Vtech Divin Buddies Owners Manual

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®

USER’S MANUAL

© VTECH

Printed in China

91-01347-001

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 tech-

nologies 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.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION......................................................... 1

BATTERY INSTALLATION ......................................... 1-2

AUTO SHUT-OFF ....................................................... 2

KEYBOARD DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTIONS ......... 2-4

TO BEGIN PLAY ....................................................... 4

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES ............................... 5-10

Lobster Letters ............................................................... 5-6

Manatee Math ............................................................... 6-7

Porpoise Play ................................................................ 7-9

Jellyfish Jam ............................................................... 9-10

GAME STATISTICS .............................................. 10-12

Scoring ....................................................................... 11-12

Two Player Mode .......................................................... 12

CARE AND MAINTENANCE ..................................... 13

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the VTech® Divin’ Buddies™ PC learning toy! We at

VTECH® are committed to providing the best 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. or 1-800-267-7377 in Canada.

The VTech® Divin’ Buddies™ PC learning toy provides preschoolers with a sea of

knowledge. Basic curriculum includes letters, phonics, mathematics, logic games,

music and more. The silly animations, encouraging phrases and rich curriculum will

make learning a splash!

BATTERY INSTALLATION

1. Make sure the unit is OFF.

2. Locate the battery cover on the bottom of the unit

and remove it, using a coin or screwdriver to

loosen the screw.

3. Insert 3 “AA” (UM-3/LR6) batteries as illustrated.

(The use of new, alkaline batteries is

recommended for maximum performance.)

4. Replace the battery cover and tighten the screw

to secure the battery cover.

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Volume-Control Switch

ON Key

OFF Key

ENTER Key

ONE/TWO PLAYER

MODE Key

PLAYER 1 Key

PLAYER 2 Key

LEVEL Key

DEMO Key

REPEAT Key

ANSWER Key

DELETE Key

LEFT/RIGHT/UP/DOWN Keys

CATEGORY Keys

MATCHBOOK Key

Contrast Switch

BATTERY NOTICE

• Install batteries correctly observing the polarity (+,–) signs to avoid leakage.

• Do not use rechargeable batteries.

• 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 the unit 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.

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. or 1-800-267-7377 in Canada.

AUTO SHUT-OFF

If there is no input into the VTech® Divin’ Buddies™ PC for six minutes, the learning

toy will automatically shut-off to save power.

KEYBOARD DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTIONS

Press this key to turn the unit on.

Press this key to turn the unit off.

The Volume-Control Switch allows you to increase or decrease the volume.

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Use the Contrast Switch to adjust the light/dark contrast on the

LCD screen.

Press these keys to select a category.

Press this key to activate the MATCHBOOK activity.

Press this key to enter the selected activity or answer. In the MELODY

MAKER activity, you can press this key to play and enjoy the song you

created.

Press this key to switch between one player and two player mode.

Press these two keys in the two player Head to Head mode.

Press this key to change the level of difficulty. There are three skill levels

for most activities. The default is Level 1 for all games. Each time you

press this key, the level of difficulty will change from Level 1, to Level 2,

to Level 3 then back to Level 1.

Press this key to see a brief demonstration of each activity.

Press these keys when selecting answers for word-related activities except for

WORD BUILDER.

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Press these keys when selecting answers for number-related activities. These

keys can also be used as MUSIC NOTE keys in the MUSIC CHALLENGE and

MELODY MAKER.

Press this key to repeat a question in most of the activities, except for

LEARNING LETTERS, FIND THE NUMBER, NUMBER CHAIN, OBSTACLE

DROP, RACE RALLY, MATCHBOOK, MUSIC BOX and MELODY MAKER.

Press this key to hear the correct answer to a question in most of the

activities, except for OBSTACLE DROP, RACE RALLY, MUSIC BOX and

MELODY MAKER activities.

Press this key to erase the character in the cursor position or to deselect

an object in the LETTER PAIRS and PAIR UP activities.

Press these keys to move the cursor left, right, up and down.

