Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product NEO Alphasmart
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Neo User ’ s Guide.
AlphaSmart Sales and T echnical Support For AlphaSmart sales and technical support contac t information, see page 150, or visit the AlphaSmart web site at www .
iii Contents Chapter 1 Introduction ............ ............................ ..................... ....................... 1 Why use Neo? ................ ............... ................ ............... ................. ........ 2 System requirements .
iv Neo User’ s Guide Understanding workspaces and files .... ... .............. .............. ............. 25 Creating files .................. .............. ................. .............. .................25 Naming and saving files ..... .....
v Control Panel.................... .............. .............. ................. ............... ...... 64 Spell Check settings ............ ................ ................. ............... ....... 67 AlphaWord settings .................. .......
vi Neo Use r’ s Guide Passwords in AlphaS mart Manager ... ................. .............. .............. 115 Send list password ..... .............. ................. .............. ................. . 116 Master password ................... .....
vii Appendix C W arranty , Maintenance, and Contact Information ...... ................... 147 Warranty ........... .............. ................. .............. ............... ................. .... 147 Guarantee ...... ................ ..........
viii Neo User’ s Guide.
Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Intr oduction W elcome to Neo, the better laptop for school and the perfect writing tool from AlphaSmart. Neo i s the easy to use, portable, and affordable computing answer for st udents, writers, researchers, and professionals on the go.
2N e o U s e r ’ s G u i d e Why use Neo? Why use Neo? With Neo you’ve got a solution that is • Simpl e . Just turn it on and start typing; turn it off when you’re done. Everything is saved as you type. With its built-in AlphaWord Plus word processor , you can write stories, capture brainstorming ideas, take notes or minutes, and more.
Introduction 3 System requirements System requirements Neo works with Macintosh or PC desktop or laptop computers that have an external USB keyboard or USB port. • Macintosh . Neo is compatibl e with any Macintosh computer running OS 9.0 or hi gher .
4N e o U s e r ’ s G u i d e System requirements.
Basics 5 Chapter 2 Basics This section gives you basic information about getting your Neo up and running as quickly as possib le. Details about using the various features of your Neo are descri bed in the rest of this manual.
6N e o U s e r ’ s G u i d e Powering your Neo Note: Neos use AA batteries, but if you’d like it to be rechargeabl e instead, you can purcha se a rechargeable b attery upgrade kit from AlphaSm art. See the AlphaSmart web si te for more information.
Basics 7 Entering text into your Neo T o charge a rechargeable Neo: 1. Install the internal battery pack as described in the instructions that came with the pack. 2. Connect the AC adapter to your Neo and plug the cord into a working electrical outlet.
8N e o U s e r ’ s G u i d e Entering text into your Neo There is no need to save your text. It’ s automatically saved in the current workspace while you type. T o begin another document, press one of the other file keys (2 through 8) al ong the top edge of the keyboard.
Basics 9 Connecting your Neo to a computer • The device is in another Sm artApplet, such as Cal culator . If this is the case, press the applets key to return Neo to the SmartApplets menu. From there, use the arrow keys to select AlphaW ord Plus and press enter .
10 Neo User’ s Guide Connecting your Neo to a computer T o connec t your Neo to a US B computer: 1. Plug the thin rectangular end of the USB cable into th e computer’ s USB port (either on th e CPU, on a USB hub, or on some USB keyboards). 2. Connect the smaller , squarish e nd of the cable into th e computer port along Neo’ s top edge.
Basics 11 Sending text to a computer Successfully attaching your Neo When you attach your Neo to a co mputer , Neo automatically changes modes to prepare to transfer data an d the screen displays one of the following message s: As soon as you’ve successfully c onnected your computer to Neo, you can send text to your co mputer .
12 Neo User’ s Guide Sending text to a computer Sending text when connec ted by a USB cable Sending text by means of a cable is quick and simple. T o send text to a computer: 1.
Basics 13 Sending text to a computer Y o u can also use AlphaSmart Manager to send text to your computer when connected by USB cable. See “W orking with AlphaSmart Manager” on page 87 for more information.
14 Neo User’ s Guide Printing from Neo 5. Press send on Neo. AlphaBeam shows that it’ s retrieving text, and text appears in your open file. If it looks like nothing happened, it might be that AlphaBeam was the active window rather than your applicatio n.
Basics 15 Instal ling Al phaSmart Mana ger Neo can print to many USB printers and can also p rint by beaming text to an IR-capable printer . T o find out about using IR technology to print, see “If you want to use IR” on page 16. T o print from your Neo to a USB printer: 1.
16 Neo User’ s Guide If you want to use IR T o install AlphaSmart Manager: 1. Put the AlphaSmart Manager CD in the CD drive on your computer . A window displaying the contents of the CD appears. 2. Do one of the following: • Macintosh: Double-click the AlphaSmart Manager Installer icon.
