NEC L320 User Manual

Versa®L320

Notebook Computer

User’s

Guide

Proprietary Notice and Liability Disclaimer

The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related materi al s, is the valuable pr oper t y of NEC C omp uter s Inc. (h er ein aft er “N EC C”) and /or it s li cen sor s. NEC C an d/or it s lic en s or s, as appr op r i at e, res er ve al l p at en t , copyri gh t and other propr i eta r y r igh t s t o this document, including all design, manufacturing, reproduction, use, and sales rights thereto, except to the ex tent said rights are expressly grant ed to others .

The NE CC produ ct(s) d iscuss ed in thi s docum ent ar e warran ted in accor dan ce with the terms of th e Warran ty Sta t emen t accom pa n yin g each pr oduct. Howev er , act ua l perfor m an ce of each su ch pr oduct is depen dent upon factor s such as system con figurati on, customer data, and opera tor control. Since implementation by customers of each product may vary, the suitability of specific product configurations and applications must be determined by the customer and is not warranted by NECC.

To allow for design and specification improvements, the information in this document is subject to change at an y time, without notice. Reproduction of th is document or portions thereof without prior written approval of NECC is prohibited.

As an E

NERGY STAR

partner, NECC has determined that this product meets the ENERGY star

guidelines for energy effi cienc y.

NEC is a register ed trademark; Versa is a U.S. register ed trademark; and PortBar, VersaBay, and VersaGlide are trademar ks of NEC Corporati on and/ or one or more of it s subsi diaries. Al l are us ed under license. E S

is a U.S. registered trademark of the U.S. government. Mi crosoft, Windows , and Wi ndows N T ar e

TAR

register ed trad emarks of Micros of t Corp orat ion. Intel and Pentium are regist ered tr ademar k s and SpeedStep i s a trademark of Intel Corporation.

All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

NERGY

First Printing — September 2001

NEC Computers Inc.

15 Business Park Way

Sacramento, CA 95828

Using This Guide

Text Convention s.............................................................................................................x

Related Documents ..........................................................................................................x

1 Introducing the NEC Versa

Before You Begin.........................................................................................................1-2

About Your NEC Versa L320 Notebook ........................................................................1-3

Aroun d the Front of the System .....................................................................................1-4

Opening Your System ............................................................................................1-4

Base Unit...............................................................................................................1-4

Control Panel.........................................................................................................1-5

Security and Personal Code Buttons.................................................................1-6

Power Button ..................................................................................................1-6

Shortcut Button s..............................................................................................1-7

Status LEDs...........................................................................................................1-7

Power Status LEDs ..........................................................................................1-8

Operating Status LEDs....................................................................................1-8

Keyboard Panel......................................................................................................1-9

Front Features...................................................................................................... 1-12

Aroun d the Back of the System ...................................................................................1-13

Aroun d the Left Side of the System ............................................................................. 1-14

Aroun d the Right Side of the System...........................................................................1-15

Aroun d the Bottom of the System................................................................................1-16

About the NEC Cable PortBar..................................................................................... 1-17

About NEC Wireless LAN..........................................................................................1-18

2 Getting Started

NEC VersaGlide Touchpad...........................................................................................2-2

VersaGlide Adjustments.........................................................................................2-3

VersaGlide Tips.....................................................................................................2-3

Power Sources for Your NEC Versa..............................................................................2-3

AC Adapter...................................................................................................................2-4

Connecting the AC Adapter....................................................................................2-4

Power ing On Your System.....................................................................................2-5

System Batteries............................................................................................................2-6

Primary Battery......................................................................................................2-6

Secondary Battery ..................................................................................................2-6

CMOS Battery........................................................................................................2-6

Using the Primary Battery.............................................................................................2-7

Deter mining Battery Status.....................................................................................2-7

Low Battery Status .................................................................................................2-8

Returning the Battery to its Normal State................................................................2-8

Extending Battery Life...........................................................................................2-8

Content s iii

Battery Handling.................................................................................................... 2-9

Replacing the Battery............................................................................................. 2-9

Charging the Battery............................................................................................ 2-11