The Left/Right cursor keys are also used to catch the letters

in the WORD BUILDER activity. These keys serve as answer

selection keys in the MATCHBOOK activity.

TO BEGIN PLAY

1. To begin play, press the ON key on the keyboard.

2. The animation for choosing a category will scroll onto the LCD screen, while the

learning toy announces the category. Select a category by pressing the ENTER

key when the category you wish to play appears on the screen. You can also

select one of the following categories you want to play by directly pressing the

Category key: Lobster Letters, Manatee Math, Porpoise Play or Jellyfish Jam.

3. The activity animations followed by the activity names will scroll out one by one.

Select one by pressing the ENTER key while either the picture or the name of

the desired activity is on the screen. Use the CURSOR keys to see the previous

or next activity.

4. Press the PLAYER key to set either 1 player or 2 player mode. The default setting

is always the 1 player mode.

5. Select the level of play by pressing the LEVEL key.

6. Slide the Volume-Control Switch left or right to adjust the volume.

7. Slide the Contrast Switch left or right to adjust the contrast.

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DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES

• Lobster Letters

1. Learning Letters

Have you ever flown a kite? Well here’s your chance. In this

activity you will see a boy or a girl appear on the screen dragging

a kite behind him or her. The boy or the girl and the kite will

stop in the middle of the screen. On the kite you will see a

letter which will flash. All you have to do is press the letter on your keyboard that

matches the letter that you see on the kite. Go ahead you can do it!

2. Letter Pairs

Are you ready for a game of Letter Pairs? In this activity your

challenge is to match the letters in uppercase with the letters

in lowercase. Several object pairs will appear on the screen

and magically change into uppercase and lowercase letters. Use

your CURSOR keys to select the matching letter pairs and press ENTER to confirm

your answer. Press the DELETE key if you make a mistake and want to change

the letter you selected.

3. Rhyming Fun

Making rhyming words is loads of fun. In this activity, an object

will appear on the LCD screen. Then, as if by magic, small

characters will appear at the top of the screen and turn into the

object word. Listen closely because the word will be voiced out.

This is your rhyming clue. After you hear your clue, you will see 3 choices of rhyming

words appear on the screen. These words will also be voiced. When you hear the

word that sounds like it rhymes with the first object, press the ENTER key. Please

note in Level 3, the most challenging level, you will not receive a verbal clue.

4. Lost Letter

Are you ready for the Lost Letter challenge? Here we go. The

goal of this activity is to fill in the beginning letter of the words.

In Level 1 an object will appear on the screen followed by the

obiect word.Watch carefully because the beginning letter in the

word will disappear. Then three letter choices will scroll across the bottom of the

screen. Use your cursor keys to select the correct letter and press ENTER. Level

2 is a little bit tougher. This time when the object word appears on the screen the

beginning letter will be missing. Once again watch the letters as they scroll across

the bottom of the screen and select the letter that completes the word. Finally, in

Level 3, the most challenging level of all, the object word will appear on the screen

the same as in Level 2. This time however, you do not get any hints. Use your

keyboard to find the letter that completes the word and press ENTER. Go on. You

can do it!

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5. Mystery Letter

If you like to solve mysteries, then you’re going to love this one.

First of all, an object will appear on the screen. Then the

corresponding object word will appear with one or more letters

missing. Use your keyboard to find the letter or letters that will

complete the object word. This is your task you should choose

to accept it. Good luck!

6. Word Builder

The time has come to make some words. Step into our Word

Builder factory and we’ll tell you how it’s done. An object will appear

on the screen followed by the corresponding object word. Watch

carefully because the word will disappear. In its place will be several

letter channels. Your mission is to use your CURSOR keys, to catch the letters in the

channels, that match the word you saw. Let’s see how many words you can make.

• Manatee Math

1. Learning Numbers

Learning numbers in the Learning Numbers activity is no

problem. In Level 1 you will see a number word appear on

the screen. Then three number choices will scroll across one

by one. Press your ENTER key when you see the number that

matches the number word or simply press the matching number on your keyboard.

