Acer ASPIRE 1510 User Manual

Acer Aspire 1510 Series

User’s Guide

Acer Aspire 1510 Series Notebook Computer User's Guide Original Issue: March 2004

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation to notify any person of such revision or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publications. This company makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Record the model number, serial number, purchase date, and place of purchase information in the space provided below. The serial number and model number are recorded on the label affixed to your computer. All correspondense concerning your unit should include the serial number, model number, and purchase information.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.

Acer Aspire 1510 Series Notebook computer

Model Number : _________________________________

Serial Number: ___________________________________

Purchase Date: ___________________________________

Place of Purchase: ________________________________

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective companies.

iii

First things first

Yo u r g u i d e s

A set of guides is provided to help you set up and use your Aspire computer.:

The Just for starters… poster shows you how to set up your computer.

This User's Guide provides clear and concise information on using your computer productively. You are advised to read it thoroughly and keep it handy for future reference.

For more information on our products, services, and support, please visit our web site: www.acer.com.

Basic care and tips for using your computer

English

Turning your computer on and off

To turn on your computer, open the lid and press the power button above the keyboard.

To turn the power off, you can do any of the following:

• Click on the Start button in Windows, and then select Shut Down on the popup menu.

• Push the power button.

To use this method, you must first click on the Power Management icon in Windows Control Panel, and then check that the power button is set to shut down the computer when pressed. See Windows Help for more information.

English

Note: If you are unable to shut down the computer in the usual way, press and hold the power button for more than four seconds. You should then wait at least two seconds before turning the computer on again.

Taking care of your computer

Your computer will serve you well if you take care of it.

• Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near sources of heat, such as a radiator.

• Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0°C (32°F), or above 50°C (122°F).

• Do not expose the computer to magnetic fields.

• Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.

• Do not spill water or any liquid on the computer.

• Do not subject the computer to heavy shock or vibration.

• Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt.

• Do not place objects on top of the computer.

• Do not slam the lid shut. Close the computer gently.

• Do not place the computer on unstable or uneven surfaces.

Taking care of your AC adapter

It is important that you look after your AC adapter.

• Do not connect the adapter to any other device.

• Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on it. Route the power cord away from areas where people might walk on it or trip over it.

• Do not pull on the power cord when disconnecting from the mains power socket. Grasp and pull the plug instead.

• The total ampere ratings of equipment plugged into a power strip should not exceed the ampere rating for that power strip.

Taking care of your battery pack

It is also important that you look after your computer's battery pack.

• Use the correct battery model for your computer. Do not use other kinds of batteries.

• Turn the power off before removing or replacing the battery.

• Do not tamper with the battery. Keep the battery away from children.

• Dispose of batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if possible.

Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning your computer, it is important that you follow these steps:

• Turn off the computer and remove the battery.

• Disconnect the AC adapter.

• Clean with a soft cloth moistened with a little water. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

Refer to the chapter entitled “Frequently asked questions” on page 61 if any of the following occurs:

• You drop the computer or damage the case.

• You spill liquid on the computer.

• The computer does not operate normally.

English

First things first iii

Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your computer iii

Getting familiar with your computer 1

A tour of your computer 3

Front view 3 Left view 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7

Bottom view 8 Features 9 Display 10 Indicators 11 Keyboard 13

Special keys 13

Keyboard ergonomics 17 Touchpad 18

Touchpad basics 18 Launch keys 20 Storage 21

Inserting and ejecting a diskette 21

Ejecting the optical drive tray 22

Emergency ejection of the optical drive tray 22 Connectivity options 23

Ethernet and LAN 23

Fax/data modem 24 Audio 25 Securing your computer 26

Security slot 26

Passwords 26

English

Contents

Operating on battery power 27

Battery pack 29

Battery pack characteristics 29

Installing and removing the battery pack 30

Charging the battery 31

Checking the battery level 31

Optimizing battery life 31

Battery-low warning 32 Power management 33

Peripherals and options 35

External display devices 37

English

External input devices 37

External keyboard 37 External keypad 37 External pointing device 37 USB devices 38

