Gateway 1150 schematic

Contents

1 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Using function keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Using multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

3 Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Desktop items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Window items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

About drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

About folders and files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Using the Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Working with documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

i

Please check out our eBay auctions for more great
deals on Factory Service Manuals:

Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

4 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

5 Using Drives and Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Using Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Using the CD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Playing audio and video files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Listening to music CDs in Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Listening to Internet radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Using advanced features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

6 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Setting up your cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Faxing from programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Receiving and viewing a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

7 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Recharging the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

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Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Changing automatic power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

8 Customizing Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Adjusting the screen area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Programming the multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

About installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

9 Travel Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

10 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Replacing the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

11 Maintaining Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Caring for your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Creating an emergency startup diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Protecting your computer from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Managing hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Checking hard drive space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Using Disk Cleanup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Scanning the hard drive for errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Defragmenting the hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Backing up files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Using Maintenance Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Cleaning your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

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Cleaning the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Cleaning the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

12 Restoring Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

Reinstalling device drivers or programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

Reinstalling device drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145

Reinstalling programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

Reinstalling Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

13 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

CD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151

Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153

File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

LCD panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

ScanDisk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

14 Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

HelpSpot™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176

Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177

Before calling Gateway technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Tutoring and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

iv

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

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vi

Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Tips & Tricks To access the contents of this manual while you are

traveling, download the manual from
www.gateway.com/support/manlib/.

1

1

Top

Component Description

Pow er i n di c a t or

light

Battery charge

indicator light

Power indicator light Lights up when the notebook is turned on and shows

notebook power status:

■

LED on – notebook is ON.

■

LED off – notebook is OFF or in Hibernate.

■

LED flashing – notebook is in Standby.

Battery charge indicator
light

The battery is installed. The LED shows the battery
activity and status.

■

Green – battery is fully charged.

■

Orange – battery is being charged.

■

Red – batter y is low.

■

Blinking and red – battery is very low.

■

Blinking and orange – battery is malfunctioning.

2 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Front

Component Description

Cover release latch Open notebook cover by pressing the release latch.

Cover release latch

Front 3

Right

CD drive

CD drive
indicator light

CD drive eject button

Modem
jack

USB (Universal
Serial Bus) port

Component Icon Description

CD drive Insert CDs into this drive.
CD drive indicator light Lights up when the computer is accessing the

CD drive.

CD drive eject button Press the eject button to eject the disc tray from the

drive.

Modem jack Plug a modem into this jack.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)
port

Plug a USB device (such as a USB Iomega™ Zip™
drive) into this port.

4 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Left

PC Card
eject button

PC Card
slot

Diskette drive

Diskette drive
eject button

Component Icon Description

PC Card eject button Press the eject button to remove a PCCard from the

PC Card slot. For more information, see “Adding
PC Cards” on page 116

PC Card slot Insert one T y pe I, II, III, or Zoom Video PC Card into this

slot. For more information, see “Adding PC Cards” on
page 116

Diskette drive Insert a standard 3.5-inch diskette into this drive.

(Available only on some models.)

Diskette drive eject button Press the eject button to remove a diskette from the

drive.

Left 5

Back

Kensington™
lock slot

USB (Universal
Serial Bus) port

External
microphone jack

Speaker out or
headphone jac k

Monitor port

Power
connector

Component Icon Description

Kensington™ lock slot Secure your computer to an object by connecting a

Kensington cable l ock to this s lot.

USB
(Universal Serial Bus)
port

External microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack.

Speaker out or
headphone jack

Monitor port Plug the monitor into this port.

Power connector Plug the AC power adapter cable into this connector.

Plug a USB device (such as a USB Iomega™ Zip™
drive) into this port.

Plug external speakers or headphones into this jack.

6 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Bottom

Hard
drive bay

Battery
release
latch

Battery

identification label

Component Icon Description

Hard drive bay Remove the bay cover to replace the hard drive.
Battery release latch Slide to release battery.

Battery Insert battery into this bay.
System identification

label

Find the product model number and serial number on
this label.

System

Certificate of

Authenticity label

Memory bay

Certificate of Authenticit y
label

Memory bay Install a memory module into this bay.

Find the registra tion ke y for the operating syst em on this
label.

Bottom 7

Identifying y our model

The label on the bottom of your computer contains informa tion that
identifies your notebook model. Technical supp ort will need this information
if you ca ll for assi stance . Label inf ormatio n varies by model .

Revision code and
display type/ processor size

Gatewa y mo del
number

Gateway serial
number

00.0X/000XXX X 0.0/XX

Gateway

part number

8 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Accessories

Gateway offers accessories that can help you make the most of using your

notebook.

Batteries and automobile/airplane power adapt ers

If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you may

want to buy an additional battery so that you can swap batteries when

necessary.

With an automobile/airplane power adapter, you can save battery power by

plugging your notebook into an automobile cigarette lighter or an airplane

in-flight power receptacle.

Carrying cases

Gateway has large-capacity carrying cases if you need additional space for

accessories or supplies.

External devices

You can attach an external monitor to your notebook or USB devices such as

a keyboard, mouse, or printer.

Memory

Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of

memory. If your programs are running more slowly than you think they

should, try adding more memory.

Printers

You can attach almost any type of USB printer to your computer. The most

common types are inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black and

white.

Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but usually they are

slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you ca n print pictures,

banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.

Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but usually they print much

faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers when

you are printing large documents.

Accessories 9

10 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Getting Started

This chapter explains how to:

■ Connect the AC power adapter

■ Start your notebook

■ Turn off your notebook

■ Identify status indicators

■ Use your keyboard

■ Use your touchpad and external mouse

2

11

Connecting the A C adapter

Y ou can run y our notebook using an AC adapter or the notebook battery . The
battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use the AC adapter
right away to fully charge the battery.

Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your

notebook on battery pow er f or the first tim e, the battery lif e
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for 24 hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For information, see
“Recalibrating the battery” on page 139.

To connect the AC adapter:

1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter, then plug it in to a wall power

outlet.

Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The

12 Getting Started

AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The A C adapter has dangerous vo ltages that
can cause serious injury or dea th. Contact G ate wa y about
returning defective AC adapters.

2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook’s power connector.

The battery charging indicator light turns on. If the battery charging
indicator light does not turn on, disconnect the adapter from your
notebook and repeat Step 2.

