V-tech Power Zone 2000 User manual

®
© VTECH
Printed in China
91-01252-005
®
USER’S MANUAL

40
Dear Parent:
At VTech®we know that a child has the ability to
do great things. That’s why all of our electronic
learning products are uniquely designed to develop a
child’s mind and allow them to learn to the best of
their ability. Whether it’s learning about letters,
numbers, geography or algebra, all VTech®learning
products incorporate advanced technologies and
extensive curriculum to encourage children of all ages
to reach their potential.
When it comes to providing interactive products that
enlighten, entertain and develop minds, at VTech®we
see the potential in every child.
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ........................................... 1
PREPARATION.......................................... 2-5
MOUSE CONNECTION ............................................................ 2
PRINTER CONNECTION .......................................................... 2
POWER SOURCE ..................................................................... 2
BATTERY INSTALLATION ....................................................... 2
KEYBOARD BATTERY INSTALLATION .................................. 3
BATTERY NOTICE.................................................................... 3
BACKUP BATTERY INSTALLATION ....................................3-4
AC ADAPTOR CONNECTION .................................................. 4
ON/OFF BUTTON .................................................................... 4
RESET BUTTON ....................................................................... 4
AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF .......................................................... 4
VOLUME SWITCH .................................................................... 4
CONTRAST SWITCH ................................................................ 5
MOUSE, KEYBOARD AND CURSOR CONTR OL 5-9
MOUSE ..................................................................................... 5
CLEANING THE MOUSE ......................................................... 5
KEYBOARD .............................................................................. 6
SPECIAL KEYS ..................................................................... 6-8
CATEGORY BUTTONS .........................................................8-9
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42
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES ............ 10-35
ACTIVITIES WITH LEVELS AND 2-PLAYER MODE ............. 10
GENERAL DISPLAY ............................................................... 11
LANGUAGE ARTS............................................................. 11-13
WORD CHALLENGE .................................................................. 11
COMPREHENSION ..................................................................... 11
SECRET WORD .......................................................................... 11
GRAMMAR QUIZ ........................................................................ 12
PARTS OF SPEECH.................................................................... 12
WORD SEARCH .......................................................................... 12
CROSSWORD ............................................................................. 12
SYNONYMS ................................................................................. 12
ANTONYMS ................................................................................. 12
WORD PUZZLE ........................................................................... 13
SOUND ALIKES .......................................................................... 13
SENTENCE SHUFFLE ................................................................ 13
CREATIVE WRITING ................................................................... 13
MATHEMATICS .................................................................. 13-16
MATH FUN ................................................................................... 13
TIME OUT! ................................................................................... 13
COMMON GROUND ................................................................... 14
FACTOR REACTOR .................................................................... 14
COORDINATES ........................................................................... 14
SUM IT UP ................................................................................... 14
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MINUS MADNESS ....................................................................... 14
MULTIPLICATION ....................................................................... 14
DIVISION ..................................................................................... 14
ALGEBRA ATTACK! ................................................................... 15
GEOMETRY ................................................................................. 15
GRAPH IT! ................................................................................... 15
TIC TAC 18 .................................................................................. 15
MAGIC 24 .................................................................................... 15
THIS TO THAT ............................................................................. 15
FRACTION ACTION .................................................................... 16
NUMBER PATTERNS .................................................................. 16
MATH CHALLENGE .................................................................... 16
TRIVIA CHALLENGE .........................................................16-17
UNDERSEA LIFE ........................................................................ 16
ANIMAL LIFE............................................................................... 16
ENTERTAINMENT ....................................................................... 16
MYSTERY EVENTS ..................................................................... 17
TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................ 17
SPACE DISCOVERY ................................................................... 17
GEOGRAPHY .............................................................................. 17
BIOLOGY ..................................................................................... 17
KNOWLEDGE CHALLENGE ...................................................... 17
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LOGIC & GAMES ..............................................................18-19
ROBOT HUNT ............................................................................. 18