IEEE 1394 Port 39 Printer 40 Audio devices 40 Expansion devices 41

PC Card 41 Miscellaneous options 43

Battery pack 43

AC adapter 43 Key component upgrades 44

Memory upgrade 44

Hard disk upgrade 45

Moving with your computer 47

Disconnecting from the desktop 49 Moving around 50

Preparing the computer 50

What to bring to short meetings 50

What to bring to long meetings 50 Taking the computer home 51

Preparing the computer 51

What to bring with you 51

Special considerations 51

Setting up a home office 52 Traveling with the computer 53

Preparing the computer 53

What to take with you 53

Special considerations 53 Traveling internationally with your computer 54

Preparing the computer 54

What to take with you 54

Special considerations 54

Software 55

System software 57

Launch Manager 57 BIOS Setup Utility 58

Troubleshooting 59

Frequently asked questions 61

Appendix A Specifications 65

Appendix B Notices 71

Index 87

English

Getting familiar with your

computer

Your Aspire 1510 series notebook computer combines solid performance, versatility, multimedia capabilities and portability with a stylish design. Increase your productivity by working wherever you are.

This chapter provides an in-depth "tour" of your computer's features.

A tour of your computer

After setting up your new Aspire notebook computer, as illustrated in the Just for starters… poster, take a few minutes to explore the unit.

Front view

English

# Item Description

1 Display Large liquid crystal display (LCD)

2 Power button Turns the computer on and off.

3 Launch keys 4 buttons that can be programmed to

provides visual output.

start frequently used applications.

# Item Description

Getting familiar with your computer

English

4 InviLink™ button

(Manufacturing option)

5 Bluetooth™ button

(Manufacturing option)

6 Touchpad Touch sensitive pad that functions like

7 Click buttons & 4-way

scroll key

8 Speakers Speakers that deliver stereo audio

9 Palm rest Provides a comfortable platform for

10 Keyboard Full-size keyboard for inputting typed

11 Status indicators Seven light emitting diodes (LED) that

Enables or disables wireless LAN feature.

Enables or disables Bluetooth functionality.

a computer mouse.

Right and left buttons that provide the same functions as the buttons on a computer mouse. The scroll key scrolls the contents of a window up and down, as well as right and left.

output.

your hands when typing on the keyboard.

data.

show the status of the computer and its components.

12 Latch Locks and releases the lid.

Note: The wireless communication and Bluetooth buttons work

for models with 802.11g wireless LAN and Bluetooth only.

Left view

# Item Description

1 Ventilation slots Enables the computer to stay cool, even

after prolonged use.

2 Floppy activity indicator LED that turns on and off when the

floppy is activated.

3 Floppy disk drive /

4-in-1 card reader

4 Floppy disk eject button Press the eject button to remove a

5 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,

Supports a standard 3.5” diskette or 4-in-1 card reader (Manufacturing option).

diskette from the floppy disk drive.

infrared printer, IR-aware computer).

English

6 Modem jack Connects the built-in fax/data modem

7 Microphone-in jack Connects an external microphone for

8 Headphone jack Connects headphones for audio output.

to a phone line.

audio input.

Getting familiar with your computer

Right view

English

# Item Description

1 Optical drive Depending on your model, the optical

2 Optical disc access

indicator

3 Optical drive eject

button

4 Optical drive

emergency eject hole

5 PC card eject button Press the eject button to remove a PC card

6 PC card slot The slot supports a standard Type II or

drive is one of the following:

• DVD/CD-RW combo drive for reading CDs and DVDs and writing to CD-RWs.

• DVD Dual drive for reading both DVD+/-RWs and writing to DVD+/RWs.

• DVD Super Multi drive for reading DVD+/-RWs, DVD-RAM and writing to DVD+/-RWs, DVD-RAM.

LED that indicates when an optical disc is being read or written.

Press the eject button to remove a disc from the optical drive.

Used to eject an optical disc when the computer is turned off.

from the PC card slot.

Type III PC card (PCMCIA or CardBus).

Rear view

# Item Description

1 DC-in jack Connects the AC adapter.

2 Network jack Connects the computer to an Ethernet 10/

100/1000-based network.

3 IEEE 1394 port Connects IEEE 1394 devices.

4 S-video Connects to a television or display device

with S-video input.

5 USB ports Four 2.0 ports for connecting USB devices.

6 External display port Connects an external (VGA) display monitor.

English

7 Parallel port Connects a parallel device, such as a printer.

8 Ventilation slots Enables the computer to stay cool, even after

prolonged use.

