Alphasmart Manager for Dana User manual

Getting Started with Dana
AlphaSmart, Inc.
www.alphasmart.com

AlphaSmart Services
Please contact our Technical Services Center at 530-528-7200 for tech-
nical questions or problems. You may also contact us by email at:
[e-mail].
To purchase AlphaSmart products, see our online store at:
www.alphasmart.com or call [phone].
For general information or sales questions, please call:
[phone] or email [e-mail].
Nothing in this manual may be reproduced in any manner, either wholly
or in part, for any purpose whatsoever without written permission from
AlphaSmart, Inc.
Be sure to make backup copies of all important data on other media to protect against
data loss. Important: Please read the End User Software License Agreement with this
product before using the accompanying software program(s). Using any part of the
software indicates that you accept the terms of the End User Software License Agree-
ment.
AlphaSmart is a registered trademark and Dana by AlphaSmart and AlphaSmart
3000 are trademarks of AlphaSmart, Inc. Microsoft Word and Excel are registered
trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Ap-
ple Computer, Inc. Palm OS is a registered trademark, and Palm, the Palm and the
Palm Powered logos are trademarks of Palm, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Third-party
products and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their re-
spective owners.
Copyright 2002, AlphaSmart, Inc. All rights reserved.

1
Contents
Chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
A Dana Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Using Palm applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
WritePad basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Using the screen’s backlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Adjusting the LCD contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Upgrading from a Palm OS handheld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Preparing to use Dana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Charging Dana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Dana first time set up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing desktop software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting Dana to a computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Synchronizing data with HotSync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
AlphaWord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
AlphaWord Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Creating an AlphaWord document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Using Spell Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using Thesaurus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Connecting to your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Send versus Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Synching a new AlphaWord document to your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Sending text to your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Synching a desktop document to AlphaWord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
AlphaWord In-depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
AlphaWord controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Deleting a document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Installing additional fonts on Dana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Onboard Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Launching Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Using Address Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Creating an Address Book entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Viewing and changing an Address Book entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Deleting an Address Book entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Using Date Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Creating an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

2
Creating an untimed event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Creating a repeating or continuous event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Rescheduling an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Changing the calendar view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Deleting an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using To Do List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Creating a To Do List item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Changing a To Do List item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Marking a To Do List item complete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Deleting a To Do List item. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Using Memo Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Creating a memo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Reviewing and changing a memo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Deleting a memo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Preferences and other settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Changing the Applications Launcher display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Setting Date and Time preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Setting General preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Changing Formats preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Customizing keyboard settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Dana In-Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Beaming information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Beaming data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Beaming applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Receiving beamed information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Beaming your business card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Installing applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Resetting Dana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Performing a soft reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Performing a hard reset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Installing alkaline batteries: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Using expansion cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Inserting an expansion card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Removing an expansion card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Online Help and additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Keyboard Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

3
International and Special Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Appendix C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Warranty, Return Procedures
and Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Return Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

4

Getting Started with Dana 5
Chapter 1
A Dana Tour
Dana™by AlphaSmart®is the versatile laptop alternative for
students, researchers and professionals on the go. It combines
the convenience and affordability of a Palm-Powered™device
with the ergonomics of a lightweight laptop. Dana is easy to
use, rugged and has exceptional battery life to keep you com-
puting while away from your PC. Use your new electronic note-
book to do the following:
•Compose documents in AlphaWord, a full-featured word processor
•Enter your schedule in Date Book, and set alarms to remind you of
important meetings
•Keep contact names, addresses, and phone numbers in Address Book
•Prioritize and assign your tasks a due date in To Do List
•Synchronize your data with Palm™Desktop software on a Windows or
Macintosh computer so you always have a copy
•Insert Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia Card (MMC) expansion cards
to add additional software applications or hardware, or to back up data
•Beam information to another Dana or Palm OS ®handheld that has an
IrDA (infrared) port; beam printable files to an IrDA-equipped printer
This guide, Getting Started with Dana, provides information about per-
forming basic tasks on Dana and with Palm Desktop software. For infor-
mation about performing more advanced tasks, read the Dana User’s
Guide. On a Windows computer, open the guide by clicking DanaUsers-
Guide.pdf in the Palm folder on your computer. On a Macintosh
computer, double-click DanaUsersGuide.pdf in the Palm folder.

6ADanaTour
.

Getting Started with Dana 7
Note: When Dana is connected to the AC Adapter or computer,
the USB Printer port can also be used to power devices with
USB.
Using Palm applications
Dana utilizes all the power and efficiency of the Palm operating system,
and expands its capabilities with a larger screen, the inclusion of the
AlphaWord word-processing application and many other features.
AlphaWord functions at the full Dana screen resolution of 160x560 pix-
els, and most of the standard Palm applications like Address Book, To
Do List, Memo Pad and Date Book have also been updated to take
advantage of the larger screen.
However, other Palm programs might not have been revised to run on
Dana's larger screen. The functionality of the Palm program won't be
restricted in any way, but the program will run in narrow mode (centered
in the middle of the Dana screen.)