Basics 17 If you want to use IR be up to three feet (one meter) aw ay while transferring text to and from a computer or printer . Neo has a built-in infrared module that confo rms to IrDA industry standards. If the receiving computer or printer has a built-in IR transceiver , or an attached IR pod, you can send text by “beaming” it from Neo.
18 Neo User’ s Guide If you want to use IR AlphaBeam AlphaBeam is a software applicat ion you install on your computer that lets you beam text from your Neo to an IR-capable computer . AlphaBeam comes with Neo (on th e AlphaSmart Manager CD), and you can always download the latest version from the AlphaSmart web site .
Basics 19 If you want to use IR Beamer Smar tApplet Beamer SmartApplet is a SmartApple t installed on your Neo. It uses IR technology to beam data betw een two AlphaSmart devices (such as two Neos or a Neo and an Alph aSmart 3000) or between an AlphaSmart device and a Palm OS d evice (such as Dana by AlphaSmart).
20 Neo User’ s Guide USB cable versus IR technology USB cable versus IR technology The following table summarizes the task s you can accomplish with the USB and IR connection methods.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 21 Chapter 3 All About AlphaW ord Plus AlphaW ord Plus is the most widely used SmartAp plet on Neo. This chapter describes the features of AlphaW ord Plus.
22 Neo User’ s Guide Entering and editing text If you want to work in a different wo rkspace, select it by pressing one of the file keys ( file 1 – file 8 ) at the top of the keyboard. When you’re in the appropriate file, to enter text, simply begin typing.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 23 Entering and editing text Selecting text When you select text on your Neo, the selection appears highlighted in reverse; that is, text within a selection is light and the background is dark. T o deselect a selection, press es c or an arrow key .
24 Neo User’ s Guide Entering and editing text Note: Neo has a built-in clipboard, like most comp uters. The following section provides detai ls about using the clipboard. Using the clip board The clipboard is a place where you te mporarily store data to reuse in another area.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 25 Understanding workspaces and files Understanding workspaces and files AlphaW ord Plus makes use of work spaces—eight of them—on e for each file key along the top of keyboard. In AlphaWord Plus, you’re always in one of the eight workspaces, which you use for your work in pr ogress.
26 Neo User’ s Guide Understanding workspaces and files T o create a new file in a workspace that conta ins text: 1. Press the file key for the workspace you want to work in. 2. Press ctrl-N . AlphaWord Plus asks whet her you want to keep the existing text in the workspace.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 27 Understanding workspaces and files you scroll the list, the workspace numb er or file name is displayed on the top line.) •P r e s s ctrl-O to use the Open File featur e. Open File lists the files by name (if they’re named) or by workspace (if they’re not named).
28 Neo User’ s Guide Formatting text Formatting text Neo lets you concentrate on the conten t of your text rather than its layout. Formatting—such as margins, fonts, and style attributes—are more conveniently performed on y our computer (with its larger screen and mouse) after you transfe r text from your Neo.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 29 Changing font size • V ery large (three lines per screen) • Extra large (two lines per screen) When you change the font size, that change applies to all files and workspaces in AlphaW ord Plus. Y ou can’t set different font sizes for different files.
30 Neo User’ s Guide Changing font size Y ou can set the font size in one of three ways: • By using a keyboard command. • Through the Control Panel SmartApplet (see “Contro l Panel” on page 64 for more information about Control Panel). • Through AlphaSmart Manager.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 31 Finding text occupies only the space it needs to display that particular character . So, for example, an m character takes up more space than an i character .
32 Neo User’ s Guide Finding text T o find text: 1. Press find or a -F . 2. T ype the text you want to find. (If you previously searched for text, press clear file to remove your earlier entry before typing the new text you want to find.) 3. Do one of the following: • Press enter to search within the current file.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 33 Finding text T o find and replace text: 1. Press ctrl-find . The Find/Replace s creen appears. 2. T ype the text you want to find in the Find field, then press tab or to move to the Replace field. (If you previously searched and replaced text, press clear file to remove your earlier entries.
34 Neo User’ s Guide Finding text 6. Press enter to begin the sea rch. The following scre en appears when AlphaW ord Plus finds the word you specified. 7. Do one of the following: • Ty p e R to replace the found string with the replacement string.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 35 Finding text • If password protecti on is enable d on your Neo (see page 78 for information), you won’t be able to search within all files using option-enter . • Y ou can search in all files, but you can search and replace in the current file only .
36 Neo User’ s Guide Checking spelling when you go to search by section, you would see o nly the topics as sections, as in this illustration: T o define section separations: 1. Press a -S . 2. T ype a number between 1 and 9 to define the number of blank lines between sections.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 37 Checking spelli ng T o spell check a file: 1. Press spell check . Spell check begins checking each word in your file. If it finds a word that doe sn’t exist in its dictionary , a suggestion screen appears, as in the example shown here (which found the word “runn” in the file).
