Alphasmart NEO User manual

QUICK GUIDE
and
SmartApplets

Contact Information
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2007 by Renaissance Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This publication is protected by US and international copyright laws. It is unlawful to duplicate or reproduce any
copyrighted material without authorization from the copyright holder. This document may be reproduced only by staff
members in schools that have purchased the NEO. For more information, contact Renaissance Learning, Inc., at the
address above.
AlphaSmart, AlphaHub, AlphaQuiz, KeyWords, NEO, Renaissance, Renaissance Learning, the Renaissance Learning
logo, Renaissance Place, and SmartApplet are trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc., and its subsidiaries,
registered, common law, or pending registration in the United States and in other countries.
Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the US and other countries.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Windows Vista is
either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
09/07 NEO
510031
United States United Kingdom
Renaissance Learning
PO Box 8036
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-8036
Technical questions or problems:
Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.alphasmart.com/support
Purchase AlphaSmart products,
general information, or sales
questions:
Online store: www.alphasmart.com
Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Technical questions or problems:
Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Latest support information:
Web: www.alphasmart.co.uk/support
Purchase AlphaSmart products:
Web: www.alphasmart.co.uk/ordering
(This Web page also provides a list of
resellers and AlphaSmart contacts.)
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Asia/Pacific, Canada, and Latin
America
Technical questions or problems:
Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Latest support information:
Web: www.alphasmart.co.eu/support
Select your country or region.
Purchase AlphaSmart products:
Web: www.alphasmart.com/international
(This Web page also provides a list of
resellers and AlphaSmart contacts.)
Technical questions or problems:
Contact your local reseller. If you do not
have a local reseller, email Technical
Support at [email protected].
Latest support information:
Web: www.alphasmart.com/support
Select your country or region.
Purchase AlphaSmart products:
Web: www.alphasmart.com/international
(This Web page also provides a list of
resellers and AlphaSmart contacts.)
NeoQuickGuide.book Page a Wednesday, August 29, 2007 8:55 AM

1
WHAT’SIN THE NEO KIT?
. . . . .
W HAT ’ S IN THE NEO K IT ?
You’ll find these items in the NEO kit:
• Your NEO laptop
•ThreeAAbatteries
• A standard USB cable for connecting NEO to your computer or printer
•TheAlphaSmartManager installation CD
• The NEO Documentation CD, which includes your manuals
•TheNEO and NEO 2 User Manual
•TheNEO and SmartApplet Quick Guide
If you ordered a SmartOption Mobile Lab, you’ve also received the following:
• The SmartOption Cart with NEOs and AlphaHub
•TheAlphaSmart Manager 2 User Manual
• Two USB IR Pods for infrared beaming between NEO and a computer
• An AlphaBeam software CD (for infrared beaming)
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2
ABOUT THE NEO
. . . . .
A BOUT THE NEO
The drawings below will help you identify parts of your NEO:
A
B
C
D
EFGH
AThe NEO screen.
BThe keyboard. The top row includes keys that
are unique to NEO, including on/off, the eight
file keys, spell check, find, clear file, home, end,
applets, and send.
CThe green light is on when your NEO is
connected to a computer, to a SmartOption
Cart, or to an AC Adapter. If your NEO has a
rechargeable battery pack, a green light means
the batteries are charged; amber means they
are being charged.
DThe battery compartment cover.
EThe connection point for the AC Adapter cord
(for NEOs with the rechargeable battery pack).
FThe IR port for infrared beaming between NEOs
or between NEO and a computer.
GThe port for connecting NEO to a computer
using a standard USB cable.
HA USB port for connecting NEO directly to a
USB printer.
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3
INSTALLING THE BATTERIES
. . . . .
I NSTALLING THE B ATTERIES
Follow these steps to install the AA batteries:
1. On the back of the NEO, put your thumbs in the circles Aand slide the
compartment cover toward the left to remove it from the NEO.
Note: After you install the batteries the first time, you may use a small
Phillips screw to secure the cover. If you do this, you will need to remove
the screw to open the cover the next time you install batteries.
