


















                                   User's Guide For


                                    BALLOON SPELLER

                                      ISD/ITD110
                                     Version 3.01






                                        KIDware
                                1380 156th NE, Suite H2
                                  Bellevue, WA 98007
                                    (206) 721-2556


















                                   (c) KIDware, 1992
                                  All Rights Reserved

















                                   User's Guide for


                                    BALLOON SPELLER






                                     INTRODUCTION

            BALLOON SPELLER is a program for home or school.  You can play
            three different spelling games using lists of words you input
            or any of the 70 built-in lists.  In "Word Flash," a word
            appears from behind a giant hot air balloon and then
            disappears.  You spell the word from memory.  In "Word Jumble,"
            the letters of the word to be spelled are scattered around.
            You move a balloon around picking up the letters to spell the
            word.  And, in "Word Guess," you guess the letters in the word
            to be spelled (a Hangman type game).


                   COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS AND INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

            To use BALLOON SPELLER, you need an IBM compatible computer
            with at least 256K of memory, a floppy disk drive, DOS 2.0 (or
            higher), and graphics capability (Hercules monochrome, CGA
            color, EGA color, or higher).  A mouse is optional.  If you use
            floppy disk drives, the disk is ready to use as is.  But before
            using the program, we suggest you do two things:  make a backup
            copy of the disk and then set up the disk to your particular
            system.  If you use a hard disk drive, install the disk on your
            hard drive and then do the suggested setup.  Depending on the
            number and types of disk drives you have, follow the given
            instructions.



















                              Page 1 - (c) KIDware, 1992










            Single Floppy Drive System:

            1.   Place DOS disk in drive A and start system.  Have
                 formatted blank disk ready for use.
            2.   Replace DOS disk with BALLOON SPELLER disk and type:
                 COPY A:*.* B:   This will allow you to copy the files
                 from the BALLOON SPELLER disk (referred to by DOS as
                 disk A) to your blank disk (referred to by DOS as
                 disk B).  Follow instructions given by computer.
            3.   The backup procedure is now complete.  Put the
                 original copy of the BALLOON SPELLER disk in a safe
                 place; you will always use your copy.  Now, place
                 that copy in drive A and proceed to setup
                 instructions.

            Dual Floppy Drive System:

            1.   Place DOS disk in drive A and blank formatted disk in
                 drive B; start system.
            2.   Replace DOS disk with BALLOON SPELLER disk and type:
                 COPY A:*.* B:   This will allow you to copy the files
                 from the BALLOON SPELLER disk to your blank disk.
            3.   The backup procedure is now complete.  Put the
                 original copy of the BALLOON SPELLER disk in a safe
                 place; you will always use your copy.  Now, place
                 that copy in drive A (or B) and proceed to setup
                 instructions.

            Hard Disk System:

            1.   Start system.
            2.   You first need to create a directory for the
                 programs.  At C: prompt, type MD C:\BS   This creates
                 a directory name BS on your hard disk (you may use
                 another name if you want).  Now, move to that
                 directory by typing CD C:\BS
            3.   Place the BALLOON SPELLER disk in drive A.  Type:
                 COPY A:*.* C:   This will allow you to copy the files
                 from the BALLOON SPELLER disk to your hard disk.
            4.   Installation is now complete.  Put the original copy
                 of the BALLOON SPELLER disk in a safe place.  Proceed
                 to setup instructions.













                              Page 2 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                                  SETUP INSTRUCTIONS

            To set up the disk for your system, place your copy of the
            program disk in a drive (or go to directory C:\BS on a hard
            disk) and type:  SETUP   You will be asked several questions;
            answer accordingly.  The setup routine will write two files to
            your disk, so if using a floppy disk, make sure it is not
            write-protected.