The challenge continues in Level 2 and Level 3. In these levels, not only do you

get to find the numbers to match the number words, but you also get to test your

knowledge by matching the number words to the numbers. Remember you can use

your CURSOR keys or your NUMBER keys to find the answer.

2. Find the Number

The truth about this activity is that it’s just plain fun. An airplane

will appear on your screen. The airplane is towing a very special

package. On the outside of the package is a number. The

number on the package will flash. To find out what’s inside

the package you must type the number on your keyboard that matches the number

on the package. When you find the matching number, watch the screen and you

will get a big surprise!

3. Number Chain

Oh, no! Our friendly, sea-smart dog is stuck on the other side

of the bridge. Can you help? To help him across, fill in the

missing numbers in the number chain that appear at the bottom

of your screen. If you fill the numbers in correctly, then the

dog will move across the bridge from left to right to arrive safely on the other side

of the bridge. Please note in Level 1 and Level 2, the numbers are in ascending

order. In Level 3, they are in descending order. Thanks for your help.

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4. Counting

Counting is cool. In this activity objects will appear on the screen

and scroll up. Count how many there are and input the answer

by pressing the NUMBER keys and the ENTER key on your

keyboard.

5. Addition

How about some addition? Don’t worry, we start off slow then

work our way up. In Level 1, two sets of objects are shown

on the screen. Count the objects. When you think you know

the answer, type the number on your keyboard and press

ENTER. In Level 2, we start using equations. If you need some help just watch

for the hint. After the equation appears on the screen, then you will see one group

of objects followed by another group, and then the equation will be shown again.

Use the objects as a hint to help you solve the equation. In Level 3, only an equation

will be shown. Solve the equation and input the correct answer by using the NUMBER

keys, and pressing the ENTER key to confirm.

6. Take Away

Now it’s time for a little subtraction action. In Level 1, two sets

of objects will appear on the screen. Find the difference between

the two sets of objects. When you think you know the answer,

type the number on your keyboard and press ENTER. In Level

2, we start using equations. If you need some help just watch for the hint. After

the equation appears on the LCD screen, one group of objects followed by a smaller

group of objects will appear and finally the equation will be shown again. Use the

objects as a hint to help you solve the equation. In Level 3, only an equation will

be shown. Solve the equation and input the correct answer by using the NUMBER

keys, and pressing the ENTER key to confirm.

• Porpoise Play

1. Does It Belong?

This activity is called Does It Belong. Your challenge is to find the word that belongs

to the group. Sound like a hard challenge? Well don’t worry, you can do it. All

you have to do is watch your screen. A picture of an object group will appear, then

three word choices will be shown. Press the ENTER key to select the word that

belongs to the group. Go on. Give it a try.

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2. Pair Up

On your mark? Get set, Pair Up! In this activity, you have to match the objects. Several

pairs of objects will appear on the screen randomly and then disappear. Remember

where you saw the matching objects and pair them up. Use the CURSOR keys

to select the character and press the ENTER key to confirm. Press the DELETE

key to reinstate.

3. Obstacle Drop

This game rocks. Here’s how you play. On your screen you

will see several channels. Jewels and rocks are falling down

from the top of the channels to the bottom. Your job is to collect

the jewels by using your CURSOR keys to move to the channels

with the falling jewels. Be careful to avoid the rocks. To win

the game you have to collect one jewel in every channel.

4. Race Rally

Keep on typin’! A car is racing across the top of the screen

while letters randomly scroll across the bottom of the screen.

In order to help the car rush to the finish line you have to type

the correct letters on your keyboard. The faster you type the

faster the car can arrive at the FINISH LINE!

5. Matchbook

This product belongs to the Smart Start Series. The Smart Start

series is expandable with VTech® Matchbooks. These special

workbooks are sold separately and can be activated on the

VTech® Divin’ Buddies™ PC learning toy by pressing the

MATCHBOOK key. After inputting the special workbook code and a section number,

press the color-coded MATCHBOOK CHOICE KEYS (CURSOR KEYS) to answer

the questions from the workbook. The VTech® Divin’ Buddies™ PC learning toy

will respond with the correct answers.