2. The first time you open the compartment, you’ll find a small plastic bag
with a Phillips screw for holding the battery compartment shut. Remove
the bag.
3. Insert the three AA batteries into the compartment. Make sure the + end
of each battery points toward the black and red cables.
4. Put the battery compartment cover back on and slide it back in place. You
can insert the small Phillips screw into the hole provided to make sure the
cover stays shut.
If you purchased the
rechargeable battery
pack, insert it instead
of the batteries and connect
the cable on the battery pack
to the matching cable next to
the NEO battery
compartment. Then, connect
the AC adapter to your NEO
and plug it in to an outlet as
soon as possible after
receiving the NEO. Charge
the unit for at least 16 hours
the first time; charge it 4-8
hours subsequent times. For
more information, see the
NEO and NEO 2 User
Manual.
AA
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4
STARTING THE NEO
. . . . .
S TARTING THE NEO
To start the NEO, press the on/off key in the top-left corner of the keyboard.
The NEO will start AlphaWord Plus, and you can begin typing immediately in
the open file if you wish.
Notice that you have eight files available to type text in; to switch between
files, press one of the file keys (file 1, file 2, etc.). You can also save and name
files on your NEO. For more information, see the NEO and NEO 2 User
Manual.
NEO shuts down automatically to save battery power if you don’t use it for a
certain amount of time. The default time is 4 minutes, but you can change it
by pressing option-z-T or by using the Idle Time System setting in
AlphaSmart Manager.
I NSTALLING A LPHA S MART M ANAGER
AlphaSmart Manager helps your computer work with NEO. It lets you do the
following:
• Get files from your NEO so you can view them, save them, and/or print
them.
• Send files from your computer to your NEO. Files may include lessons,
instructions, or just text files that you want to work in on the NEO.
• View reports about student work in KeyWords on the NEO and synchronize
the data with Renaissance Place. (For more about KeyWords, see page 8.)
•InstallorremoveSmartApplet programs from your NEO.
• Change settings for your NEO or one of the SmartApplets on the NEO.
• View the items you’re about to send to the NEOs and select the NEOs to
send them to.
For more information about AlphaSmart Manager, see the AlphaSmart
Manager 2 User Manual on your NEO Documentation CD.
To install AlphaSmart Manager, follow the steps for your type of computer.
Make sure your computer is running Windows versions 2000, XP, or Vista or
Macintosh OS 10.3.9 or 10.4.x. Make sure you are logged in as the
administrator or that you have administrator privileges when you install the
software.
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5
INSTALLING ALPHASMART MANAGER
Installing AlphaSmart Manager on Windows Computers
. . . . .
Installing AlphaSmart Manager on Windows Computers
1. Insert the AlphaSmart Manager CD into your computer. If a window
doesn’t open to show you the contents of the CD, view the contents using
My Computer or Windows Explorer.
2. Double-click the Setup.exe file.
3. Click Next > in the first panel of the installation wizard.
4. Read the license agreement. Then, click the first option to accept the
terms and click Next >.
5. The program will ask if you want to search for configuration files from
previous versions of AlphaSmart Manager.
•If this is the first time you’ve installed the program, click No.
•If you have a previous version and you want to save your
configuration, click Yes. If the program can’t find the files, you may
need to browse for them yourself.
6. On the final panel of the wizard, check the box if you want to read the
Read Me file as soon as the installer closes. Then, click Finish.
Installing AlphaSmart Manager on Macintosh Computers
1. Insert the AlphaSmart Manager CD into your computer.
2. Double-click AlphaSmart Manager Installer on the CD.
3. Click Continue.
4. Read the license agreement; then, click Accept.
5. Click Install. The installation will start.
6. The program will ask if you want to search for configuration files from
previous versions of AlphaSmart Manager.
•If this is the first time you’ve installed the program, click No.
•If you have a previous version and you want to save your
configuration, click Yes. If the program can’t find the files, you may
need to browse for them yourself.
7. The installer will also ask if you want to add the program to the dock. Click
Yes or No. The installation will be completed.
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6
CONNECTING NEOSTO YOUR COMPUTER
Connecting a Single NEO to Your Computer
. . . . .
