V-tech PreComputer Prestige User manual

COURSE BOOK
®

92
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................... 1
CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED ..................... 2-4
CHAPTER 3 THE KEYBOARD..........................5-9
CHAPTER 4 ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS ..9-24
CHAPTER 5 WORD PROCESSING .............. 24-27
CHAPTER 6 BASIC ........................................ 28-83
CHAPTER 7 CALCULATOR...........................84-86
CHAPTER 8 TIME LIMITS .................................. 87
CHAPTER 9 SCORING................................... 88-89
CHAPTER 10 HOW TO USE AN EXPANSION
CARTRIDGE ................................... 90
CHAPTER 11 CARE AND MAINTENANCE........ 91

1
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Thank you for buying the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning toy by VTECH®! We at
VTECH®are committed to providing the best possible products to activate a child’s mind.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please call our Consumer Services Department
at 1-800-521-2010 in the US, 01235-555545 in the UK or 1-800-267-7377 in Canada.
PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM is our top of the line learning toy featuring 240x100 full dot
matrix LCD screen and a standard sized computer style keyboard that gives the user the
look and the feel of a real laptop computer. PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM offers 42 activities
that include tenses, antonyms, synonyms, grammar, basic mathematics, advanced math-
ematics, over 1000 trivia questions, logic games, a word processor, basic programming,
a daily planner, a telephone directory, a built-in calculator and an 75,000 words spell checker.
Get ready for hours of learning fun with the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning unit.
LCD DISPLAY
LOCK BUTTON
CAPS LOCK
LED
CONTRAST
SWITCH
LOCK
BUTTON
VOLUME
SWITCH
ON & OFF
BUTTON
ACTIVITY
SELECTOR
TYPING
KEYBOARD
MOUSE
PAD
MOUSE
CARTRIDGE
DOOR

2
CHAPTER 2 GETTING STARTED
The PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning unit operates on 4 "C" size batteries or a 9V
AC adapter.
BATTERY INSTALLATION
1. Make sure the unit is OFF.
2. Locate the battery cover on the back of the unit
and open it.
3. Insert 4 "C" size batteries as illustrated. DO
NOT USE NiCd RECHARGEABLE BATTER-
IES. (The use of alkaline batteries is recom-
mended for maximum performance.)
4. Replace the battery cover.
5. Turn the unit ON.
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.
•Remove exhausted or new batteries from equipment when you are not going to use
it for a long time.
•Do not dispose of batteries in fire.
•Do not attempt to recharge ordinary batteries.
•The supply terminals are not to be short-circuited.
NOTE :If the unit suddenly stops working, the sound seems weak or the LCD screen
fades, it may be a problem of low battery power. Please install a new set of
batteries before using.
BACKUP BATTERY INSTALLATION
•Make sure the unit is OFF.
•Locate the backup battery cover on the back of the unit
and open it.
•Insert a 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.

3
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 adapter while the adapter is plugged
in. If not, you will lose all the information stored in the following activities:
•Test Trainer
•Word Processing
•Basic
•200 Year Calendar
•Daily Planner
•Telephone Directory
In addition to these activities, players’ names and scores will also be lost.
AC ADAPTER CONNECTION
Use a standard 9V AC adapter.
1. Make sure the unit is OFF.
2. Locate the adapter jack on the-left of the unit.
3. Plug the adapter into the unit’s adapter jack.
4. Plug the adapter into a wall outlet.
5. Turn the unit ON.
NOTE : Do not leave the adapter plugged in for a long period of time if the unit is not
in use. If the unit suddenly stops working or the sound seems weak, it may be
the result of the adapter connection. Turn the unit off and unplug the adapter
from the unit for 15 seconds. Next plug the adapter back in and turn the unit
on. If the problem persists it may be the result of the adapter’s wiring or the
unit. Please call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-521-2010 in US
or 1-800-267-7377 in Canada or 01235-555545 in the UK.
In the U.S.A.:The VTECH®AC adaptor is perfectly suited to operate this product. Many
retailers carry the adaptor, however, if you are unable to find one locally,
call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-521-2010 or send $10.00
plus $5.00 for shipping and handling (Illinois residents please add 8.25% sales
tax) to:
Adaptor c/o
VTECH®Industries, LLC.
101 E. Palatine Road
Wheeling, IL 60090-6500
In Canada: Please see the enclosed VTECH®adaptor offer coupon.
ON BUTTON & OFF BUTTON
Turn on your PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning unit by pressing the ON button located
at the lower right-hand side of the viewing screen. A welcome animation will play and
you can begin. Turn off the unit at any time by pressing the OFF button.