3D RACE RALLY ......................................................................... 18
3D TIC TAC TOE ......................................................................... 18
TREASURE HUNT ...................................................................... 19
DISC CHALLENGE ..................................................................... 19
3D MAZE ..................................................................................... 19
ART STUDIO ........................................................................... 20
CARD MAKER ............................................................................. 20
PICTURE MAKER ....................................................................... 20
PERSONAL OFFICE ..........................................................20-33
WORD PROCESSOR ............................................................. 20-24
TELEPHONE BOOK ................................................................... 24
SCHEDULER ............................................................................... 25
SPELL CHECKER ....................................................................... 25
CALENDAR ................................................................................. 25
CONVERSION PAD ..................................................................... 25
CALCULATOR ............................................................................. 26
LOGO ......................................................................................26-32
LOGO BEGINNER ....................................................................... 32
LOGO INTERMEDIATE ............................................................... 32
LOGO ADVANCED ...................................................................... 32
MONEY MANAGER..................................................................... 33
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45
HOMEWORK LAB™ ............................................................... 33
DATA PAIRS 1 ............................................................................. 33
DATA PAIRS 2 ............................................................................. 33
TEST TRAINER 1 ........................................................................ 33
TEST TRAINER 2 ........................................................................ 33
SYSTEM SETUP ................................................................ 33-35
FILE CABINET ............................................................................ 33
QUICK TAG ................................................................................. 33
SOUND EFFECT ......................................................................... 33
BACKGROUND MUSIC .............................................................. 34
DATE & TIME ............................................................................... 34
SCORING STATISTICS ............................................................... 34
PRINTER SETUP ........................................................................ 34
TROUBLESHOOTING FOR PRINTER ERROR ......................... 34
TOOLS ......................................................................................... 35
GENERAL .................................................................................... 35
DISPLAY ...................................................................................... 35
HOW TO USE AN EXPANSION CARTRIDGE ... 35-36
ACTIVITY CARTRIDGES ........................... 36
SCORING............................................... 37-38
SCORING CODE ..................................................................... 37
VTECH® Power Zone™ 2000 ACTIVITIES: .......................... 38
CARE AND MAINTENANCE ...................... 39
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46
CAUTION-ELECTRIC TOY
FOR
TOY TRANSFORMER
- Not recommended for children under 3 years
of age. As with all electrical products, precau-
tions should be observed during handling and
use to reduce the risk of electric shock.
Input: AC120V 60 HZ9W
Output: DC 14.5V 4.5 VA
- The adaptor should be periodically examined
for conditions that may result in the risk of fire,
electric shock, or injury to persons (such as
damage to the output cord, blades, housing, or
other parts). In the event of such conditions, the
transformer should not be used until properly
repaired.
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1
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 learning product! We
at VTECH®are committed to providing the highest quality products to entertain
and educate your children. Should you have any questions or concerns, please
call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-521-2010 in the U.S. or 1-800-
267-7377 in Canada.
The VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 is an electronic learning aid. This unit offers
a wide range of exciting and educational activities for interactive learning! The
unit’s 77 built-in activities and computer skills tools to encourage learning in an
entertaining and effective manner.
MOUSE
LED
LENS
TYPING
KEYBOARD
VOLUME
SWITCH
LCD
ON BUTTON
CONTRAST
SWITCH
CATEGORY
BUTTON
CARTRIDGE
DOOR
CARTRIDGE
MOUSE PAD
OFF BUTTON
ACADAPTOR
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2
PREPARATION
MOUSE CONNECTION
1. Make sure the unit is turned OFF.
2. Locate the mouse jack on the back of the keyboard.
3. Plug the mouse into the unit’s mouse jack.
4. Turn the unit ON.
PRINTER CONNECTION
1. Make sure both the VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 learning aid and the printer
are turned OFF.
2. Locate the printer port on the right side of the VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000
learning aid.
3. Connect the printer plug to the printer port.
4. Turn ON the VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 learning aid and the printer.
Please refer to Printer Setup for the list of printers that the VTECH®Power
Zone™ 2000 learning aid supports.
POWER SOURCE
The VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 learning aid can be operated by using 4 “C”
size batteries or a 14.5V 4.5VA center-positive adaptor.
BATTERY INSTALLATION
1. Make sure the unit is turned OFF.
2. Locate the battery cover on the bottom of
the unit and open it.
3. Insert 4 "C" batteries as illustrated.
DO NOT USE RECHARGEABLE
BATTERIES in this unit.
4. Close the battery cover.
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3
KEYBOARD BATTERY INSTALLATION
1. Locate the battery cover on the bottom of the
keyboard and open it.
2. Insert 4 "AA" batteries as illustrated.
DO NOT USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES in
the keyboard.
3. Close the battery cover.
BATTERY NOTICE
• Install batteries correctly observing the polarity (+ , _) signs to avoid leakage.