3 When you finish using your notebook, turn the notebook off and leave

the notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours.

Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The

AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The A C adapter has dangerous vo ltages that
can cause serious injury or dea th. Contact G ate wa y about
returning defective AC adapters.

Connecting the ACadapter 13

Protecting from power source problems

During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your
computer can increase to far above normal levels and cause data loss or system
damage. Protect your computer and peripherals by connecting them to a surge
protector, which will absorb voltage surges and prevent them from reaching
your computer.

Warning High voltages can enter your computer through both the

power cord and the modem connection. Protect your
computer by using a surge protector. If you have a
telephone modem, use a surge protector that has a
modem jack. If you have a cable modem, use a surge
protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.

14 Getting Started

Starting your notebook

To start the notebook:

1 Open your notebook by pressing the latch on the front of your notebook

to the right and lifting the LCD panel.

2 Press the power button located above the keyboard.

Power button

The power button is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can also set
it to function in Standby/Resume mode. For more information, see
“Changing power modes” on page 93.

3 If you are starting your computer for the first time, follow the on-screen

instructions to set up your computer.

Connecting the ACadapter 15

W aking up your notebook

Warning Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The

replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage
rating as the original cord or the notebook may damaged.

When you have not used your computer for several minutes, it will go into
a power-saving mode called Standby. While in Standby, the computer screen
darkens and the power indicator light flashes. When you are ready to use your
computer, “wake” it up by pressing the power button. For more information
on changing power-saving settings or changing the power button settings, see
“Managing Power” on page 87.

T urning off your notebook

To turn off your notebook:

1 Click Start, then select Shut Down. The Shut Down Windows dialog box

opens.

2 Select Shut Down.
3 Click OK. Windows shuts down and turns off your notebook.

Important If for some reason you cannot use the Shut down option

16 Getting Started

in Windows to turn off your notebook, press the power
button for about five seconds.

Status indicators

Caps Lock

Pad Lock

Scroll Lock

Hard drive

CD drive Diskette drive

Status indicators 17

This light turns
on...

1

When...

Caps Lock is turned on.

Pad Lock is turned on.

Scroll Lock is turned on.

The notebook is accessing the diskette drive.

The notebook is accessing the hard drive.

The notebook is accessing the CD drive.

18 Getting Started

Keyboard

Function keys

Numeric keypad

Function keys

Navigation keys

FN key

Your notebook features a full-size keyboard that has the full functionality of

a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assigned alternate

functions, including shortcut keys for Windows, function keys for specific

system operations, and the Pad Lock keys for the numeric keypad.

You can attach an external keyboard to the notebook using the USB ports.

You do not need to shut down the notebook to connect the USB keyboard.

Windows
key

Windows key

Application
key

Arrow keys

Keyboard 19

Component Icon Description

Function keys Press thes e gr e e n-c ol o red keys to pe r for m ac ti o ns in

programs. For example, pressing F1 may open help.
Each program uses differen t function ke ys f or diff erent

purposes. Refer to the prog ram document ati on to fi nd
out more about the function key actions.

Numeric keypad Use these keys to type numbers when Pad Lock is

turned on. Press

Navigation keys Press these keys to move the cursor to the beginning

of a line, to the end of a line, up the page, down the
page, to the beginning of a document, or to the end
of a document.

N key Press the FN key in combination with a green-colored

F

function key (such as F4 or F10) to perform a specific
action.

Windows key Press to open the Wi ndows Start menu. These keys

can also be used in combination with other keys to
open utilities like F(Search utility), R (Run utility), and
E (Explorer utility).

Application key Press for quick access to shortcut menus and help

assistants in Windows.

FN+F9 to turn on the numeric keypad.

Arrow keys Press these keys to move the cursor up, down, right,

or left.

20 Getting Started

Using function keys

When you press an FN key and a Function key at the same time, the notebook

performs an action such as displaying the power status, turning on the Scroll

Lock, and adjusting the brightness of the screen

.

Press and hold FN while
pressing this Function key...

To...

Display the power status pop-up menu.

Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external
monitor , or bo th at the same time. A monitor must be p lug ged
into the monitor port on the notebook.

Enter Standby mode. Press the power button to resume from
Standby mode.

Turn on Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. Press
this key co mbina tion agai n to turn off P adLock. The P ad Lock
status indicator lights up while this function is turned on.

Pause text scrolling. (This function is only available in some
programs.) T he Scroll Loc k status in dicator ligh ts up when t his
function is turned on.

Pause te xt scro lling. Press any k e y to contin ue scroll ing. (This
function is only available in some programs.)

Stop the currently running DOS prog ram. (Thi s function is onl y
available in some programs.)

Increase the volume.

Keyboard 21

Press and hold FN while
pressing this Function key...

To...

Decrease the volume.

Mute the volume.

Increase the contrast of the display.

Decrease the contrast of the display.

22 Getting Started

Using multi-fu nction buttons

E-mail

Internet

Help

Shortcut

s

Keyboard 23

Button Icon Press to...

E-mail Open your e-mail program.

Internet Open your Web browser.

Help Open online help.

Shortcut Open the program you assign to this key.

For information on programming the multi-function buttons, see
“Programming the multi-function buttons” on page 109.

24 Getting Started

Using the EZ P ad touchpad

The EZ Pad™ consists of a touchpad and two buttons.

Touchpad

Left
touchpad
button

Right
touchpad
button

Using the EZ Pad touchpad 25

When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen
moves in the sam e directi on.

You can use the EZ-Pad left and right buttons below the touchpad to select
objects.

To... Do this...

Move the poin ter
on the screen.

Select an object
on the screen.

26 Getting Started

Move y our finger around on the
touchpad. If you run out of
space on your touchpad and
need to move the pointer
farther, lift your finger, move it
to the middle of the touchpad,
then continue moving your
finger.

Position the point er over the
object. Press the left button
below the touc hpad o nce . This
action is called clicking.

To... Do this...

Start a program
or open a file or
folder.

Access a
shortcut menu or
find more
information
about an object
on the screen.

Move an object
on the screen.

Position the point er over the
object. Press the left button
below the touchpad twice in
rapid succession. This action is
called double-clicking.

Position the point er over the
object. Quickly press and
release the right button once.
This action is called
right-clicking.