9 Kensington lock slot For attaching a security connector.

Getting familiar with your computer

Bottom view

English

# Item Description

1 Ventilation slots Enables the computer to stay cool, even

2 Reset switch Forces the computer to shut down in the

3 Battery pack release

latch

4 Battery pack The computer's removable battery.

5 Hard disk bay Removable cover provides access to the

6 Memory compartment Removable cover provides access to the

after prolonged use.

event of system lockup. Note: Any unsaved data will be lost.

Slide and hold the latch, and then pull the battery to remove it from the unit.

computer's hard drive.

memory slots for upgrading the computer's memory.

Features

Performance

• AMD Athlon™ 64 processor with 1MB L2 cache, supporting HyperTransport™ technology.

• nVIDIA® nForce™3 chipsets

• 2 memory slots supporting DDR SDRAM, upgradeable to 2GB.

• High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk.

Multimedia

• Built-in optical drive (DVD/CD-RW combo, DVD Dual or DVD Super Multi).

• 15.0” TFT XGA (1024x768 resolution) or SXGA+ (1400x1050 resolution) panel.

• Built-in stereo speakers.

• Audio input and output jacks.

Connectivity

• Integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet connection.

• Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem.

• Four universal serial bus (USB 2.0) ports.

• One IEEE 1394 port.

• 802.11g Wireless LAN and Bluetooth (manufacturing optional).

English

Human-centric design

• All-in-one design (incorporating hard drive, optical drive and floppy disk drive).

• Rugged, yet extremely portable, construction.

• Stylish appearance.

• Full-size keyboard with four programmable launch keys.

• Comfortable palm rest area with well-positioned touchpad.

Expansion

• PC card slot enables a range of add-on options.

• Upgradeable hard disk and memory modules.

Display

Getting familiar with your computer

English

• The 15.0” display panel provides a large viewing area for maximum efficiency and ease-of-use. The Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) supports XGA or SXGA+ resolution.

• nVIDIA® 8X GeForce™4 448 Go or GeForce™ FX Go5700 AGP card with 64MB of video memory.

• 3D graphics engine support.

• Supports simultaneous display between LCD and CRT display.

• S-video for output to a television or display device that supports S-video input.

• “Automatic LCD dim” feature that automatically selects the best setting for the display in order to conserve power.

• Dual display capability.

Indicators

Your computer provides an array of three indicators located above the keyboard, in addition to four indicators positioned at the front of the palm rest area. These indicators show the status of the computer and its components.

The three indicators located above the keyboard provide the following status information:

Icon Description

Caps Lock activity.

English

Num Lock activity.

Hard Disk Drive activity.

Note: The keypad lock must be turned on to use the embedded numeric keypad.

Getting familiar with your computer

The four indicators located at the front of the unit provide the following status information:

English

Icon Item Description

Power mode • Steady green -- power on

• Flashing orange -- standby mode

• Orange -- hibernation mode

Battery mode • Green -- fully charged

• Flashing orange -- being charged

• Orange -- low on power

Wireless LAN mode Lights to Indicate status of wireless

LAN (optional) communication.

Bluetooth mode Lights to indicate that Bluetooth

(optional) is enabled.

Keyb oard

The keyboard features full-size keys with an embedded keypad, separate cursor control keys, two Windows keys, and twelve function keys (hot keys).

Special keys

Lock keys

The computer features three lock keys, each with its own status indicator light.

Lock Key Description

Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters are typed in

uppercase. Toggle on and off by pressing the Caps Lock key on the left side of the keyboard.

English

Num Lock When Num Lock is on, the embedded numeric keypad can be

used. Toggle on and off by pressing the Fn + F11 keys simultaneously.

Scroll Lock When Scroll Lock is on, the screen toggles up or down one

line at a time when the up and down cursor control keys are pressed.

Note: Scroll Lock doesn't work in all applications. Toggle on and off by pressing the Fn + F12 keys simultaneously.

Embedded keypad

Getting familiar with your computer

English

The embedded keypad functions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indicated by small blue numbers and characters on the applicable keys.

To use the embedded numeric keys, toggle the Num Lk on by pressing the Fn + F11 keys simultaneously.

With the embedded keypad turned on, the following actions are possible:

Desired Access Num lock On Num lock Off

Number keys on embedded keypad

Cursor control keys on embedded keypad

Type numbers using embedded keypad in the normal way.

Hold down the Shift key while using the cursor keys on the embedded keypad.

Hold Fn key while using cursor-control keys.

Main keyboard keys Hold down the Fn key

while typing letters using the embedded keypad keys. Simultaneously press the Shift key for capital letters.

