Gateway M460, NX550 Owner's Manual
Gateway Notebook
User Guide
Contents
1Getting Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Using Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Help and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Searching for a topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
BigFix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Using Your Computer guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Gateway contact information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Checking Out Your Gateway Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Keyboard area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Identifying your model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Gateway model and serial number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Finding your specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Installing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Connecting the dial-up modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to an Ethernet ne twork . . . . . . 26
Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Restarting (rebooting) your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Key types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
System key combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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Using the optional EZ Point pointing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Replacing the EZ Point pointing device cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Turning the touchpad or pointing device on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Turning your wireless radio on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
4 Using Drives and Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Changing modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Using the DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Identifying drive types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Inserting a CD or DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Playing a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Creating CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Using the memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Memory card types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Inserting a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Using a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Removing a memory card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Adding and removing a PC Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Viewing the display on a projector or monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Viewing the display on a television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Modifying television settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Connecting a video camera to your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
5 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Monitoring the battery charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Recharging the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Recalibrating the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Replacing the main battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Installing a secondary battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Extending battery life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Using alternate power sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Changing power modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
6 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Adding or replacing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Replacing the hard drive kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
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7 Using the Optional Port Replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Connecting to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Attaching to the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Disconnecting from the port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Securing your port replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
8 Maintaining Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Caring for your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Cleaning your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Cleaning the exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Cleaning the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Cleaning the notebook screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Cleaning CDs or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Protecting your notebook from viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Updating Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Restoring your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Microsoft System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Reinstalling programs and drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Restoring your notebook to the original configuration . . . . . . . . . . . 102
9 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
First steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
CD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Device installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
DVD drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
File management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Memory card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Modem (cable or DSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Modem (dial-up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
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Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Pointing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Touchpad or pointing device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Telephone support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Before calling Gateway Customer Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Telephone numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Self-help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
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Chapter 1
Getting Help
• Using the Gatewa y We b site
• Using Help and Support
•Using BigFix
• Using Your Co mputer guide
• Using online help
1
Chapter 1: Getting Help
Thank y ou for purchasing our
notebook!
Y ou have made an excellent decision choosing Gateway. We are sure that
you will be pleased with the outstanding quality, reliability, and
performance of your new notebook. Each and every Gateway notebook
uses the latest technology and passes through the m ost strin gent qual ity
control tests to ensure that you are provided with the best product
possible.
Your new Gateway notebook is designed to provide an exceptional
balance of performance and portability. Your notebook uses the latest
chipset and mobile processor technologies to manage the processor speed
and power consumption for a greater battery life experience. This design
provides you with maximum performance when plugged into AC power
balanced with optimized battery life when on battery power.
Please read this guide carefully to familiarize yourself with our range of
services and support. We have highlighted some basic care and safety
information to help you keep your notebook in good operating
condition.
Gateway stands behind our value propo sition to our customers — to
provide best-of-class service and support in addition to high-quality,
brand-name components at affordable prices. If you ever have a problem,
our knowledgeable, dedicated customer service department will provide
you with fast, considerate service.
We sincerely hope that you will receive the utmost satisfaction and
enjoyment from your new Gateway notebook for years to come.
Thank you again, from all of us at Gateway.
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Gateway Web site
Gatewa y W eb site
Gateway's online support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
and provides the most current drivers, product specifications, tutorials,
and personalized information about your notebook. Visit the Gateway
Support Web site at support.gateway.com
.
Using Support
The Support site is divided into seven major areas:
■ Support Home
■ Product Support
■ Downloads
■ Customer Ser vice
■ Upgrade Center
■ Resources
■ Contact Us
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Chapter 1: Getting Help
Support Home
Click Support Home. To view support documents for your notebook, type
your serial number in the
Serial Number box, then click Submit.
Click the arrow button to open the
click
Notebook Computers to access product documentation,
specifications, and guides for all Gateway notebooks.
Select Y our Compute r Product box, then
Product Support
Click Product Support to view a list of all the products that Gateway
supports.
Downloads
Click Downloads to ge t the lat est softw are upda tes for BI OS and dr iver
upgrades. By entering your serial number you get drivers specific to your
notebook. Click
wizard to locate your drive rs.
Browse All Downloads to walk through a step-by-step
Customer Service
Click Customer Service to view information about your account and
general information about warranties and special offers.
Upgrade Cent er
Click Upgrade Center to view and purchase upgrades for your notebook.
Resources
Click Resources to access utilities to help you manage your notebook.
Contact Us
Click Contact Us to access links to customer care with a live technician,
including chat and e-mail. Click
numbers for both sales and support. For more information, see
“Telephone support” on page 127.
