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
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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
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A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
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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/.
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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
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