Position the point er over the
object. Press the left button
and hold it down, then use the
touchpad to move (drag) the
object to the appropriate part of
the screen. Release the b utton
to drop the object where you
want it.

Using the EZ Pad touchpad 27

28 Getting Started

Windows Basics

Read this chapter to get basic information on how to:

■ Wo rk on the Windows desktop

■ Manage files and folders

■ Wo r k w i t h d ocum e n t s

■ Use shortcuts

HelpSpot For more information on using Windows, double-click the

3

HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

29

About the Windows en viro nment

After your computer starts, the first screen you see is the Windows desktop.
The desktop is like the top of a real desk. Think of the desktop as your
personalized work space where you open programs and perform other tasks.

Y our deskto p may be different from the example shown below , depending on
how your computer is set up.

30 Windows Basics

Desktop item s

Icons are graphic representations of objects on the desktop that you select and

open, such as a drive, folder, file, or program. Buttons are graphic

representations of controls that you use to open windows or apply changes.

Desktop icons, buttons, and elements Description

The My Computer icon provides access to drives
and other computer co ntrols. Doub le-click the My
Computer icon to vie w th e dri ves and folders on
your computer.

My Documents is a folder where you store your
personal f iles. You can create other folders to
save files in, but My Docum ents is easy t o find
because it is on the desktop. Double-click My
Documents to view your personal files and
folders.

The Recycle Bin is where files, folders, and
programs that you discarded are stored. You
must empty the Recycle Bin to permanently
delete them from y ou r comp uter. For instructions
on how to use the Rec ycle Bin, see “Deletin g files
and folders” on page 41.

Microsoft Internet Explorer is a program called a
browser that lets you view Web sites and Web
pages on the Internet. Double-click this icon to
open the browser.

The Gateway .net and America Online Included
icons let you connect to the Gateway.net or
America Online ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Double-click either the Gateway.net or America
Online Included icon to dial one of the services.

Gateway has provided an easily accessible
interactive guide called HelpSpot. This guide is
designed to provide help information and let you
quickly discover and use the features of your
computer. Double-click the HelpSpot icon to
begin.

About the Windows environment 31

Desktop icons, buttons, and elements Description

The Star t button provides access t o programs,
files, help for Windows and other programs, and
computer tools and utilities.

Click the Start button, then op en a file or prog ram
by cli cki ng ( selecting) an item on t he menu t hat
opens.

The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of the screen containing the Start button on the left and a
clock on the right. Other buttons on the ta skbar represent programs that are running.

Click a program’s button on the taskbar to activate the program’s window.

32 Windows Basics

Window items

When you double-click the icon for a drive, folder, files, or program, a window

opens on the desktop. This example shows the

opens after double-clicking the

window.

Local Disk (C:) window, which

Local Disk (C:) icon in the My Computer

Title bar

Menu bar

Close
button

Maximize
button

Minimize
button

About the Windows environment 33

Every program window looks a little different because each has its own menus,
icons, and controls. Most windows include these items:

Window item Description

The title ba r is the horizontal bar at the top of
a window that shows the name of the program.

Clicking t he minimize button reduces the active
window to a but ton on the ta skbar. Clicking the
program button in the taskbar opens the
window again .

Clicking the maximize button expands the
active window to fit the entire screen. Clicking
the maximize button agai n restores t he windo w
to its former s ize.

Clicking the close button closes the active
window or pr ogram.

Clicking an item on the menu ba r starts an
action such as Print or Save.

34 Windows Basics

Using the Start menu

You can sta rt progra ms, open files, cu stomize your syst em, get he lp, search

for files and folders, and more using the

To open the Start menu:

■ Click the Start but ton on t he lower left of t he Win dows des ktop. Th e Start

menu opens showing you the first level of menu items.

When you move the mouse pointer ov er any menu item that has an arrow

next to it, another menu, or submenu, opens and reveals related files,

programs, or commands. Click a file or program to open it.

Start menu.

Using the Start menu 35

W orking with files and f olders

You can organize your files and programs to suit your preferences much like
you would store information in a file cabinet. You can store these files in
folders and copy, move , and delete the information just as you would
reorganize and throw away information in a file cabinet.

HelpSpot For more information on working with files and folders,

double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

About drives

Drives are like file cabinets because they hold files and folders. A computer
almost always has more than one drive. Each drive has a letter, usually

Disk (C:)

also have more drives such as a CD drive.

To view the drives on your computer:

for the hard drive and 3½ Floppy (A:) for the diskette drive. You may

■ Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop.

Local

Drives

36 Windows Basics

To see the files and folders on a drive:

■ Double-click the drive icon. If you do not see the contents of a drive after

you double-click its icon, click

View the entire contents of this drive.

Working with files and folders 37

About folders and files

Folders are much like the folders in a file cabinet. They contain files and other
folders.

Files are much like pa per documents—letters, spreadsheets, and pictures—that
you keep on your computer. In fact, all information on a computer is stored
in files.

Folders

Files

To create a folder:

1 Doubl e-click the My Compute r icon on the desktop. The My Computer

window opens.

2 Double-click the drive or folder, for example 3½ Floppy (A:) or Local

Disk (C:)

The drive or folder window opens. If you do not see the contents of the
drive or folder, click

, where you want to p ut the new folder.

3 Select File, then New, then Folder. The new folder is created.
4 Type a name for the folder, then press ENTER. The new folder name

appears under the folder.

38 Windows Basics

View the entire contents of [this drive or this folder].

Copying and moving files and f olders

The skills you need to copy and move files are copying, cutting, and pasting.

When you copy and paste a selection, you place a copy of the file you selected

on the Windows clipboard, which stores it. Then, when you decide what folder

you want the copy to go in (the destination folder), you paste it there.

When you cut and paste a selection, you remove the file from its folder and

place the file on the Windows clipboard. When you decide where you want

the file to go, you paste it there.

Important The clipboard stores whatever you cut or copy until you

cut or copy again. Then the clipboard contains the new
information only. Therefore, you can paste copies of a file
into more than one place, but as soon as you copy or cut
a file again, the old file is deleted from the clip board.

To copy a file or folder to another folder:

1 Right-click the file or folder that you want to copy. A menu opens on

the desktop.

