Alphasmart Manager for Dana Addendum

Dana System Software 1.5

Addendum

This addendum includes updates to your original Dana documentation and information about new features for Dana.

Topics described in this addendum:

Full-screen Applications Launcher

Two-button On setting

AlphaWord changes

PrintBoy changes

Wireless connectivity and WiStat changes

WiFile application

page 2

page 4

page 5

page 6

page 8

page 13

Dana System Software 1.5 Addendum 1

Full-screen Applications Launcher

Full-screen Applications Launcher

Dana makes the most of its wide screen by displaying applications in a wider version of the Applications Launcher. The full-screen Launcher shows you your applications across the entire screen, which often frees you from having to scroll down to find the application you want.

Full-screen view of the Applications Launcher

Of course, if you prefer viewing the applications centered onscreen, as most other Palm devices display them, you can change the Applications Launcher view.

2

Centered view of the Applications Launcher

Dana System Software 1.5 Addendum

Full-screen Applications Launcher

To switch from full-screen to centered view:

1.

From the Applications Launcher, tap the upper left corner onscreen (or press

menu on the keyboard), then tap Options or press J to display the Options menu.

2.

Choose Preferences. The Preferences screen appears.

3.

Do one of the following:

•

Deselect the Use full screen mode option if you want to display the

Applications Launcher as a smaller, centered window in the screen.

•

Leave the option checked if you want the Applications Launcher to display applications across the full width of the screen.

4.

Click OK to make the change; click Cancel to cancel the change.


Two-Button On setting

Two-Button On setting

Dana is set to power on when you press the on/off key. Now you can change this setting so that you have to press enter and on/off to power on your Dana. If you frequently transport your Dana in a backpack or briefcase, you might want to select the

Two-button On setting so that you avoid inadvertently turning the device on and draining power from it.

When you enable this option, you must press and hold down enter, then press on/off to turn your Dana on.

To enable this option:

1.

From the Applications Launcher, tap Keyboard to launch the Keyboard application.

(If you don’t see the application, press apps repeatedly until you see ALL in the upper right corner of the Applications Launcher, then look for the Keyboard application.)

2.

Choose Power On Keys from the list in the upper right corner. The screen changes to display power-on options.

4 Dana System Software 1.5 Addendum

3.

Click the On Key dropdown list to choose On and enter keys.

AlphaWord changes

Now Dana will turn on only when you hold down enter and press on/off. To change this behavior, repeat the steps and choose On key from the list.

AlphaWord changes

AlphaWord, Dana’s built-in word processor, contains some changes in its menus. The following table summarizes the changes.

Command

File > Insert Memo

File > Close

Edit > Go to Top

Edit > Go to Bottom

Description

This new command lets you insert text from a memo file into

AlphaWord. This can be particularly useful if you’ve exported text from a web site, or if you’ve stored text in

Memo Pad and want to bring it into AlphaWord. To use, place the cursor in your AlphaWord file where you want to insert the text, then choose File > Insert Memo. Select the memo you want and tap Insert.

Previously, this command was called Clear (File > Clear). For the sake of clarity, the command is now called Close and its location on the File menu has been moved so that it’s adjacent to the Delete Doc command.

These commands used to be located on the File menu; they function in the same manner as before (moving your cursor to the top or the bottom of your file), but they now can be found on the Edit menu.


PrintBoy changes

Command (Continued)

Options > Default Font

Description (Continued)

This new command lets you set a default font and font size for

AlphaWord files. This is a handy feature for those who are visually impaired, because users can choose a large, legible font as the standard font for AlphaWord files.

To use, press menu and choose Options >Default Font, then select the font and size you want to use. When you open a new file, text will appear in the font and size you chose.

Network > Get Text File

Network > Save Text File

Tip! You can install additional TrueType fonts from your

Windows computer to use in AlphaWord on your Dana. Use the

FineType Converter application on your computer (installed with

Dana Desktop software) to select and manipulate fonts, which you then HotSync onto your Dana.

These new commands give you wireless access to files you store on a network. The Get Text File command retrieves a text file from a network and brings it into AlphaWord, and the Save Text

File command saves your AlphaWord file as a text file on a network. These commands are used in conjunction with network

connections you set up in the WiFile application. See page 20 for

additional information.