4
Automatic Shut Off
If there is no input into the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM unit for about 8 minutes, the
unit will automatically shut off to save power. If you want to turn the unit back on after
an automatic shut off, you need to press the ON button again. We recommend that you
turn the unit OFF when not in use. If you will not be using the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM
unit for a long period of time, remove the batteries and unplug the adapter.
CONTRAST SWITCH
Depending on your lighting conditions, slide the Contrast Switch to the left or right to allow
for better viewing.
VOLUME SWITCH
Adjust the volume by sliding the Volume Switch toward the right-hand side to increase
the volume and toward the left-hand side to decrease the volume.
MOUSE CONNECTION
1. Make sure the unit is OFF.
2Locate the mouse jack on the back of the unit.
3. Plug the mouse into the mouse jack.
4. Turn the unit ON.
5. The mouse will work best if it is kept on the mouse pad.
The mouse functions the same as a real computer mouse. Move the cursor on the screen
by moving the mouse in the direction you would like the cursor to move. The Left mouse
button functions as a select key and Enter key while the right mouse button functions as
an Esc key.
This "ARROW" shows the
unlocking direction. Lock by
pushing to the opposite
side of the "ARROW"
Left mouse
button Right mouse
button
®

5
CHAPTER 3 THE KEYBOARD
The keyboard on PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM combines the operation of a standard
computer keyboard with several other functions described below.
Enter
SPECIAL KEYS
Enter Key:
Enter
Press this key after typing or choosing an answer to confirm your selection.
Shift Key:
Press this key to type capital letters or the symbols shown on top of the number keys.
Esc Key:
Press this key to exit an activity. By repeatedly pressing the Esc key you can return to
the main menu.
$ £

6
Caps Lock Key:
Press this key to make all typed letters appear in upper case. Press the key again to
return to normal typing mode. When the Caps Lock function is activated the Caps Lock
light will turn on.
Symbol key:
Press this key to show off the characters which is not on the keyboard. This only apply
for some activities only.
Answer Key:
Press this key to see the correct answer to any question.
Left Player/Right Player Keys:
Press these keys in games with a 2-player mode. The first person to hit his or her appropriate
left or right player button will get the opportunity to answer the question first.
Cursor Keys:
Press the key to move the cursor to the right.
Press the key to move the cursor to the left.
Press the key to move the cursor upward.
Press the key to move the cursor downward.

7
Help Key:
Press this key in the Key-In mode of Trivia activities when you need help and you will
be given three multiple choice answers to choose from. In Grammer Quiz, press Help
to give you three multiple choice answers for the wrong word to choose from. In Flash
Words, press Help to give you a hint on the first letter of the word.
NOTE: Since the players are competing against each other in 2-player mode, the Help
key is not available.
Break Key:
Press the Shift and Break keys simultaneously when you want to interrupt a program in
BASIC while it is running.
Alt key:
Press this key and one of the assigned keys to activate the shortcut key function in Word
Processing.
Repeat Key:
Press this key when you would like the unit to repeat a trivia question. This will be useful
when you can’t see the whole question or a multiple choice window is blocking the question.
AC Key:
Press this key for an ‘All Clear’ screen in the Calculator activity.
Insert Key:
Press this key when you want to insert text during file or record editing in WORD
PROCESSING, BASIC, DAILY PLANNER, TELEPHONE, TEST TRAINER or CALCULATOR.
Delete Key:
Press SHIFT and this key when you want to delete the character at the current cursor
position.