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Call Us to get a list of Gateway telephone
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Help and Support
Help and Support
Your notebook includes Help and Support , an easily accessible collection
of help information, troubleshooters, and aut omated supp ort. Use He lp
and Support to answer questions about W indows and to help you quickly
discover and use the many features of your Gateway notebook.
To start Help and Support:
■ Click Start, then click Help and Support. Help and Support opens.
You can find help information by clicking a link, performing a search,
or browsing the index.
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Chapter 1: Getting Help
Searching for a topic
To search for a topic in Help and Support, type a word or phrase (keyword)
in the
Search box located at the top of any Help and Support screen, then
click the arrow button.
For each search, you receive the following search result types:
■ Suggested Topics - These topics are located in Help and Support and
are relevant to your search to pic.
■ Full-text Search Matches - These topics are located in Help and
Support and contain the words you entered in the
■ Microsoft Knowledge Base - These topics are located on the Microsoft
We b site and contain the words you entered in the
must be connected to the Internet to search for and access these
topics.
To view a list of your search results, click the results header for the type
of results you want to view.
Search box.
Search box. You
To view a topic, clic k the top ic name in the
Search Result s list.
BigFix
Your notebook may include BigFix. BigFix monitors your notebook for
problems and conflicts. It automatically gathers information about the
latest bugs, security alerts, and updates from BigFix sites on the Internet.
Whenever BigFix detects a problem, it alerts you by flashing the blue
taskbar icon. To fix the problem, click on that icon to open BigFix.
To start BigFix:
■ Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then cli c k BigFix.
To learn more about using BigFix:
■ From the BigFix program, click Help, then click Tutorial.
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Using Your Computer gu ide
Using Your Comput er guide
In addition to this guide, the Using Y our Comp uter guide has been included
on your hard drive. The Using Your Computer guide includes information
on using Windows, using the Internet, sending a fax, and changing
power-saving settings as well as other topics.
To acces s the Using Your Computer guide:
■ Click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway Documentation.
Online help
Many programs provide information online so you can research a topic
or learn how to perform a task while you are using the program. You can
access most online help information by selecting a topic from a
menu or by clicking a
Help button.
Help
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Chapter 1: Getting Help
You can search for information by viewing the help contents, checking
the index, searching for a topic or keyword, or browsing through the
online help.
Gateway c ontact information
To help you locate Gateway contact information, you can find the
Gateway Web site, Online Support, and technical support contact
information on the label located on the bottom of your notebook.
Website:
Online Support:
Tech Support Phone:
Hours:
8
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Chapter 2
Checking Out Your
Gateway Notebook
• Identifying f eatures
• Locating your notebook’ s model an d serial
number
• Locating the Microsoft Certificate of
Authenticity
• Locating the specifications f or yo ur
notebook
• Purchasing accessories
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Front
Speaker
LCD panel
release
latch
Battery
charge
indicator
Headphone jack
Microphone jack
Powe r i nd i ca to r
Speaker
Component Icon Description
Speakers Provide audio output when headphones or amplified
speakers are not plugged in.
LCD panel
release la tch
Battery charge
indicator
Pow er i n di c a t or
Microphone
jack
Headphone
jack
Open the LCD panel by sliding the release latch.
■
LED blue - battery is fully charged.
■
LED purple - battery is charging.
■
LED blinking red - battery charge is very low.
■
LED solid red - battery is malfunctioning.
■
LED on - notebook is on.
■
LED blinking - notebook is in Standby mode.
■
LED off - notebook is off.
Plug a microphone into this jack.
Plug amplified speakers or headphones into this jack. The
built-in speakers are turned off when speakers or
headphones are plugged into this jack.
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Left
Left
Kensington lock sl ot
S-Video out jack
Ventilation fan
Modular bay
Component Icon Description
Kensington™
lock slot
S-Video out
jack
Ventilation fan Helps cool internal components.
Modular bay Use this bay f or a secondary battery , a CD drive , D VD/CD-RW
Secure your notebook to an object by connecting a
Kensington cable lock to this slot.
Plug an S-Video device, such as a television, into this jack.
For more infor matio n, see “Viewing the display on a
television” on page 57.
Warning: Do not work for long periods with the notebook
resting on your lap. If the air vents are blocked, the notebook
may become hot enough to harm your skin.
Caution: Do not block or inse rt ob jects int o these sl ots. If
these slots are b locked, y our notebook ma y ove rheat resulting
in unexpected shutdown or permanent damage to the
notebook.