2 Select Copy from the menu.
3 Open the destination folder.
4 With the pointer inside the destination folder, press the right touchpad

button.

5 Select Paste. A copy of the file or folder appears in the new location.

Working with files and folders 39

To move a file or folder to another folder:

1 Right-click the file or folder that you want to move. A menu opens on

the desktop.

2 Select Cut from the menu.
3 Open the destination folder.
4 With the pointer inside the destination folder, press the right touchpad

button.

5 Select Paste. The file or folder you moved appears in its new location and

is removed from its old location.

40 Windows Basics

Deleting files and f olders

When you throw away paper files and folders, you take them from the file

cabinet and put them in a trash can. Eventually the trash can is emptied.

In Windows, you throw away files and folders by first moving them to

Windows trash can, the Recycle Bin, where they remain until you decide to

empty the bin.

You ca n recover any file in the Recy cle Bin as long as the bin ha s not been

emptied.

To delete files or folders:

1 In My Computer or Windows Explorer, select the files or folders that you

want to delete. For instructions on how to select multiple files and folders,
see “Shortcuts” on page 52.

2 Select File, then Delete. Windows moves the files and folders to the

Recycle Bin.

To recov er files or folders from the Recycle Bin:

1 Doubl e-click the Recycle Bin icon. The Recycle Bin window opens listing

the files and folders you have thrown away since you last emptied it.

2 Select the files or folders that you want to restore. For instructions on

how to select multiple files and folders, see “Shortcuts” on page 52.

3 Select File, then Restore. Windows returns the deleted files or folders to

their original locations.

Working with files and folders 41

To empty the Recycle Bin:

Caution Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently erases any files or

folders in the bin. These files cannot be restored.

1 Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. The Recycle Bin window

opens.

2 Select File, then Empty Recycle Bin. Windows asks you if you are sure that

you want to empty the bin.

3 Click Yes. Windows permanently deletes all the files in the Recycle Bin.

42 Windows Basics

Bro wsing for fil es and folder s

A file or folder that you need is rarely right on top of your Windows desktop.

It is usually on a drive inside a folder that may be inside yet another folder,

and so on.

Windows drives, folders, and files are organized in the same way as a real file

cabinet in that they may have many levels (usually many more levels than

a file cabinet, in fact). So you usually will have to searc h through levels of

folders to find the file or folder that you need. This is called browsing.

To browse for a file:

1 Doubl e-click the My Compute r icon on the desktop.
2 Double-click the drive or folder that you think contains the file or folder

that you want to find.

3 Continue double-clicking folders and their subfolders until you find the

file or folder you want. (If you do not see the contents of a folder, click

View the entire contents of this folder.)

Working with files and folders 43

Searc hing for files

If you are looking for a particular file or folder or a set of files or folders that
have characteristics in common, but you do not remember where they are
stored on your hard drive, you can use the Search utility in Windows Me to
search by:

■ Name or part of a name

■ Creation date

■ Modification date

■ File type

■ Text contained in the file

■ Time period in which it was created or modified

You ca n also combine sea rch criteria to refine searches .
Files and folders found using these utilities can be opened, copied, cut,

renamed, or deleted directly from the list in the results window.

44 Windows Basics

Using the Searc h utility

To find files and folders using the Search utility:

1 Click Start, then select Search, then For Files or F olde r s. The search dialog

box opens.

2 If you want to search by file or folder name, type in all or part of the

file or folder name in the
pane of the window.

Search for files or folders named: box in the left

■ If you type all of the name, Search will list all files and folders of

that name.

■ If you type part of the name, Search will list all of the file and folder

names containing the letters you typed.

Searching for files 45

3 Click Search Now. When the search is completed, Windows lists the files

and folders whose names contain the text that you searched for.

4 Open a file, folder, or program by double-clicking the name in the list.

Using advanced search options

Search can find files meeting more criteria than file name. You can select
options to narrow your search by clicking
options t hat you w ant:

Search Options and selecting the

■ Date searches for files that were created or modified on a specific date or

during a specific period.

■ Size searches for files of a specific size.

■ Type searches for files of a specific type, such as a program or a text

document.

■ Advanced Options give you access to further search options.

46 Windows Basics

W orking with documents

Documents are commonly word processing files, spreadsheet files, or other

similar files. The basic methods of creating, saving, opening, and printing a

document apply to most of these types of files.

The following examples illustrate the concepts for creating, saving, opening,

and printing a document in Microsoft

Microsoft W ord, similar procedures apply to other programs such as Microsoft

Excel, Microsoft Works, and Microsoft Publisher.

For more information about using a program, select

®

Word. Though these examples use

Help on the menu bar.

Working with documents 47

Creating a ne w document

HelpSpot F or more information on creating a documen t, doubl e-click

the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To create a new document:

1 Click Start, then select Programs, then Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word

starts and a blank docu ment opens.

2 Select File, then New. The New dialog box opens.

3 Click a tab for the type of document you want to create, select a

documen t templ ate styl e, then click

4 Begin composing your document. Use the me nu s and toolbar buttons at

the top of the window to format the document.

48 Windows Basics

OK. The document template opens.

Saving a document

After you create a document, you need to save it if you want to use it later.

HelpSpot For more information on saving a document, double-click

the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To save a document in Microsoft Word:

1 Select File, then Save. The Save As dialog box opens.
2 In the Save in list, find the folder you plan to save the file in.
3 Type the new file name.

File

folder

File

name

4 Click Save.

Working with documents 49

Opening a document

To view, revise, or print an existing document, you need to op en it. Open
the document in the program it was created in.

HelpSpot F or more information on opening a documen t, doubl e-click

the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To open a document in Microsoft Word:

1 Click Start, then select Programs, then Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word

starts and a blank docu ment opens.

2 Select File, then Open.
3 In the Look in list, find the folder you want to open.

File

folder

File

name

4 Double-click the document file name. The document opens.

50 Windows Basics

Printing a document

To print a document, you must have a printer connected to your computer

or have access to a network printer. For more information about installing or

using you r printe r, refer to the printer documen tation.

HelpSpot F or m ore information on printing a doc ument, do ub le -clic k

the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To print a document in Microsoft Word:

1 Make sure that the printer is turned on and loaded with paper.
2 Star t Microsoft Word and open a document.
3 Select File, then Print. The Print dialog box opens.
4 Select the print options, then click OK. The document prints.