            The first question asks what type of graphics system you have:
            Hercules monochrome (HGC), CGA (Color Graphics Adapter) or EGA
            (Enhanced Graphics Adapter).  Choose the proper response
            (either use the cursor key to move the highlighting and press
            <Enter> when the desired response is highlighted or press H for
            Hercules, C for CGA, E for EGA).  Initially, the computer will
            highlight the graphics system it believes you are using.  If
            you have VGA graphics, choose EGA as your response.  If you use
            Hercules monochrome graphics, all text screens will appear half
            width, graphics screens may be slightly compressed, and of
            course no color will appear.  This is normal.  If any screen is
            scrambled, you have to adjust your monitor's vertical and/or
            horizontal hold controls.  Unfortunately, the Hercules graphics
            driver may not work with all computer/monitor systems.

            The second question asks if you have a mouse installed.  If you
            have a mouse, answer 'Yes'; if not, answer 'No'.  If you use a
            mouse, a utility will be loaded that allows your mouse to
            perform the cursor key movements and two other keystrokes
            described in the program running instructions.  For your
            reference, the mouse will perform the following:

                           Move Mouse Up - Cursor Up
                           Move Mouse Down - Cursor Down
                           Move Mouse Left - Cursor Left
                           Move Mouse Right - Cursor Right
                           Press Left Mouse Key - <Enter>
                           Press Right Mouse Key - <Esc>

            So, whenever the running instructions call for cursor key
            movements, or use of the <Enter> or <Esc> keys, you may use
            your mouse instead.  Also, in order to use the mouse, a mouse
            software driver must be loaded prior to using the BALLOON
            SPELLER disk.  This driver is usually called MOUSE.COM and is
            almost always loaded when your computer boots up, hence you
            probably don't have to make any changes.  If, however, no
            driver is loaded when your machine boots up, you have to load
            it yourself.  Refer to your mouse's manual for instructions.

            The next setup question asks if you want sound.  In most cases,
            you should answer 'Yes' since BALLOON SPELLER uses music and
            sounds to indicate correct/incorrect responses.  If however,




                              Page 3 - (c) KIDware, 1992










            for instance in a classroom situation, you find the sound
            disturbing, then answer 'No'.  If you turn the sound off, there
            will be slight delays in the programs where sounds would
            usually be heard.  You may also hear some low-volume clicking
            sounds.

            You can save word lists on disk.  The fourth question asks
            which disk drive you will use to store your spelling lists.
            Make your choice (the letters A and B usually designate floppy
            drives, C and D designate hard drives, and E and F designate
            RAM drives).  The drive you choose will be made the default
            drive (the drive the program will look at for stored files).
            If desired, you can still change this drive in the program.

            Also, word lists can be written to your printer.  Printers can
            be connected to one of three ports on the computer (usually
            LPT1).  The fifth question asks where your printer is
            connected.  All printing will go to the designated port.

            The last question involves highlight color.  In all menu
            selections, there will be one key highlighted in some color.
            One way to select the corresponding menu item is to press that
            highlighted key.  Because different graphics system have
            different contrast and color characteristics, the default
            highlight color (bright yellow) may not be acceptable.  Use the
            up/down cursor keys to change the highlight color until it is
            acceptable to you, then press <Enter>.




























                              Page 4 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                             PROGRAM RUNNING INSTRUCTIONS

            Once the program is installed and set up, you can run it.
            Please note if you ever change your system setup (different
            graphics system or add/delete mouse), you should rerun the
            setup program.  Running the program is simple.  If you are
            using floppy drives, place your copy of the program disk in a
            drive.  If using a hard disk, move to the proper directory by
            typing:  CD C:\MS   At the DOS prompt, type GO and press
            <Enter>.  After loading some needed files, a title screen will
            appear.  Press any key to clear the screen and a menu screen
            will appear.