PrintBoy changes

A new version of the PrintBoy application is included with this release of Dana. The newer version contains additional printer drivers and lets you print a greater variety of items from within the PrintBoy application.

Before you can print anything from your Dana, you need to step through the Printer

Setup screens. Once you’ve done so, you can print from within an application, such as

AlphaWord, or you can print various types of documents from within PrintBoy.

A printer driver for your printer might already be installed on your Dana, however, if not, additional printer drivers for PrintBoy were installed to your computer when you installed the Dana Desktop software. (The drivers are also on the Dana Desktop CD.)


PrintBoy changes

To install a particular driver for your printer:

1.

Start the Palm Desktop application and click the Install icon (Windows) or choose

HotSync > Install Handheld Files (Macintosh).

2.

Locate the \DanaExtras\PrintBoy Files\PrinterDrivers folder on your computer (in the \Program Files\Palm folder in Windows and in the /Applications/Palm folder on Macintosh) or on the Dana Desktop CD.

3.


• If your printer is not an HP True Page printer:

Locate the .prc file for your printer and select it.

If you don’t see a single .prc file for your printer listed, instead locate the folder for your printer and model, select its .prc file (driver) and .pdb files

(fonts).

•

Note: If you want extended font support—a larger number of fonts and sizes—do not select the .pdb files, but instead select only the .prc file and add it, then add the .pdb files in the \Extra Font Sizes folder. Be aware that extended fonts take up a sizeable amount of storage space on your Dana.

If your printer is an HP TruePage printer, no additional driver files are needed because the drivers are already installed on your Dana. You can, however, add


Wireless connectivity and WiStat changes

extra fonts from the \HP Truepage\Extra Font Sizes folder. Extended fonts take up a sizeable amount of storage space on your Dana.

4.


•

Windows: Click Open, then click Done.

•

Macintosh: Click Add File, then close the Install Handheld Files window.

5.

Connect your Dana to your computer with a USB cable, then HotSync the Dana

(press function-sync).

Wireless connectivity and WiStat changes

Your Dana Wireless has built in Wi-Fi (802.11b) technology for wireless connectivity.

Wireless connectivity and the WiStat application are described in the Dana Wireless

Setup Guide, which is available on the Dana Desktop CD or from the AlphaSmart web site. In addition to the features explained in that book, the following sections describe some changes to Dana’s wireless functionality.

Note:

If you have a Dana but it’s not a Dana Wireless device, the descriptions in this section don’t apply to you unless you’ve chosen to add wireless connectivity with an external USB wireless adapter.

Access points

Dana Wireless now contains the ability to look for multiple wireless access points to which you can connect. Previously, Dana would try to connect to the first access point it could find, and if you wanted to connect to a different access point, you had to configure it manually.

Dana’s ability to detect multiple nearby access points makes it easier to set up multiple connectivity profiles. Once you detect and select an access point, you step through a series of screens to set it up as a profile. You can have multiple profiles, such as one for home, one for the coffeehouse, and one for the office.



Dana can detect an access point by two methods: through network preferences or through the WiStat application:

•

Network preferences let you set up the way you want to connect to a network or to the Internet.

•

WiStat is a handy diagnostic application that provides information about your current wireless connection. (WiStat is now part of the list of standard applications on Dana. Previously, you had to install it using the optional Dana Internet

Solutions Pack.)

To detect an access point through network preferences:

1.

From the Applications Launcher, tap Prefs to launch the Preferences application.

2.

From the list in the upper right corner of the application, choose Network.

3.

Tap the Details button.



4.

Tap the Detect AP button. Dana searches the vicinity for any available access points. If it finds any, it displays a screen listing them.

5.

Tap to select an access point in the list, then click Next. A setup screen appears, displaying the name of the access point.

6.

Select a profile from the list with which to associate the access point, then tap

Finish.

7.

Click Finish. You can now connect to your network or the Internet with the access point you chose.



To detect an access point through WiStat:

1.

From the Applications Launcher, tap WiStat to launch the WiStat application.

2.

Tap the Detect AP button. Dana searches the vicinity for any available access points. If it finds any, it displays a screen listing them.



3.

Tap to select an access point in the list, then click Next. A setup screen appears, displaying the name of the access point. (If WEP security has been enabled, or if you chose a static IP rather than DHCP, then additional information is required.)

4.