8
Backspace Key:
Press shift and this key when you want to delete the character before the cursor position.
Cursor Point:
The cursor point is used to move the cursor arrow around. In order to select an icon,
move the cursor point to the icon and press the left cursor button. Press the right cursor
button in WORD SEARCH to switch between vertical and horizontal words. Press the right
cursor button in WORD PUZZLE to close the clue window.
ACTIVITY SELECTOR
There are 42 activities in the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM unit and they are divided into
5 activity groups. Press any one of the five activity group selectors to go into the
corresponding activity group menu.
Player Key:
Press this key to change from 1-player mode to 2-player mode and vice versa for activities
with 2-player mode only. If you want to change the player mode, press this key first and
then select a player mode by typing the number or use the mouse to click one of the
player icons.

9
Level Key:
The unit provides 4 levels of challenge in most of the activities. If you want to change
the level, press this key first and then select a level by typing the number or use the mouse
to click one of the level icons. There are 4 levels with the first level being the easiest and
the fourth level being the most difficult.
Cartridge Key:
This key is used to access VTECH®PRECOMPUTER expansion cartridges that connect
with the unit. It will not work unless an expansion cartridge has been inserted into the
unit.
NOTE: Cartridges are sold separately.
CHAPTER 4 ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS
HOW TO PLAY
SELECTING/CHOOSING/HIGHLIGHTING
During the course of entering the activities and during game play you will be asked to
select, choose or highlight an object, a number, a letter or a word. This can be done
in three different ways:
Mouse
You can move the cursor arrow with the mouse. When the cursor arrow is on
the item you want to choose press either the left mouse button, the left cursor
point button or the Enter button.
Cursor Point
You can move the cursor arrow with the cursor point. When the cursor arrow is
on the item you want to choose press either the left mouse button, the left cursor
point button or the Enter button.
Cursor Keys:
You can move the cursor arrow with the cursor keys. When the cursor arrow is
on the item you want to choose press either the left mouse button, the left cursor
point button or the Enter button.

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ENTERING ACTIVITIES
After turning on the power, there is a welcoming animation and the main menu will appear.
Use 1 of the following 2 ways to enter into one of the five activity group menus:
1. Press any one of the five activity group buttons from the activity keyboard
2. Choose an activity icon on the screen
After choosing the Activity Group (Word Games, Mathematics, etc.), use 1 of the following
2 ways to select an activity:
1Choose an activity on the screen. Due to the limitation of the screen, you will have
to scroll through the activity list by using the UP or DOWN arrow icons located on the
right side of the screen. Or you can use the UP or DOWN arrow keys on
the keyboard. Press the Enter key to enter the selected activity.
2Press the number which is shown next to the activity you want to play and the activity
will be automatically highlighted. Press the Enter key to enter the selected activity.
•During any of the activities, press the ESC button to quit the activity and return to the
activity group menu.
•Press the ESC button in any of the activity group menus to return to the main menu
and select another activity group.
•During any of the activities, choose the icon to return to the main menu.

11
PLAYER MODES:
The unit will automatically begin in 1-player mode at power up. To enter the 2-player mode,
press the Player key first and then type a "2" or use the mouse to click one of the player
icons.
Note:The following activities do not offer two-player mode:
All Logic Games activities
All Business Basic activities
GENERAL DISPLAY
In most of the activities, you will see a display with status information, handy icons and
a working window. The status information will include the player’s name, the number of
lives remaining and the score for each player. In addition to that, it will also show the
level and the time left in the game.
1-Player mode:
Player's Name Player's Score Level Help System Setup
Player's Life Main Menu
Timer Scores
2-Player mode:
Left Player's Name, Score and Life Right Player's Name, Score and Life

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SYSTEM SETUP
System Setup is available in each activity. Press the icon to enter System Setup.
Inside the System Setup, you are able to change the following items:
Set printer type
Expand icon on/off
Select input method
Date format
Name change
SET PRINTER TYPE
There are a number of printers which the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM unit is compatible
with. Set Printer Type allows you to select any one of the printers. The PRECOMPUTER
PRESTIGETM learning toy supports the following printers:
VTECH®VT-25
EPSON LQ-X70
EPSON 24 PIN
EPSON 9 PIN
EPSON STYLUS
CANON BJ30
CANON BJ300/330
HP LASER IVL
HP DESKJET
After setting up the printer type, you can print a document from Word Processing, a program
in Basic or print a screen. Please refer to Word Processing and Basic for printing. When
you want to print any screen, simply press Shift and keys.
NOTE : For information on how to order the VTECH®VT-25 Thermal Printer, please call
1-800-521-2010 in the US, 01235-555545 in the UK, or 1-800-267-7377 in Canada.
EPSON, CANON and HP are a registered trademarks of their respective companies

