User manual VTECH MOUSELAND LAPTOP

LITTLE SMART USER'S MANUAL © VTECH Printed in China 91-01380-000 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. 1 INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing the VTech® Little Smart MouselandTM Laptop learning toy! We at VTech® are committed to providing the best possible products to entertain and educate your child. Should you have any questions or concerns, please call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-521-2010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada or 01235-546810 in the U.K. The Little Smart MouselandTM Laptop learning toy invites preschoolers to learn about computers with a fun, child-friendly mouse design. Basic curriculum includes letters, mathematics, mouse skills, logic games, music and more! A real roller-ball mouse, change button, transparent turning dial and exciting animations enhance computer skills in a fun and entertaining manner. With a carrying handle that allows for learning at any time and any place, you can help to prepare your child for tomorrow's technology! LCD screen Contrast control switch Volume control switch Roller-ball mouse with retractable cord Keyboard Light-up mouse display Transparent rotating disc Change button 2 MOUSE A retractable mouse is specially designed for the Little Smart MouselandTM Laptop learning toy. Please follow the instructions below for proper usage of the mouse. Removing the Mouse from the Main Unit Follow these steps in removing the mouse from the main unit (please note the mouse should not detach completely from the unit. It is tethered by a retractable cord, and is intended to be used only while attached to the unit). 1. Push the mouse towards the front of the holder. 2. Lift it up starting from its back end. 3. Remove it from the small hinge. Mouse Buttons For most activities, the 2 buttons on the mouse operate the same, except Mouse Skills and Flying Shapes. 3 VOLUME CONTROL SWITCH The Volume Control Switch allows you to raise or lower the level of sound. CONTRAST CONTROL SWITCH Use the Contrast Control Switch to adjust the light/dark contrast on the LCD screen. LIGHT-UP MOUSE DISPLAY The light-up mouse display will light up when the on-screen cursor moves to the effective area enhancing the educational elements of this product through additional visual stimulation and entertainment. BATTERY Battery Installation 1. Make sure the unit is off. 2. Locate the battery cover on the bottom of the unit and open it. 3. Insert 4 "AA" batteries as illustrated. (The use of new, alkaline batteries is recommended for maximum performance.) 4. Replace the battery cover. Battery Notice · Install batteries correctly observing the polarity (+, -) signs to avoid leakage. · Always replace an entire set of batteries at one time. 4 · Do not use batteries of different types. · Remove batteries when unit will not be used for an extended period of time. · Do not dispose of batteries in fire. · Do not attempt to recharge ordinary batteries. · Do not short-circuit the supply terminals. We do not recommend the use of rechargeable batteries. NOTE: If for some reason the program/activity stops working, please follow these steps: 1. Please turn the unit off. 2. Interrupt the power supply by removing the batteries. 3. Let the unit stand for a few minutes, then replace the batteries. 4. Turn the unit on. The unit will now be ready to play again. If the problem persists, please call our Consumer Services Department at 1-800-521-2010 in the U.S., 1-800-267-7377 in Canada or 01235546810 in the U.K. AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF If there is no input for 30 seconds, the Little Smart MouselandTM Laptop learning toy will play a phrase inviting the child to play a game. After 5 minutes without input, the unit will shut off automatically. HOW TO BEGIN PLAYING ACTIVITIES 1. Press the On key to turn on the unit. 2. The Little Smart MouselandTM Laptop learning toy will show an opening animation. 3. After the opening animation, an activity graphic will be displayed on the LCD screen. 5 Activity Selecting Instructions There are 2 methods of choosing activities: 1. Press the LETTER key with an activity icon on the keyboard. 2. Scroll through the activities shown on the LCD screen using the MOUSE or the CURSOR key. 3. Press the ENTER key or click the on-screen Enter icon to select the activity shown on the LCD screen. KEYBOARD DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTIONS On Press this key to turn the unit on. Press this key to turn the unit off. Press this key to change the background music or to change the letters between uppercase and lowercase. Off Activity Press this key to go to the activity menu. Enter Press this key to confirm the selected activity or answer. Press this key to select either the one-player or two-player mode. Player Player These keys are used in the two-player mode. Level 12 3 4 Press this key to select the level of difficulty. There are four skill levels for many of the activities. Each time you