Gateway SOLO 9300 User Manual

Contents

1	About Your Notebook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. 1
	Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	. 2
	Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3
	Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	4
	Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	5
	Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	7
2	Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	9
	Connecting the AC adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	10
	Protecting from power source problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	12
	Starting your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	13
	Waking up your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	14
	Turning off your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	15
	System status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16
	Power and battery indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	17
	Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	18
	Adjusting the keyboard angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	18
	Function keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	19
	Multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	21
	Using the EZ Pad touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	22
3	Windows Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	25
	About the Windows environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	26
	Desktop components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	27
	Window components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	29
	Using the Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	31
	Working with files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	32
	About drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	32
	About folders and files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	33
	Copying and moving files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	34
	Deleting files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	35
	Browsing for files and folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	37
	Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	38
	Using the Windows Me Search utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	39
	Using the Windows 98 Find utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	41
	Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	43
4	Customizing Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	45
	Adjusting the screen and desktop settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	46

i

Adjusting the color depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Adjusting the screen area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Changing the font size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Applying a color scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Changing the desktop background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Selecting a screen saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Customizing the multi-function buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

5 Working with Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Printing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

6 Using Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Using diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Using the CD/DVD drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Inserting a CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Adjusting the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Playing CDs and DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Listening to music CDs in Windows Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Listening to music CDs in Windows 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Playing a DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Recording and playing audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Using the Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Using MusicMatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Playing CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Creating music files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Building a music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Changing the music library display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Editing track information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Listening to Internet Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Using composite video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Using MGI VideoWave III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Changing the audio source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

7 Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Learning about the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Setting up an Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Accessing your Internet account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Using the World Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Connecting to a Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

ii

Downloading files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Using e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Sending e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Checking your e-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

8 Sending and Receiving Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Creating a cover page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Receiving a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

9 Managing Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Maintaining battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Checking battery status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Conserving battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Changing batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Installing a second battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Charging batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Recalibrating the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Changing power settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Changing settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Disabling the backlight dimmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Changing SpeedStep settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

10 Upgrading Your Notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Connecting the modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Adding PC Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Changing bay modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Preventing static electricity discharge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Installing memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Replacing the main hard drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

11 Travel Tips and Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Travel tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

12 Using the Solo Port Replicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

iii

Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Attaching to the replicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 Using composite video or S-Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

13 Using the Solo Docking Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Left side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 Right side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Docking your notebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Adjusting audio settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Using composite video or S-Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Installing a PCI card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

14 Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

For more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 HelpSpot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 QuickANSWERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 Online help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Gateway Web site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Before calling for technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 Technical support resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

A Safety, Regulatory, and Legal Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

iv

About Your	1
Notebook

This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read this chapter to find out where components and connections are located.

1

Front

A

		B						C
Component			Icon					Description
A	Speakers							Provide sound output.
B	Lock switch for							Slide the switch to lock or unlock the CD/DVD
	CD/DVD player							player control buttons.
	control buttons
C	CD/DVD player							Control the CD/DVD player software when
	control buttons							playing an audio CD or a DVD. Icons from top
								to bottom: Rewind, Play/Pause, Stop, Forward.

2 About Your Notebook

Left side

A	B		C
Component		Icon	Description
A	Kensington™ lock slot		Secure your notebook to an object by
			connecting a Kensington cable lock to this
			slot.
B	CD/DVD drive bay		Use this bay for a DVD, CD, CD-R, or CD-RW
			drive.
C	Modular bay		Use this bay for a 3.5-inch diskette drive,
			LS-120 SuperDisk drive, second hard drive,
			or second battery.

Left side

3

Right side

A

B

C

D

E F G

H

Component

Icon

Description

A

Speaker Out/

Plug external speakers or headphones into

Headphone

this connection.

connection

B

External audio

Connect an external audio source (such as a

connection (Line

stereo) to this connection so you can record

In)

sound on your notebook or play sound

through the notebook speakers.

C

External

Plug a microphone into this connection. While

microphone

the external microphone is connected, the

connection

built-in microphone is disabled.

D

Modem connection

Plug a modem cable into this connection.

(optional)

E

USB connections

Plug a USB device (such as a USB scanner)

into this connection.

F

IEEE1394 serial

Plug an IEEE1394-equipped device into this

connection

connection.

(optional)

G

PC Card eject

Press one of the eject buttons to remove a

buttons

PC Card from a PC Card slot.

H

PC Card slots

Insert Type I, II, and III PC Cards into these

slots.

4 About Your Notebook

Back

Flip each back panel door down to view the connections. The icons identifying the connections are located on the inside of the panel doors.

A

B

C

D

E

F G

H

I

Component

Icon

Description

A

PS/2 device

Plug a PS/2 device (such as a keyboard or

connection

mouse) into this connection.