C ONNECTING NEO S TO Y OUR C OMPUTER
Connecting a Single NEO to Your Computer
1. Using the cable that came with NEO, connect the USB connector Ato
your computer, and connect the square end Bto your NEO at C.
2. The first time you connect your NEO to a Windows computer, the
computer may notify you that it has found the hardware and installed the
driver. If a hardware wizard appears, follow the instructions in the wizard.
Connecting Multiple NEOs Using a SmartOption Mobile
Lab
After installing AlphaSmart Manager, follow the SmartOption Mobile Lab
Setup instructions to connect the cart of NEOs to your computer using
AlphaHub.
A
B
C
On Windows XP
computers, you may
be notified that the
driver is not certified for
Windows XP. The driver will
work for your system; to go on,
click Continue Anyway.
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7
SMARTAPPLETS INSTALLED ON THE NEO
What Are SmartApplets?
. . . . .
S MART A PPLETS I NSTALLED ON THE NEO
What Are SmartApplets?
SmartApplets are programs that are installed on your NEO. These programs
allow you to write on the NEO, practice keyboarding skills, perform
calculations, change settings, administer quizzes to your students, or “beam”
files from one NEO to another.
Which SmartApplets Are Installed?
All NEOs come with these SmartApplets installed:
•AlphaWord Plus—This is the program that opens when you first turn on
the NEO. The writing that you do on NEO in files 1-8 is done in AlphaWord
Plus.
•KeyWords—KeyWords allows students to learn and practice keyboarding
skills.
•Beamer—Beamer allows you to send files to other NEOs without using
cables (using infrared technology). You can disable beaming between NEOs
if you wish on the AlphaSmart Manager Settings tab.
•Control Panel—The Control Panel allows you to change settings for the
NEO and for some SmartApplets.
•AlphaQuiz—AlphaQuiz allows students to take quizzes on the NEO. If
you’d like to use this program, you need to install QuizManager and
QuizDesigner on your computer. You can create quizzes on your computer
using QuizDesigner, and then send them to one or more NEOs using
QuizManager. (See page 12.)
•Calculator—This program allows you to do calculations right on your
NEO. (It can be disabled using the Control Panel settings.)
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8
SMARTAPPLETS INSTALLED ON THE NEO
About AlphaWord Plus
. . . . .
About AlphaWord Plus
When you start your NEO, AlphaWord Plus opens automatically (unless
you’ve changed settings to have another SmartApplet open.)
AlphaWord Plus is the program that lets you write in NEO. Simply press one
of the file keys (file 1, file 2, etc.) to choose the file to write in and start typing.
Characters are saved in that file as you type them; there’s no need to worry
about losing text if you accidentally shut off the NEO. The arrow keys,
backspace, and delete all work as they do on a typical computer keyboard.
If you want to delete the text from one of the files, press clear file. Then,
press Yfor “yes” when the NEO asks if you’re sure you want to clear the file.
To copy, cut, and paste text, you can use the same keyboard commands that
you use in word processing programs on your computer. To copy text, select it
and press ctrl-C or z-C.To cut text, select it and press ctrl-X or z-X. To
paste it, press ctrl-V or z-V.
If you want to name and save a file so you can use the file space for other text,
press ctrl-S. Then, type a name for the file and press enter. You can then
clear the file space without losing the file you saved.
For more information, see your NEO and NEO 2 User Manual.
About KeyWords
The KeyWords SmartApplet helps students to learn keyboarding skills and
practice keyboarding.
Teachers add the students who will be using KeyWords on the NEO. Teachers
who have the master password can also delete students, create progress
reports, set goals, choose settings for the use of the shift key, require home
row confirmation, and set the number of spaces required between sentences.
Since teachers can add more than one student in KeyWords, multiple
students can use the same NEO at different times to work on their
keyboarding skills. After choosing their name, students can choose the keys to
work on. They can then choose one of these activities:
•Learnnewkeys
• Use accuracy and speed builders (for practice)
• Take accuracy and speed tests
See the label on the
back of your NEO for
a list of helpful
keyboard commands. These
commands can help you
perform tasks more quickly.
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