• Do not mix old and new batteries.
• Do not use batteries of different types together.
• Remove exhausted or new batteries from the unit when you are not going
to use the unit for a long time.
• Do not dispose of the batteries in fire.
• Do not attempt to recharge ordinary batteries.
• Do not short-circuit supply terminals.
BACKUP BATTERY INSTALLATION
• Make sure the unit is OFF.
• Locate the backup battery cover on the bottom
of the unit and open it.
• Insert 1 CR2025 battery as illustrated.
• Replace the battery cover.
• Turn the unit ON.
• Remove the plastic strip from the backup battery. (During the first time
installation only) To avoid damage to the unit from leaky batteries, replace
the backup battery at least once a year.
NOTE: While replacing the backup battery, the 4 “C” size batteries must be kept
in the unit or the unit must be connected to the 9V adaptor while the
adaptor is plugged in. If not, you will lose all the information stored in
activities such as:
• Word Processor • Money Manager
• Calendar • Telephone Book
• Scheduler • Data Pairs 1
• Test Trainer 1 • LOGO
In addition to these activities, newly setup players' names and scores will also be lost.
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4
NOTE: If the unit suddenly stops working or the sound becomes weak, turn the
unit OFF for 15 seconds, then turn it back ON. If the problem persists,
it may be caused by weak batteries. Please install a new set of batteries
and try the unit again.
AC ADAPTOR CONNECTION
Use a 14.5V 4.5VA center-positive adaptor.
1. Make sure the unit is OFF.
2. Locate the adaptor jack on the back of the unit.
3. Plug the adaptor into the unit’s adaptor jack.
4. Plug the adaptor into a wall outlet.
5. Turn the unit ON.
NOTE: Do not leave the adaptor plugged in for long periods of time if the unit
is not in use.
ON/OFF BUTTON
ON
OFF Turn ON your VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 learning aid by pressing
the ON button on the front panel. The unit will show an opening animation
and you can select a category or an activity. Turn the unit OFF by
pressing the OFF button on the front panel.
RESET BUTTON
If the ON button is unable to turn on the unit or if the unit suddenly stops working,
press RESET button on the bottom of the unit to restart.
AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF
If there is no input into the VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 learning product for
several minutes, the unit will automatically shut off to save power. After the
automatic shut-off is activated, you need to press the ON button again. We
recommend that you turn the unit OFF when not playing with it. If the VTECH®
Power Zone™ 2000 learning product is not going to be used for a long period,
remove the batteries and unplug the adaptor.
VOLUME SWITCH
Adjust the volume by sliding the Volume Switch up to raise the
volume and down to lower the volume.
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5
CONTRAST SWITCH
Adjust the image on the screen by sliding the Contrast Switch
up for higher contrast and down for lower contrast.
MOUSE, KEYBOARD AND CURSOR
CONTROL
MOUSE
®
Mouse door
Left mouse
button Right mouse
button
To use the mouse, push it in the direction that you would like the pointer on
the screen to move. To move the pointer to the right side of the screen, push
the mouse to the right. To move the pointer to the left side of the screen, push
the mouse to the left. To move the pointer to the top of the screen, push the
mouse away from you. To move the pointer to the bottom of the screen, pull
the mouse towards you. In most activities, pressing the left mouse button will
have the same effect as pressing the Enter key.
CLEANING THE MOUSE
To clean the mouse, you need to open the
cover on the bottom of the mouse by using
a screwdriver. Twisting in the direction of the
arrows will release the cover. Once the cover
is removed, the mouse ball should be taken
out and the contents inside the mouse should
be cleaned with a dry cloth. The mouse ball
should also be cleaned with a dry cloth.
Once you have finished cleaning the mouse,
place the mouse ball back into the mouse,
place the cover back on the mouse and screw
the cover back onto the mouse.
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6
KEYBOARD
Esc
!
1
@
2
#
3
$
4
£
%
5
^
6
&
7
*
8
(
9
)
0
Backspace
Ins
]
[
Del
}
{
P
O
I
UY
T
REW
Q
Tab
Caps Lock
ASDGHJKL
Shift
ZXC
F
VBNM
<
>
?
PG UP
PG DNHOME
Shift
Enter
Left
Player
Help
Symbol
Level
Quick
Tag
Player
Print
Screen
Answer
Ctrl Space Alt
Repeat
Right
PlayerEND
Break
The VTECH®Power Zone™ 2000 learning aid has a full alphanumeric keyboard
with 65 keys.