B

Parallel device

Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into

connection

this connection.

C

Serial device

Plug a serial device (such as a digital camera)

connection

into this connection.

D

Docking

Connect the optional port replicator or

connection

docking station to this connection.

Warning! Power passes through this

connection. This docking connection is UL

certified for use only with Solo 9300 docking

station devices.

E

Composite Video

Plug a standard RCA cable into this

Out (TV Out)

connection and the Video In connection on a

connection

TV or VCR so you can view your notebook

screen on a TV.

F

Composite Video In

Plug a standard RCA cable into this

(TV In) connection

connection and the Video Out connection on

(optional)

a TV, VCR, or camcorder so you can record

video or capture an image on your notebook.

G

VGA (Monitor)

Plug an external monitor into this connection.

connection

Back 5

Component		Icon					Description
H	S/PDIF digital						Plug a standard RCA cable into this
	audio output						connection and the connection on a digital
	connection						audio device.
	(optional)
I	Power connection						Plug the AC power adapter into this
							connection.

6 About Your Notebook

Bottom

A B A

I

H

G

F

C D E

Bottom 7

Component		Icon				Description
A	Elevating feet					Extend these feet to tilt the
						notebook forward and to provide
						a more natural typing position.
B	Memory bay					Install up to two SO-DIMM
						memory modules in the slots
						held within this bay.
C	Main battery bay					Insert the main battery into this
						bay.
D	Battery release latch					Slide to release the battery.
E	Modular bay					Insert either a diskette drive,
						LS-120 SuperDisk drive, second
						hard drive, or second battery into
						this bay.
F	Modular bay release latch					Slide to release the module.
G	System identification label					Find the product model number
						and serial number on this label.
						For more information on the
						label, see “Identifying your
						model” in the Maintaining and
						Troubleshooting guide.
H	CD/DVD drive bay					Insert either a DVD, CD, CD-R, or
						CD-RW drive into this bay.
I	Release latch for CD/DVD					Slide to release the drive.
	disc drive bay

8 About Your Notebook

Getting Started

2

This chapter provides basic information about your Gateway notebook. Read this chapter to find out:

■How to connect the AC power adapter

■How to start and turn off your notebook

■What the status indicator lights and icons mean

■How to use the keyboard and touchpad

9

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 on recalibrating the battery, see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 99.

To connect the AC adapter:

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

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 be damaged.

10 Getting Started

2 Connect the 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.

Battery charging indicator

You can use the notebook while the adapter is connected to AC power.

3When you finish using your notebook, turn the notebook off and leave the notebook connected to AC power for at least 24 hours. The battery charge meters may not show a charge for several hours. For the location of the battery meters, see “Checking battery status” on page 94.

Connecting the AC adapter

11

4If the battery meters do not show a full charge after 24 hours, recalibrate the battery. For information on recalibrating the battery, see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 99.

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.

Protecting from power source problems

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

Warning High voltages can enter your notebook through the power cable and the telephone line that is connected to the modem. Protect your notebook by using a surge protector with a telephone connection. During an electrical storm, unplug both the surge protector and the telephone line.

12 Getting Started

Starting your notebook

To start the notebook:

1Open your notebook by sliding the latch on the front of your notebook to the right and lifting the LCD panel.

2Press 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 instructions on changing the power button mode, see “To change advanced power management settings:” on page 103.

3To adjust the viewing angle of the display, tilt the display panel forward or backward.

4To control display brightness, press the FN key together with the up arrow or down arrow key.

This notebook is shipped with the backlight dimmer feature enabled. The dimmer cuts display power 50% when your notebook is operating on battery power. To learn how to disable this feature, see “Disabling the backlight dimmer” on page 105.

5If you are starting your notebook for the first time, follow the on-screen instructions to set up your notebook.

Starting your notebook

13

Waking up your notebook

When you have not used your notebook for several minutes, it will go into a power-saving mode called Standby. While in Standby, the notebook screen darkens and the power indicator light changes to orange. When you are ready to use your notebook, “wake” it up by pressing a button or key on the keyboard. For more information on changing power-saving settings, see “Changing power settings” on page 100.

14 Getting Started

Turning off your notebook

To turn off your notebook:

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

2Select Shut Down.

3Click 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 and hold the power button for about five seconds.

Turning off your notebook

15

System status indicators

A C E

B D F

This light turns on... When...

A						The notebook is accessing the hard drive.
B						The notebook is accessing the CD/ DVD drive
						or LS-120 SuperDisk drive.
C						The notebook is accessing the diskette drive.
D						Caps Lock is enabled.
		A
E	1					Pad Lock is enabled.
F						Scroll Lock is enabled.