Working with documents 51

Shortcuts

The following table shows a fe w shortc uts tha t yo u ca n use in Windows and
almost all programs that run in W indows. For more information on W indows
shortcuts, see your Windows or program documentation.

To... Do this...

Copy a file, folder, text, or graphic Select the item, then press CTRL + C.
Cut a file, folder, text, or graphic Select the item, then press C
Paste a file, folder, text, or graphic Select the item, then press C
Select multiple icons on the desktop Click the first icon, press and hold down the C

then click ea ch of t he r emaini ng ic ons tha t you want to
select.

Select multiple items in a list or in an
Explorer window

Select multiple adjacent items in a list Click the first item in the list, press and hold down the

Permanently de lete a file or folder Click the file or folder, then press S

Rename a file or folder Select the file or folder, press F2, type the new name,

Close the active window o r program Pr ess A
Switch to a different file, folder, or

running program

Click the first item, press and hold down the C
then click each of the remaining items.

HIFT key, then click the last item in the list.

S

file is permanently deleted and is not stored in the
Recycle Bin.

then press E

Press A

NTER.
LT + F4.
LT + TAB.

TRL + X.
TRL + V.

TRL key,

TRL key,

HIFT + DELETE. The

52 Windows Basics

Using the Internet

This chapter provides information about the Internet and the World Wide
W eb, a nd tells you how to set up Gateway.net
services so that you can send and receive e-mail and ac cess other Internet
resources.

4

SM

or America Online® Internet

53

Learning about the Internet

The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together to provide
information to people everywhere. The two most popular services on the
Internet are e-mail and the World Wide Web. You can access this network by
connecting your computer to a telephone, DSL, or cable line and signing up
with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Internet Ser vers

store infor mation so other
computers can access it
from the Internet.

Yo u r com p u ter
connects to the
Internet through
an ISP.

ISP Servers
let you connect to
the Internet and
access your e-mail
messages.

If you want to access the Internet you need:

■ A modem – a device that connects your computer, using a telephone,

DSL, or cable line, to other computers or servers.

■ An I nternet Service Provider – a company that provides access to the

Internet through an ISP server. When you connect to an ISP, the ISP server
lets you access the Internet and yo ur e-mail messages.

■ A Web browser – a program that displays information from the World

Wide Web .

■ An e-mail program – a program that lets you create, send, and receive

e-mail messages over the Internet.

54 Using the Internet

Setting up an Internet account

Before you can view the information on the World Wide Web, you need to
set up an Internet account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you have
chosen Gateway.net or America Online as an ISP, follow these instructions to
set up and connect to your account. To establish a different ISP service, or to
transfer an existing account to this computer, contact the ISP directly.

If you set up an account with Gateway.net or America Online, an Internet
e-mail address is created for you. After completing the setup you are ready to
access the Internet.

HelpSpot For more information on setting up an Internet account,

double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To set up an Internet account with Gateway.net or America Online:

1 Doubl e-click the Register with Gateway.n et or the America Online Included

icon. If you do not find the service you want on the Windows desktop,
then look for the
the Online Services folder on the Windows desktop.

2 Follow the on-screen instructions. After setting up your account, you can

connect to the Internet and access your e-mail services.

Gateway.net or America Online Included icon located in

Setting up an Internet account 55

Accessing your Internet account

HelpSpot For more information on accessing your Internet account,

double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To connect to your Gateway.net or America Online Internet account:

1 Doubl e-click the Connect to Gateway.net or America Online Included icon.

The Connect dialog box open s.

2 Complete the member name and password information, then click

Connect. The computer dials the Internet account phone number.

If you are using a service other than Gateway.net or America Online,
check with your ISP for the proper procedure to conn ect.

After connecting, the W eb browser window opens. For information about the
We b and the Web brow ser, see “Using the World Wide Web” on page 57.

To disconnect from your Gateway.net or America Online Internet account:

■ Click X in the top right corner of the Gateway.net or America Online

program. Your computer disconnects from the Internet.
If you are using a service other than Gateway.net or America Online,

check with your ISP for the proper procedure to di sconnect.

Important Make sure that your computer disconnects properly from

56 Using the Internet

your Internet account. If you do not have an “unlimited
hours” ISP account, you may have to pay for the time that
you are connected, even if you are not at the computer.

Using the W orld Wide W eb

The World Wide Web is a multimedia window to the Internet that gives you
access to millions of information sources.

Information on the Web comes to you on We b p ag e s , which are elec tronic
documents that you view using a Web page display program called a browser.
You can use any of the commercially available Web browsers, like Microsoft
Internet Explorer, which comes installed on your new computer.

Web pages can contain not only text, but animations, music, and other
multimedia features.

A group of related Web p ages is called a Web s it e. You can access Web sites to
shop, track investments, read the news, download programs, and much more.

You can explore a Web site or visit other Web sites by clicking areas on the
W eb page called links, or hyperlinks. A link may be colored or underlined text,
a picture, or an animated image. Y o u can identify a link by moving the mouse
pointer over it. If the pointer changes to a hand, the item is a link.

To learn more about using the Web bro wser features, select
bar.

Link

Web

page

Linked W eb pag e

Help in the menu

Using the WorldWideWeb 57

Connecting to a Web site

After you set up an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as
Gateway .net or America Online , you can access the many info rmation sources
on the World Wide Web.

HelpSpot For more information on connecting to a Web site,

double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To connect to a Web site:

1 Connect to your Internet account. After the computer connects, a default

opening page or welcome screen opens.

2 To go to a different Web site, type the address (called a URL for “Universal

Resource Loca tor”) in the browser address bar (for example
www.gateway.com) then click

- OR ­On the current Web page, click a link to a Web site.

GO on the browser address bar.

The Web browser locates the server computer on the Internet, downloads
(transfers) data to your computer, and displays the page on the site that
you requested.

Sometimes Web pages display slowly. The speed that a Web page displays on
your screen depends on the complexity of the Web page and other Internet
conditions. Additionally, the speed of your connection will determine how
fast Web pages display.

58 Using the Internet

Downloading files

Downloading is the process of transferring files from a computer on the
Internet to your computer.

To protect your computer against viruses, make sure that you scan the files
you download. For more information, see “Protecting your computer from
viruses” on page 129.