Key labels
Some keys have two different functions. These keys are activated when choosing
various activities. Please refer to the description of activities to learn about the
dual-function keys.
SPECIAL KEYS
In addition to the alphanumeric keys, there are some special function keys:
Esc
Break Escape Key:
The Esc key allows you to exit the current activity. By repeatedly
pressing the Esc key you can go back to the main menu.
Esc
Break Break Key:
Press the Shift key and Break key simultaneously when you
want to interrupt a program in LOGO while it is running.
Help
Left
Player Help Key:
When you are not sure about the answer, press the Help key.
Help will give you hints and at the same time, you will lose
a chance to answer a question. Press this key to receive hints
in some of the activities. In activities like Synonyms or
Antonyms, Help will show one of the letters in the answers
as a hint. The Help key has slight variations among different
activities, so for detailed usage, please refer to the description
of the activities.
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7
Caps Lock Caps Lock Key:
Press this key to make letters you type appear in capitals
without having to press the Shift key each time. Press once
to activate this key. Press it again to release it.
Repeat
Repeat Key:
Press this key to repeat the instructions and the question (the
unit will repeat the question if the question on the screen is
only partially visible.)
Print
Screen
Answer
Answer Key:
Press this key to find the correct answer to a question. You
will not receive points if this key is pressed.
NOTE: In the 2-player mode the Answer key cannot be used during the first
player’s turn.
Enter Enter Key:
Press this key after typing each answer so the unit registers
your input.
Quick
Tag
Player
Player Key:
Press this key to select the 1-player or 2-player mode in the
activities that have a 2-player mode.
Symbol
Level
Level Key:
Press this key to select a level of difficulty in some of the
activities. There are four levels with the first level being the
easiest and the fourth level being the most difficult. Levels
can be changed at any time during an activity.
Symbol
Level
Symbol Key:
Press the Shift key and the Symbol key together to see a symbol
menu that contains several pages of symbols. Press the
Right
Player
PG UP
HOME PG DN
END
keys to select a symbol. Then press the Enter key or the left mouse
button to confirm the selection.
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8
Print
Screen
Answer
Print Screen Key:
Press the SHIFT key and the Print Screen key to print the
current screen. An exact copy of the screen will be printed.
Backspace Backspace Key:
To correct an answer before it has been confirmed, press the
Backspace key to delete the last entry.
Right
Player
PG UP
HOME PG DN
END
Directional Keys:
These four keys will move the cursor up, down, left, and right.
Space
Space Bar:
Use this to insert a space.
Right
PlayerEND
Left
Player
Help
Left Player/Right Player Keys:
A question is asked, the first person to press his or her player
key will get the opportunity to answer the question first.
BACK LIGHT KEY
Press the key to turn ON/OFF the backlight.
CATEGORY BUTTONS
There are 71 activities (not including 6 system setup) in the VTECH®Power
Zone™ 2000 learning aid and they are divided into seven categories. Press
any category button to go to the menu list of corresponding activities.
E-Mail
Cartridge
Printer
System Setup
Demo
Logic & Games
Art Studio
Personal Office
Homework Lab
TM
Trivia Challenge
Mathematics
Language Arts
Digital Camera
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Category buttons:
Category buttons are available to go directly to the selected group activities for
Language Arts, Mathematics, Trivia Challenge, Logic & Games, Art Studio,
Personal Office and Homework Lab™.
System Setup
System Setup button:
Press this button and the system setup screen will be shown.
For details in setting, please refer to System Setup page 29.
Demo button:
Demo
The Demo button is available at any time to demonstrate any of the
learning aid’s activities. The Demo button in Main Menu will demonstrate
all activities and then return to the Main Menu. If the Demo button
is pressed when a player is in an activity, it will demonstrate that particular
activity. Once the demonstration is done, it will return to either the menu
or the activity.
Printer
Printer button:
When the printer button is pressed, the unit will display the printer
selection window. The player can press this button to change the
printer. For details, please refer to Printer Setup.
Cartridge
Cartridge button:
When the cartridge button is pressed, the unit will run the
activity(ies) on the cartridge. If a cartridge is not in the cartridge
slot, the unit will display a message that a cartridge is not inserted.
NOTE: When inserting or removing a cartridge, or plugging in or removing the
mouse, please make sure the unit is turned OFF.