38 Neo User’ s Guide Checking spelling If you haven’t exited spell check by pressi ng esc , when it finishes checking your file, it disp lays a message that the spe ll check is complete and return s you to your file. Spell check tips Use these tips to stream line your spell checks: • Y ou can spell check a selection wi thin a file.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 39 Checking spelli ng For the first two methods, you’ll need to enter a master password. For information on master password s, see “Neo password protection” on page 77. T o disable or ena ble the spell checker: 1. Press option- a -spell check .
40 Neo User’ s Guide Using the thesaurus Steps for sending a user dictio nary to Neo using AlphaSmart Manager are detailed in “Sending a user dictionary to Neo” o n page 118. Using the thesaurus Keeping writing lively and interest ing can be a challenge, and a skillful writer knows how useful a thesaurus can be.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 41 Using the thesaurus • If the word was found, you’re prompted to pick a category (or part of speech), as show n in the illustration below .
42 Neo User’ s Guide Using the thesaurus Antonyms Y ou can also use the thesaurus to look for antonyms, words that mean the opposite of the word you’re looking up. Press A when you’re prompted to select a ca tego ry or synonym to view antonyms to your lookup word.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 43 Character , word, paragraph, and page counts 3. Use the arrow keys to select the ca tegory of word you want to look up and press ent er .
44 Neo User’ s Guide Character , word, parag raph, and page counts T o view a file’ s length: 1. Make sure you’re working in th e file whose length you want to check. 2. Press ctrl-W . The following screen appears, displaying statistics for your particular file.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 45 Using linked files Using linked files AlphaW ord Plus supports linked fil es, that is, files that you connect to AlphaW ord Plus files.
46 Neo User’ s Guide Using linked files When you’re in a linked file, you view it by toggling between it and the AlphaW ord Plus file with which it’ s associated. Here’ s an example of a simple linked file that lists vocabulary words: T o create a linked file: 1.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 47 Using linked files 6. End the linked file by typing </FORM>. 7. If you want to add text that w ill appear in the main file, add it either before the beginning <FORM> tag or after the ending </FORM> tag. If you don’t want any text in the main file, skip this step.
48 Neo User’ s Guide Using linked files 5. If you want to send any text for the main AlphaW ord Plus file, insert it before or after the text for the linked file (that is, before or afte r the <FORM> tags). 6. Click the Send list tab to verify the linked file an d any other text appears as you want it, then click Send.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 49 Using linked files T o view a linked file: 1. On your Neo, press the appropriate file key with which the linked file is associated. 2. Press ctrl-L . The linked file appears. 3. Press ctrl-L again to return to the main file.
50 Neo User’ s Guide Using linked files T ags for linked files The tags that you use for linked files are similar to HTML tags. Most have a beginning tag enclosed in angle brackets (<tag >) and an end tag enclosed in an gle brackets with a forward s lash (</tag>).
All About AlphaW ord Plus 51 Using linked files A sample linked file Below is a sample of a more comp lex linked fil e, shown as you’d create it on your computer a nd ho w it appears on an AlphaSmart device. Stor y Star ter The assignment is to write a stor y .
52 Neo User’ s Guide Maintaining your files Maintaining your files There are no tricks to maintaining your files in Neo. The following sections explain some basic ideas about file maintenance. File size Y ou can change the minimum and ma ximum limits on file size using AlphaSmart Manager.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 53 Maintaining your files Impor tant: The amount of space available for files is affected by the size of data files for other SmartA pplets you might be using.
54 Neo User’ s Guide Maintaining your files The File Status scre en also shows the pages u sed in all files and the pages available on the system. T o check file size on files in the workspaces: 1. Press shift - a -I . The Pages in Files screen appears.
All About AlphaW ord Plus 55 Maintaining your files File type Clear File Delete File Unnamed text in a workspace • Clears text (which you can still recover) • Leaves you in the empty , active work.
56 Neo User’ s Guide Maintaining your files T o clear a file (remove its contents): 1. When the file you want to cl ear is onscreen, press clear file .
All About AlphaW ord Plus 57 Maintaining your files T o clear all workspace fi les at once: 1. Press shift-ctrl-option- a -clear file . 2. Press Y to clear all the files; press N to return to the last active file.
58 Neo User’ s Guide Maintaining your files T o delete all files: 1. From any workspace, press ctrl-option- a -clear file . 2. Press Y to permanently delete all the files (including named files not in workspaces); press N to return to the workspace without deleting files.
