Compaq Armada e500 - Notebook PC, Armada m300 - Notebook PC, Armada m700 - Notebook PC, Armada e500 PC Software Manual

January 2001

Prepared By
Commercial Products
Computing Group

Compaq Computer
Corporation

ONTENTS

C

K

EY FEATURES AND

B

NSTALLING THE

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C
S

C
T

EMPLATES

13W1-1200A-WW EN

...........................3

ENEFITS

OFTWARE

USTOMIZING THE

OFTWARE

USTOM KEYBOARD

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Using Easy Access Button Software on

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Compaq Commercial Products

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In mid-2000, Compaq introduced Easy Access Buttons (EAB) on the Deskpro Easy

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Access Keyboard and integrated EAB on new models of the Armada M300, E500, and

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M700 families. These buttons are designed to increase the productivity of business

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customers by providing one-touch access to favorite Internet destinations, files, or

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applications. Compaq provides EAB software as a convenient method to customize these

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buttons.

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This white paper describes the features provided by EAB software. This white paper also

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provides valuable information for customers who manage clients in an enterprise

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HITE

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APER

HITE PAPER

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Notice

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13W1-1200A-WWEN © 2000 Compaq Computer Corporation

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Compaq, the Compaq logo, Armada, and Deskpro Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

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iPAQ is a trademark of Compaq Information Technologies Group, L.P. in the United States and

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other countries.

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Microsoft, Windows, MS-DOS, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the

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United States and other countries.

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All other products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

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Compaq shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The

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information in this document is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind and is subject to

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change without notice. The warranties for Compaq products are set forth in the express limited

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warranty statements accompanying such products. Nothing herein should be construed as

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constituting an additional warranty.

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Using Easy Access Button Software on Compaq Commercial Products

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First Edition (January 2001)

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13W1-1200A-WW EN

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K

EY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

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Compaq has been an industry leader in providing innovative features that increase customer

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productivity and enhance the user experience. With the introduction of EAB on select Armada and

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Deskpro keyboards, the Compaq tradition of useful innovation continues. Following are some of

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the key features and benefits of the EAB enhancement:

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■ ECommerce/Internet Advantages — Compaq is committed to providing customers with

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comprehensive Internet and eCommerce solutions that increase productivity, efficiency, and
competitiveness. Critical information can be easily and immediately accessed with the touch of
a button. Users are instantly directed to targeted Internet destinations, increasing user
productivity and reducing costs.

■ Easy Access to Applications and Data — EAB software provides more than just quick access

to Internet destinations. All of the buttons can be programmed to launch routine applications
for individual users or to access important files. The ease-of-use features can increase
productivity by saving valuable time.

■ Destination Customization — Although the keyboard is shipped with several buttons already

programmed, users or IT administrators can reprogram the programmable buttons at any time
to meet specific needs. Buttons can be programmed to access Internet sites, applications, or
files.

■ Fast Access to Valuable Business Information — Eight buttons on the Easy Access Keyboard

are preprogrammed to access sites that are intended to provide valuable business information.
These buttons can be reprogrammed locally. Destination customization can be deployed by IT
professionals.

I

NSTALLING THE SOFTWARE

EAB software is preinstalled on your computer if the computer comes with an EAB keyboard or
has an integrated set of Easy Access Buttons. The EAB software is available for download from the
Compaq website at http://www.compaq.com/support/files/. To download and install this software, use
the following instructions:

1. Select the appropriate Compaq product type (desktop, notebook, and so forth).

2. Locate your computer by selecting the Family, Model, and Operating System, then click GO.

3. Identify the EAB Software from the list of applications, drivers, and software updates, then

click on the latest version number.

4. Click the Download button to transfer the software to your local hard drive.

5. Move the downloaded file into a temporary directory, and expand the compressed files by

selecting the Softpaq executable that has a file name similar to SPXXXX.EXE, where XXXX
represents the SoftPaq number.

6. Locate and run Setup.exe to begin installation of the software. Follow the on-screen
instructions provided.

13W1-1200A-WW EN

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C

USTOMIZING THE SOFTWARE

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Although the keyboard is shipped with the buttons preprogrammed, users or IT administrators can

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reprogram the buttons at any time. Buttons can be programmed to access Internet destinations,

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applications, or files.

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Schemes are a collection of user-defined button assignments that are unique to a Windows user

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profile. Multiple schemes can be created. For example, a scheme called Home can be created that

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contains button assignments for programs that are used at home, and another scheme called Work

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can be created for programs that are used at work.

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Accessing the EAB Software Interface

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Two methods can be used to access the interface:

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1. Click on the EAB icon located on the Windows System Tray next to the clock.

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2. Click on the EAB icon located in Start > Settings > Control Panel.

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Customizing EAB assignments

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Use the following instructions to customize a button assignment:

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1. Click the EAB icon located on the System Tray area in the lower right corner of the Windows

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taskbar. The EAB dialog displays.