            When the menu appears, you have four options:  (1) Program
            Description, (2) Word List Editor, (3) Balloon Speller Games,
            or (4) Exit Program.  To make your menu selection here (and in
            all menus), you may use the cursor keys (or a mouse, if
            installed) or a letter key.  To make the selection using the
            cursor keys, use the up/down keys until the desired selection
            is highlighted, then press <Enter>.  To use the letter keys,
            press the highlighted key in the desired menu selection.  Make
            your choice.  Choose "Program Description" for a brief
            explanation of the BALLOON SPELLER program, or choose "Exit
            Program" to stop.  If you choose one of the other two options,
            continue as instructed below.

            One last comment:  the <Esc> key plays an important role in
            running the program.  At any time, if you want to leave a
            particular menu screen, or any screen, pressing the <Esc> key
            will usually accomplish this.  Always try <Esc> if you seem to
            be stuck somewhere.
























                              Page 5 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                                   WORD LIST EDITOR

            In the Word List Editor, you have seven options:

            (1)  Enter New Word List:  choose this option to input a
                 new list.  The use of the list editor is quite
                 straightforward.  Type in the words.  You can use
                 lower or upper case letters.  The left-right cursor
                 keys and <Space> bar move the cursor within a word.
                 <Del> and <Backspace> can be used to delete letters.
                 The up-down cursor keys and <Enter> key move you from
                 word to word.

            (2)  Edit Current Word List:  choose this option to change
                 the list currently being used by the program.  You
                 can add new words or delete old ones.  To delete a
                 word simply blank it out using the space bar, delete
                 key or backspace key.  The program will close up any
                 gaps left in the list.  To add a word, type it in a
                 blank space or type over an unwanted word.

            (3)  Use Built-In List:  choose this option to use one of
                 the 70 built-in spelling lists.  There are ten lists
                 for each grade level from K to 6.  The program will
                 first ask what disk drive the lists are on (the
                 default drive selected during setup is suggested).
                 Next, it ask which grade level (K,1,2,3,4,5,6) and
                 then which particular list (1-10).  Finally, you are
                 asked if you want the words to be in lower case or
                 upper case letters.  The built-in spelling lists
                 cannot be changed. You may, however, read in a built-
                 in list, modify it and then save it to your own disk
                 for future use.

            (4)  Read Word List From Disk:  choose this option to read
                 in a list you have previously saved using the list
                 editor.  You are asked which disk drive to look on.
                 The files you have stored on the selected drive (60
                 files maximum) will be listed.  Use the cursor keys
                 to point to the file you wish to read in, then press
                 <Enter>.  Once read in, you may edit/save/print the
                 list.

            (5)  Save Word List On Disk:  choose this option to save
                 your current word list.  The program asks which drive
                 to use and asks for a file name.  The name must start
                 with a letter and can be no more than 8 characters
                 long.

            (6)  Print Word List On Printer:  choose this option to
                 print out your list.  The list will be printed on the




                              Page 6 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                 printer port selected in the BALLOON SPELLER setup
                 procedure.

            (7)  Return to Main Menu:  choose this option to go back
                 to the BALLOON SPELLER main menu.


















































                              Page 7 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                              BALLOON SPELLER GAMES

            Once you have entered or selected a word list, you can play one
            of three games  In each game, every word on the spelling list
            will be used (unless you stop the game before completing the
            list).  The <Esc> key is used to stop any game.  There are
            several ways to enter the spelling of the word.  Each method is
            explained with the corresponding games.

            The three games that can be played are:

            1.   Word Flash:  In this game, you first make the word
                 appear from behind a large balloon by pressing the
                 <Space> bar.  You then must spell the word by
                 selecting the letters in order.  You can press the
                 letters on the keyboard to spell the word or use the
                 cursor keys (or mouse) to move the displayed marker
                 until it surrounds the desired letter, then press
                 <Enter>.  You are given three tries to spell each
                 word.  You can flash the word again, but this counts
                 as a try.  The fewer tries you need to spell a word,
                 the more points you score.

            2.   Word Jumble:  Here, the letters to spell the word are
                 scattered about.  You must spell the word by picking
                 up the letters in proper order.  Use the cursor keys
                 to steer your balloon.  You are allowed three errors
                 before the spelling is given to you.