Select a profile from the list with which to associate the access point, then tap

Finish.

You’re returned to the WiStat application. You can now connect to your network or the Internet with the access point you chose.

5.

Press apps to return to the Applications Launcher.

Note:

When you set up an access point using this method, you create a profile with the default settings of DHCP addressing and no WEP security. If you want to change these settings, you can simply edit the profile and add the required information.


WiFile application

WiFile application

WiFile is a handy application that gives you wireless access to files you have stored on a network server or on your computer, without having to HotSync your Dana to a computer or beam files between devices.

Note:

WiFile works with Windows or Windows-compatible servers only.

If you have privileges that let you connect to shared areas or folders on a network— either on a server or on your computer—you can use WiFile on your Dana to download and upload files.

Tip!

If the files are text, Word, or Excel files, you can even have WiFile open them for editing on your Dana.

You’ll probably need help from your system administrator to obtain the information and access rights you need in order to use WiFile. You’ll need

•

On your Dana, a profile that contains configuration information for the access

point you plan to use (see “Access points” on page 8 for information on

configuring a profile)

•

Documents to Go software, installed on your computer and your Dana, if you want to work with Word and Excel files

•

Network privileges

•

One or both of the following, depending on where you store files:

•

•

Shared folders on a network server

Shared folders on your computer

(Shared folders are sometimes referred to as “shares.”)

•

A wireless access point through which you can communicate with your network



The following illustration shows you an overview of WiFile.

Existing network

Wireless access point

WiFile downloads and uploads files from a classroom computer with shared folders....

...or to a server with shared folders on a network.

Setting up a WiFile connection

Before you can begin using WiFile, you need to have “shares” (shared folders or areas) available from which to download and upload files. These need to exist before you begin using WiFile. Visit the Support section of the AlphaSmart web site

(www.alphasmart.com/support) for information on how to set up shares on a

Windows or Macintosh computer.

You also need to make sure you’ve configured your Dana for wireless connectivity

through a wireless access point. (See “Access points” on page 8 for instructions.)



The following diagram shows the general tasks involved, and the order to accomplish them, to get WiFile up and running.

1

Create shares and place files within them

2

Set up a wireless connection on your

Dana

3

Create a

WiFile connection

4

Open a

WiFile connection and work with files

Visit the

Support section of the

AlphaSmart web site

Refer to

“Access points” on page 8

Refer to

“Creating a

WiFile connection” on page 15

Refer to

“Working with connections” on page 18

Creating a WiFile connection

To start sharing files with WiFile, you must first set up at least one connection within

WiFile. Once you’ve set up a connection, you open it when you’re ready to work with the files.

You’ll need the name of the network server or computer in order to set up the WiFile connection. Alternatively, you can use the IP address of the server or computer to set up the connection. Your system administrator can provide you with this information.



To set up a WiFile connection:

1.

Make sure you’ve set up your Dana for wireless connectivity through an access

point (as described in “Access points” on page 8), and that you’re physically

within range of the access point.

2.

From the Applications Launcher, tap WiFile to launch the WiFile application.

WiFile starts and displays the New Connection dialog box. (If the dialog box doesn’t appear, Tap New.)

3.

Type the name or IP address of the server.

4.

Tap the down arrow next to the Share field. WiFile searches for shares on the server whose name or IP address you specified.

5.

When it appears in the Share field, select the share and tap OK.(If you have more than one share available, select it from the list before tapping OK.) The share name appears in the WiFile connection list.



6.

In the list, select the share name and tap Open. WiFile displays the contents of the share.

Note:

Depending on how your system administrator manages the network, you might be required to log on to the server before WiFile can gain access to the files.

From here, you can do a few different things:

•

You can download a file, which moves it from the share onto your Dana. If the file is a type compatible with applications on your Dana, WiFile loads the file into your

Dana’s RAM. If the file type isn’t compatible, you can download the file onto a memory card in an expansion slot on your Dana.

•

You can open a file for editing if the file is a text, Word, or Excel file. If the file is a text file (.txt), it opens in AlphaWord. If the file is a Word or Excel file (.doc or

.xls), it opens in Documents to Go, provided you have the Documents to Go application on your Dana.

•

You can also log out of the connection from here. Once you log out, the next time you start WiFile, you’ll need to open the connection again.

Note:

off.

