MATH BINGO v 1.0: A fun and easy way to learn math facts. WARRANTY: THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY THE USER. IN NO EVENT WILL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE PROGRAM OR ACCOMPANYING FILES, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE AUTHOR'S LIABILITY FOR ANY SUCH DAMAGES SHALL NEVER EXCEED THE PRICE PAID TO THE AUTHOR FOR LICENSE TO USE THIS SOFTWARE. FILES: The following files should be included: installation: ddeml.dll expand.exe creatgrp.exe install.exe documentation: readme.bat readme.txt register.txt math bingo: mbingo.exe sound files: bingo.wav chekagan.wav haveone.wav heresans.wav hmm.wav idont.wav ipass.wav one.wav pass.wav sigh.wav there.wav tie.wav tryagain.wav welcome.wav yourturn.wav takebnpt.wav hmmpoint.wav pointfme.wav ptsyes.wav REQUIREMENTS: Windows 3.1 VGA mouse Windows-supported sound card preferred hard drive (1.1 Megabytes required) INSTALLATION: Math Bingo is installed from DOS, but played only under Windows 3.1 To install Math Bingo: - insert disk in drive B: - type 'B:' and press <ENTER> - at the 'B:\>' prompt, type install, and press <ENTER> (NOTE: Your computer may use drive A: instead of B:) - The program will ask for the destination path. For the default pathname of C:\MBINGO, just press <ENTER>. To install the program in a different subdirectory, or on a different drive, type the path name as in the following examples: C:\MATH or D:\MBINGO - the installation program will then create the directory, and copy files from the floppy disk. If there is not enough room on your hard drive to copy and expand all of the files, the installation program will give you an ERROR message and exit. You need to erase enough files on your hard drive to make room, and then start the installation program again. NOTE: The installation program will exit with an ERROR message if any of the necessary files on the disk have been erased. - Once the files have been copied, the install program will create the program group and program item. Following the instructions on the screen, click on OK, then double-click on the Program Manager icon at the bottom of the screen. Now you will see the Math Bingo icon. Double-click on it to start the program. STARTING A NEW GAME: To start a new game of Math Bingo, click once on the Play! menu option. The program will ask whether there is one player (playing against the computer) or two players (playing with a friend). Click on the button or the text of the option you want, then either click on OK or press <ENTER>. The program will now ask for the player(s) name(s). You may just click on OK or press <ENTER> for the default name(s) "Player 1" (and "Player 2"). NOTE: In a 2-player game, DO NOT press <ENTER> after typing the first player's name. To enter the second player's name, either click on the text box for the second player or use TAB to move to that text box. After you have entered the name(s), click on OK or press <ENTER>. Finally, select a play operation. (For more play operations read about Math Bingo Pro in TO ORDER: later in this file). You may click on either the button or the text of the option you want, or use the up and down arrows. Then click on OK or press <ENTER>. You may start a new game even if the current one is not yet completed. PLAYING THE GAME: The player on the left goes first. The problem will be displayed beneath the bingo card of the current player. To play, if your bingo card contains the correct answer to the problem, click on that block. Or, you may click on the "free" space in the center of the bingo card. If you click on the "free" space, your turn continues. If you do not have the answer on your bingo card, you must click on PASS. But the program will not allow you to pass if there is a valid answer on the bingo card. Next, the second player or the computer will take a turn. Only after the second player or the computer takes a turn, does the program check to see if either player has bingo. Unlike regular bingo, in Math Bingo the two players have different problems to solve, and for fairness a check for bingo cannot be done until both players have taken a turn. The players alternate turns until one or both have bingo. If the player chooses an incorrect block, the program will say "Try again" and wait for the same player to make another attempt. If the player chooses PASS when there is a valid answer on the bingo card, the program will say "Please check again" and wait for the same player to make another attempt. If the player chooses an incorrect block, or chooses PASS when there is a valid answer on the bingo card, the program will (after three incorrect attempts) display the answer on the screen, along with a voice message. The player is never penalized for an incorrect response. Play continues with the same player until she or he makes the correct response. On the number recognition option, blocks are displayed on the bottom of the screen as the problem. The player counts the number of blocks and clicks on the correct number on the bingo card. Notice that a column of ten blocks has no gaps between blocks, whereas a column of 9 or fewer blocks have small gaps between them. Advanced players can take advantage of the fact that numbers are often repeated on the bingo card, and play strategically. SOUND: Choose the menu options to turn the voices on and off. The dimmed option is the one that is currently activated, and hence, cannot be chosen. Turning voices on and off may be done at any time during the game. If you turn the voices off, there will be no voice messages telling you of any incorrect attempts. In this case the program will wait for another attempt by the same player. NOTE: If you have a microphone hooked up to your computer, you can make the game even more exciting by having your children record their own messages. Use the Sound Recorder (which is an Accessory under Windows 3.1) to record voices. See your Windows 3.1 documentation. The voices are in files with a .WAV extension. Open one of these files using the Sound Recorder. Play it, and then record your own message, saving it to that file. WARNING: The files names must remain the same. The program opens files with specific names to play during the game. Be sure to delete any blank space before or after the actual voice message using the Edit commands. Otherwise the program will spend time playing back files containing blank spaces, which may be large. Eliminating blank spaces will also decrease the file size. SPEED The menu options for speed will cause the computer turn's response time to become slower or faster. Choose the time according to your or your child's preference. Initially, the computer speed is set to average. The dimmed option is the one that is currently activated, and hence, cannot be chosen. WARNING: The Math Bingo window should be maximized at all times while playing the game. Decreasing the size of the window may cause part of the screen to disappear. Minimizing the screen, and then subsequently maximizing, by double-clicking on the MathBingo icon is fine. PRINTING THIS FILE: This file may be printed by typing: 'print readme.txt', or by using the Windows Accessory 'Notepad'. Open the file 'readme.txt' and select Print in the File menu. TO ORDER: This program is not 'public domain' or 'freeware'. It is shareware. This means that you have limited use of the program for the purpose of evaluation only. If, after evaluation you wish to continue to use this program, you must register it, or if you wish to order Math Bingo Pro please print the file REGISTER.TXT, by typing 'print register.txt', or using the Windows Accessory 'Notepad'. Open the file 'register.txt' and select Print from the File menu. Fill in the registration card and mail to: DiNo Software Box 362 Lafayette Hill, PA 19444 Math Bingo Pro has the added features of another level of number recognition, another level of addition, and two levels each of subtraction, multiplication and division, as well as a bonus game to make Math Bingo Pro even more exciting, by competing for bonus points.