Beyond Basics 59 Chapter 4 Beyond Basics This chapter takes you beyond the simple mechanics of using your Neo as a text editor . It explains SmartApplets — what they are and how they can extend the usefulness of your Neo. It also explains some other tools and commands you migh t find helpful.
60 Neo User’ s Guide What is a Smar tApplet? The Smar tApplets menu Pressing applets takes you to the SmartA pplets menu. This is a good way to see the SmartApplets that are installed on your Neo. From the SmartApplets menu, you can q uickly set a startup SmartA pplet or dis able a Smar tApp let.
Beyond Basics 61 AlphaW ord Plus 3. Enter the master password (page 117) and press enter . A special brackets character des ignating a disabled Sm artApplet appears in the menu. Repeats steps 1 through 3 to enable the SmartApplet. AlphaW ord Plus AlphaW ord Plus is at the heart of Neo.
62 Neo User’ s Guide Calculator 3. T ype the formula you want to calculate. Consult the table for examples on entering formulas. Use these operands T o perf orm these tasks + Add Example: 89 + 91 Ex.
Beyond Basics 63 Calculator 4. Press = or enter to calculate th e result. 5. Press esc when you’re through. Tip! While in Calculator , if you begin the next formula with an operand, Calculator uses the result from your previou s calculation as the first number in the next formula.
64 Neo User’ s Guide Control Panel 5. Place the curs or in the SmartAppl et where you want to paste th e calculations. 6. Press ctrl-V . Y ou can also copy just the resu lt in Calculator by pressing ct rl-C and pasting it elsewhere, as describe d in steps 4–6 above.
Beyond Basics 65 Control Panel Y ou can access Control Panel at any time by pressing applets . The settings you can define in Control Panel are shown in the following table. Settings that aren’t descri bed elsewhere in this manual are described in their own sectio ns following this table.
66 Neo User’ s Guide Control Panel T o set options using Control Panel: 1. Press applets , scroll the list to select Contro l Panel, t hen pres s enter . 2. Scroll to select the option you want to set and press enter . 3. If requested, enter the mast er password (page 77).
Beyond Basics 67 Control Panel Spell Check settings T o change Spell Check settings in Control Panel, you need to enter the master password. The Spell Chec k settings you can manage from Control Pane l are • T urn Spell Check off and on .
68 Neo User’ s Guide Control Panel Show Marks Show Marks is a setting that shows right arrows when you use tabs and return arrows when you use carriage returns. The right arrows and retu rn arrows don’t transf er to your computer , but the tabs and returns do.
Beyond Basics 69 Control Panel AlphaSmart Manager to enable or di sable this setting. There is no keyboard command for this setting. Set Screen Contrast setting The Set Screen Contrast setting le ts you control how light and dark both the screen background and on screen characters appear .
70 Neo User’ s Guide Control Panel T o view a keyboard layo ut onscreen: 1. Press applets , scroll the list to select Contro l Panel, t hen pres s enter . 2. Scroll to select V iew keyboard layout and press enter . The layout appears onscreen. 3. Press shift to view the layout when you type with the shift key .
Beyond Basics 71 Control Panel 6. Press esc to return to the previous screen . Y ou might need to do this several times to return to the Contro l Panel or SmartApplets menu. 7. Switch to the SmartApplet (such as Alph aWord Plu s) and file where you want to enter the special character .
72 Neo User’ s Guide Control Panel Keyboard layouts Neo gives you a cho ice of four diff erent keyboard layouts to provide for special needs or preferences: • QWERTY , the standard default layout .
Beyond Basics 73 Control Panel 2. Select a keyboard layout from the following choices: • Press 1 to select the QWERTY layout. • Press 2 to select the Dvorak layout.
74 Neo User’ s Guide Control Panel • Press 3 to select the right hand only layout. • Press 4 to select the left hand only layout. When you turn on your Neo, it disp lays a message about the current layout setting if you’ve chosen a keyboard layout other than the default QWERTY layout.
Beyond Basics 75 Control Panel access the Speed menu, you sti ll press option- a -S , but the S key is in a differen t location. Impor tant: When you send text to your computer from your Neo using a USB cable and send , the computer must use a QWERTY layout.
76 Neo User’ s Guide Control Panel character appears, and after an additional 1.5 seconds, the character begins to repeat. Sticky Keys On most computers, yo u have to hold down and press several keys simultaneously to activate some commands.
Beyond Basics 77 Neo password protection Y ou can change this behavior so that keys won’t repeat. This is helpful for beginning typists or fo r users who have difficulty typing.
78 Neo User’ s Guide Neo password protection Note: Neo’ s password system is meant to protect against accidental or mischievous data loss, and to provide a minimum level of data privacy . It can not prevent concerted, malicious efforts at data destruction.