Type letters in the normal way.

Windows keys

The keyboard features two keys that provide Windows-specific functions.

Key Description

Windows key Pressed alone, this key has the same effect as clicking on

the Windows Start button; it launches the Start menu. It can also be used with other keys to provide a variety of functions:

+ Tab activates the next Taskbar button.

+ E opens the My Computer window.

+ F1 opens Help and Support.

+ F opens the Find: All Files dialog box.

+ M minimizes all windows.

Shift + + M undoes the minimize all windows ( + M) action.

+ R opens the Run dialog box.

English

Application key This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse

button; it opens the application's context menu.

Hot keys

Getting familiar with your computer

English

Using the Fn key with another key creates a hot key, providing a quick and convenient method for controlling various functions.

To use a hot key, first hold down the Fn key. Next, press the second key in the combination. Finally, release both keys.

Your computer provides the following hot keys:

HotKey Function Description

Fn + F1 Hot key help Displays help on hot keys.

Fn + F2 Setup Accesses the computer’s

Fn + F3 Power

management scheme toggle

configuration utility.

Switches the power management scheme used by the computer (function available if supported by operating system).

See “Power management” on page 33.

Fn + F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep mode.

“Power management” on page 33.

See

Fn + F5 Display toggle Switches display output between

the display screen, external monitor (if connected) and both the display screen and external monitor.

HotKey Function Description

Fn + F6 Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight

off to save power. Press any key to return.

Fn + F7 Touchpad toggle Turns the internal touchpad on and

Fn + F8 Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and off.

Fn + ↑ Volume up Increases the speaker volume.

Fn + ↓ Volume down Decreases the speaker volume.

Fn + → Brightness up Increases the screen brightness.

Fn +

←

Brightness down Decreases the screen brightness.

off.

Euro key

Your computer supports the new Euro currency character. First, hold down the Alt Gr key, and then press the Euro key.

English

Keyboard ergonomics

The wide palm rest area provides a comfortable platform for your hands when typing on the keyboard. The ergonomic design enables you to adopt a relaxed, yet very efficient, typing style.

To u c h p a d

Getting familiar with your computer

English

The built-in touchpad is a PS/2- compatible pointing device that senses movement on its surface. The cursor responds to your finger movements on the touchpad. In addition, the two click buttons provide the same functionality as a computer mouse, while the scroll key enables easy up and down scrolling in documents and web pages.

The touchpad is located in the middle of the palm rest area, providing maximum comfort and efficiency.

Touc hp ad b as ics

Use the touchpad as follows:

• Slide your finger over the surface of the touchpad to control the movement of the cursor. Tap the touchpad to perform selection and execution functions.

• Press the left (1) and right (3) click buttons to perform selection and execution functions, just as you would use the buttons on a computer mouse.

• Use the scroll key (2) to scroll through long documents and web pages. Press the top of the key to scroll up, and the bottom to scroll down; left to scroll left, and right to scroll right.

English

Function Left Button

Execute Click twice

quickly.

Select Click once. Tap once.

Drag Click and hold.

Then, slide your finger across the touchpad to drag the cursor over the selection.

Access content menu

Scroll Click and

Right Button

Click once.

4-Way Scroll Key

hold the up/ down/left/ right button.

Tap

Tap t w ice quickly.

Tap t w ice quickly. On the second tap, slide your finger across the touchpad to drag the cursor over the selection.

English

Note: Keep your fingers, as well as the surface of the touchpad, clean and dry. The touchpad is sensitive to your finger movements: the lighter your touch, the better the response. Tapping hard will not increase the touchpad's responsiveness.

Launch keys

Getting familiar with your computer

English

Located at the top of the keyboard are six buttons, in addition to the power button. These buttons are called launch keys. They are designated as key 1, key 2, key 3, key 4, key 5 and key 6, from right to left.

By default, key 1 is used to launch the email application and key 2 is used to launch the Internet browser. Keys 3 and 4 start the Launch Manager application. Key 5 and Key 6 are used to enable the Wireless LAN and Bluetooth features. The first four launch keys can be set by

the user. To set the launch keys, run the Acer Launch Manager.

Launch key Default application

Email Launches your email application.

Web browser Launches your Internet browser.

P1 User-programmable

P2 User-programmable

InviLink Enables your 802.11g Wireless LAN (optional)

Bluetooth Enables your Bluetooth (optional)

+ 69 hidden pages