Battery Precautions .............................................................................................. 2-12

Precautions for Recharging the Battery................................................................. 2-12

Using a Secondary Battery.......................................................................................... 2-13

Secondary Battery Precautions ............................................................................. 2-13

Replacing the Secondary Battery.......................................................................... 2-13

System Care................................................................................................................2-14

Precautions for System Use.................................................................................. 2-14

Storage Requirements .......................................................................................... 2-15

Routine Cleaning ................................................................................................. 2-15

3 Using the BIOS Setup Utility

Introducing BIOS Setup................................................................................................3-2

Entering BIOS Setup.....................................................................................................3-2

BIOS Setup Main Menu......................................................................................... 3-3

Loo k ing at Scre ens................................................................................................. 3-4

Using Keys ............................................................................................................ 3-5

Checking/Setting System Parameters.............................................................................3-5

Resetting System Parameters.................................................................................. 3-6

Main Menu ............................................................................................................ 3-6

Advanced Menu..................................................................................................... 3-7

Security Menu........................................................................................................3-8

Password Protection............................................................................................... 3-9

Establishing Passwords .......................................................................................... 3-9

Finger Print Protection.......................................................................................... 3-10

Hard Disk Drive Passwords.................................................................................. 3-10

Establishing Hard Disk Dr ive Passwords ....................................................... 3-11

Changing Hard Disk Drive Passwor ds ........................................................... 3-11

Using Hard Disk Drive Password Pr otection .................................................. 3-12

Moving the Hard Disk Drive..........................................................................3-12

Power Menu.........................................................................................................3-13

Boot Menu........................................................................................................... 3-15

Exit Menu............................................................................................................ 3-15

Managing System Power.............................................................................................3-16

Windows 2000 Power Options Properties............................................................. 3-16

Windows 2000 Power Schemes..................................................................... 3-17

Windows 2000 Alarms .................................................................................. 3-18

Windows 2000 Power Meter.......................................................................... 3-19

Windows 2000 Advanced.............................................................................. 3-19

Windows 2000 Hibernate .............................................................................. 3-19

Windows 2000 an d Intel SpeedStep Technology............................................3-20

Windows 98 SE Power Management Properties.................................................... 3-20

Windows 98 SE Power Schemes.................................................................... 3-21

Windows 98 SE Alar ms ................................................................................ 3-22

iv Contents

Windows 98 SE Power Meter........................................................................ 3-22

Windows 98 SE Advanced.............................................................................3-23

Windows 98 SE Hibernate.............................................................................3-23

Windows 98 SE and Intel SpeedStep Technology...........................................3-24

Windows Power Management States ....................................................................3-24

Recogn izing the Windows Power Management States...........................................3-25

Checking Switch Settings............................................................................................3-26

Accessing Switches..............................................................................................3-26

Looking at Switch Settings................................................................................... 3-27

Updating the BIOS......................................................................................................3-28

Obtaining the BIOS Update..................................................................................3-28

Preparing the BIOS Update Diskette.....................................................................3-29

Performing the BIOS Update................................................................................ 3-29

4 Using the Operati ng System an d Util ities

Windows Introduction...................................................................................................4-2

Windows 2000.......................................................................................................4-2

Desktop Icons..................................................................................................4-2

Taskb ar Icons..................................................................................................4-3

Windows 98 Second Edition...................................................................................4-3

Desktop Icons..................................................................................................4-3

Taskb ar Icons..................................................................................................4-5

NEC Utilities................................................................................................................4-6

NEC Customize Utility ........................................................................................... 4-6

NEC Customize Utility Screen.........................................................................4-6

Using the NEC Customize Utility....................................................................4-6

PHDISK Utility for Windows 98 SE.......................................................................4-7

Preparing Your System for the PHDISK Utility................................................4-7

Runnin g the PHDISK Utility ...........................................................................4-7

Applet for Intel SpeedStep2 Technology........................................................................4-9

SoftDVD Player CD......................................................................................................4-9

NEC CD-RW CD..........................................................................................................4-9

Application and Driver CD..........................................................................................4-10

Launching the A&D CD with Windows 2000 .......................................................4-10

