online Reader" (a productivity tool vs an educational tool). Many people use our product to read more efficiently while online by displaying a few words at a time in the center of the screen. In this mode, the words are coming to your eyes instead of your eyes going to the words. Many people find reading in this fashion much more efficient.

We take support very seriously, so don't hesitate to contact us if you have more questions (support@stepware.com) .

Question:
Is there a yearly fee? Do you charge for upgrades?

Answer:
We do not charge a yearly fee. When you purchase the program, you own it forever.

Minor upgrades are free and we do sometimes charge for major upgrades. Major upgrades do not happen very often (i.e. years). If we come out with a major upgrade, it is free for recent customers.

Question:
Can I install the software on more than one computer?

Answer:
For home users, you're welcome to load the software onto more than one computer (i.e. your desktop, laptop, home computer and/or work computer) if you are the only person using the software. If more than one person will be using the software, then you may want to consider our Deluxe version. With our Deluxe version, the program settings and test scores will be kept separate for each user. The program behaves differently for each user (i.e. drill pacing).

Note: We also have multi-computer licenses which need to be purchased for schools, learning institutions and businesses.

Question:
What research is available on your product?

Answer:
We do have research papers available by request. You can send an email to support@stepware.com and request a copy or our research paper summary. You can then make further requests for specific research papers that are referenced in the summary.

You may also want to refer to the following:

Testimonials: http://www.acereader.com/testimonials/index.html
Awards and Reviews: http://www.acereader.com/awards_reviews/index.html

Note: We have won many awards (over 50). One award that we are especially proud of is our award from Technology & Learning. They named AceReader as a winner for the year and then named AceReader the "Top" winner out of all the winners. We felt very honored since other winners were Plato, Scholastic, Microsoft and Apple just to name a few. You can read more about it at: http://www.acereader.com/about/press.html .

Question:
Do you have a reseller program?

Answer:
We do have some reseller programs. You can send us an email to support@stepware.com and specify how you plan to sell the program? Then we can try to figure out the right reseller program for your needs.

Note: We also require that you are first a customer. We feel that it is important for our resellers to experience what it is like to be a customer before becoming a reseller.

Question:
How can I try the network demo version?

Answer:
Server Installation Instructions:

Download AceReader Pro Deluxe Network by clicking on the following link: http://www.stepware.com/arpdn.exe
Run arpdn.exe to install the program.
Follow the prompts.

Note: The folder of where you install AceReader Pro (Server) needs to be a shared folder that all other networked computers have full read/write/create/execute� access to.

Client Installation Instructions:

Using the Windows Explorer, you will need to navigate to the networked Server Machine and locate the directory of where you installed AceReader Pro i.e. \\server-machine\Program Files\AceReader Pro (Server)).
Double click on Client_Setup.exe
Follow the prompts.

Note: You do not need to install Clients. Client's should be installed if you want to use AceReader on more than one computer (i.e. a reading lab environment) and if you want a central database. You can install the server onto individual computers if you do not want to share a central database.

Question:
I�m trying to download and install the Mac version and I�m having trouble. I�m running a Macintosh with OS 10.4?

Answer:
This is a possible issue when trying to download .hqx files and when you are running Mac OS 10.4 or later. The problem is that Apple decided to not include the stuffit expander with 10.4. You can download it for free from: http://www.stuffit.com/mac/expander/download3.html .

Question:
Is there support for Arabic?

Answer:
Our program does support the International ASCII character set, so you should not have problems with European languages (i.e. French, German, Spanish, Italian�).

For Arabic, you may need to set your Windows up for your language. You may need to do the following:

Bring up Control Panel
Select Language
Select Add other languages
Select the Advanced tab
Select an your language in "Language for non-Unicode programs" section.

Question:
Does AceReader help with dyslexia?

Answer:
In general our software is typically used to assess and improve reading skills.

The software flashes text and paces eye movement. Dyslexia is not our main focus with the program, but many reading specialist use our software for their dyslexic students. Most of the people who purchase the program for dyslexic students already know how they want to use the program for their needs.

We would recommend that you contact a dyslexia expert. One customer of ours that uses it for this purpose is Jean Snyder. You can contact her to see how she uses AceReader to help with her dyslexic students. She is one of our references. Her contact information is below:

Jean Snyder
jsnyder@pwhome.com
1590 Abbotts Lane
Copper Canyon, TX 76226
Telephone: 972-539-8693

Question:
We run Macintosh computers with Tiger OS 10.4.6. I downloaded the demo (arpdn.hqx) but we could not open the folder. My computer does not understand the .hqx format.

Answer:
You may first want to try downloading the file using the Safari web browser, otherwise, you can download the free stuffit expander.

In the Macintosh OS X releases (i.e. 10.4 and later), they stopped including the stuffit expander which understand how to unpack the .hqx file format. If you are going to download the Mac version, you will need to download and install the free stuffit program from: http://www.stuffit.com/mac/expander/download3.html or http://www.stuffit.com/mac/expander .

Question:
Is it possible to migrate the user data from the version 4.x installation to the new version 5 installation?

Answer:
Yes. Version 5 now separates the program files from the data files since that was a requirement for Vista Certification. You need to copy the user data from the old installation folder to the new installation folder. Note: Even if you uninstalled the old version, you should still find the data in the original place since the uninstall does not remove user data. First exit the program so that it's not running, then proceed with the following directions.

For all the multi-user Deluxe versions, you need to copy the user folder from the original old installation folder (i.e. C:\Program Files\AceReader Pro Deluxe\Users\Tom) to the new data folder (i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AceReader Pro Deluxe\users\Tom).

For the single user AceReader Pro version, you will need to copy the testres3.db from the original old installation folder (i.e. C:\Program Files\AceReader Pro\testres3.db) to the new data installation folder (i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AceReader Pro\testres3.db).

IMPROVE READING PROFICIENCY & PRODUCTIVITY

Thanks for your Comments and Suggestions!They ARE important to us!

Contact Information:

Quick Start Guides:

Manuals:

Tutorials:

Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks for your Comments and Suggestions!
They ARE important to us!