13
EXPAND ICON ON/OFF
The PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning unit offers you descriptions of different icons
and functions. When the unit is turned on, the expand icon is OFF and you can go into
the System Setup to enable this function. When expand icon is ON, a bubble containing
the name of the icon will pop up when you move the cursor over the icon.
SELECT INPUT METHOD
When doing questions like addition or subtraction, different people have different methods
for inputting their answers. Some prefer to input from left to right and some prefer from
right to left. The unit lets you set the input direction in the way you prefer.
DATE FORMAT
The PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning toy is a product which is sold worldwide.
Different places have different formats for writing the date. In order to accommodate this,
the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning unit lets you set the date format that you are
comfortable with. There are two types of formats and they are American and British:
American : January 1, 1996
British : 1 January 1996
NAME CHANGE
The PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM unit lets you enter your name and another player’s name.
You can select the icon in the System Setup and you can input your name(maximum
of 8 characters). The default names are "L.Player" and "R.Player".
WORD GAMES
PLURALS
A singular form of a noun will appear on the screen. Type in the plural form of the given
word and press the Enter key to confirm your answer.
ANTONYMS
The unit will display a word on the screen. Type in a word that has the opposite meaning.
The underlines tell you how many letters are in the word. Press the Enter key to confirm
your answer. If you don’t know the answer, you can get help by pressing the Help key
or clicking Help icon and a table of letters will display. The missing letters of the answer
are located in the table.

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SYNONYMS
The unit will display a word on the screen. Type in a word that has the same meaning.
The underlines tell you how many letters are in the word. Press the Enter key to confirm
your answer. If you don’t know the answer, you can get help by pressing the Help key
or clicking Help icon and a table of letters will display. The missing letters of the answer
are located in the table.
CORRECT THE WORD
The meaning of a word is given along with the mis-spelling of the word. Type in the correct
spelling of the word and press the Enter key to confirm your answer.
FLASH WORDS
This activity challenges your memory skills. You will see 1 to 4 word(s) (depending on
the level) appear on the screen. You are given 5 seconds to memorize the spelling and
sequence of the word(s). Type in the word(s), in the same order you saw them and press
the Enter key to confirm your answer.
TENSES
Using your knowledge of verb forms, provide the present tense, past tense, or past participle.
Two forms of a verb will appear on the screen. Type in the missing form of that verb
and press the Enter key to confirm your answer.
GRAMMAR QUIZ
A sentence will appear on the screen with one grammatical error. Choose the incorrect
word. Then press the Enter key or left cursor/mouse button to confirm your choice. If
you don't know the answer, you can get help by pressing the Help key or clicking on the
Help icon and it will show you the grammatical error with 3 multiple choice options. If
you correctly pick out the grammatical error, 3 multiple choice options will appear on the
screen. Decide which option would make the sentence grammatically correct and press
its corresponding number.
SCRAMBLERS
A group of words will appear on the viewing screen. You must rearrange the words to
form a correct sentence. Select the word you think is the first word of the sentence and
then press Enter or the left mouse/cursor button. Repeat the same process for the second
word, third word and so on until the whole sentence is constructed. If you make a mistake,
you can use the Backspace key or click the icon to undo the last pick. When you
completed the sentence, press the Enter key or click the icon to confirm your answer.