Game Play

The Matchbook is usually divided into six separate sections. All of the questions

in the matchbook are multiple choice and should be answered with the MATCHBOOK

CHOICE KEYS (CURSOR KEYS) located on the keyboard.

1. Select the Porpoise Play category. Press the MATCHBOOK key on the keyboard,

or press the ENTER key to confirm while the picture or name of this activity appears

on the screen.

2. Input the workbook and section numbers for your particular workbook. For example,

inputting 172 would mean that you are working on Matchbook 17, section 2. Press

the ENTER key to confirm and then start the game.

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3. Once the section code is entered, the number of the first question in the section

will appear on the screen. Each question has four possible answers represented

by four worms. Select the correct answer by pressing the MATCHBOOK CHOICE

KEYS (CURSOR KEYS) directly.

4.

As you go through each section, you must answer the questions in the order

that they appear. When you finish a section, a score will automatically be

displayed on the screen. Each section is divided into 30 questions.

• Jellyfish Jam

1. Music Box

Get on the music train. Dance or sing along to the

10 built-in

songs in the Music Box. Watch the train as it scrolls across

the screen. On the train are numbers 0 through 9. Select your

favorite song by typing in the song number.

Song Name

0 Für Elise

1 Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2 Sailing

3 My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean

4 Aloha Oe

5 Swan Lake

6 It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

7 The Blue Danube

8 Chop Sticks

9 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

2. Music Challenge

Can you crack the musical code? A music safe box will play

a portion of a melody. The goal is to remember that part of

the melody and repeat it to crack the code of the safe box.

Input the music notes by pressing the MUSIC NOTE (NUMBER)

keys. The code gets more challenging with every level. In Level 1, three music

notes will be played and then displayed one by one. In Level 2, four musical notes

will be played but not displayed. In Level 3, five music notes will be played without

being displayed. Are you up for the challenge?

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3. Melody Maker

Become your own Melody Maker! Create your own songs by

pressing the MUSIC NOTE (NUMBER) keys on the keyboard.

As you press the music note keys the piano keyboard on screen

will play along. You can also play the song that you created

by pressing the ENTER key.

GAME STATISTICS

Each activity has its own special features to give you the most fun and the most

learning possible! If you want to know your time limit, the number of lives you have,

whether or not there is scoring, check the chart below:

• The time limit in the Two Player Mode is for each player.

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Time Limit ScoringLives

Two playerOne player

Lobster

Letters 1. Learning Letters 15/12/9 sec 15/12/9 sec 3

2. Letter Pairs No 15 sec 3

3. Rhyming Fun 30/22/15 sec 30/22/15 sec 2

4. Lost Letter No 10 sec

5. Mystery Letter No 20 sec 3

6. Word Builder No 60 sec 3

Manatee

Math 1. Learning Numbers No 15 sec 2

2. Find the Number 15/12/9 sec 15/12/9 sec 3

3. Number Chain No 15 sec 3

4. Counting No 15 sec 3

5. Addition No 20 sec 3

6. Take Away No 20 sec 3

2(Level 1 and Level

2), 3(Level 3)

1. Music Box --- --- Unlimited ---

Porpoise

Play 1. Does It Belong? No 15 sec 2

2. Pair Up No 20 sec 3

3. Obstacle Drop No 40 sec 3

4. Race Rally Unlimited Unlimited

5. Matchbook No --- 3

Jellyfish

Jam

2. Music Challenge No 15 sec 3

3. Melody Maker --- --- Unlimited ---

Scoring

In One Player Mode:

1. In most of the activities, there are 5 questions per round. One chance will be

deducted for every incorrect answer.

Correct answer on the first try : gain 20 points

Correct answer on the second try : gain 15 points

Correct answer on the third try : gain 10 points

Press the ANSWER key at any time : no points are awarded

Total possible points per round : 100 points

Remark: For the RHYMING FUN, LOST LETTER (Level 1 and Level 2), LEARNING

NUMBERS, and DOES IT BELONG activities, 10 points will be given for

the correct answer on the second try.