Beyond Basics 79 Neo password protection Setting an individual pa ssword Each AlphaWord Plus file can have its own unique password, but the first time you enable password protection, the individual file passwords are all set by default to the word write .
80 Neo User’ s Guide Neo password protection T o change a file password from within AlphaW ord Plus: 1. Open the file where you want to change a file password. 2. Press option- a -P to show the Change Passwo rd screen. 3. T ype the current file password, your new password, and your new password again to confirm it.
Beyond Basics 81 System status System status For a quick view of the current settings on your Neo , you can check system status. The sett ings that appear a re •S y s t e m v e r s i o n • Languag.
82 Neo User’ s Guide T yping T imer Y ou can’t delete characters while using the T yping T imer . This is so you can evaluate keyboard mistakes. Pressing ba ckspace while using the T yping T imer has no effect. (Note that the final WPM result doesn’t subtract for errors made wh ile typing.
Beyond Basics 83 T ips for working with your applications Tips for working with your applications Much of this guide describes sending your text to a word processing application on your computer , but.
84 Neo User’ s Guide Changing the transfer speed processing app lication, then pasting into the application where you experienced the fo rmatting problems. Changing the transfer speed Neo can send text faster than some older computers can accept it.
Beyond Basics 85 Changing the transfer speed T o change the transfer speed for beaming: Press ctrl-option- a -S and type the nu mber that corresponds to one of the following options: • Fastest spee d (1). This setting provid es the quick est IR transfers.
86 Neo User’ s Guide Changing the transfer speed.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 87 Chapter 5 W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager This chapter describes AlphaSmart Manager, the software component of your Neo package.
88 Neo User’ s Guide AlphaSmar t Manager basics Y ou can always send a file from your Neo to your computer with a single click of the send key , but AlphaSm art Ma nager lets you transfer up to eight files at the same time , which is a great timesaver for saving and printing.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 89 Starting AlphaSmar t Manager Note: In previous versions of AlphaSmart Manager, send lists were called configuration files. If you find yourself performing the same activities o ver and over again in AlphaSmart Manager, you can save these activities in a send list and use it whenever you need to.
90 Neo User’ s Guide V iewing, printing, and saving files from your Neo 3. In AlphaSmart Manager, click the plus sign (PC ) or triangle (Macintosh) at the bottom of the screen to view connection status.Y ou might need to wait a few moments before the connection status light appears.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 91 Vi ewing, printing, and savi ng files from your Neo same thing: retrieve files from the workspaces on your Neo. Additionally , with AlphaSmart Manager, you can use your computer to view the workspace files on the de vice, print them, or save them as separate text files.
92 Neo User’ s Guide V iewing, printing, and saving files from your Neo T o view an AlphaW ord file: 1. In AlphaSmart Manager, click th e Get/Print AlphaW ord Files tab and view the device (called AlphaSmart USB) in the File Contents list. 2. In the File Contents area, click the plu s sign (PC) or triangle (Macintosh) of the device.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 93 Vi ewing, printing, and savi ng files from your Neo 3. Click the displayed file text to se lect the file contents you want to view . 4. Click View File. The file appears in its own window . 5. Y ou can save the file from here, or click Close to close the window and return to AlphaSmart Manager.
94 Neo User’ s Guide V iewing, printing, and saving files from your Neo Printing files from AlphaSmart Manager Y ou can use AlphaSmart Manager to print workspace files that are on your Neo. Steps for printi ng vary slightly between PC and Macinto sh computers.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 95 Vi ewing, printing, and savi ng files from your Neo 3. Indicate the files you want to print: • All Files . Prints all workspace files on your Neo. • Checked Items . Prints only the files you checked. • File # .
96 Neo User’ s Guide V iewing, printing, and saving files from your Neo 2. Click Print Files. A print dialog box appears. 3. Click the Copies & Pages list and select AlphaS mart Manager . The dialog box displays p rint opt ions specifically for AlphaSmart Manager.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 97 Vi ewing, printing, and savi ng files from your Neo 4. Indicate the files you want to print: • All Files . Prints all workspace files on your Neo. • Checked Items . Prints only the files you checked. • File # .
98 Neo User’ s Guide V iewing, printing, and saving files from your Neo Saving files Y ou can use AlphaSmart Manager to save workspace files that are on your Neo.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 99 Sending files to your Neo T o save AlphaW ord Plus files: 1. In AlphaSmart Manager, click th e Get/Print AlphaW ord Files tab and review the files in the File Contents list. Tip! If you know which files you want to save, check those files in the File Contents list.
100 Neo User’ s Guide Sending files to your Neo Wa r n i n g ! Before you send anything to your Neo, it’ s important to know that once you begin sending files (or SmartApplet s or settings) to your Neo, you need to let Al phaSmart Manager complete the send before disconnecting your Neo from your computer .