Launching the A&D CD with Windows 98 SE......................................................4-10

Application and Driver CD Dialog Box ................................................................4-11

Installing the A&D CD Software.......................................................................... 4-11

Personal Code Setting Utility.......................................................................................4-11

Identifyin g Personal Code Setting Buttons............................................................4-12

Establishing Per sonal Codes.................................................................................4-12

Clea ri n g a Personal Code...................................................................................... 4-13

Using the Personal Code to Access the System......................................................4-14

Bringing the System Out of a Power-Saving Mode................................................4-14

NEC In fo Center ......................................................................................................... 4-14

Installing the NEC Info Center .............................................................................4-14

Uninstalling the NEC In fo Center .........................................................................4-15

Content s v

PartitionMagic Special Edition.................................................................................... 4-15

Product Recovery CD................................................................................................. 4-16

Guidelines for Using the Product Recovery CD.................................................... 4-16

Product Recovery CD Options..............................................................................4-17

Full Disk Drive Restore........................................................................................ 4-17

Partition Only Rest ore.......................................................................................... 4-19

One-Touch Start Button Settin gs Utility...................................................................... 4-20

5 Using the System Dri ves and Bays

NEC Modular Bay Slot................................................................................................. 5-2

NEC VersaBay IV Slot ................................................................................................. 5-2

Phoen ix BayS wap Utility..............................................................................................5-3

Installing the Phoenix BaySwap Utility...................................................................5-3

Using the Phoenix BaySwap Utility........................................................................5-3

Removing a Device from the NEC Modular Bay Slot..............................................5-4

Installing a Device in the NEC Modular Bay Slot ................................................... 5-5

Removing a Device from the NEC VersaBay IV Slot..............................................5-5

Installing a Device in th e NEC VersaBay IV Slot....................................................5-6

Variable-Speed CD-ROM Drive.................................................................................... 5-7

CD Loading...........................................................................................................5-8

CD Car e................................................................................................................. 5-8

Changing the Auto Play Settin g.............................................................................. 5-9

Variable-Speed CD-RW Drive .................................................................................... 5-10

Variable-Speed DVD-ROM Drive............................................................................... 5-10

Combination CD- RW and DVD-ROM Drive............................................................... 5-11

Memory Modules........................................................................................................ 5-12

6 Communicating with Your NEC Versa

MDC Modem................................................................................................................6-2

Connecting the Modem..........................................................................................6-2

Mini PCI LAN.............................................................................................................. 6-3

PC Cards ...................................................................................................................... 6-3

Type II Cards ......................................................................................................... 6-3

Type II Extended Cards..........................................................................................6-3

Type III Cards........................................................................................................ 6-3

Communication Cards............................................................................................6-4

Storage Cards.........................................................................................................6-4

Interface Cards.......................................................................................................6-4

Other Cards............................................................................................................6-5

PC Card Slots.........................................................................................................6-5

Inser ting a PC Card................................................................................................ 6-5

Removing a Card...................................................................................................6-6

Internet Connections..................................................................................................... 6-7

Internet Connect i on Wizard in Windows 98/2000...................................................6-7

Acce ssing the Inter net ............................................................................................ 6-7

vi Contents

Sending and Receiving E-mail................................................................................6-8

Modifying the Internet an d E-mail Shortcut Buttons................................................6-8

IR Port..........................................................................................................................6-8

Enabling the IR Port...............................................................................................6-9

Enabling Infrared Communications......................................................................... 6-9

Using the IR Port.................................................................................................. 6-10

Mini PCI Wireless LAN.............................................................................................. 6-11

Enabling Wireless LAN in BIOS Setup.................................................................6-11

Checking Your Wireless Connection .................................................................... 6-11

Viewing/Changing Configuration Settings............................................................ 6-12

7 Traveling Tips

Preparing for Travel......................................................................................................7-2

Packing for Travel.........................................................................................................7-2

Using Power Connections .............................................................................................7-3

Gettin g Through Customs.............................................................................................7-3

Connecting to the Intern et .............................................................................................7-4

Connecting Using a Modem ...................................................................................7-4

