Acer TravelMate 260, TravelMate 220 User Guide

TravelMate 220/260 series

User’s guide

TravelMate 220/260 series User’s guide Original Issue: December 2001

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 220/260 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.

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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 PDF (Portable Document Format). Follow these steps:

1 Click on Start, Programs, TravelMate. 2 Click on TravelMate 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 menu.

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A handy Hot key pocket reference card is useful for quick glances at functional key combinations.

An Online guide is your helping hand on-the-go, with easy to access, detailed and linked information about your computer.

To access the online guide:

1 Click on Start, Programs, TravelMate. 2 Click on TravelMate Online guide.

Lastly, there may be a Read me first sheet included with your package which contains important reminders and updates. So, please read through it.

For more information about our products, services, and support information, please visit our Web site (global.acer.com

Basic care and tips for using your computer

Turning your computer on and off

To turn on the computer, simply slide and then release the power switch on the left side of your TravelMate. See “Left view” on page 4 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 23.

• 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 23.

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. again, wait at least two seconds before powering up.

If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on

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 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.

• 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.

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.

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 43.

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 4 Right view 5 Rear view 6

Bottom view 7 Features 8 Indicators 10 Using the keyboard 11

Special keys 11 Touchpad 17

Touchpad basics 17 Storage 19

Hard disk 19

AcerMedia drive 19

Floppy drive 21 Audio 22

Adjusting the volume 22 Power management 23 Moving around with your TravelMate 24

Disconnecting from the desktop 24

Moving around 24

Taking the computer home 25

Traveling with the computer 27

Traveling internationally with the computer 27 Securing your computer 29

Using a computer security lock 29

Using passwords 29

Contents

2 Customizing my computer 33

Expanding through options 35

AcerMedia bay modules 35

Connectivity options 35

Upgrade options 39 Using system utilities 41

Notebook Manager 41

Launch Manager 41

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BIOS Utility 42

3 Troubleshooting my computer 43

Frequently-asked questions 45 Error messages 49 Requesting service 51

International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 51 Before you call 51

Appendix A Specifications 53

Appendix B Notices 59

Index 67

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.

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

# Item Description

1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display),

displays computer output.

2 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which

functions like a computer mouse.

3 Floppy activity indicator LED (light-emitting diode) that turns on

and off when the floppy is active.

4 Floppy drive Internal diskette drive; accepts 3.5-inch

diskettes.

5 Floppy disk eject button Push this button to eject the floppy disk.

6 Click buttons (left,

center and right)

The left and right buttons function like the left and right mouse buttons; the center button serves as a scroll up/down button.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4

# Item Description

7 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands

when you use the computer.

8 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.

9 Status indicators LEDs that turn on and off to show the

status of the computer, its functions and components.

Left view

# Item Description

1 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible

computer security lock.

2 PC Card slot Connects to one Type III or one Type II

16-bit PC Card or 32-bit CardBus PC Card.

3 Eject button Ejects PC Card from the card slot.

4 Power switch Turns on the computer power.

5 Speaker/Headphone-out jack Connects to audio line-out devices

(e.g., speakers, headphones).

6 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g.,

audio CD player, stereo walkman).

# Item Description

7 Microphone-in jack Accepts a mono/stereo condenser

microphone.

8 Volume control Controls the volume of the speakers.

9 Video capture kit slot Accepts the video capture kit option

on the left side of the computer.

Right view

# Item Description

1 Video capture kit slot Accepts the video capture kit option on the

right side of the computer.

2 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

3 AcerMedia drive Houses removable media drive modules.

4 LED indicator Lights up when the AcerMedia drive is active.

5 Eject button Ejects the compact disc from the drive.

6 Emergency eject slot Ejects the compact disc when the computer is

turned off. See page 46 for more details.

7 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6

Rear view

# Item Description

1 PS/2 port Connects to any PS/2-compatible device (e.g., PS/2

keyboard/mouse/keypad).

2 Serial port Connects to a serial device (e.g., serial mouse).

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

printer).

4 USB ports (two) Connect to any Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,

USB mouse, USB camera).

5 External display

port

6 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.

7 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based network.

Connects to a display device (e.g., external monitor, LCD projector) and displays up to 64K colors at 1280x1024 resolution.

Bottom view

# Item Description

1Memory

compartment

2 Hard disk anti-

shock protection

3 Personal

identification slot

4 AcerMedia bay

release latch

5 AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.

6 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.

7 Battery release

latch

8 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured by a

Houses the computer's main memory.

Protects your hard disk against shocks.

Insert a business card or similar-sized identification card to personalize your computer.

Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for removal or swapping.

Unlatches the battery to remove the battery pack.

screw).

1 Getting to know your TravelMate8

Features

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

Performance

• Intel® Mobile Pentium® III processor with 512 KB cache or Intel® Mobile Celeron® processor with 128 KB or 256 KB cache

• 64-bit memory bus

• AcerMedia bay (removable CD or DVD drive)

• Built-in floppy drive

• High-capacity Enhanced-IDE hard disk

• High-capacity battery pack

• Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) power

management system

Display

• Large Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying 32-bit true-color at 1024x768 XGA (eXtended Graphics Array) resolution

• 3D capabilities

• Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support

• Supports other output display devices such as LCD projection

panels for large-audience presentations

• "Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically decides the best settings for your display and conserves power

• Dual display capability

Multimedia

• 16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio with 3D sound and wavetable synthesizer

• Built-in dual speakers

• High-speed CD or DVD drive (AcerMedia bay)

Connectivity

• High-speed fax/data modem port

• Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port

• USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports

Human-centric design and ergonomics

• All-in-one design (CD or DVD drive, floppy drive, and hard disk)

• Sleek, smooth and stylish design

• Full-sized keyboard

• Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device

Expansion

• One Type III or one Type II CardBus PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) slot

• Upgradeable memory

1 Getting to know your TravelMate10

Indicators

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

The Power and Sleep status icons are visible even when you close the display cover so you can see the status of the computer while the cover is closed.

Icon Function Description

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 floppy drive, hard disk or

AcerMedia drive is active.

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.

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.

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.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate12

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.

Windows keys

The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions.

Key Description

Windows logo key



Application key Opens a context menu (same as a right-click).

Start button. Combinations with this key perform shortcut functions. Below are a few examples:

+ Tab (Activates next taskbar button)



+ E (Explores My Computer)



+ F (Finds Document)



+ M (Minimizes All)



Shift +  + M (Undoes Minimize All)

+ R (Displays the Run... dialog box)



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.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate14

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 Accesses the computer’s

configuration utility.

Fn-F3 Power

Management Scheme Toggle

Fn-F4 Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep

Fn-F5 Display Toggle Switches display output

Fn-F6 Screen Blank Turns the display screen

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

See the Online guide for details.

mode. See the Online guide for

details.

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

backlight off to save power. Press any key to return.

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