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 101 Sending files to your Neo 4. Click the Send List tab and verify that the text you want to send appears in the Send List Displ ay .
102 Neo User’ s Guide Retrieving KeyW ords data Retrieving KeyW ords data KeyW ords is a SmartApplet that helps students learn to type. Using AlphaSmart Manager, you can retrieve information about students’ progress through KeyW ords lessons on Neos.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 103 Installing Smar tApplets 3. In the SmartApplet List, click the SmartApplet you want to install, then click Add. Y ou can ctrl -click, a -click, or shift -click to select multiple SmartApplets.
104 Neo User’ s Guide Installing Smar tApplets SmartApple ts on your N eo to free up memo ry . See “Del eting SmartApplets” on page 104 for more information. 5. Click the Send List tab and verify that the SmartApplets yo u want to install appear in the Send L ist Display .
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 105 Installing Smar tApplets Impor tant: If you remove extra neous SmartApplets, you also remove any files associated with the Smar tApplets you’re deleting. (For example, if you remove KeyW ords, you also remove any KeyW ords lessons and progress reports.
106 Neo User’ s Guide Defining settings that they don’t appear in the S martApplets menu on the devices (thus, they are “hidden”), but th ey do appear in AlphaSmart Manager and take up memory . For example, Spell Check is not a standalone SmartApplet.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 107 Defining settings Keyboard Layout Lets you select alternate keyboard layouts See page 72 Idle T ime Sets the time that a Neo can be idle before turni ng off (4–.
108 Neo User’ s Guide Defining settings T o modify system settings through AlphaSmart Manager: 1. In AlphaSmart Manager, click the Settings tab. 2. Select System in the Settings List. 3. In the Syst em Settings area, check the settings you want to change, specifying additional in formation as appropriate.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 109 Defining settings SmartApplet and file you were workin g in when you turned the device off. Y ou can choose only one SmartA pplet as the startup application. Defining settings for Smar tApplets SmartApplets have settings specific to them, which you can set in AlphaSmart Manager.
110 Neo User’ s Guide Defining settings T o define SmartApplet settings through Alph aSmart Manager: 1. In AlphaSmart Manager, click the Settings tab. 2. Select the SmartApplet in the Settings List. 3. Check the settings you want to change, specifyin g additional information as appropri ate.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 111 Defining settings disable Calculator if you want to prevent access to electroni c calculations. Y ou can disable multiple SmartApplets. AlphaW ord Plus settings AlphaW ord has its own settings that you can control through AlphaSmart Manage r.
112 Neo User’ s Guide Defining settings File sizes In AlphaW ord Plus, you can set minimum and maximum file sizes. A maximum file size lets you have mo re text in your files. A minimum file size ensures that some amount of space is kept in reserve for workspace files.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 113 Using Send Lists (number of SmartApplets installed, si ze and number of data files, and so on). Tip! Y ou can estimate page lengths by using a character count of 2,048.
114 Neo User’ s Guide Using Send Lists settings, to SmartApplets, and so on, appear in a send list before you actually transfer the changes to your Neo. T wo tabs that don’t make use of the send list are the Get/Print AlphaWord Files and KeyW ords tabs.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 115 Passwords in AlphaSmart Manager T o save changes in a send list: 1. In AlphaSmart Manager, make changes you want to send to your Neo. 2. Click the Send List tab and verify that the changes you want to make appear in the Send List Display .
116 Neo User’ s Guide Passwords in AlphaSmart Manager Send list password When you set a send list password, no one can send information from AlphaSmart Manager to your Neo without first typing this password. T o set a send list pa ssword: 1. In AlphaSmart Manager, do one of the following: • Macintosh: Choose AlphaSmart Manager > Preferences.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 117 Passwords in AlphaSmart Manager Master password A master password controls acce ss to various settings (su ch as disabling and enabling SmartApplets o n your Neo) and permits the ability to create individual file pa sswords for AlphaW ord files.
118 Neo User’ s Guide Sending a user di ctionar y to Neo 3. Select the On option for Passwords Enabled; no te that AlphaSmart Manager checks th e Passwords Enabled checkbox. 4. T ype a global file password in the File Passwords text box. (Passwords can be between one and six characters long.
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 119 Sending a user dictionar y to Neo shows a sample user dictionary . Y ou can separate words in a text file with spaces, commas, tabs , or carriage returns. There can be only one custom user dictionary on an AlphaSmart device.
120 Neo User’ s Guide Replacing the thesaurus with th e Spanish-Engl ish word lo okup T o send a user dictiona ry to your Neo: 1. Using a word-processing applicat ion on your computer , create a list of words and save the file as a text file with a .
W orking with AlphaSmar t Manager 121 Replacing the thesaurus with the Spanish-English word lookup 4. Make sure the setting Replace SmartAp plets on device with SmartApplets on computer is checked. 5. Click the Send List and verify that the word lookup appears and click Send.