press this key, the level of difficulty will change: Level one Level two Level three Level four Level one ...... Press this key to demonstrate how the activity is played. This feature can be used to demonstrate the current activity or to demonstrate activities one by one from the main menu. 6 Demo Press ACTIVITY key and then press a letter key with an icon to select the desired activity or input the letters in the letter related activities. Mouse Skills Mouse Maze Fish Catch Drag `n Build Magnify It Letter Hunt Typing Song Letter Order Fishing For Letters Word Clamp Password Hunt Bowling 7 Counting Challenge Grouping Falling Addition Flying Subtraction Road Builder Treasure Hunt Flying Shapes Memory Challenge Comparisons Golf Crazy Combo Drip Dodge Hidden Mouse Music Genius Mouse Paint Melody Master Play It Back Crazy Face Maker Press these keys to select numbers in number related activities. These keys can also be used as music note keys in the Music Activities. do re mi fa so la ti do re Repeat Press this key to have a question or phrase repeated for you. Answer Press this key to reveal the answer to the current question. Press this key to delete the character in the cursor position. Press this key for a helpful hint in answering the current question. Press this key to play the selected music or the new sequence animation in the PLAY IT BACK activity. Press this key to pause the current activity. Use these keys to move the on-screen objects or cursor. Erase Hint Play Pause 8 LEVELS The Little Smart MouselandTM Laptop learning toy provides 4 levels of difficulty for a fun and challenging learning experience. When you have entered into an activity, you can change the level at any time by pressing the LEVEL key. Each press of the LEVEL key will increase one level. NOTE: The following activities do not have different levels: Mouse Skills Melody Master Music Genius Mouse Paint Play It Back Crazy Face Maker TWO-PLAYER MODE The Little Smart MouselandTM Laptop provides an exciting two-player mode for many activities. There are two types of playing modes for the two-player option. One is a competition mode and the other mode involves both players taking turns to answer questions. A. Competition Mode When a question is displayed, each player is required to press their corresponding player keys, PLAYER 1 or PLAYER 2, as quickly as possible in order to earn the chance to answer the question. The first player to press his/her key gets to answer first. If the first player answers incorrectly, the other player will get a chance to answer. The HINT button does not work in the two-player competitive mode. B. Take Turn Mode The player will play the game one by one, similar to a one-player game. However, the unit will save the score of the 2 players and display who the winner is at the end of two players. Two-player mode in different activities 9 Activity 1. Mouse Skills 2. Mouse Maze 3. Fish Catch 4. Drag `n Build 5. Magnify It 6. Letter Hunt 7. Typing Song 8. Letter Order 9. Fishing for Letters 10. Word Clamp Mode Take turn mode Activity 17. Treasure Hunt Mode Compete mode Compete mode Take turn mode No 2 player mode 16. Road Builder No 2 player mode 18. Flying Shapes Take turn mode 19. Memory Challenge Compete mode Compete mode Take turn mode Compete mode Take turn mode Compete mode No 2 player mode No 2 player mode No 2 player mode No 2 player mode No 2 player mode No 2 player mode 20. Comparisons Take turn mode 21. Golf No 2 player mode 22. Crazy Combo Compete mode Compete mode Compete mode 23. Bowling 24. Hidden Mouse 25. Drip Dodge 26. Melody Master 27. Music Genius 28. Mouse Paint 29. Play It Back 11. Password Hunt Compete mode 12. Counting Challenge 13. Grouping Compete mode Compete mode 14. Falling Addition Take turn mode 15. Flying Compete mode Subtraction 30. Crazy Face Maker No 2 player mode TIME LIMIT A. One-Player Mode Some activities include time limits. They are the following: Activity Level Time limit 1 2. Mouse Maze 2 3 4 6. Letter Hunt 13. Grouping 17. Treasure Hunt 4 4 4 15 sec. 15 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20. Comparisons 22. Crazy Combo 16. Road Builder Activity Level 1 2 3 4 4 4 Time limit 15 sec. 20 sec. 15 sec. 20 sec. 25 sec. 20 sec. 10 B. Two-Player Mode In the following activities, there will be a time limit for the two-player competition mode: Time limit when waiting for someone to earn a chance to answer N/A Take Turn N/A Take Turn N/A Take Turn N/A 1 2 3 4 9. Fishing for Letters 1 2 3 4 10. Word Clamp 1 2 3 4 11. Password Hunt 1 2 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. N/A 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 40 sec. 35 sec. 30 sec. 25 sec. 85 sec. 80 sec. 75 sec. 70 sec. 10 sec. 10 sec. N/A N/A Activity Level Time limit after one of the players gets a chance to answer N/A 1. Mouse Skills 2. Mouse Maze 3. Fish Catch 4. Drag n' Build 5. Magnify It 6. Letter Hunt 7. Typing Song 8. Letter Order N/A 11 11. Password Hunt 3 4 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. Take Turn 