8ADanaTour
WritePad basics
The WritePad provides a quick means to access applications, their
menus and some special functions. The illustration below gives a
functional overview of Writepad features.
Note: WritePad is only displayed for applications running in
narrow mode.
Entering data
The most obvious way of entering data on Dana is using its full-size
keyboard. You can also enter data using the onscreen keyboard or
Graffiti®writing on the WritePad. To find out more information,
launch the Graffiti application. You can also accept beamed data
from another Dana or Palm OS handheld that has an infrared port.
See “Beaming information”on page 49 for details.
Adjusting the Writepad
You can select the side of the screen where the Writepad displays by
clicking on the right or left arrow at the bottom of the Writepad
screen.
Home – displays
Applications
Launcher
Menus – displays
command menus
for active applica-
tion
Calculator – dis-
plays onscreen
calculator
Find – displays
Find dialog

Getting Started with Dana 9
You can also minimize the Writepad by clicking on the single arrow at
the top of the Writepad screen.
Using the screen’s backlight
Warning: Using the backlight feature significantly reduces bat-
tery life.
1. Press the on/off key to turn Dana on.
2. Press the on/off key again for about two seconds. Release the key
when the backlight turns on.
3. Press the on/off key for about two seconds to turn off the back-
light.
Click on the left arrow to move the Writepad to the left of the screen
Click on the down arrow to minimize the Writepad
Click up arrow to restore the Writepad to its normal size

10 A Dana Tour
Note: The backlight also turns off automatically after a
period of inactivity defined by the Auto-off setting. See
“Setting General preferences”on page 45 for details.
Adjusting the LCD contrast
1. Press function-contrast (hold down the function and contrast
keys at the same time) to bring up the Adjust Contrast dialog.
2. Adjust the contrast setting by pressing function-PgUp or
function-PgDn on your keyboard.
3. Tap Done.
Upgrading from a Palm OS handheld
If you already own a Palm OS handheld, you must install the version
of Palm Desktop software that comes with Dana. Also, perform a
HotSync ®operation using your old handheld and cradle/cable
before you complete the installation tasks. This ensures that all data
on your handheld is on your desktop computer, and is available for
easy transfer to Dana.
Preparing to use Dana
Before you begin using Dana and the Palm desktop software, you
must complete a few easy installation steps.

Getting Started with Dana 11
Charging Dana
Dana comes with a rechargeable battery pack that recharges whenever it
is connected to its AC Adapter or a USB port on your computer (charg-
ing while the computer is on). You can also use standard AA alkaline
batteries (not included).
You will need to connect Dana to the AC adapter for four hours or the
computer for eight hours to get a full charge. Use the AC adapter that
comes with Dana, or one that meets the following specification: Input:
AC 120v 60Hz 9W Output: DC 7.5V 500 mA. A fully charged Dana
should run for over 25 hours.
Using the AC adapter
1. Connect the AC adapter to the Dana AC port.
2. Plug the AC adapter into any AC current outlet.
Dana first time set up
1. Press the on/off key to turn on Dana.
2. Follow the instructions on screen to calibrate the Dana screen and
set the current date and time.
Note: If Dana does not turn on, see “Frequently Asked Ques-
tions”on page 59 for troubleshooting suggestions.
Important: For users outside the United States, choose the same
language for Dana and Palm Desktop software. Choosing a
language that does not match the Palm Desktop software is
not recommended or supported, and may result in data loss.
If you need to reselect a language on Dana, you must per-
form a hard reset. See “Resetting Dana”on page 55 for
details.

12 A Dana Tour
Installing desktop software
Palm Desktop software includes most of the same applications found
on Dana: Date Book, Address Book, To Do List and Memo Pad. You
can use the HotSync Manager to backup and exchange data between
Dana and your computer.
If you are upgrading, you may want to create a copy of your old
Palm Desktop software folder and its contents before installing new
Palm Desktop software. This is optional. If you do this, rename the
copied folder (for example, Palm Backup), and store it outside the
Palm Desktop software folder.
Note: If you are using Microsoft Outlook or other organizer
software instead of Palm Desktop software, you still
need to complete this process to install HotSync Man-
ager, conduit software, and other features of Palm
Desktop software.
Installing Palm Desktop software on a PC
1. Insert the Dana Desktop Installation CD-ROM into the CD-
ROM drive
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
Note: If installation does not begin, click the Windows Start
button, choose Run, enter D:\autorun.exe, and then
click OK. If necessary, replace D: with the drive letter
assigned to your CD-ROM drive.
During installation, you may be asked to connect Dana to the com-
puter using the USB cable.
Installing Palm Desktop software on a Macintosh
Note: If you are upgrading and your old Palm Desktop soft-
ware is version 1.0, copy your old Palm Desktop soft-