HelpSpot F or more information on do wnloading files, dou ble-click the

HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To download files or programs from a Web site:

1 Connect to your Internet account.
2 In the address bar, type the address of the Web site that contains the file

or program you want to download, then click
bar.

- OR ­Click on links on a Web page to navigate to the Web site containing the

file that you want to download.

GO on the browser address

3 Create or locate the folder where you want to store the file on your

computer.

4 Click the link on the Web page for the file that you want to download.
5 Follow the on-screen instructions for saving the file in the folder that

you created.
A copy of the file is downloaded to your comp uter. The time that it takes

to transfer the file to your computer depends on file size and Internet
conditions.

6 Open the folder that you created.
7 Install or view the downloaded file by double-clicking it. If applicable,

follow the instructions provided on the Web site to run or install the
program.

Using the WorldWideWeb 59

Using e-mail

E-mail (electronic mail) lets you send messages to anyone who has an Internet
connection and e-mail address. E-mail is usually a free service of your Internet
account. The Internet never closes, so you can send e-mail messages at any
time. Your e-mail messages arrive at most e-mail addresses in minutes.

An e-mail address consists of a user name, the @ symbol, and the Internet
domain name of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or company that “hosts”
that user. Your e-mail address is assigned when you sign up for an account
with an ISP. For example, a person with an account with the Gateway.net ISP
might have an e-mail address that is similar to this one:

User name Internet do main name

Sending e-mail

HelpSpot For more information on sending e-mail, double-click the

[e-mail]

HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To send e-mail using Gateway.net or America Online:

1 Connect to your Gateway.net or America Online account.
2 Click Create Mail or click Write.
3 Type the e-mail address of the recipient you want to send e-mail to in

the

Send To box.

4 Type the subject of your e-mail in the Subject box.
5 Type the e-mail message.
6 When finished, click Send Now. Your e-mail is sent over the Internet to

the e-mail address you specified.

60 Using the Internet

Checking y our e-mail

HelpSpot F or more inf ormation on ch ecking y our e-mail, dou ble-clic k

the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To check your e-mail using Gateway.net or America Online:

1 Connect to your Gateway.net or America Online account.
2 Click Read Mail.

- OR ­Click

Read.

For more information about managing and organizing your e-mail messag es,
see the online help in your e-mail program.

Using e-mail 61

62 Using the Internet

Using Drives and Multimedia

This chapter contains information on using the multimedia features on your
computer, including information on:

■ Using drives

■ Adjusting the volume

■ Using Windows Media Player

■ Recording and playin g audio

■ Using MusicMatch

5

63

Using Drives

This section explains how to use the diskette drive and the CD drive.

Using diskettes

The diskette drive uses 3.5-inch diskettes (sometimes called floppy disks).
Diskettes are useful for storing files or transferring files to another computer.

Warning Do not expose diskettes to water or magnetic fields.

Exposure could damage the data on the diskette.

To use a disk ette:

1 Insert the diskette into the diskette drive with the label facing up.

2 To access a file on the diskette, double-click the My Computer icon,

double-click the drive letter, then double-click the file.

3 To remove the diskette, make sure the drive activity light is off, then press

the diskette eject button.

64 Using Drives and Multimedia

Using the CD drive

You can use your computer to enjoy multimedia, such as listening to CDs.

To insert a CD:

1 Press the eject button on the CD drive, then pull the disc tray completely

open.

2 Place the CD in the tray with the label up, then press down carefully on

the disc until it snaps into place.

3 Push the tray in until it is closed.

Using Drives 65

Adjusting the volume

Y ou c an use the volume controls to adjust the overall volume and the volume
of specific sound devices in your computer.

HelpSpot F or more inf ormation on adj usting vo lume, doub le-clic k the

HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To adjust overall volume level:

■ Click the speaker icon on the taskbar, then drag the slider to change the

volume or click to select the

Mute check box.

On the keyboard, press the F
the volume, or press F

66 Using Drives and Multimedia

N+PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN keys to change

N+HOME keys to turn off (mute) all sound.

To adjust specific volume levels:

1 Double-click the speaker icon on the taskbar . Th e Volume Control dialog

box opens.

If the device you want to adjust does not appear in the Volume Control
dialog box, select
want to adjust, then click

Options, Properties, select the audio device that you

OK.

2 Drag the volume level and balance sliders for the device you want to

adjust, then close the window. For more information about the volume
controls, select

Help in the Volume Con trol dial og box.

Adjusting the volume 67

Playing audio and vi deo files

The Windows Media Play er can play several types of audio and video files,
including WAV, MIDI, MP3, AU, AVI , and MPEG formats. For more
information about the using the Wind ows Media Player, select

To play a file using the Windows Media Player:

1 Click Start, then select Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, then

Media Player. The Media Player o pens.

Help.

Video file

information

Video

screen

Play/Pause

Stop

2 Select File, then Open. The Open dialog box ope ns.
3 Select the file you want to play, then click Open.
4 Play the file by clicking (play), then stop playing the file by clicking

(stop). For more information about the Windows Media Play er, select

Help.

68 Using Drives and Multimedia

Listening to m usic CDs in Media Pla yer

The Windows Media Player turns your computer into a multimedia center.
Use the player to listen to Internet radio stations, play and copy your CDs,
look for Internet movies, and create lists of all media on your computer. For
more information about the using the Windows Media Player, select

To listen to a CD in the Windows Media Player:

■ Insert a CD into the CD drive. The Windows Media Player opens and the

CD plays.
If the Windows Media Player does not op en automatically when you

insert the CD, open it from the Start menu by clicking

Programs, then Windows Media Player . When the media player opens, click

(play).

Start, then selecting

Help.

Play/
Pause

Stop

Sound
Controls

Track
Controls

Playing audio and video files 69

Recording and pla ying audio

Use the instructions below to make an audio recording by speaking into the
microphone.

HelpSpot For more information on recording and playing audio,

double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To make an audio recording:

1 Click Start, then s elec t Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, then Sound

Recorder

. The Sound Recorder opens.

Rewind

Fast
Forward

2 Click (record), then speak into the microphone.
3 When you finish recording, click (stop).
4 Select File, then Save As. The Save As dialog box opens.
5 Name the recording, specify the path, then click Save. The recording is

saved.

