Acer TravelMate 2500 User Guide

TravelMate 2000/2500 Series

User’s Guide

Copyright © 2004. Acer Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved.

TravelMate 2000/2500 Series 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 correspondence 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.

TravelMate 2000/2500 Series Notebook Computer

Model Number : __________________________________

Serial Number: ___________________________________

Purchase Date: ___________________________________

Place of Purchase: ________________________________

Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Other company's
product names or trademarks are used herein for identification purposes only and belong to
their respective companies.

iii

First things first

We would like to thank you for making the TravelMate series of
notebook computers your choice for your mobile computing needs.
We hope you will be happy with your TravelMate as much as we
enjoyed making it for you.

Your guides

To help you use your TravelMate, we have designed a set of guides:

First off, the Just for starters... poster helps you get started
with setting up your computer.

This User’s guide introduces you to the many ways your
computer can help you be more productive. This guide
provides clear and concise information about the computer,
so read it thoroughly.

If you ever need to print out a copy, this User’s guide is also
available in Portable Document Format (PDF). Follow these
steps:

1 Click on Start, All Programs, AcerSystem.
2 Click on AcerSystem User’s guide.

Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed. If Adobe Acrobat Reader is not installed on your
computer, clicking on TravelMate User’s guide will run the
Acrobat Reader setup program first. Follow the instructions
on the screen to complete the installation. For instructions
on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access the Help and
Support menu.

English

iv

Basic care and tips for using your computer

English

Turning your computer on and off

To turn on the computer, simply press and release the power switch
below the LCD screen beside the Launch keys. See “Front view” on
page 3 for the location of the power switch.

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

• Use the Windows shutdown command
Click on Start, Turn Off Computer; then click on Turn Off.

• Use the power switch

Note: You can also use the power switch to perform power
management functions. See “Power management” on page 24.

• Use the customized functions for power management
You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover,

or by pressing the sleep hot key (Fn-F4). See “Power management”
on page 24.

Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and
hold the power switch for more than four seconds to shut down
the computer. If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on
again, wait at least two seconds before powering up.

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 0ºC (32ºF) or
above 50ºC (122ºF).

• Do not subject 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 and vibration.

• Do not expose the computer to dust and dirt.

v

• Never place objects on top of the computer to avoid damaging the
computer.

• Do not slam the computer display when you close it.

• Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.

Taking care of your AC adapter

Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter:

• Do not connect the adapter to any other device.

• Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it.

Carefully route the power cord and any cables away from personal
traffic.

• When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself
but pull on the plug.

• The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not
exceed the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension
cord. Also, the total current rating of all equipment plugged into a
single wall outlet should not exceed the fuse rating.

Taking care of your battery pack

Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack:

• Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the
power off before removing or replacing batteries.

• Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children.

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

at all possible.

English

Cleaning and servicing

When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:

1 Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.
2 Disconnect the AC adapter.
3 Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or

aerosol cleaners.

English

vi

If any of the following occurs:

• The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged.

• Liquid has been spilled into the product.

• The computer does not operate normally.

Please refer to "Troubleshooting my computer" on page 41.

First things first iii

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

1 Getting to know your

TravelMate 1

A TravelMate tour 3

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

Bottom view 8
Features 9
Indicators 11

Indicators in cover 12
Using the keyboard 13

Special keys 13
Touchpad 20

Touchpad basics 20
Storage 22

Hard disk 22

Optical drive 22
Audio 24
Power management 24
Moving around with your TravelMate 25

Disconnecting from the desktop 25

Moving around 25

Taking the computer home 26

Traveling with the computer 28

Traveling internationally with the computer 28
Securing your computer 30

Using a computer security lock 30

Contents

2 Customizing my computer 31

Expanding through options 33

Connectivity options 33

Upgrade options 36
Using system utilities 38

Notebook Manager 38

Launch Manager 39

BIOS Utility 39

3 Troubleshooting my computer 41

Frequently-asked questions 43
Requesting service 47

International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 47
Before you call 47

Appendix A Specifications 49

Appendix B Regulation & safety notices 55

Index 69

1 Getting to know your

TravelMate

Your TravelMate computer combines high­performance, versatility, power management
features and multimedia capabilities with a
unique style and ergonomic design. Work with
unmatched productivity and reliability with
your new power computing partner.

3

A TravelMate tour

After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for starters...
poster, let us show you around your new TravelMate computer.

Front view

English

# Item Description

1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD),

displays computer output.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4

# Item Description

English

2 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on

and off to show the status of the
computer, its functions and components.

3 Power button Turns on the computer power.

4 Launch Keys Buttons for launching frequently used

programs. See“Launch keys” on page 19
for more details.

5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

6 Click buttons

(left, center and right)

7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

8 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.

9 Ventilation slot Enables the computer to stay cool, even

when you use the computer.

The left and right buttons function like the
left and right mouse buttons; the center
button serves as a 4-way scroll button.

functions like a computer mouse.

after prolonged use.

5

Left view

# Item Description

1 PC Card slots Connects to one Type III or

two Type II CardBus PC Card(s).