            3.   Word Guess:  The final game is like Hangman.  You
                 guess at letters in the word.  If your guess is
                 correct, the letters are shown in their proper
                 position.  If your guess is incorrect, you continue.
                 You have five guesses each represented by a balloon.
                 With each incorrect guess, a balloon deflates.  After
                 five misses, the proper spelling is given to you.

            Once you have finished playing a game (either by trying all
            words in the list or stopping the game), your score will be
            given to you and a list of the words you had trouble with will
            be provided.  At this point, you will be returned to the
            Balloon Speller Games menu, where you can choose another game
            or choose to return to the BALLOON SPELLER main menu












                              Page 8 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                                  HIDDEN MENU OPTION

            Realizing this program will usually be used by unattended
            children, we have added an option that should prevent any
            accidental or intentional stopping of the program or changing
            of the spelling lists; it is the Hidden Menu option.

            The Hidden Menu option works with the Balloon Speller Games
            Menu only.  What the option does is turns off the ability to
            return to the BALLOON SPELLER main menu.  The option is turned
            off or on by pressing <Ctrl>-H while in the Balloon Speller
            Games Menu.  Notice that when the option is on, only one of the
            three games can be selected and the message "HM On" appears at
            the lower right hand corner of the screen.  When the option is
            off, the menu appears as normal.


                             OPTIONAL RUNNING INSTRUCTIONS

            If you have previously saved a word list on disk (assumed to be
            the default drive selected in the setup procedure), you can
            automatically load that list and go directly to the Balloon
            Speller Games selection menu.  To do this type:

                                      GO filename

            and press <Enter>.  For example, if you have saved a list named
            LIST12, you would type:

                                       GO LIST12

            and press <Enter>.  The program will go directly from the title
            screen to the game selection menu once the desired list is
            found.  If the named list cannot be found, the BALLOON SPELLER
            program will tell you so and will pause somewhere within the
            Word List Editor.  This new feature will only work on lists you
            have saved, not built-in lists.


















                              Page 9 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                                   GENERAL COMMENTS

            1.   When reading word lists from disk or writing them to
                 disk, please make sure the disk you want to save the
                 list on is in the proper drive and the drive is
                 ready.  The program contains some error trapping
                 routines, but at times erratic behavior occurs when
                 try to read-write from-to a disk drive that is not
                 properly ready.

            2.   Similarly, when printing word lists, make sure the
                 printer is on-line and ready before starting the
                 printing option.


                                 WARRANTY INFORMATION

            The BALLOON SPELLER program has been written with care, but
            there still may be bugs and problems.  If you find any such
            problems, please let us know.  We cannot guarantee the program
            is completely error free.  We do guarantee it will load and
            run.  If, within one year of purchase, the program fails to
            load and run, simply return the original disk to us (postpaid)
            for a quick replacement.

            This warranty only applies to manufacturing defects.  No
            further guarantees are expressed or implied.  Also note that
            copying the disk (other than one backup copy) or this printed
            material is strictly prohibited by US and world copyright laws.
            For further information or help, contact us at:

                                        KIDware
                                1380 156th NE, Suite H2
                                  Bellevue, WA 98007
                                    (206) 721-2556




















                              Page 10 - (c) KIDware, 1992










                                   REGISTRATION FORM

                             ISD/ITD110 - Balloon Speller


            We want to know who you are.  By sending us this registration
            form, we can inform you of any updates or new products from
            KIDware.  Thanks for your time.  This information will only be
            used by KIDware.


            Name __________________________________________________________

            Address _______________________________________________________

            City __________________________________________________________

            State _____________________________  Zip ______________________


            Date of purchase

            _______________________________________________________________

            Where did you buy this disk?

            _______________________________________________________________

            Comments?















            Send the form to:

                                        KIDware
                                1380 156th NE, Suite H2
                                  Bellevue, WA 98007






                              Page 11 - (c) KIDware, 1992