15
WORD PUZZLE
This is a crossword puzzle game with 10 missing words in each puzzle. Use the cursor
point to select one of the missing words and receive a clue for the word. Type in the
word and press Enter to confirm your answer. If you do not want to answer this clue,
choose another word. You can also press the right cursor button or press ESC key to
close the clue window.
WORD SEARCH
In this activity, you need to find 10 hidden words in the puzzle. The words are oriented
horizontally and vertically. You can use the and keys to move the
flashing bar to find a word and press the Enter key to confirm the word. You can also
move the cursor point or the mouse and the flashing bar will follow. Choose the first character
to confirm the word. By default, the flashing bar is oriented horizontally and you can press
the right cursor point button, the right mouse button or the Flip Icon to get a vertical
flashing bar. The number of words found and the number of words remaining are indicated
on the right hand side.
NOTE:The length of a word is indicated by the length of the flashing bar.
TEST TRAINER
Test Trainer allows you to input information and have the unit test you on it. This will be
helpful if you are trying to learn a list of foreign language words or even chemical symbols.
Since you can input any information you want, the uses are unlimited.
When you start the activity you will be given two choices: Input Data or Knowledge
Challenge .
INPUT DATA
When entering this activity you will first be asked to "Input the original word or phrase."
Type in the first part of the word or phrase that you want to be tested on. Then press
Enter. For example you could input "Hello". The unit will then ask you to "Input the
corresponding word or phrase." Type in the second part of the word or phrase that you
want to be tested on. Then press Enter. For example you could input "Hola" as the
corresponding phrase to "Hello."
You have now inputted the first set of data. The unit will display the original screen and
ask you to "Input the original word or phrase." for the second set of data. Continue this
process until you have entered the entire list.

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EDITING DATA
Adding Records
Choose the icon when you want to add another set of data to your existing list. The
record will be added at the end of the list.
Deleting Records
Choose the icon when you want to delete records from your existing list. Before you
choose this icon be sure that you are on the correct record as you will not be able to
retrieve the information once it has been deleted.
Finding Records
Choose the icon when you want to find a record to review, delete or edit. The unit
will only search for the words or phrases which have been set-up as original words or
phrases. Choose the icon and type in the word or phrase you want to find. Then press
Enter. If the unit locates the record it will display it on the screen. If the record cannot
be found the first record of the list will display.
Editing Records
Choose the icon when you want to edit a record. Find the record you want to edit
and then choose the icon. Choose the word you want to edit. When you are done
editing, press the Enter key to confirm.
KNOWLEDGE CHALLENGE
In Knowledge Challenge the unit will test you on the information you inputted. When entering
this activity, you will be given the option to test yourself on either the original word/phrase
list or the corresponding word/phrase list. After the unit displays the word/phrase, type
in the correct answer and press Enter to confirm.
MATHEMATICS
ADDITION
An addition problem will appear on the viewing screen. Type in the answer using the number
keys on the keyboard and press Enter key to confirm your answer.

17
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.
SUBTRACTION
A subtraction problem will appear on the screen. Type in the answer using the number
keys on the keyboard and press Enter.
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.
MULTIPLICATION
A multiplication problem will appear on the screen. For Level 1 type in the answer using
the number keys on the keyboard and press Enter.
For Levels 2, 3 and 4 you must complete each line of the problem correctly before moving
on to the next line. To do this, enter your answer for the first line of the problem and
press Enter to confirm. The unit will automatically take you to the next line. Continue
to enter your answers until the entire problem is completed.
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.
DIVISION
A division problem will appear on the screen. Type in your answer using the number keys
on the keyboard and press Enter to confirm. Be sure to pay close attention to the position
of the cursor as it sometimes moves to another line automatically. When the problem is
completely filled, press the Enter key to confirm your answer.
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.

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RATIOS
A ratio problem will appear on the screen. Type in the answer using the number keys
on the keyboard and press Enter.
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.
ALGEBRA
An algebra problem will appear on the screen. Type in the answer using the number keys
on the keyboard and press Enter.
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.
DECIMALS
An equation which involves a fraction and a decimal will appear on the screen. Type in
the answer using the number keys on the keyboard and press Enter.
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.
PERCENTAGES
An equation which involves a fraction and a percentage will appear on the screen. Type
in the answer using the number keys on the keyboard and press Enter.
You can also use the cursor point or the mouse to select the icon to get an on-
screen number keyboard. Input the answer by choosing the numbers on the keyboard and
select the icon to confirm your answer.
STORY PROBLEMS
In this activity the PRECOMPUTER PRESTIGETM learning unit challenges you to find answers
to math problems that are presented as story problems instead of numerical equations.
The question will appear on the viewing screen and then 3 multiple choice options will
be given. Decide which option is the correct answer and press its corresponding number.
To see the complete question, press the Repeat button.
EQUATION MAKER
An equation in random order will appear on the viewing screen. You must rearrange the
numbers and signs to form a correct equation. Select the number or sign you think is