A380

Gericom A380 Getting Started

2 Getting Started

our Notebook is designed and pre-configured for

easy setup and use. This chapter describes the

installation steps you should follow to get the

notebook up and running as quickly as possible.

Contact your dealer if they have pre-installed all the

needed drivers to fully operate your computer or if

there is an update on the driver installation of the

notebook.

Getting Started

2-1

otebook User Guide

2.1 Using the Battery Pack

The notebook is designed to operate with one of the following power sources:

• With AC power using the AC adapter connected to an electrical outlet.

• With a Nickel Metal-Hydride (NiMH) or a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery

pack.

You should use the AC adapter whenever possible, relying on the battery pack

only when AC power is unavailable.

Before you use your notebook computer, install and recharge the battery pack

first. The rechargeable Li-Ion battery pack allows you to operate the notebook

without an external power source. When you connect the AC power adapter,

the battery immediately starts to recharge. Normal battery charging time is 2 ~

2.5 hours for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery pack when your computer is turned

off.

2-2

For maximum battery performance, fully discharge the battery first before

recharging it when you start to use it first time. To do so, unplug the AC

adapter, turn off power management features (through Setup and Windows),

and turn on the system. Once the battery is fully discharged, plug in the AC

adapter and recharge the battery.

If you do not discharge the battery completely, it fails to accept a full recharge.

☞☞☞☞

Li-Ion battery is vulnerable, do not charge it with other power adapter, or it

may cause fire or explosion.

Getting Started

Installing the Battery Pack

This notebook provides the most convenient way to install the battery pack

into your computer. With the extended nose directed toward the compartment,

insert and push the battery pack.

Removing the Battery Pack

To remove the battery pack, slide the latch to left side and hold it, then take out

the battery pack with your finger.

2-3

otebook User Guide

Replacing the Battery Pack

When your notebook estimates that the battery only has enough charge to

continue for a few minutes, it will alert you with a battery low warning beep. If

you are consuming a lot of power by using the audio system, the PCMCIA

slots, the hard, floppy disk drives, and CD-ROM drive (or DVD-ROM/CD-

RW drive), your notebook might run out of charge much sooner than you

expect. You should always respond to the battery low indication by connecting

to AC power or turning off your notebook, or suspending your notebook to

disk. If you do not do so, the notebook will automatically suspend to disk and

turn off. The contents of the memory will store in the Suspend-to-Disk

partition. You will be unable to restart the notebook until you have connected

to the AC adapter or installed a charged battery. To replace the battery pack,

refer to the previous sections on “Installing the Battery Pack” and “Removing

the Battery Pack.”

2-4

☞☞☞☞

If you do not have a “Suspend-to-Disk” partition or file prepared

beforehand and the battery is running low, the system will not be able to

enter suspend to disk mode, but would rather enter suspend to RAM mode.

The contents will be saved to the memory instead and you need to connect

the AC adapter.

Getting Started

☞☞☞☞

Be sure to save your data before replacing the battery pack or connecting

the AC adapter. Failure to do so can result in data loss.

XTENDING BATTERY LIFE

It is important to be aware of the simple things for extending the life of the

system main battery while you are on the road. You should find a working

place where the external lighting is not too bright and turn down the screen

brightness. Also, you can choose the available mode on the Power Management

item of the Control Panel in Windows.

2.2 Connecting the AC Power Source

The AC adapter provides external power source to your computer and charges

the internal battery pack at the same time. The AC adapter also has an auto-

switching design that can connect to any 100VAC ~ 240VAC power outlets.

To connect the power adapter:

1. Plug the AC power cord into the power socket of the AC power adapter.

2. Plug the other end of the AC power cord to a live AC wall outlet.

2-5

otebook User Guide

3. Plug the connector of the AC adapter to the DC-IN port found at the

back of the computer.

☞☞☞☞

Whenever possible, it is advisable to always have the AC adapter connected

to the notebook and the battery pack installed. This ensures continuous

power supply and prevents any data loss incurring from sudden power

breakdown.

☞☞☞☞

 For the power supply of this equipment, an approved power cord has to

be used.

 Make sure the socket and any extension cord(s) you use can support

the total current load of all the connected devices.

 Before cleaning the computer, make sure it is disconnected from any

external power supplies (i.e. AC adapter).

2.3 Starting Your Computer

2-6

The Power/Resume button is found on the top of the base unit. Press the

Power/Resume button to start your computer and check that if the Power

LED turns on.

Getting Started

After a few seconds, the computer’s display will turn on and your computer will

begin to execute the Power On Self Test or POST to check if all system

components are running properly. Any error found during the test will be

displayed on the screen and may generate short beep sound as well.

After the test, the screen will also display a message “press <F2> to enter

SETUP”. You don’t need to run this program at the moment as your dealer

already made the necessary settings for your computer optimal operation. Refer

to Chapter 6 on running the SETUP program later.

After the test has completed, your computer will start to search and boot up

the operating system from your hard drive. The notebook computer normally

comes with a Windows 98/Me/2000 operating system pre-installed in your

hard drive. Consult the Windows 98/Me/2000 manual on how to use the

program. If not, contact your dealer for assistance.

2.4 Adjusting the Display Controls

The LCD brightness adjustment is controlled by <Fn> +<F8> and <Fn> + <F9> keys respectively. You need to press these hot-key controls after

powering on your notebook to suit your viewing pleasure.

2-7

otebook User Guide

The Brightness hot-key control adjusts the brightness on the LCD. The

brightness hot-key control will not set the LCD completely dark or bright; it

provides sufficient lighting to the LCD to match the external lighting of the

surrounding. The brighter the room, the more you need to increase the

brightness of the LCD.

2.5 Installing the Notebook Device Drivers

If you already have an operating system installed into your notebook computer,

it is best to install the needed device drivers for using the built-in devices of

your computer. Before installing the drivers, check with your dealer first if they

have already installed all the drivers along with the operating system. If not,

follow the procedures below:

UNNING THE PHDISK SUSPEND UTILITY

The PHDISK utility of the notebook allows you to create a suspend-to-disk

(STD) partition or file that is used to save the opened files when you activate

STD mode and power off the computer. If you want to make use of the STD

feature, you need first to run the PHDISK utility. You can use either of the

following two options for executing PHDISK utility:

2-8

1. PHDISK /Create /Partition - you can choose to run Suspend-to-Disk

and save your work into an allocated fixed disk partition. This option

should be done before partitioning and formatting your hard disk. The

advantage of this option is that it is more secure since the files are saved in

a separate partition and has no risk of being deleted. The disadvantage of

this is that you need to allocate enough disk partition for future memory

upgrade. The STD partition should always be larger than the system

memory RAM.

+ 18 hidden pages