2. In MATCHBOOK, there are 30 questions per round. One chance will be deducted

for every incorrect answer.

Correct answer on the first try : gain 3 points

Correct answer on the second try : gain 2 points

Correct answer on the third try : gain 1 point

Press the ANSWER key at any time : no points are awarded

Total possible points per round : 100 points

Remark: 10 bonus points will be awarded for getting all the answers correct.

3. In the activity RACE RALLY, there is a total of 100 points in Level 1. The less

time used, the higher your score will be. The scoring system is below:

(“x” represents the amount of time it took for the player to type all of the letters)

x ≤ 50 sec ---- 100 points

50 sec ≤ x < 55 sec ---- 80 points

55 sec ≤ x < 60 sec ---- 60 points

60 sec ≤ x < 65 sec ---- 40 points

65 sec ≤ x < 70 sec ---- 20 points

x ≥ 70 sec ---- 0 points

Note: This scoring system is used for both One Player Mode and Two Player Mode.

4. There is no scoring in the Music Box and Melody Maker activities.

In Two Player Mode:

1. Turn by Turn Mode:

Questions per round : 10

Correct answer on the first try : gain 20 points

Correct answer on the second try : gain 15 points

Correct answer on the third try : gain 10 points

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Press the ANSWER key at any time : no points are awarded

Total possible points per round : 100 points

2. Head to Head Mode:

Questions per round : 10

Basic points : 100 points

Correct answer for the first player : gain 10 points

Incorrect answer or time up for the first player : lose 10 points

Correct answer for the second player : gain 5 points

Incorrect answer or time up for the second player : lose 5 points

Total possible points per round : 200 points

Two Player Mode

Divin’ Buddies™ PC provides an exciting two player mode for most activities. There

are two types of two player modes. One is head to head competition and the other

involves both players taking turns to answer questions.

1. Head to Head Competition

When a question is displayed, the two players need to press their corresponding

player keys, PLAYER 1 or PLAYER 2, as quickly as possible to have the chance

to answer the question. The player who presses the button first gets to answer

first. If the first player answers incorrectly, the other player will receive a chance

to answer.

2. Taking Turns

When a question is displayed, either player 1 or player 2 has the first chance

to answer. When player 1 or player 2 finishes answering his or her question,

then it’s the next player’s turn.

Following table shows which activities have a two player mode:

Head to Head Competition Taking Turns

Rhyming Fun Learning Letters

Lost Letter Letter Pairs

Mystery Letter Word Builder

Learning Numbers Find the Number

Number Chain Pair Up

Counting Obstacle Drop

Addition Race Rally

Take Away

Does It Belong?

Music Challenge

Note: There is no two player mode for the Matchbook, Music Box and Melody

Maker activities.

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CARE AND MAINTENANCE

1. Keep the unit clean by wiping it with a slightly damp cloth.

2. Keep the unit out of direct sunlight and away from direct sources of heat.

3. Remove batteries when the unit will not be in use for an extended period of time.

4. Do not drop the unit on hard surfaces.

5. Do not try to dismantle the unit.

6. Do not expose the unit to moisture or water.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Creating and developing electronic learning aids is accompanied by a respon-

sibility that we at VTECH® take very seriously. We make every effort to ensure

the accuracy of the information which forms the value of our products. However,

errors sometimes can occur. It is important for you to know that we stand behind

our products and encourage you to call our Consumer Services Department

at 1-800-521-2010 in the U.S. or 1-800-267-7377 in Canada with any problems

and/or suggestions that you might have. A service representative will be happy

to help you.

NOTE:

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and

used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, it may

cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and

found to comply within the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with

the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 FCC Rules, which are designed to provide

reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However,

there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If

this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can

be determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is encouraged to try

to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• reorient the receiving antenna

• relocate this product with respect to the receiver

• move this product away from the receiver