Caution: Provide adequate space around your notebook so
air vents are not obstr ucted. Do not use t he noteb ook on a
bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface.
drive, recordable DVD drive, a diskette drive, or a second hard
drive. For more information, see “Changing modules” on
page 46. To determine the type of drive in the modular bay,
examine the drive tray’s plastic cover and compare the logo
to those listed in “Identifying drive types” on page 49.
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Right
PC Card slot
Memory
card reader
IEEE 1394 port
USB ports
Ethernet jack
USB ports
Modem jack
Component Icon Description
PC Card slot Insert one Type II PC Card into this slot. For more
information, see “Adding and removing a PC Card” on
page 53.
IEEE 1394 port Plug an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire® or i.Link®)
device (such as a digital camcorder) into this 4-pin
IEEE 1394 port.
Memory card
reader
USB por ts Plug USB devices ( such as a d iskette dr ive, flash dr ive,
Insert a memory card from a digital camera, MP3 player,
PDA, or cellular tel ephone into the memory card reader . For
more information, see “Using the memory card reader” on
page 52. The memory card reader supports Memory
®
, Memory Stick Pro®, MultiMediaCard™, and Secure
Stick
Digital™.
printer, scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these
ports.
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Component Icon Description
Ethernet jack Plug a 10/100/1000 Ethernet network cable into this jack.
The other end of the cable can be plugged into a cable
modem, DSL modem, or an Ethernet network jack. For
more information, see “Connecting to a cable or DSL
modem or to an Ethernet network” on page 26.
Modem jack Plug a modem cable into this jack. For more information,
see “Connecting the dial-up modem” on page 25.
Back
Monitor portPower connector
Back
Component Icon Description
Power
connector
Monitor port Plug an analog VGA monitor or projector into this port. For
Plug the AC adapter cable into this connector.
more information, see “Viewing the display on a projector or
monitor” on page55.
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Bottom
Docking por t
Battery
Battery
latch
Customer
care label
Website:
Online Support:
Tech Support Phone:
Hours:
Hard
drive
bay
Component Icon Description
Docking port Connect the port replicator to this port.
Warning: Power is passed through this port. This
docking connection is certified to UL 1950 for use only
with port replicators designed for your Gateway
notebook.
Battery
lock
Memory
bay
System
label
Modular
bay
latch
Battery Provides pow er wh en the notebook is not plugg ed into
AC power.
Battery lock Slide to unlock the battery. For more information, see
“Replacin g the main batter y” on pag e 67.
Memory bay Install a memory module into this bay. For more
information, see “Adding or replacing memory” on
page 75.
System label Includes the product model number. For more
information, see “Identifying your model” on page 17.
Modular bay latch Slide this latch to release the bay module.
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Keyboard area
Component Icon Description
Hard drive bay The hard drive is located in this bay. For more
information, see “Replacing the hard drive kit” on
page 80.
Customer care
label
Battery latch Slide to release the battery. For more information, see
Includes the customer care contact infor mation. For
more information, see “Gateway contact infor mation”
on page 8.
“Replacin g the main batter y” on pag e 67.
Ke yboard area
Power
button
Optional
EZ Point
pointing
device
Keyboard
Microphone
Optional
EZ Point
pointing
device
buttons
Status
indicators
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Touchpad
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Component Icon Description
Power button Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the
power button for Standby/Resume mode. For more
information on configuring the power button mode, see
“Changing Power-Saving Settings” in
which has been included on your hard drive. To access this
guide, click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway
Documentation.
Keyboard Provides all the features of a full-sized computer keyboard. For
more information, see “Using the keyboard” on page 31.
Microphone Record audio through this microphone. The built-in
microphone is turned off while an external microphone is
connected. For the location of your microphone jack, see
“Front” on page 10 and “Back” on page 87.
TM
EZ Point
pointing
device
buttons
(optional)
T ouchp ad Provides all th e functionality o f a mouse. F or more inf ormation,
Provides all the functionality of mouse buttons. For more
information, see “Using the opt ional E Z Point pointing device”
on page 38.
see “Using the EZ Pad touchpad” on page35.
Using Your Computer
Status
indicators
EZ Point
pointing
device
(optional)
16
TM
Inform you when a drive is in use or when a button has been
pressed that affects how the keyboard is used. For more
information, see “Status indicators” on page 30.
Provides all th e functionality of a mouse. F or more inf ormation,
see “Using the optional EZ Point pointing device” on page 38.
www.gateway.com
Identifying your model
Identifying your model
Important The label s shown in t his sectio n are for infor mationa l
purposes only. Label information v aries by model, f eatures
ordered, and location.