2 Eject buttons Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

3 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or

DVDs depending on the optical drive
type.

English

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

infrared printer, IR-aware computer).

5 Eject button Ejects the optical drive tray from the

drive.

6 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is

active.

7 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical drive tray when the

computer is turned off. See page 44
for more details.

8 Speaker Delivers stereo audio output.

Right view

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6

English

# Item Description

1 Speaker Delivers stereo audio output.

2 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even after

prolonged use.

3 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

7

Rear view

# Item Description

1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

2 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel

printer).

3 Ventilation slot Enables the computer to stay cool, even after

4 External display

port

prolonged use.

Connects to a display device (e.g., external
monitor, LCD projector) and displays up to
16M colors at 1024x768 resolution.

English

5 Four USB 2.0 ports Connect to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

6 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based

7 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.

devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).

network.

# Item Description

1 Getting to know your TravelMate8

English

8 Speaker/Line-Out/

Headphone jack

9 Line-in/Mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD

Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g.,
speakers, headphones).

player, stereo walkman).

Bottom view

# Item Description

1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

2 Battery release

latch

3Memory

compartment

Unlatches the battery to remove the battery
pack.

Houses the computer's main memory.

9

Features

Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many features:

Performance

• Intel® Pentium® 4 and Intel® Celeron® processors, 2.8 GHz and

above

• Intel® Hyper-Threading™ Technology

• 256/512 MB of DDR333 SDRAM standard, upgradeable to 2048 MB

with dual soDIMM modules

• 30 GB and above high-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk

• Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) power

management system

Display

• The 14.1” or 15” XGA (1024x768 resolution), or 15.0” SXGA+

(1400x1050 resolution) TFT LCD panel providing a large viewing
area for maximum efficiency and ease-of-use

• ATI MOBILITY ™ Radeon™ 9000 IGP chipset shared with 64 MB of

system memory, as video RAM

• 3D graphics support

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support

• "Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically deciding the best

settings for your display and conserves power

• DualView™ support

English

Multimedia

• High-speed DVD/CD-RW Combo or DVD-Dual drive

• MS DirectSound compatible

• Built-in dual speakers

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate10

Connectivity

• Integrated 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet connection

• Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem

• Four Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports

• IEEE 802.11b or IEEE 802.11g Wireless LAN (manufacturing option)

• Bluetooth (manufacturing option)

Human-centric design and ergonomics

• Rugged, yet extremely portable design

• Stylish appearance

• Full-size keyboard with four programmable launch keys

• Comfortable palm rest area with well-positioned touchpad

Expansion

• One Tpye III or two Type II CardBus PC Card slots

• Upgradeable memory modules

11

Indicators

The computer has seven easy-to-read status icons below the display
screen.

Icon Function Description

Wireless
communications

Lights when the Wireless LAN capability is
enabled.

English

Power Lights when the computer is on.

Sleep Lights when the computer enters Standby

mode and blinks when it enters into or
resumes from hibernation mode.

Media activity Lights when the hard disk or optical drive is

Battery charge Lights when the battery is being charged.

Caps Lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

Num Lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.

active.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate12

Indicators in cover

When the cover of your computer is closed, 2 easy-to-read icons are
shown, indicating which state or feature is enabled or disabled.

Icon Description

Lights up when the computer is on.

Lights when the computer enters Standby mode and blinks
when it enters into or resumes from hibernation mode.

13

Using the keyboard

The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded keypad, separate
cursor keys, two Windows keys and twelve function keys.

Special keys

Lock keys

The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.

Lock Key Description

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

uppercase.

English

Num Lock
(Fn-F11)

Scroll Lock
(Fn-F12)

When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in numeric
mode. The keys function as a calculator (complete with the
arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /). Use this mode when you
need to do a lot of numeric data entry. A better solution
would be to connect an external keypad.

When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up or down
when you press the up or down arrow keys respectively.
Scroll Lock does not work with some applications.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate14

Embedded numeric keypad

The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric
keypad. It is indicated by small characters located on the upper right
corner of the keycaps. To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control
key symbols are not printed on the keys.

Desired Access Num Lock On Num Lock Off

Number keys on
embedded keypad

Cursor-control keys
on embedded
keypad

Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typing letters

Note: If an external keyboard or keypad is connected to the
computer, the Num Lock feature automatically shifts from the
internal keyboard to the external keyboard or keypad.

Type numbers in a normal
manner.

Hold Shift while using
cursor-control keys.

on embedded keypad.

Hold Fn while using
cursor-control keys.

Type the letters in a
normal manner.

15

Windows keys

The keyboard has two keys that perform 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.

English

1 Getting to know your TravelMate16

Hot keys

The computer employs hot keys or key combinations to access most of
the computer’s controls like screen brightness, volume output and the
BIOS Utility.

To activate hot keys, press and hold the Fn key before pressing the
other key in the hot key combination.

Hot Key Icon Function Description

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

Fn-F2 Setup Launches the Notebook

Manager.

Fn-F3 Power

Management
Scheme toggle

Fn-F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep

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

mode.