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What is SuperMemo

You are lucky to find SuperMemo

Congratulations on getting SuperMemo, the most powerful and time efficient speed-learning tool. If you can find time to learn SuperMemo and use it regularly, it may truly improve your life. Remember though, there is nothing like a free lunch. To save a huge amount of time in the future, you need to invest some time now to learn to work with SuperMemo.

First read the end-user license

Before using and installing the SuperMemo software you should read and agree with the LICENSE.TXT file included in this package.

Now you can install SuperMemo

Locate the SUPERMEM.PRC file included in this package and double click it. Follow the instructions and HotSync your device to complete the process. You can also install sample databases in the same way.

Sample databases and convertors

You can create your own databases. You can create them in SuperMemo right on your handheld, or you can type them on your desktop computer and then convert and install them on your handheld. You can also visit SuperMemo Knowledge Goldmine to download some sample databases.

SuperMemo is tap-sensitive

Many operations are only available by tapping the screen. For instance, you can drag a divider line to change the width of a column. You can open a database by tapping its name. You can start a test by tapping the digits showing the number of cards in the test. You can rename a field by tapping its label. Etc. Do not forget to explore the menus as well. You can open a menu by tapping the top left corner of the screen.

Not you but SuperMemo decides what and when will be tested

Unlike the standard flashcards or flashcard software where you are the one who needs to decide when and what material should be repeated, SuperMemo controls your learning process completely and carefully decides what and when should be tested, using its proprietary repetion spacing algorithms. By calculating your personal forgetting curve SuperMemo presents you with questions right before you would forget them. This saves you a lot of time as you do have to learn again the cards you already forgot, nor you waste your time repeting cards you know too well.

Commit cards to SuperMemo

SuperMemo does not care about cards that are not commited. Whenever you learn a new card, you need to commit it. By committing a card, you say to SuperMemo: "I have just learned this card, include it in tests for me from now on." SuperMemo will schedule the new card to be tested in one or two days. A newly commited card will also be added to a drill pack so that you can practise it today and be sure you really learned it.

Every day SuperMemo prepares a test for you

Each commited card in your database is scheduled to be tested on a certain day. You can see the date of the next test when you tap the card icon. Every day, SuperMemo collects the cards scheduled for that day, and adds them to your daily test pack. If there are no cards scheduled for the day, the test pack is empty and there will be no test. When you launch SuperMemo, you will see the number of cards to be tested today in the main screen. Tap the number to start the test. Tap the home icon to have a break.

Remember, the first test will come in 1 or 2 days!

Note that you will see the first test tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. You will not see any test the very first day you use SuperMemo. When you commit a card today, it is scheduled to be tested in 1 or 2 days, because there is no need to test it today if you have just learned it, as your answer should always be correct.

Grade your answers in tests honestly

Use the six grades to rate your answers in a test. Grade your answer honestly, as the mark is used to calculate your forgetting curve and the date of the next test of the card. Tap the on-screen question mark icon to see an explanation of the ABC DEF marks.

Tests are for repeating, drills are for learning

Besides tests, SuperMemo also uses drills. Drills are here to help you with learning. The SuperMemo software prepares tests for you - you cannot prepare you own test. However, you can prepare your own drills if you want to. Then open your drill and learn. When you know a card perfectly, mark it Right to remove it from the drill pack, otherwise mark it Wrong to leave it in the drill. The cards left in the drill pack will show over and over again until you mark them Right. When you remove all cards from the drill pack, the drill is over. The number of cards in the drill pack is shown in the main screen. Tap the number to start the drill. Tap the home icon to have a break. Drills are not used in any way to calculate your forgetting curve or the date of the card's next test.

Database operations

To add a new database, tap the little bottom left "plus" icon on the main screen. To delete, rename or reset it, tap the icon of the desired database. To merge a database with another one you need to rename it to the name of the destination database.

Support SuperMemo and register it

If you want to use SuperMemo beyond evaluation, you need to register it, i.e. purchase a user license. Registration fees are our only source of income needed for further development. The unregistered version has a limit of 3 databases with 50 cards each. The registered version has no limits.

More features and instructions are available

Now you know all basic information needed. If you want more, you can read a detailed manual with more than 150 helpful screenshots. Another good source of information is the FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) document.

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