10 sec. 10 sec. 15 sec. 35 sec. 35 sec. 35 sec. 10 sec. 10 sec. 10 sec. 10 sec. 12. Counting Challenge 1 2 3 4 13. Grouping 1 2 3 4 14. Falling Addition 15. Flying Subtraction 1 2 3 4 16. Road Builder 17. Treasure Hunt 1 2 3 4 18. Flying Shapes 19. Memory Challenge 1 2 3 4 20. Comparisons 1 2 3 4 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. Take Turn 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. Take Turn 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 10 sec. 10 sec. 10 sec. 10 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 30 sec. 25 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 25 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 25 sec. 30 sec. 25 sce. 12 21. Golf 22. Crazy Combo 1 2 3 4 23. Bowling 24. Hidden Mouse 1 2 3 4 25. Drip Dodge 26. Melody Master 27. Music Genius 28. Mouse Paint 29. Play It Back 30. Crazy Face Maker N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Take Turn 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. Take Turn 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. 20 sec. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION List of the 30 Activities Mouse Operation Mouse Skills Mouse Maze Fish Catch Drag `n Build Magnify It Games Golf Crazy Combo Bowling Hidden Mouse Drip Dodge Letter And Word Letter Hunt Typing Song Letter Order Fishing for Letters Word Clamp 13 Number Password Hunt Counting Challenge Grouping Falling Addition Flying Subtraction Logic Game Road Builder Treasure Hunt Flying Shapes Memory Challenge Comparisons Art & Music Melody Master Music Genius Mouse Paint Play It Back Crazy Face Maker 1. Mouse Skills This is an activity designed to teach mouse skills. There are 5 lessons in this activity. An on-screen guide will show how each movement should be made. All you have to do is copy the demonstration and use the mouse to perform the same skill. The skills that are taught in the five lessons are as follows: Lesson 1: learn how to move the mouse in 4 directions Lesson 2: learn how to move and click an object Lesson 3: learn how to double click an object Lesson 4: learn how to draw a straight line by moving the mouse from one point to another Lesson 5: learn how to drag and drop an object 2. Mouse Maze In this activity, the goal is to help the mouse character escape from the maze. Move the mouse character by using the MOUSE or the CURSOR keys to find the way out of the maze. It is important to move as quickly as possible. The faster the mouse escapes from the maze, the higher your score! For additional fun, press the CHANGE key to change the background music. 14 3. Fish Catch It's time to catch some fish! The goal of this game is to drag out a fishing net using the MOUSE and catch as many fish as possible. Press the MOUSE BUTTON, hold it and move the cursor to make the net appear. Any fish touching the net will be caught when you release the MOUSE BUTTON. 4. Drag `n Build The goal of this game is to find the missing part of an object and drag the missing part to the correct location on the drawing. The LCD screen is divided into two parts. Using the MOUSE, select the correct part at the left screen, click it and hold the MOUSE BUTTON. The cursor will be replaced by the selected part. Drag the selected part to its correct location on the drawing and release the MOUSE BUTTON. If you have selected the correct object, it will attach to the object and form a complete picture. Press the CHANGE key to change the background music. 5. Magnify It In this game, the goal is to find the fastest moving ant and magnify it. As the ants run across the LCD screen, you must use the MOUSE to move the magnifying glass and press the MOUSE BUTTON to click on the fastest ant. Press the ANSWER key to stop and magnify the correct ant. 6. Letter Hunt In this activity, a word with one or more missing letters will appear on the LCD screen. Use the MOUSE to wipe over the blank area with the cursor and make the hidden letters appear to form a word. Once the hidden letter(s) are 15 revealed, press the LETTER key(s) to input the word. Press the ANSWER key to flash the correct entire answer. Press the CHANGE key to choose between uppercase or lowercase letters. 7. Typing Song Time to get your fingers moving! In this game, the LCD screen will be divided into two sections. In the left section, letters will fall from the top of the screen. In the right section, there is a mouse playing the piano. Press the LETTER key that corresponds to each of the letters that are falling from the top of the screen to make the letters disappear. Once a letter disappears, a music note will be played. Press the CHANGE key to choose between uppercase or lowercase letters. 8. Letter Order The letters are trying to line up in the correct order but some letters are missing! You are required to select the correct letter to place in the blank and line up the letters in the correct order. Press the LETTER keys to input the letters and the ENTER key to confirm the answer. Choose a blank space by using the MOUSE, the transparent TURNING DISC or the CURSOR keys. Press the CHANGE key to choose between uppercase or lowercase letters. 