16 Getting Started

Power and battery indicators

A B

					C	D
Component		Icon		Description
A	Battery LED			Indicates the battery status mode:
				■	Green light indicates that the battery is fully charged.
				■	Yellow light indicates that the battery is charging.
				■	Red light indicates that the battery is malfunctioning.
				■ No light indicates that the system is running on the
					battery.
B	Power LED			Indicates the power status mode:
				■	Steady green light indicates that power is on and the
					notebook is in operation.
				■	Flashing green light indicates that the notebook is in
					standby mode.
				■	Yellow light indicates that the notebook is in a power
					saving mode.
				■ No light indicates that the notebook is off.
C	Reset switch			Insert a paper clip to press the switch and reset the
				notebook when you need to shut down your system and
				you cannot use the operating system shut down
				procedure. Use this method only if you have first tried
				pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL or holding down the power
				button for 4-5 seconds.
D	Power			Press to turn the power on or off. You can also configure
	button			the button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or
				Hibernate mode. For more information on configuring
				the power button mode, see “To change advanced
				power management settings:” on page 103.

Power and battery indicators

17

Using the keyboard

Your notebook features a keyboard that has the same functionality as a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assigned alternate functions, including shortcut keys for Windows, function keys for system operations, and a Pad Lock key that enables the embedded numeric keypad.

Adjusting the keyboard angle

The two elevating feet under your notebook give the notebook a comfortable angle for typing.

To extend the elevating feet:

1Close the LCD panel and turn your notebook over.

2Slide each foot toward the side of the notebook until the foot opens.

3Turn the notebook over. The keyboard is now angled toward you.

4To close the feet, press them down until they click into place.

18 Getting Started

Function keys

A

B C

AFN keys

BNumeric keypad

CFunction keys

Using the keyboard

19

Function key combinations

By pressing an FN key and a Function key, the notebook performs the action identified by the green text on the key.

Press FN and this Function To...

key...

Display the power status box in the upper left corner of your screen. The menu shows the battery charge level, the BIOS version, and whether the AC power adapter is being used.

Press the key combination again to close this box.

Toggle the notebook screen between the LCD, an external monitor, both displays at the same time, or TV display (NTSC or PAL format).

Enable Standby mode on your notebook. Press the power button to exit Standby mode.

Enable Pad Lock so you can use the numeric keypad. Press this key combination again to disable Pad Lock. The Pad Lock status indicator appears while this function is enabled.

Pause the text scrolling in a DOS screen. (This function is only available in some programs.) The Scroll Lock status indicator appears when this function is enabled. Press the key combination again to continue scrolling.

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 brightness of the display.

Decrease the brightness of the display.

20 Getting Started

Multi-function buttons

A	B C D E
Component	Icon Description

AVolume control buttons

Left button decreases volume.

Middle button increases volume.

Right button mutes sound. Press again to hear sound.

B	E-mail button	Opens your e-mail program.
C	Web browser	Opens your Web browser.
	button
D	Help button	Opens an online help file.
E	Shortcut button	Opens a program you assign to this key. For
		information on customizing the multi-function
		buttons, see “Customizing the multi-function
		buttons” on page 54.

Multi-function buttons

21

Using the EZ Pad touchpad

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

A B

AEZ Pad™ buttons (mouse buttons)

BEZ Pad touchpad

When you move your finger on the touchpad, the pointer (arrow) on the screen moves in the same direction. You can use the EZ-Pad left and right buttons below the touchpad to select objects.

Important The touchpad is disabled when an external mouse is connected.

22 Getting Started

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

Select an object	Position the pointer over the
on the screen.	object. Quickly tap your finger on
	the touchpad once. This action is
	called clicking.

Start a program or open a file or folder.

Position the pointer over the object. Quickly tap your finger on the touchpad twice. This action is called double-clicking.

Access a shortcut	Position the pointer over the
menu or find	object. Quickly press and
more information	release the right button once.
about an object	This action is called
on the screen.	right-clicking.

Using the EZ Pad touchpad

23

To...	Do this...
Move an object	Position the pointer over the
on the screen.	object. Press the left button and
	hold it down, then use the
	touchpad to move (drag) the
	object to the appropriate part of
	the screen. Release the button.

24 Getting Started

Windows	3
Basics

Read this chapter to get basic information on how to:

■Work on the Windows desktop

■Work with document and program windows

■Manage files and folders

■Use shortcuts

For more detailed information about Windows, see your Microsoft Windows documentation and online help.

25

About the Windows environment

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

Your desktop may be different from the example shown below, depending on how your computer is set up.

My

Documents

My

Computer

Recycle

Bin

Internet

Explorer

MSN

Signup

HelpSpot or

QuickAnswers

Gateway.net

America

Online

Start button

Taskbar

26 Windows Basics