You’re automatically logged out of a connection when your Dana is turned

There are other tasks you can accomplish within the WiFile window. See “Moving around in the WiFile window” on page 19 for details.



Working with connections

You can set up multiple WiFile connections, which is useful if you have access to different networks and computers. From inside the connection window, there are several tasks you can accomplish using menu commands, which are listed in the following table.

Command

Options > Preferences*

Options > Beam All

Options > About

Connection > New

Connection > Open

Connection > Edit*

Connection > Copy*

Connection > Beam

Connection > Delete*

Connection > Delete All*

Description

Lets you set host name, WINS server, and net timeout preferences.

Lets you beam all connections in the connection list to a nearby device.

Displays WiFile version and copyright information.

Lets you create a new connection.

Opens the selected connection.

Lets you edit the name of the connection and set advanced parameters.

Lets you make a copy of the connection, which can be useful if you want to set up multiple shares on the same server.

Beams the selected connection to a nearby device.

Deletes the selected connection.

Deletes all the connections in the connections list.

*If you use the Dana Admin application, and you set a password for it, you’ll need to enter the password when you want to use these commands.



Moving around in the WiFile window

There are several things you can do in the WiFile window, once you’ve opened a connection.

WiFile window

Up icon

Information arrow

Home icon

Open button

Download button

Logout button

•

Tap the Up icon to move up a level in the folder hierarchy.

•

Tap the Information arrow to change what file information appears and how files are sorted.

•

Tap the Home icon to return to the list of WiFile connections without logging out of your current connection.

•

Select a file or folder, then tap Open to open a folder or to open a file for editing

(text, Word, or Excel files only).

•

Select a file, then tap Download to download a file. Compatible files are downloaded onto the Dana itself; other files can be downloaded to a memory card in your Dana’s expansion slot.

•

Tap Logout to log out of a connection.

•

Tap the title bar to view menu commands.



The following table lists menu commands available in the WiFile window.

Command

File > Open

File > Download

File > Upload

File> Rename

File > Beam/Send

File > Up

File > Refresh

File > Logout

Options > Search

Options > Preferences

Description

Opens the selected file for editing in AlphaWord or

Documents to Go.

Downloads a file to your Dana (if the file is compatible with your existing applications) or to a memory card in the expansion slot of your Dana (if the file type doesn’t match your existing applications).

Lets you upload a file to the network from a memory card in the expansion slot of your Dana.

Lets you rename the selected file.

Beams the selected file to a nearby device.

Moves you up a level in the folder hierarchy.

Refreshes the file list within the share.

Logs you out of the current connection.

Lets you search for files in the share.

Lets you choose whether to group folders together and whether to show hidden files.

Lets you beam the selected connection to a nearby device.

Options > Beam

Connection

Editing a file in AlphaWord

When you open a text file in WiFile, WiFile assumes you want to edit the file using

AlphaWord. It automatically launches AlphaWord for you and places the text in the last active workspace.

To open a text file using WiFile:

1.

From within WiFile, open one of your existing connections to display your files.

2.

Tap to select the text file you want to edit, then tap Open.



3.

Confirm that you want to accept the file into AlphaWord by tapping Yes. One of the following situations occurs:

• If the file in the active workspace has a name, AlphaWord automatically saves your latest changes and swaps the file out of that workspace.

• If the active workspace contains text that hasn’t been saved yet, WiFile asks whether you want to keep the current file. Tap Yes, type a name for the file, and click OK. Tap No if you don’t want to save the text. AlphaWord then clears the workspace.

4.

WiFile prompts you for a name for the file you’re downloading. Tap OK if you want to save the file with the name suggested. Otherwise, type a new name, then click OK. WiFile opens the downloaded file into the active workspace.

5.

Make changes to the file using the standard AlphaWord commands and features.

6.

When you’re through in AlphaWord, do one of the following:

• Save the file with the name you specified in step 5 by pressing

menu and choosing File > Save.

•

•

Save the file with a new name by pressing

menu and choosing File > Save As, then type a new name and click OK.

Save and upload the file to the share by pressing

menu and choosing

Network > Save Text File. When the Save File dialog box appears, make sure the location, share, and file name are the ones you want, then tap Save.