E-Mail
E-Mail button:
With the VTech®e-mail cartridge, modem and VTech e-mail service
(sold separately), a player can send and receive electronic mail.
Please note that the VTech®e-mail service does not support the
attachment of files to e-mail messages. For details, please refer to
the e-mail cartridge and modem (sold separately).
To order the VTech®e-mail cartridge and modem, please call our Consumer
Services Department at 1-800-521-2010.
VTech®digital camera button:
With the VTech®digital camera (sold separately), a player can take
pictures.
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10
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITIES WITH LEVELS AND 2-PLAYER MODE
ACTIVITY LEVEL 2-PLAYER MODE
Word Challenge 1-4 YES
Comprehension 1-4 YES
Secret Word 1-4 YES
Grammar Quiz 1-4 YES
Parts of Speech 1-4 YES
Word Search 1-4 YES
Crossword 1-4 YES
Synonyms 1-4 YES
Antonyms 1-4 YES
Word Puzzle 1-4 YES
Sound Alikes 1-4 YES
Sentence Shuffle 1-4 YES
Creative Writing NO NO
All Mathematics (except magic 24) 1-4 YES
Magic 24 NO YES
All Trivia challenge 1-4 YES
Robot Hunt 1-4 No
3D Race Rally 1-4 NO
3D Tic Tac Toe 1-4 YES
Treasure Hunt 1-4 NO
Disc Challenge 1-4 YES
3D Maze 1-4 NO
All Art Studio NO NO
All Personal Office NO NO
Data Pairs 1 NO NO
Data Pairs 2 NO YES
Test Trainer 1 NO NO
Test Trainer 2 NO YES
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GENERAL DISPLAY
In most of the activities, you will see a display of the status information, as well
as icons and a working window. The status information includes the player’s
name, the number of chances remaining and the score for each player. It also
shows the level and the time left in the game.
LANGUAGE ARTS
WORD CHALLENGE
A meaning of a word will be displayed on the screen followed by three multiple
choices. Determine the word with the given meaning, then use Up/Down key
to choose the answer or use the mouse to answer. Press the Enter key or
the left mouse button to confirm your answer, or type in 1, 2 or 3 to answer
directly.
COMPREHENSION
A paragraph will first appear and then questions related to the paragraph with
multiple choices will be given. Use Up/Down key to choose the answer or select
the answer using the mouse. Press the Enter key or the left mouse button to
confirm your answer, or type in 1, 2 or 3 to answer directly.
SECRET WORD
Guess the secret word by typing in the correct letters. Once you press Enter
to confirm the word and it is not correct, a hint will be given. The hint includes
a correct letter. There is no Help function but you get 20 chances to find the
correct answer.
'' for a correct guess (both the letter and its position)
'' for an incorrect guess
'' means the letter is guessed correctly but in the wrong position
player name chance time left
player 1 level player 2
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12
GRAMMAR QUIZ
A sentence will be displayed with one word missing. Three multiple choice answers
will appear. Use Up/Down key to choose the answer or use the mose to answer.
Press the Enter key or the left mouse button for the answer that will make the
sentence grammatically correct, or type in 1, 2 or 3 to answer directly.
PARTS OF SPEECH
A sentence will be displayed on the screen and the unit will ask you to identify
the part of speech, such as a noun or a verb, based on the given question.
Pick the best word for the answer using the mouse or the cursor control and
press Enter key.
WORD SEARCH
This activity shows a 22 x 9 matrix with 10 words missing in the puzzle. You
have to solve all 10 words in the puzzle. To locate a word use the arrow keys
or the pointer to highlight the word that you want, and then press the Enter
key or the left mouse button. You can select a word from a horizontal or vertical
direction. To change the direction of the word you are selecting, use the
icon. The icon enables you to switch back and forth between the horizontal
and vertical position.
CROSSWORD
This activity shows a 16 x 8 grid with 10 words missing in the puzzle. You have
to solve all 10 words based on the clues given. First choose a highlighted area
where a word is missing and then press the Enter key or the left mouse button.
The clue will then be provided. Input the correct word and then press the Enter
key to proceed and repeat the steps stated above.
SYNONYMS
A word and a scrambled word will be shown. Rearrange the letters of the
scrambled word to create a new word that has the same meaning as the given
word.
ANTONYMS
A word and a scrambled word will be shown. Rearrange the letters of the
scrambled word to create a new word that has the opposite meaning of the given
word.
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