2. From the Button Name list, select the button to which you want to assign an action.

3. Click the Browse button, then select File Browse from the menu.

4. Choose a file type (.url, .exe, *.*, .xls) from the Files of Type drop-down list.

5. Highlight the application, file, or URL that you want to assign to the button, and click Open.

6. Click OK to save new button assignments and exit the utility. Press the EAB that you assigned
to display the application, document, or URL on the screen.

13W1-1200A-WW EN

(cont.)

NOTE: The System Tray icon can be hidden by right-clicking the icon and
selecting hide. The System Tray icon can be unhidden by using MS-DOS to edit
the ikey.ini file or by using NotePad to change the ikey.ini file. Change the
HideInSysTray value to “0.” The ikey.ini file is located in the C:\Windows
subdirectory if you are using the Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating systems
or in the C:\WinNT subdirectory if you are using the Windows NT 4.0 or
Windows 2000 operating systems.

NOTE: Button assignments in the Compaq scheme are permanently assigned and
cannot be changed. To restore the factory default assignments, select the Compaq
scheme from the Scheme drop-down list.

NOTE: The .url file type and the Internet Explorer Favorites directory are
displayed by default. You may choose any file type and browse to any directory
on the hard drive. Choosing *.* under Files of Type displays all files.

SHORTCUT: You can also define EAB assignments by completing steps 1 and 2
in “Customizing EAB Assignments” and then dragging a shortcut from the
Windows desktop or a file from Windows Explorer onto the Button Assignment
text box. Click OK to save new button assignments and exit the utility.

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Adding Schemes

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Use the following instructions to add a new scheme:

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1. Click the EAB icon located in the status area (lower right corner) of the Windows taskbar.

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2. The EAB dialog displays.

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3. Click Add to create a new scheme.

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4. In the popup box, enter a name for the new scheme, then click OK.

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5. Define your button assignments.

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6. Click OK to exit the utility.

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More information about using this software is available in the EAB Help file, which can be

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accessed by pressing F1 or by clicking on the Help button in the application interface.

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Protecting EAB assignments

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In enterprise environments, a standard scheme for all clients can be assigned. To secure the button

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assignments, use the following instructions:

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1. Use MS-DOS to edit the ikey.ini file, or use NotePad to change the ikey.ini file. The ikey.ini

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file is located in the C:\Windows subdirectory if you are using a Windows 95 or Windows 98
operating system or in the C:\WinNT subdirectory if you are using a Windows NT 4.0 or
Windows 2000 operating system.

2. Change the KeyN.Status value to Lock, where N is the number (1 through 8) of the button to
be changed.

C

USTOM KEYBOARD TEMPLATES

Customers who create custom schemes for the Deskpro Easy Access Keyboard can replace the
standard button template included with the keyboard. To provide flexible solutions for customers,
Compaq provides an editable document with the correct dimensions to create a custom label insert.
This document is titled “Paper Insert Template.doc” and can be found on the Compaq EAB
Software installation disk or in the directory into which the application was installed. The default
directory is “C:\Program Files\Compaq\Compaq EAB Software.”

Customers can take advantage of the 17 icons provided with the file. Icons must be no larger than
32 pixels by 23 pixels to fit properly. After the desired icons are applied to the template, the
template can be printed and trimmed to fit into the plastic holder located above the keys on the
Deskpro Easy Access Keyboard.

Customers who want to create their own icons can contact Compaq through the Compaq website at

http://www.wetmore-printing.com/compaq/keyboard. For a nominal fee, Compaq can produce

custom templates using icons provided by customers.

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Q & A

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Is this software different than the software that was formerly provided with the Easy

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Access Keyboard?

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Yes, significant changes have been made to the EAB software. While the user interface is different,

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every effort has been made to maintain the key functionality from the previous version.

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Why was the software changed?

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The software was changed to provide a consistent application across all iPAQ, Deskpro,

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workstation, and Armada products. Customers who are familiar with the application on one product

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will know how to use the application on all Compaq commercial products.

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Why does my new computer have the previous version of the EAB software?

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Compaq offers select models within various product families that provide stability and consistency.

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The preinstalled images that ship when these products are introduced may not change for the life of

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the product. This means that some desktop models introduced prior to the release of the new EAB

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will continue to ship with the previous version of software.

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How is the new EAB software different from the previous version?

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The new Compaq EAB software is available in 25 different languages, but the previous version is

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available in only 6 languages.

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Additionally, while you can change individual button assignments in both the Netropa and Compaq

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software, only the Compaq EAB software allows you to create multiple sets of button assignments.

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Names given to the Netropa buttons are limited to 10 characters. The Compaq EAB software

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allows button names of over 200 characters.

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Can I install the new EAB software if my Internet keyboard only has seven buttons?

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The EAB software is designed for desktop keyboards that have eight buttons and for portable

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computers that have four buttons. The software will function on desktop keyboards with seven

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buttons, but the software may not recognize the destinations that are assigned to the buttons.

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Pressing a certain button may not open the Internet site or application that is indicated by the

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button’s icon.

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13W1-1200A-WW EN

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(cont.)