70 Using Drives and Multimedia

Play Stop

Record

To play an audio recording in Sound Recorder:

1 Open the S ound Recorder.
2 Select File, then Open. The Open dialog box open s.
3 Select the file you want to play back, then click Open.
4 Play the file by clicking (play), then stop playing the file by clicking

(stop).

Recording and playing audio 71

Using MusicMatch

Using the MusicMatch™ program, you can:

■ Play music CDs

■ Build a music library

■ Create MP3 music files from your music CDs and add them to your music

library

■ Enter music track information

■ Listen to Internet Radio

HelpSpot For more information on using MusicMatch, double-click

the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

Playing CDs

You ca n use the MusicMatch program to play musi c CDs.

To play a music CD:

1 Doubl e-c lick th e MusicMatch Jukebox icon on your desktop. MusicMatch

opens.

2 Place the music CD into the CD drive on your computer. The names of

the music tracks appear in the playlist area.

3 Click Play.

72 Using Drives and Multimedia

Creating music files

Using the MusicMatch program, you can copy the tracks from a music CD
to your computer hard drive as MP3 files.

Here are some terms that you need to know before you get started:

■ Bit rate is the number of bits required to store one second of music. CD

quality is 128 kilobits per second. A high bit rate gives you better sound
quality but the file size is also larger. For information about changing the
sound quality settings, see the online help in MusicMatch.

■ MP3 (MPEG Layer 3) is a standard for digitally compressing high-fidelity

music into compact files without noticeably sacrif icing quality. MP3 files
end in the file extension .mp3.

■ Ripping is t he process of copying a music track from a music CD and

storing it on your hard drive.

To create (r ip) MP3 files:

1 Doubl e-click the Musi cMatch Jukebox icon.
2 Place a CD into the CD drive on your computer. The CD tracks appear

in the playlist with check marks next to them.

3 If you do not want to record a track, remove the check mark.
4 Click REC. The recorder window opens.

5 Click REC in the Recorder window. The tracks are copied as MP3 files to

your music library on the hard drive.

Using MusicMatch 73

Building a m usic library

Use MusicMatch to build a music library. You can organize your music tracks
by categories, find a track quickly by using the sort features, and add
information to a song file.

You can add music tracks to your music library by:

■ Creating MP3 files – When yo u create MP3 files from the tracks on your

music CD, MusicMatch automatically adds these files to your music
library.

■ Dragging and Dro pping – Drag and drop files from Windows Explorer

or your desktop to the music library.

■ Downloading files from the Internet – When you are connected to the

Internet, MP3 files that you download are automatically added to your
music library.

74 Using Drives and Multimedia

Changing the music library display settings

To change the music library display settings:

1 Doubl e-click the Musi cMatch Jukebox icon.
2 Select Options, then Settings. The Settings window opens.
3 Click the Music Library tab.

4 Select the categories that you want to display in the columns.
5 Click OK.

Using MusicMatch 75

Editing track in formation

If you are connected to the Internet and listening to a music CD, MusicMatch
downloads and displays information such as the artist, album, and track titles
from a database on the Internet called CD DataBase (CDDB).

After you add a CD track as an MP3 file to your music library, you can edit
track information.

To edit track information:

1 Doubl e-click the Musi cMatch Jukebox icon.
2 Create an MP3 file.
3 Right-click the file, then select E d i t Tr a c k Ta g.

4 Enter information such as track title, lead artist, album, or genre.
5 Click OK.

After you enter this track information, it is displayed in the MusicMatch
playlist, music library, and recorde r.

76 Using Drives and Multimedia

Listening to Internet radio

Use the Radio feature in MusicMatch to listen to Internet Radio stations.

To listen to an Internet radio station:

1 Doubl e-click the M usicM atch Juk ebox icon, then connect to the Internet.
2 Click Radio.

Click the
Radio icon .

The Radio window opens.

Using MusicMatch 77

3 Click Station Selector. A window op ens that lists radio stations by

music format, city, or country.

4 Select a radio station, then click Play. MusicMatch connects to the station.

Using advanced features

Y ou can a lso use MusicMatch to create your own music CDs and to download
MP3 files to your portable MP3 player. See the online help that came with
MusicMatch.

78 Using Drives and Multimedia

Sending and
Receiving Faxes

PhoneTools lets you send and receive faxes using the modem in your
computer. After you have created a document using a spreadsheet, word
processor, or graphics program, you can send it as a fax. You can also receive
faxes on your notebook. This chapter shows you how to:

■ Set up a fax co ver page

■ Create and send a fax

■ Fax a document created in an other program

■ Receive, view, and print fax

6

79

Setting up y our cover page

Before you send your first fax, you need to s et up your user information. Your
fax cover sheets and fax headers will contain this information, which is
required by law.

HelpSpot For more information on setting up a fax cover page,

double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To set up y our fax cover page:

1 Click Start, then select Programs, PhoneTools, then PhoneTools.

PhoneTools opens.

2 Click Configure, then select General Configuration from the pop-up menu.

The General Configuration dialog box opens.

3 Click the Customize tab, then type your personal information in the User

boxes.

80 Sending and Receiving Faxes

4 Click the Fax tab, then enter your name and fax number in the Identifier

text box. This identifier information is required by law. You can enter
up to 20 characters in the text box. We suggest using eight characters
for your identifier name, followed by 12 characters for your telephone
number.

5 Click OK.
6 If you want to change the logo that appears on the cover page, click

Configure, then select Logo Management from the po p-up men u. The Logo

Management dialog box opens.

Import
button

Clear
button

7 If you do not want the PhoneTools logo on your cover page, click the

picture then click the clear button.

- OR ­If you want to replace the PhoneTools logo with one of your own, cl ick

the import button then select a picture for the logo. The picture must
be small enough to fit in the logo box.

8 Click OK.

Setting up your cover page 81

Sending a fax

HelpSpot For more information on sending a fax, double-click the

HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To send a fax:

1 Click Start, then select Programs, PhoneTools, then PhoneTools.

PhoneTools opens.

2 Click Send Fax. The Send Fax Wizard opens.

82 Sending and Receiving Faxes

3 Enter the recipient’s name, company (if applicable), and fax number, then

click

Next. The next wizard dialog box opens.