9. Fishing for Letters Get ready to go fishing! A word will flash on the LCD screen and then the word will appear on your boat with a letter missing. Fish containing a letter will swim under your boat randomly. When the fish containing the correct missing letter swims under the boat, use the MOUSE BUTTON, ENTER key or transparent TURNING DISC to drop your hook and catch the fish. Press the CHANGE key to choose between uppercase or lowercase letters. 16 10. Word Clamp The goal of this activity is to find and clamp onto the correct word. A picture will be shown on the screen together with the corresponding word. The boxes should scroll out from left to right one by one. Using the MOUSE, the transparent TURNING DISC or the CURSOR keys, move the clamp to the desired position. You can then release the clamp to catch the correct box by pressing the MOUSE BUTTON or the ENTER key. Press the CHANGE key to choose between uppercase or lowercase letters. 11. Password Hunt Can you remember the password to the safe? It's time to test your memory! A password made up of a series of numbers will flash on the screen. You must remember it and then fill in the missing numbers by pressing the correct NUMBER keys to complete the password and open the safe. Press the ENTER key to confirm the inputted numbers. 12. Counting Challenge Are you ready for a challenge? The goal of this game is to count the number of objects that appear. First, the objects will appear one by one on a truck. You can add them up and key in the total number by pressing the corresponding NUMBER key(s). Or you can click on each object one by one using the MOUSE BUTTON. The counter on the bottom of the LCD screen will keep track of each click. When you think you have the right number, press the ENTER key to confirm the answer. If the answer is correct, the truck will drive away to deliver the goods. 17 13. Grouping The goal of this game is to group a specific number of objects using the mouse. First, a number will be shown on the LCD screen. You can use 1 or 2 rectangles to group the objects together to equal the selected number. Even numbers will use 1 rectangle and odd numbers will use either 1 or 2 rectangles. Press the CHANGE key to change the objects displayed on the screen. 14. Falling Addition Are you warmed up? It's time to catch some numbers! In level 1, a number will be shown on the lower part of the LCD screen. Objects containing numbers will fall from the top of the screen. Move the mouse character to catch the object with the correct number in it. Be careful to dodge the objects with the wrong number in it. In other levels, an addition problem will be shown and you will need to catch the object containing the number with the correct answer. You can use the MOUSE, CURSOR keys or turn the transparent TURNING DISC to move the character to the left and/or right. You can also select the correct answer by pressing the corresponding NUMBER key(s) and press the ENTER key to confirm. Press the CHANGE key to change the background music. 15. Flying Subtraction Now it's time to really fly! A subtraction problem will appear, and then a hot air balloon with sandbags containing numbers will be displayed. You need to select the sandbag that contains the correct number that will solve the subtraction problem. Use the MOUSE to click on the correct sandbag, or use the CURSOR keys to move the cursor to the selected sandbag and press the ENTER key to confirm your selection. Press the HINT key to display a screen that expresses the equation by using objects. 18 16. Road Builder Oh no! The railway is broken and we need your help to fix it! Use your MOUSE to drag the railroad parts to complete the tracks so that the train can get through. Press the ENTER key to confirm your selection. If you have created the correct path, the train will continue on its way. Press the CHANGE key to change the background music. 17. Treasure Hunt Sail through the ocean to find your hidden treasure! Your mission is to steer your ship and reach the island containing the hidden treasure before you run out of water. Every move you make will consume one unit of water and an obstacle will consume two units of water. Be careful! You must steer carefully so that you use up all the water at the same time that you land on the island. Use the MOUSE or the CURSOR keys to move the ship through the ocean. Press the CHANGE key to change the background music. 18. Flying Shapes Watch out for those flying shapes! Different shapes will keep coming out from the left and your goal is to match the shapes and make them disappear. Use the MOUSE or the CURSOR keys to move the objects up and down, click the right MOUSE BUTTON or turn the transparent TURNING DISC to rotate the objects 90 degrees. Press the left MOUSE BUTTON or the CURSOR key to move the shapes to the right side of the LCD screen quickly. Press the CHANGE key to change the background music. 19