122 Neo User’ s Guide Other AlphaSmar t Manager tasks Other AlphaSmar t Manager tasks There are a handful of other tasks you can do in AlphaSmart Manager, such as set preferences, restore settings to factory defaults, reset or revert devices, view SmartApplet informatio n, and more.
Tr o u b l e s h o o t i n g 1 2 3 Chapter 6 T r oubleshooting This chapter describes some common difficulties and solutions with Neos. If yo u’re having a problem that you don’t see described here, consult the AlphaSmart web site or T echnical Support.
124 Neo User’ s Guide When I attach my Neo to my co mputer , I can’ t send any data, and my Neo screen shows a fi le instead of the “Attached to…” message. Check these three things : • Examine the cable connections—one may be loose. • Plus your USB cable into a diffe rent USB port on your computer .
Tr o u b l e s h o o t i n g 1 2 5 When I send a file to my comp uter , some of the characters don’ t show up. This is likely a problem with the sp eed with which the Neo is sending the data. T ry these measures to solve the problem: • Disconnect Neo from the comput er and check the file transfer speed by pressing option- a -S .
126 Neo User’ s Guide My file (or the end of my file) is fille d with garbage characters. There are three ways you can deal with this situation: • If you have no useful text in the file, just press clear file to remove the entire file.
Tr o u b l e s h o o t i n g 1 2 7 My LCD screen br oke. Is it covere d under warranty? What should I do? If the device malfunctions during the warranty period, repairs are covered. However , a broken LCD screen is not considered a malfunction and is therefore not covered under warranty .
128 Neo User’ s Guide When I us e Kid W orks and Student W riting Center on my computer , I can’ t seem to send text fr om my Neo. With graphics intensive programs su ch as these, you need to use the slowest transfer speed. Change the transfer speed by fol lowing the instructions on page 84 and choosing V ery Slow (1).
Understanding Batteries 129 Appendix A Understanding Batteries This appendix contains technical informatio n about batteries for your Neo. It explains • Power sources for the Ne o • Alkaline batte.
130 Neo User’ s Guide Alkaline batteries If you have a Neo th at uses AA batteries and you want to use rechargeabl e batteries instead, you can purchase a re chargeable battery upgrade kit (see the Alph aSmart web site for details). Y ou install the kit yourself to convert your device from alkaline batteries.
Understanding Batteries 131 Internal rechargeable batteries Replacing AA batteries When replacing batteries, you must change all three batteries. If one discharged AA battery is used with two new batteries, the battery life is markedly reduced, even th ough two out of the th ree are new .
132 Neo User’ s Guide Internal rechargeable batteries Impor tant: If you’re going to store your Neo for a month or longer , charge it before you store it, and then agai n after you take it out of storage to compe nsate for th e batteries’ self discharge.
Understanding Batteries 133 Internal rechargeable batteries hold a successively better charge each ti me until they reach full capacity . T o charge the batteries: Plug the AC adapter into a working electrical outlet and connect it to the power port on the left side of your Neo.
134 Neo User’ s Guide Low batter y indicator Lifetime of the rechargeable batteries AlphaSmart rechargeable batteries la st a long time, b ut they don’t last forever . Well-maint ained rechargeable batter ies last about 500 charges, or abo ut three years.
Understanding Batteries 135 Low batter y indicator The message appears about eight hours before your AA batteries are dead and about twenty minutes befo re your rechargeable batteries are dead. Checking battery status If you’re curious about how much pow er is left in your Neo, you can check the battery status at any time.
136 Neo User’ s Guide Low batter y indicator Lithium battery Neo contains a secondary backup ba ttery that isn’t intended to be accessed by users. The lithium batte ry provides powe r to the memory and prevents data loss when the unit is turn ed off or when the batteries are dead or removed.
Keyboard Commands and Special Characters 137 Appendix B Keyboard Commands and Special Characters This appendix provides lists of keyboard commands and information and tab les that show you how to enter international and special characters using your Neo.
138 Neo User’ s Guide Keyboard commands Select/deselect one character to the left shift- Select/deselect one character to the right shift- Select/deselect one line up shift- Select/desel.
Keyboard Commands and Special Characters 139 Keyboard commands Recover 40 characters ctrl-option- a -R Recover file from last deletio n optio n- a -R Recover entire file ctrl-shift-option- a -R Find t.
140 Neo User’ s Guide Keyboard commands Clipboard status (characters) ctrl-shift-option- a -C Clipboard status (pages) option- a -C Print files print or a -P T yping T imer a -find Create new file c.
Keyboard Commands and Special Characters 141 Keyboard commands Password ena ble/disable (master password requir ed) ctrl-option- a -P Change file password optio n- a -P Enable/disab le Calculator (mas.