Getting Started with Dana 13
ware folder and its contents into a folder of a different name
(for example, Palm Backup), and then uninstall your old
Palm Desktop software.
1. Insert the Dana Desktop Installation CD-ROM into the CD-ROM
drive.
2. Double-click the Palm Desktop CD icon.
3. Double-click the Palm Desktop Installer icon.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
Connecting Dana to a computer
Dana comes with a USB cable for connecting to a PC or Macintosh for
the speedy exchange and update of applications and files. Dana’s IrDA
(infrared) port can also be used to exchange information with a desktop
computer.
Important: The version of Palm Desktop Software that comes
with Dana must be installed before connecting Dana to a
computer.
1. Connect one end of the USB cable to the Dana computer port.
2. Connect the other end of the cable to a USB port on the computer.
3. The computer will automatically recognize the connection

14 A Dana Tour
Synchronizing data with HotSync
The HotSync®process automatically synchronizes—that is,
exchanges and updates—data between Dana and the Palm Desktop
software on your computer. Changes you make on Dana or Palm
Desktop software appear in both places after a HotSync operation.
1. Connect Dana to a computer with the USB cable or point
Dana’s IrDA port at your computer’s IrDA port.
Important: The version of Palm Desktop Software that
comes with Dana must be installed before a Hotsync.
2. Press function-sync (hold down the function and sync keys
simultaneously on Dana).
3. When the Users dialog box appears, select the user name you
entered when you installed the Palm Desktop software.
4. Wait for a message on Dana indicating that the process is
complete.
Note: Your user name is the connection between Dana and
your computer. If sharing Palm Desktop software with
another user, change users by selecting a name from
the User list on the right side of the Palm Desktop.
Each device should have a unique name
To prevent unexpected results during HotSync operations and possi-
ble data loss, Danas that HotSync to the same computer should not
have the same name. If you have upgraded, your new Dana and your
old handheld probably have the same user name. Once you have per-
formed a HotSync operation using your old handheld and cradle/
cable, we strongly recommend that you perform a hard reset on your
old handheld to erase all its data (See “Performing a hard reset”on
page 56 for details). Then during the next HotSync operation, assign
your old handheld a new user name. The new user name can be a
maximum of 20 characters, and is case sensitive.

Getting Started with Dana 15
Chapter 2
AlphaWord
AlphaWord is a full-featured word processor that lets you create, format
(including setting fonts, justification, line spacing, margins), and edit
documents. These documents can then be printed or transferred to a com-
puter via a USB cable or a wireless connection.This chapter will cover
the fundamentals of AlphaWord.
AlphaWord Basics
Files 1-8
In AlphaWord you are always in one of eight work spaces that
you can instantly access using their corresponding file keys
(F1-F8). You can use the work spaces for your work in progress
areas. When you press one of the file keys in AlphaWord, the
associated file immediately opens. This eliminates having to
scroll through a long list of files to find the one you want to
open. If there is no file associated with the file key you pressed,
then a new file is created.
Tip: To replace a file associated with a work space with a differ-
ent file, press a file key to go to the work space, then select
File New for a new file or File Open for an existing file.

16 AlphaWord
Creating an AlphaWord document
1. Press the memo key or tap the AlphaWord icon in the Applica-
tions Launcher.
2. If there are no existing files AlphaWord will automatically open
a new file, otherwise select New under the File menu.
Note: The first time you start AlphaWord it will automati-
cally open a new file, otherwise it will go to the file
you were in last. Press one of the F1-F8 keys, to go to
the file associated with that work space.
3. Enter the text you want to appear in the document.
Note: To use Tab in documents see “Tab key option”on
page 46.
4. Use the buttons on the toolbar to add formatting including set-
ting fonts, justification, line spacing, margins etc.
5. To name your file, choose Save As under the File menu.
Note: You don’t need to worry about losing you data if you
switch to another application or work space without
saving your file, because AlphaWord automatically
saves your files. However if you are in an unnamed file
and you choose File New or File Open, you will be
prompted to name your file or it will be deleted.

Getting Started with Dana 17
6. Enter a name for the new document, and the press function-ok.
Using Spell Check
1. Create a document or open an existing document.
2. Press the menu key. Under the Edit menu tap Check Spelling
3. Tap the selection you want to spell check.
Tip: To bypass this menu, select the text you want to spell check
before choosing Check Spelling from the menu.
4. Tap the appropriate button.
Underline
indicates
misspelled
word
Tap Ignore to
skip the word
and continue
checking the
document
Tap Add to
add the word
to the
dictionary
Tap Modify to type in the correct
word or select a word in the
suggestions list, and then tap
Modify to replace the misspelled
word

18 AlphaWord
Using Thesaurus
1. Create a document or open an existing document.
2. Select the word for which you want to find a synonym.
3. Press the menu key. Under the Edit menu tap Thesaurus.
4. Tap the appropriate button.
Printing Setup
1. Press the apps key.
2. Tap on PrintBoy Application icon.
3. Tap the Setup button.
Choose the
type of word
you want
Select a word in the
synonym list, and then
tap Apply for it to
replace the original word
Select a word in the synonym
list, and then tap Lookup to
find synonyms for it