Tap the Up icon to navigate up a level in the folder hierarchy

Tap the down arrow to select the share where you want to save the file

Use the file name suggested or type a new one in the Save As field



Using AlphaWord to download a text file

From within AlphaWord, you can open text files on a share, provided you’ve set up at least one WiFile connection first. AlphaWord uses WiFile to communicate with the network and display files from the last connection you opened.

To open a text file on a share from within AlphaWord:

1.

From the Applications Launcher, tap AlphaWord, then go to an empty workspace.

2.

Press menu, then choose Network > Get Text File. AlphaWord initiates a connection, then displays files from the last share with which you connected.

3.

If you want to access a different share, click the down arrow in the upper right corner and select one from the list.

4.

When you find the file you want to open, select it and tap Open.

5.

AlphaWord prompts you for a name for the file you’re downloading. Tap OK if you want to save the file with the name suggested. Otherwise, type a new name, then click OK. WiFile opens the downloaded file into the active workspace.

6.

Make changes to the file using the standard AlphaWord commands and features.

7.

When you’re through, do one of the following:

•

•

Save the file with the name you specified in step 5 by pressing menu and choosing File > Save.

Save the file with a new name by pressing menu and choosing File > Save As, then type a new name and click OK.



• Save and upload the file to the share by pressing

menu and choosing

Network > Save Text File. When the Save File dialog box appears, make sure the location, share, and file name are the ones you want, then tap Save.

Editing a file in Documents to Go

As long as you have Documents to Go installed on your Dana, you can use WiFile to access Word and Excel files from a share and edit them on your Dana.

To open a Word or Excel file with WiFile:

1.

From within WiFile, open one of your existing connections to display your files.

2.

Tap to select the Word or Excel file you want to edit, then tap Open.

3.

Confirm that you want to accept the file into Documents to Go by tapping Yes.

Documents to Go starts and displays the file.

4.

Make changes using standard commands and features, then save your file when you’re done by pressing menu and choosing File > Save or File > Save As (if you want to give the file a different name).

5.

Tap Done when you’re through working on the file. Documents to Go returns you to the list of files.

To send a Documents to Go Word or Excel file to a share:

1.

Start Documents to Go and make sure you’re in the list of files.

2.

Select a file by tapping its file size on the right side of the screen. (If you tap the file name itself, Documents to Go will open the file for editing.)

3.

Press menu and choose File > Send File.



4.

Select the option to send the file as a MS Word/MS Excel file.

5.

When the Save File dialog box appears, make sure the location, share, and file name are the ones you want, then tap Save.

Tap the Up icon to navigate up a level in the folder hierarchy

Tap the down arrow to choose the share where you want to save the file

Use the file name suggested or type a new one in the Save As field

A progress screen appears. Once the file has been uploaded, you’re returned to the list of documents in Documents to Go.

6.

To verify that the file was uploaded, press

apps to return to the Applications

Launcher, then launch WiFile and open the connection for the share. The uploaded file will appear in the share’s list of files.

24

© 200

6, Renaissance Learning, Inc.

Dana System Software 1.5 Addendum

51-0022

A-060323

Alphasmart Manager for Dana Addendum

Dana System Software 1.5

Addendum

Full-screen Applications Launcher

Two-Button On setting

AlphaWord changes

PrintBoy changes

Wireless connectivity and WiStat changes

Access points

WiFile application

Setting up a WiFile connection

Editing a file in AlphaWord

Editing a file in Documents to Go

Related manuals

Frequently Answers and Questions

How do I enable the Two-Button On setting on my Dana device?

What new feature does the full-screen Applications Launcher offer?

What are the changes to the AlphaWord word processor in Dana System Software 1.5?

How do I install a printer driver for PrintBoy?

What is the new feature in Dana Wireless for detecting access points?

Alphasmart Manager for Dana Addendum

Dana System Software 1.5

Addendum

Full-screen Applications Launcher

Two-Button On setting

AlphaWord changes

PrintBoy changes

Wireless connectivity and WiStat changes

Access points

WiFile application

Setting up a WiFile connection

Editing a file in AlphaWord

Editing a file in Documents to Go

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Frequently Answers and Questions

How do I enable the Two-Button On setting on my Dana device?

What new feature does the full-screen Applications Launcher offer?

What are the changes to the AlphaWord word processor in Dana System Software 1.5?

How do I install a printer driver for PrintBoy?

What is the new feature in Dana Wireless for detecting access points?