142 Neo User’ s Guide International and special characters International and special characters The following tables show the inte rnational and special characters that Neo supports and the keyboard comb ination required to generate each character .
Keyboard Commands and Special Characters 143 International and special characters ç option -C cedilla accen t Ç option -shift-C cedilla accent É option -E , shift-E acute accent È option -` , shif.
144 Neo User’ s Guide International and special characters õ option-N , O tilde accent Ú option-E , shift-U acute accent Ù option-` , shift-U grave accent Û option-I , shift-U circumflex accent .
Keyboard Commands and Special Characters 145 International and special characters ´ (acute accent) opt ion-E , space ` (grave accent) option -` , space ^ (circumflex) option -I , space ¨ (umlaut) option -U , space ~ (tild e) option -N , space .
146 Neo User’ s Guide International and special characters T r oubleshooting special characters International characters are supported by both Macintosh and Windows computers. Some Windows applications don’t support the Microsoft international characte r se t and may have problems correctly displaying international characters.
W arranty , Ma intenance, and Contact Information 147 Appendix C W a rranty , Maintenance, and Contact Information This appendix explains various topics: • W arranty information • The AlphaSmart gua rantee • Maintenance tips for your Neo • Contact information and return procedures • FCC statement W arranty Renaissance Learni ng, Inc.
148 Neo User’ s Guide Guarantee There are no other warranties, expr essed or implied. Ren aissance Learning, Inc., accepts no respons ibility for consequential damages, including, but not limited to, loss of profit or benefits. Guarantee Renaissance Learning, Inc.
W arranty , Ma intenance, and Contact Information 149 Maintenance tips Storing your Neo If you know you’re not going to be using your Neo for awhile, follow these guidelines : • If you’re storin.
150 Neo User’ s Guide Contact information Contact information The AlphaSmart web site is a go od source of information about products, sales, support, community forums, and latest news. V isit the AlphaSmart we b site at www .alphasmart.com (United States) www .
W arranty , Ma intenance, and Contact Information 151 Contact information United Kingdom T echnical questions or problems: Phone: 0870 120 0718 Email: UK-help@alphasmart.com Latest support information: www .alphasmar t.co.uk/suppor t Purchase AlphaSmart products: www .
152 Neo User’ s Guide Contact information Return pr ocedures Impor tant: If you’re a customer outside the United States or United Kingdom, and yo u purchased your Neo from a reseller , then you should contact that reseller for a ssistance with your Neo.
W arranty , Ma intenance, and Contact Information 153 FCC statement 3. Write the RMA number on the outside and inside of the box. Also on the inside, tape a short, deta iled note to the Neo explaining the problem (include the RMA number). 4. Ship the damaged Neo to the address given when you receive your RMA number .
154 Neo User’ s Guide FCC statement • Connect the equipment into an out let on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is co nnected. • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Index 155 Index A AA batteries 6 , 129 adding words to user d ictionary 113 alkaline batteries 129 AlphaBeam 18 AlphaSmart Manager 87 described 87 installing 15 passwords in 115 printing files 90 , 94.
156 Neo User’ s Guide characters counting 43 international 142 missing 125 special 137 , 142 charging batteries 7 , 132 checkboxes in linked files 50 checking battery status 135 file size 53 spellin.
Index 157 files 25 capacity 52 checking file size 53 clearing and deleting 54 clearing workspaces 56 creating 25 deleting 57 editing 26 linked 45 maintaining 52 naming and savin g 26 printing in Alpha.
158 Neo User’ s Guide linked files 45 creating 46 sample 51 sending 47 tags 50 viewing 49 lithium battery 135 , 136 lookup Span ish words 42 low battery indicator 134 M maintaining files 52 maintena.
Index 159 replacing batteries 131 text 33 requirements, system 3 reset system font 107 return procedures 152 right hand only lay out 72 RMA number 152 rubrics 45 S safety 147 saving files 26 files in .
160 Neo User’ s Guide Slow Keys setting 71 , 75 , 107 , 125 small font 28 SmartAp plets AlphaWord Plus 61 Beamer 19 Calculator 61 Control Panel 64 defined 59 hidden 105 installing 102 settings 109 s.
Index 161 turning off Calculator 64 spell check 38 T wo-butt on On setting 68 , 107 T yping T imer 81 U understanding batteries 129 upgrade kit, rechargeable battery 130 USB cable 9 connecting Neo to .
162 Neo User’ s Guide.
An important point after buying a device Alphasmart NEO (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Alphasmart NEO yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Alphasmart NEO - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Alphasmart NEO you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Alphasmart NEO will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Alphasmart NEO, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Alphasmart NEO.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Alphasmart NEO. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Alphasmart NEO along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
