Alphasmart Manager for Dana User manual

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

ii
AlphaSmart Sales and Technical Support
For AlphaSmart Sales and Technical Support contact information
please see page 83.
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 Agreement.
AlphaSmart, Dana by AlphaSmart, AlphaSmart 3000, and Renaissance Learning are
trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc., and its subsidiaries, registered, common
law, or pending registration in the United States and other countries. Microsoft
Word and Excel are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh
is a registered trademark of Apple 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 respective owners.
Copyright 2007, Renaissance Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Contents
Chapter 1 - A Dana Tour
Utilizing Dana’s wide screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Preparing to use Dana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Charging Dana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Dana first time set up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
WritePad basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Using the screen’s backlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Adjusting the LCD contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Upgrading from a Palm OS handheld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Installing desktop software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Connecting Dana to a computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Synchronizing data using HotSync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Chapter 2 - AlphaWord
AlphaWord Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Creating an AlphaWord document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Using Spell Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Using Thesaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Printing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Connecting to your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Send versus HotSync. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
HotSync a new AlphaWord document to your computer . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Sending text to your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
HotSync a desktop document to AlphaWord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
AlphaWord In-depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
AlphaWord controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Deleting a document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Installing additional fonts on Dana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting a file password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 3 - Onboard Applications
Launching Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Using Address Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Creating an Address Book entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Viewing and changing an Address Book entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Deleting an Address Book entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using Date Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Creating an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Creating an untimed event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

iv
Creating a repeating or continuous event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Rescheduling an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Changing the calendar view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Deleting an event. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Using To Do List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Creating a To Do List item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Changing a To Do List item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Marking a To Do List item complete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Deleting a To Do List item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Using Memo Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Creating a memo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Reviewing and changing a memo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Deleting a memo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Printing from Date Book, Address Book, To Do List or Memo Pad . . . . . . 44
Preferences and other settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Changing the Applications Launcher display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Setting Date and Time preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Setting General preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Changing Formats preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Customizing keyboard settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Chapter 4 - Dana In-Depth
Beaming information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Beaming data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Beaming applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Receiving beamed information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Beaming your business card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Installing applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Resetting Dana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Performing a soft reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Performing a hard reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Installing alkaline batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Using expansion cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Inserting an expansion card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Removing an expansion card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Online Help and additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Appendix A - Keyboard Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Appendix B - International and Special Characters . . . . . . . . 75
Appendix C - Warranty and Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Appendix D - Contact Information and Return Procedures . . . 83

Getting Started with Dana 1
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
working while away from your computer. Use your new electronic notebook 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 performing
basic tasks on Dana and with Palm Desktop software. The guide generally
gives the keyboard commands for a task, but you can also tap on Dana’s screen
with your stylus to perform most tasks. For information about performing
more advanced tasks, refer to the Dana User’s Guide. To open that guide,
double-click DanaUsersGuide.pdf located in the DanaInfo folder inside the
Palm folder on your computer.
Documentation Note: In this document keyboard keys will be
shown in bold. Also any “two-key” key commands (i.e. function-
calc) are executed by pressing the indicated keys simultaneously.

Getting Started with Dana 3
Utilizing Dana’s wide screen
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
pixels, 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).
Preparing to use Dana
Before you begin using Dana and the Palm desktop software, you must
complete a few easy installation steps.

4 Dana Tour
Important: The version of Palm Desktop Software
that comes with Dana must be installed before
connecting Dana to a computer.
Charging Dana
Dana comes with a rechargeable battery that recharges whenever it
is connected to its AC Adapter or to the computer via a USB cable
(charging will only occur 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 on screen instructions to calibrate the Dana screen
and set the current date and time.
Note: If Dana does not turn on, see “Frequently
Asked Questions” on page 64 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

Getting Started with Dana 5
recommended or supported, and may result in data loss.
If you need to reselect a language on Dana, you must
perform a hard reset. See “Resetting Dana” on page 60
for details.
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 (including those on a rotated screen).
Entering data
The most obvious way of entering data on Dana is using its full-size
keyboard. For applications running in narrow mode, you can also
enter data using the onscreen keyboard or Graffiti® 2 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 53 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 application
Calculator –
displays onscreen
calculator
Find – displays Find
dialog

6 Dana Tour
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 battery life.
1. Press the on/off key to turn Dana on.
2. Press the on/off key again and hold for about two seconds.
Release the key when the backlight turns on.
3. Press the on/off key and hold for about two seconds to turn off
the backlight.
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

Getting Started with Dana 7
Note: The backlight also turns off automatically after a
period of inactivity defined by the Auto-off setting. See
“Setting General preferences” on page 48 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 before connecting Dana
to your computer via a USB cable. Also, perform a HotSync®
operation using your old handheld and cradle/cable before you install
the new Palm Desktop software. This ensures that all data on your
handheld is on your desktop computer, and is available for easy
transfer to Dana.
If you want to continue using your old Palm OS handheld as well as
Dana, you will need to choose a new user name for Dana during Palm
Desktop software install on a PC or during the first HotSync on a
Macintosh. You will also need to export any data from Palm Desktop

