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TM
Precomputer Power Pad Plus
User’s manual
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Dear Parent: ® At VTech we know that children have the ability to do great things. That’s why all of our electronic learning products are uniquely designed to develop a child’s mind and allow them to learn to the best of their ability. Whether it’s learning ® about letters, numbers, geography or algebra, all VTech learning products incorporate advanced technologies and extensive curriculum to encourage children of all ages to reach their potential. When it comes to providing interactive produc
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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................ 1 CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED ........................ 2 MAIN BATTERY INSTALLATION ...............................2 BACKUP BATTERY INSTALLATION...........................2 AC ADAPTOR CONNECTION...................................3 PRINTER CONNECTION ..........................................4 MOUSE CONNECTION............................................4 GENERAL OPERATION ..........................................4 CHAPTER 3 THE KEYBOAR
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RAM CART MANAGER..........................................28 POWER LINK.......................................................29 CHAPTER 7 BASIC.......................................... 30 INTRODUCTION...................................................30 GETTING STARTED ..............................................32 BASIC COMPUTER TUTORIAL................................34 REFERENCE SECTION ...........................................47 ARITHMETIC FUNCTIONS ...................................
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ® Thank you for buying the PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS learning toy by VTECH . ® We at VTECH are committed to providing the best possible products to develop a child’s mind. Should you have any questions or concerns, please call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-521-2010 in the U.S. or 1-800-267-7377 in Canada. PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS is a powerful learning computer tool featuring 120x32 full dot matrix LCD screen and a standard sized computer style keyboard
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CHAPTER 2: GETTING STARTED The PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS learning unit operates on 4 “AA” (UM-3/LR6) size batteries for the main compartment or a 9V AC adaptor. 2 “AA” (UM-3/LR6) batteries are required to backup the unit. MAIN BATTERY INSTALLATION 1. Make sure the unit is OFF. 2. Locate the main battery cover on the back of the unit and open it. 3. Insert 4 “AA” (UM-3/LR6) size batteries as illustrated. DO NOT USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES in this unit. (The use of Rayovac Renewable/Rechargea
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3. Insert 2 “AA” (UM-3/LR6) size batteries as illustrated. DO NOT USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES in this unit. (The use of Rayovac Renewable/Rechargeable Alkaline batteries is encouraged.) 4. Replace the battery cover. 5. Turn the unit ON. NOTE: While replacing the backup batteries, the 4 “AA” size batteries must be kept in the unit or the unit must be connected to the 9V adaptor while the adaptor is plugged in. If not, the information stored in the following activities will be lost: •Word Process
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PRINTER CONNECTION The PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS learning unit can support 12 different kinds of printers. For details, please refer to Chapter 6. MOUSE CONNECTION Use our standard mouse, included with the PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS. 1. Make sure the unit is OFF. 2. Locate the mouse jack at the back of the unit. 3. Slide open the mouse port door and insert the mouse connector into the unit. 4. Turn the unit ON. 5. The mouse will work best if it is kept on the mouse pad. Left Mouse Right Mous
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Automatic Shut Off If there is no input into the PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS unit for about 20 minutes, the unit will automatically shut off to save power. To turn the unit back on after an automatic shut off, press the ON button again. We recommend turning the unit OFF when not in use. If the PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS unit is not in use for a long period of time, remove the main compartment batteries or unplug the adaptor. CONTRAST SWITCH Depending on your lighting conditions, slide the C
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CHAPTER 3: THE KEYBOARD The computer keyboard on PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS combines the operation of a standard computer keyboard with several other functions described below. SPECIAL KEYS Enter Key: Press this key after typing or choosing an answer to input your selection. Shift Key: Press this key to type capital letters or the symbols shown on top of the number keys. Esc Key: Press this key to exit an activity. By repeatedly pressing the ESC key, you can return to the main menu. 6
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Caps Lock Key: Press this key to make all letters appear in upper case. Press this key again to return to normal typing mode. When the Caps Lock function is activated, the Caps Lock light will turn on. Answer Key: Press this key to see the correct answer to any question. Right Player/Left Player Keys: Press these keys with activities featuring a 2-player mode. The first person to hit his or her appropriate left or right player button will get the opportunity to answer the question first. Curs
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Hint Key: Press the Shift key and this key simultaneously when inputting text in Trivia activities when you need a hint. You will be given three multiple choice answers to choose from. In Rocket Fuel, you may replay the current stage. Break Key: Press the Shift and Break keys simultaneously when you want to interrupt a program in the BASIC activity while it is running. Alt Key: Press this key and the letter ‘P’ to activate the printing function in the activities. Press this key and the “3” key
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Backspace Key: Press this key when you want to delete the character before the cursor position. 3, #, and £: Press this key to type the number “3”. Press Shift and this key simultaneously when you want to type the symbol “£”. Press Alt and this key simultaneously when you want to type the symbol “#”. ACTIVITY SELECTOR There are 38 activities in the PRECOMPUTER POWER PAD™ PLUS unit and they are divided into 5 categories. This includes Word Games, Mathematics, Computer Skills, Games and Trivia.
