Gateway SOLO 1150 User Manual

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
2	Getting 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

iv

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

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

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Checking Out

Your Gateway 1

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

Top

Power indicator		Battery charge
light			indicator light

Component	Description
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	The battery is installed. The LED shows the battery
light	activity and status.
	■	Green – battery is fully charged.
	■	Orange – battery is being charged.
	■	Red – battery is low.
	■	Blinking and red – battery is very low.
	■	Blinking and orange – battery is malfunctioning.

2 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Front

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

Front 3

Right

CD drive

CD drive eject button

CD drive

USB (Universal

Modem Serial Bus) port

indicator light

jack

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)

Plug a USB device (such as a USB Iomega™ Zip™

port

drive) into this port.

4 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Left

PC Card	PC Card	Diskette drive	Diskette drive
eject button	slot		eject button

Component	Icon Description
PC Card eject button			Press the eject button to remove a PC Card from the
			PC Card slot. For more information, see “Adding
			PC Cards” on page 116
PC Card slot			Insert one Type 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

				External
	Kensington™	USB (Universal					Monitor port		Power
				microphone jack
	lock slot	Serial Bus) port							connector
					Speaker out or
					headphone jack

Component	Icon								Description
Kensington™	lock slot								Secure your computer to an object by connecting a
									Kensington cable lock to this slot.
USB									Plug a USB device (such as a USB Iomega™ Zip™
(Universal Serial Bus)									drive) into this port.
port
External microphone jack									Plug a microphone into this jack.
Speaker out or									Plug external speakers or headphones into this jack.
headphone jack
Monitor port									Plug the monitor into this port.
Power connector									Plug the AC power adapter cable into this connector.

6 Checking Out Your Gateway Solo 1150

Bottom

Hard				System
drive bay				identification label

Certificate of

Authenticity label

Memory bay

Battery release latch

Battery

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										Find the product model number and serial number on
label										this label.
Certificate of Authenticity										Find the registration key for the operating system on this
label										label.
Memory bay										Install a memory module into this bay.

Bottom 7

Identifying your model

The label on the bottom of your computer contains information that identifies your notebook model. Technical support will need this information if you call for assistance. Label information varies by model.

Revision code and
display type/processor size					00.0X/000XXX		X 0.0/XX
Gateway model
number
Gateway serial									Gateway
number								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 adapters

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 can 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

2

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

11

Connecting the AC adapter

You can run your 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 power for the first time, the battery life 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
	AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable
	parts inside. The AC adapter has dangerous voltages that
	can cause serious injury or death. Contact Gateway about
	returning defective AC adapters.

12 Getting Started

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 AC adapter has dangerous voltages that
	can cause serious injury or death. Contact Gateway about
	returning defective AC adapters.

Connecting the AC adapter

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 AC adapter

15

Waking 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.

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

16 Getting Started

Status indicators

Caps Lock Scroll Lock Hard drive

Pad Lock Diskette drive CD drive

Status indicators

17

This light turns When...

on...

Caps Lock is turned on.

Pad Lock is turned on.

1

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	Windows		Application Arrow keys
	key	Windows key	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.

Keyboard 19

Component	Icon			Description
Function keys				Press these green-colored keys to perform actions in
				programs. For example, pressing F1 may open help.
				Each program uses different function keys for different
				purposes. Refer to the program documentation to find
				out more about the function key actions.
Numeric keypad				Use these keys to type numbers when Pad Lock is
				turned on. Press FN+F9 to turn on the numeric keypad.
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.
FN key				Press the FN key in combination with a green-colored
				function key (such as F4 or F10) to perform a specific
				action.
Windows key				Press to open the Windows 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.
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	To...
pressing this Function key...
	Display the power status pop-up menu.

Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external monitor, or both at the same time. A monitor must be plugged 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 combination again to turn off Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status indicator lights up while this function is turned on.

Pause text scrolling. (This function is only available in some programs.) The Scroll Lock status indicator lights up when this function is turned on.

Pause text scrolling. Press any key to continue scrolling. (This function is only available in some programs.)

Stop the currently running DOS program. (This function is only available in some programs.)

Increase the volume.

Keyboard 21

Press and hold FN while			To...
pressing this Function key...
			Decrease the volume.

Mute the volume.

Increase the contrast of the display.

Decrease the contrast of the display.

22 Getting Started

Using multi-function buttons

E-mail

Help

Internet 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