8 Dana Tour
software that you want to transfer to Dana. Later you can import
this data into your new Dana user name.
Exporting/Importing Data from Palm Desktop
Software
1. Launch the Palm Desktop Software you use with your old
handheld.
2. Go to an application you want to export data from (i.e. Date
Book).
3. Select Export under the File menu.
4. Type in a file name and click the Export button.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the other applications (i.e. Address Book,
To Do List, and Memo Pad).
6. Once you have completed “Installing desktop software” on
page 8, launch the new version of Palm Desktop software.
Select Import under the File menu to import the files that you
exported in step 4.
Each device should have a unique
name
To prevent unexpected results during HotSync operations and
possible data loss, Danas that HotSync to the same computer
should not have the same user name. If you plan to continue using
your old handheld as well as Dana, make sure you create a new
user name for Dana.
Installing desktop software
Palm Desktop software includes most of the same applications
found on Dana: Date Book, Address Book, To Do List and Memo

Getting Started with Dana 9
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.
Important: The version of Palm Desktop Software that
comes with Dana must be installed before connecting
Dana to a computer.
Note: If you are using Microsoft Outlook or other
organizer software instead of Palm Desktop software,
you will need to complete the Palm Desktop software
installation to ensure that HotSync Manager, conduit
software, and other features of Palm Desktop software
are installed on your computer.
Installing Palm Desktop software on a PC
Note: If you are upgrading and your old Palm Desktop
software is version 1.0 or 2.0, copy your old Palm
Desktop software folder and its contents into a folder of a
different name (for example, Palm Backup), then
uninstall your old Palm Desktop software.
Important: Palm Desktop Software for the PC requires
Windows 98 or newer.
1. Insert the Palm Desktop for Dana Software CD-ROM into the CD-
ROM drive
2. When the window showing the CD's contents opens, double-click
on setup.exe.
Note: If a window showing the CD's contents does not
appear, click the Windows Start button, choose Run,

10 Dana Tour
enter D:\setup.exe, and then click OK. If necessary,
replace D: with the drive letter assigned to your CD-
ROM drive.
3. When the Palm Desktop software Installer Menu screen
appears, click the Install button to begin the installation
procedure.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
Important: If you already own a Palm OS handheld
and want to continue using it, you should create a
new user name to use with Dana.
During installation, you may be asked to connect Dana to the
computer using the USB cable.
Installing Palm Desktop software on a
Macintosh
Note: If you are upgrading and your old Palm
Desktop software is version 1.0 or 2.0, copy your old
Palm Desktop software folder and its contents into a
folder of a different name (for example, Palm
Backup), then uninstall your old Palm Desktop
software.
Important: Palm Desktop Software for the
Macintosh requires OS 9 or higher.
1. Insert the Palm Desktop for Dana Software 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.

Getting Started with Dana 11
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.
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
Synchronizing data using 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.
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, on a PC select the user name
you entered when you installed the Palm Desktop software. On a

12 Dana Tour
Macintosh enter a new user name, or choose an existing name if
you are upgrading and no longer wish to use your old
handheld. See “Upgrading from a Palm OS handheld” on
page 7 for more information.
4. Wait for a message on Dana indicating that the process is complete
before disconnecting Dana from the USB cable.
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 in the top right corner of
Palm Desktop.

Getting Started with Dana 13
CHAPTER 2 AlphaWord
AlphaWord is a full-featured word processor that lets you create,
format (including setting fonts, justification, line spacing, indents), and
edit documents. These documents can then be printed or transferred to
a computer 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 workspaces that you can
instantly access using their corresponding file keys (F1-F8). You can
use the workspaces for your work in progress. 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 workspace with a
different file, press the menu key, then select File New for
a new file or File Open for an existing file.

14 AlphaWord
Creating an AlphaWord document
1. Press the memo key or tap the AlphaWord icon in the
Applications 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
automatically 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 workspace.
3. Enter the text you want to appear in the document.
Note: To use Tab in documents see “Tab key option”
on page 49.
4. Use the buttons on the toolbar to add formatting including
setting fonts, justification, line spacing, indents, etc.
5. To name your file, choose Save As under the File menu.
Note: Once you’ve named your file, AlphaWord
automatically saves it when you leave AlphaWord or
open another file, so you don’t need to worry about
losing your data. You can also force AlphaWord to
save at any time by choosing File Save.

Getting Started with Dana 15
6. Enter a name for the new document, and then 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.
Note: The larger data file for the Spell Checker that
contains more words(AWSpellLarge.pdb) should be
automatically installed the first time you HotSync. To
check if it is installed: press the apps key, then press the
menu key and select Info under the App menu. If
SpellData is in the list, then the larger data file is
installed. If it isn’t, you can HotSync it to Dana now.
AWSpellLarge.pdb is located in the DanaExtras folder
under the Palm folder on your computer. For more
information on HotSyncing the file to Dana, see
“Installing applications” on page 55.
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.

16 AlphaWord
4. Tap the appropriate button.
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.
Note: The data file for the Thesaurus
(ThesData.PDB) should be automatically installed
the first time you HotSync. If it isn’t, you can
HotSync it to Dana now. It can be found in the
DanaExtras folder under the Palm folder on your
computer. For more information, see “Installing
applications” on page 55.
Underline indicates
misspelled word.
Tap Ignore to skip the
word and continue
checking the document. Tap
All to ignore all instances of
the word in the document.
Select the correct
word in the list, then
tap Change to
replace the mis-
spelled word. Tap All
to replace all
instances of the word
in the document.
Tap Add to add the word to
a supplemental dictionary.
Tap Edit to type in
a word.
Tap Opt.. to change
Spell Checker
options.