4 Type the message text in the Message Text area.
5 Select a cover page template from the Template drop-down list, then click

Next. If you typed a message in the Message Text area, you must select a

cover page.

6 If you want to attach a file, make sure the file is not open, then click

(browse), select the file, then click

Open.

7 Click Next, then click Finish. The Confirm Transmissions dialog box

opens.

8 Click Send. PhoneTools dials the fax number and sends your fax.

Sending a fax 83

Faxing from programs

HelpSpot For more information on sending a fax directly from a

program, double-click the HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To fax a document directly from most programs :

1 In the program with the document open, click File, then select Print. The

Print dialog box opens.

2 Se lect the pr inter Capture fax BVRP, then click OK. The Send Fax Wizard

opens.

3 Complete the wizard as instructed in “To s e n d a f a x” on page 8 2.

84 Sending and Receiving Faxes

Receiving and viewing a fax

HelpSpot For more information on receiving a fax, double-click the

HelpSpot icon on your desktop.

To receive and view a fax:

1 Click Start, then select Programs, PhoneTools, then PhoneTools.

PhoneTools opens. When PhoneTools is open, it detects incomi ng faxes
and stores them in the In Box.

Important Your notebook cannot detect incoming faxes while in the

Standby power-saving mode. For more infor mation on
changing power savings settings, see “Changing
automati c power setting s” on page 94.

2 To view a fax, click Fax Inbox, then double-click the fax you want to view.

The fax viewer opens, where you can view and print the fax.

Receiving and viewin g a fax 85

86 Sending and Receiving Faxes

Managing P ower

While your notebook is ru nning on battery power, you should manage power
consumption to get the most use out of the battery. This chapter shows you
how to:

■ Check and recharge the battery

■ Change batteries

■ Extend the life of the battery by conserving battery power and using

alternate power sources

■ Change power-saving settings

7

87

Monitoring the battery charge

Closely monitor the battery charge. When the battery charge gets low, change
the battery or connect to AC power immediately to prevent losing any
unsaved work.

Monitor the battery charge by:

■ Positioning the cursor over the power cord icon or batter y icon in the

taskbar. A battery status window opens. Move the cursor away from the
icon to close the window.

■ Pressing FN+F2 to view the Status display, which opens in the upper left

corner of the screen. The Status display shows the current power source,
the battery charge, and the power management mode.

■ Looking at the battery indicator light:

■ A green light indicates that the battery is fully charged

■ An orange light indicates that the battery is being charged

■ A red light indicates that the battery is low

■ An orange, blinking light indicates that the battery is

malfunctioning

■ Wa iting for these other low battery warnings:

■ A red, blinking light

■ A Low Battery message

If your battery charge indicators display what looks like an inaccurate charge,
you may need to recalibrate the battery. For more information, see
“Recalibrating the battery” on page 139.

88 Managing Power

Recharging the ba ttery

The battery recharges while it is installed and your notebook is connected to
AC power. While the battery is recharging, the battery indicator light is
orange.

Changing batteries

Follow this procedure to change your notebook battery.

Warning Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.

Replace only with the Gateway Solo 1150 Li-Ion battery.
Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.

The battery used in this device may present a fire or
chemical burn hazard if mishandled. Do not disassemble,
heat above 212°F (100°C), or incinerate. Dispose of used
battery promptly. Keep away from children.

To replace the main batter y:

1 Turn off the computer.
2 Close the cover.
3 Turn your notebook over.

Recharging the battery 89

4 Remove th e screw from the battery release latch.

5 Slide the battery release latch to release the battery.

90 Managing Power

6 Hold the latch forward and lift the battery straight out from the

notebook.

7 Slide the recharged batter y into the bay and snap it in to place
8 Repl ace the screw.
9 Open the notebook and press the power button.

Changing batteries 91

Extending battery life

Conserving battery power

While using the battery to power your notebook, conserve power by:

■ Dimming the display as low as is comfortable.

■ Removing PC Cards when you do not need them. Many PC Cards use a

small amount of power while inserted, even if they are not being used.

■ Modifying the Powe r Management settings for maximu m power s avings.

For more information, see “Changing automatic power settings” on
page 94.

■ Closing the display panel to turn off the display while you are not using

your notebook. The display stays off until you open the panel again.

■ Using Hibernate mode for maximum power savings while the notebook

is not in use. For more information, see “To use Hibernate m ode:” on
page 98.

■ Using the CD drive only when necessary. CD drives use a large amount

of power.

■ Recharge the battery often, take an extra battery, and fully recharge the

batteries before traveling. For more information, see “Recharging th e
battery” on page89 and “Changing batteries” on page 89.

Using alternate power sources

To extend battery life, use alternate power sources whenever possible.

■ If traveling internationally, take electrical adapters. Save the battery for

times when you cannot use a power adapter. If you plan on taking your
AC powe r adapter, also take a single-plug s urge protector.

■ If you will have access to an EmPower™ in-flight power receptacle or an

automobile cigarette lighter, use an airplane/automobile power adapter.
Save the battery for times when you cannot use a power adapter.

■ T o find AC power outlets in airports, look for them next to support pillars,

in large areas such as boarding gates, and under banks of telephones.

92 Managing Power

Changing power modes

Y ou can use the following power modes to lengthen the life of your notebook’s
battery:

■ Standby - while your notebook is on standby, it switches to a low power

state where devices, such as the LCD screen and drives, turn off.

■ Hibernate - (also called save to disk) writes all current memory (RAM)

information to the hard drive, then turns your notebook completely off.
The next time you turn on the notebook, it reads memory information
from the hard drive and opens the programs and do cuments that were
open when you activated Hibernate. For more information on using
Hibernate mode, see “To u s e H i be r n a t e m o d e : ” on page 98.

Using Standby mode

Always save your work before using the Standby mode. Once in Standby , your
computer reduces or turns the power off to most devices except memory.
However, the i nformat ion in memory is not save d to the h ard d rive. If power
is interrupted, the information is lost.

The table below shows how to use Standby mode.

If your
computer is ...

Off Star t up Pr ess the power butt on.
On Enter

In
Standby mode

On Shut down Click Start, then select Shut Down,

...and you
want to...

Standby mode
Exit

Standby mode

...then

Press F

Press the powe r button.

Shut down, then click OK.

N+F4.

Extending battery life 93