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Player Key: Press this key to change from 1-player mode to 2-player mode and vice versa for activities with 2-player mode. If you want to change the player mode, press this key first and then select a player mode by typing the number 1 or 2. If you select the 2-player mode, you will be prompted to enter the names of the first player and second player. Level Key: The unit provides 4 levels of challenge in most of the activities. If you want to change the level, press this key first and then se
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CHAPTER 4: ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS HOW TO PLAY SELECTING/CHOOSING/HIGHLIGHTING During the course of entering the activities and during game play, you will be asked to either select, choose or highlight an object, a number, a letter or a word. This can be done in two different ways: Mouse You can move the cursor arrow with the mouse. When the cursor arrow is on the item you want to choose, press the left mouse button, or the Enter key. You may also move the cursor to highlight text. To highl
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There are 5 large icons on top of the Main Menu. You can choose from the following: Word Games , Mathematics , Computer Skills , Games , and Trivia . Use 1 of the following 2 ways to enter into one of the five categories: 1. Press any one of the five activity buttons from the Membrane Activity Selector. 2. Choose an activity icon on the screen. After choosing the category (Word Games, Mathematics, etc.), you may select an activity: Choose an activity on the screen. Due to the limitation of th
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NOTE: The following activities do not feature the two-player mode: •Word Puzzles •Spy Trap • Rocket Fuel • Keyboard Skills •Typing Challenge •Word Processor •BASIC Tutor • BASIC • Design A Card • Spell Checker • Calculator GENERAL DISPLAY In most of the activities, you will see a display with status information, useful icons and a working area. The status information will include the players’ scores, the number of chances remaining to answer a question, the current level, and the time indicator
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TENSES Two tenses of a verb will appear on the screen. Type in the missing tense (present, past or past participle) of that verb and press the Enter key to confirm your answer. WORD PUZZLES This is a crossword puzzle game with 10 missing words in each puzzle. Use the cursor keys or mouse to select one of the missing words. Press the Enter key to receive a clue for the chosen word. Type in the word for that clue and press the Enter key to confirm your answer. If you need to see the clue again
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WORD MAKER The unit will display a prefix or a suffix of a word at the bottom of the screen. Several suffixes/prefixes scroll across the screen above the word. When the correct suffix/prefix is above the word, press the Enter key to input your answer. SENTENCE SCRAMBLER A group of words will appear on the screen. You must rearrange the words to form a correct sentence. Select the word you think is the first word of the sentence with the arrow keys or the mouse cursor, and then press the Ente
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FRACTIONS A fraction will display on the screen. 3 multiple choice options will be given. Decide which option is the correct answer and press its corresponding number or click on the answer with your mouse. FLIP FLOP FRACTIONS An equation which involves turning a fraction into a decimal/percentage will appear on the screen. Type in the answer using the number keys on the keyboard and press the Enter key to confirm your answer. When inputting your decimal answer, place a zero before the decim