Gatewa y model and serial number
The label on the bottom of your notebook contains information that
identifies your notebook model and its features. Gateway Customer Care
will need this information if you call for assistance.
Model
number
Serial
number
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity
The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the bottom of
your notebook includes the product key code for your operating system.
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
Finding y our specifications
For more information about your notebook, such as memory size,
memory type, and hard drive size, visit Gateway’s Support site at
support.gateway.com
Gateway documentation and detailed specifications. For more
information, see “Gateway Web site” on page 3.
. The Support site also has links to additional
Accessories
T o order accessories, visit the Accessory Store at accessories.gateway.com.
Batteries
If you run your notebook on battery power for extended periods, you
may want to buy an additional battery so you can swap batteries when
necessary. See “Changing batteries” on page 66 for m ore information
about using an additional battery.
Carrying cases
Gateway has large-capacity c arrying cases if you need ad ditional space
for accessories or supplies.
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphic s programs, use a
lot of memory . If your programs are running more slowly than you think
they should, try adding more memory. See “Adding or replacing
memory” on page 75 for more information.
Port replicators
Although you can attach devices directly to your notebook, a port
replicator lets you make all of those connections at one time. When you
travel with your notebook, you merely disconnect from the port
replicator instead of unplugging all the devices.
A port replicator also provides addition al ports and other expansion
features not included with your notebook. See “Using the Optional Port
Replicator” on page 85 for more information about using a port replicator
with your notebook.
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Accessories
Printers
You can attach almost any type of printer to your notebo ok. 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 they are
slower than laser printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you can print
pictures, banners, and greeting cards, as well as documents.
Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but they print much
faster than inkjet printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers
when you are printing large documents.
USB flash drive
Use a USB flash drive for storing files or transferring files to another
computer.
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Chapter 2: Checking Ou t Your Gateway Notebook
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Chapter 3
Getting Started
• Installing the battery
• Connecting the AC adapter
• Connecting the dial- up modem
• Connecting to a cable or DSL modem or to
an Ethernet network
• Turning your notebook on and off
• Using the status indicators
• Using the keyboard, the EZ Pad touchpad,
and the optional EZ Point pointing device
• Adjusting the v olume
• Connecting to a wireless network
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Chapter 3: Getting St arted
Installing the battery
To install the battery:
1 Close the LCD panel.
2 Turn your notebook over so the bottom is facing up.
3 Hold the battery label-side down and slide it into the open battery
slot until the battery clicks into place.
4 Slide the battery lock to the locked position.
Connecting the A Cadapter
You can run your notebook using an AC adapter or your notebook’s
battery . The battery was shipped to you partially charged. You should use
the AC adapter right away to fully charge the battery. Allow three hours
for the battery to fully charge.
Important If the battery is not fully charged before you use your
notebook on battery pow er f or the first time , the ba ttery life
may be much shorter than you expect. If the battery life
seems short even after being charged for three hours, the
battery may need to be recalibrated. For information on
recalibrating the battery, see “Recalibrating the batteries”
on page 65.
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Connecting the AC a dapter
To connect the AC adapter:
1 Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.
Caution Make sure that you us e the AC adapter tha t came with your
notebook or one of the same type purchased from
Gateway.
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 your notebook may be
damaged.
2 Connect the AC adapter to your notebook’s power connector.
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Chapter 3: Getting St arted
3 Plug the power cord into a wall outlet. The battery charge indicator
turns on (see “Front” on page 10 for the location of the battery
charge indicator). If the battery charge indicator does not turn on,
unplug the adapter from your notebook, then plug it back in.
4 When you finish using your notebook for the first time, turn off your
notebook and leave your notebook connected to AC power until the
battery charge indicator turns blue.
Warning Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The
AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
parts inside. The ACadapter has dangerous v olta ges th at
can cause serious inju ry or death. Contact Gate wa y abo ut
returning defective AC adapters.
Important If the battery charge indicator does not turn blue after
three hours, contact Gateway Customer Care at
support.gateway.com
.
Protecting from pow er source pr oblems
During a power surge, the voltage level of electricity coming into your
notebook can increase to levels far above normal levels and cause data
loss or system damage. Protect your n ot ebook and peripheral devices by
connecting them to a surge prote ctor, which absorbs voltage surges and
prevents them from reaching your notebook.
Warning High voltages can enter your notebook through both the
power cord and the modem connection. To protect your
notebook and av oid electrical shoc k, use a surge pro tector.
If you hav e a telephon e modem, use a s urge protector th at
has a modem jack . If you hav e a cable m odem, use a surge
protector that has an antenna/cable TV jack. During an
electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the
modem.
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