Connecting Using a LAN.......................................................................................7-4

8 Using Extern al Devi ces

Keyboard/Mouse...........................................................................................................8-2

USB Device..................................................................................................................8-3

Serial Devices...............................................................................................................8-4

NEC Cable PortBar.......................................................................................................8-5

Monitor .........................................................................................................................8-6

S-Video Supported Device............................................................................................ 8-7

IEEE 1394 Devices.......................................................................................................8-8

Parallel Devices............................................................................................................8-9

Audio Options.............................................................................................................8-10

9 Using Multimedia

Audio............................................................................................................................9-2

Recor ding ..............................................................................................................9-2

CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Input...................................................................................9-3

Microphone............................................................................................................9-3

Playing Back ..........................................................................................................9-3

Using Headphones..................................................................................................9-4

Using the Built-In Speakers....................................................................................9-4

Using External Stereo Speakers..............................................................................9-4

Video............................................................................................................................9-4

Using Digital Video Files.......................................................................................9-5

Using Animation Files............................................................................................9-5

Multimedia Applications...............................................................................................9-5

Content s vii

10 Solving System Probl ems

Problem Checklist....................................................................................................... 10-2

Startup Problems ......................................................................................................... 10-3

POST Error Messages.......................................................................................... 10-4

If You Need Assistance............................................................................................... 10-5

11 Getting Service and Support

Service and Suppor t Contact Information.................................................................... 11-2

Web Site..................................................................................................................... 11-3

Support Services ......................................................................................................... 11-4

E-mail to Support Services.......................................................................................... 11-4

A Setting Up a Healthy Work En vironment

Making Your Computer Work for You......................................................................... A-2

Arran ge Your Equipment............................................................................................. A-3

Adjust Your Ch air........................................................................................................ A-3

Adjust Your In put Devices........................................................................................... A-4

Adjust Your Screen or Monitor.................................................................................... A-4

Vary Your Workday..................................................................................................... A-5

Pre-existing Conditions and Psychosocial Factors......................................................... A-5

B Specifications

System Compon ents......................................................................................................B-2

Interrupt Contr ollers....................................................................................................B-10

Memory Map..............................................................................................................B-11

C Frequentl y Asked Quest io ns

Extern al Mouse.............................................................................................................C-2

Display.........................................................................................................................C-2

PC Cards ......................................................................................................................C-2

Diskette Drive...............................................................................................................C-3

Booting ........................................................................................................................ .C-4

Power Management ......................................................................................................C-5

Miscellaneous ...............................................................................................................C-7

Glossary

Index

viii Contents

Using This Guide

The NEC Versa® L320 User’s Guide gives you the infor mation you n e e d to ma ximize the use of your NEC Vers a n ot ebook compu ter. Read this guide to familiarize your s elf with the NEC Versa an d its features. For speci fi c infor mation see

Chap ter 1, “Introducing the NEC Versa,” to acq uaint yourself with the system



hardware. Chap t er 2 , “G etting Star ted,” for instructions on how to con nect, power on, an d care



for your system. This chapter includes in formation about using battery power . Chapter 3, “Using the BIOS Setup Utility,” for details about modifying system



parameters and power management. Chapter 4, “Using the Operating System and Utilities,” for an under standing of your



Microsoft utilities and CDs for loading applications, drivers, and the NEC Info Center.

Chapter 5, “Usin g the System Drives and Bays, ” t o master procedures for using the



NEC VersaBay™ IV slot, using the NEC Modular Bay slot , an d installing a memory module.

Chapter 6, “Communicating with Your NEC Versa,” for essential information about



using PC Cards, the built-in MDC modem, the optional Mini PCI LAN, and the optional Mini PCI Wireless LAN.

Windows® opera ting system . You’ll also lear n h ow to u se the system

Chap ter 7, “Travel ing Tip s, ” for a variety of checklists to h elp you to prepare the



notebook com put er for travel, getting through customs and using your modem or LAN connection when you ar e on the road.

Chap ter 8, “Usin g E xt ernal Devices ,” for procedur es for conn ecting external



devices like an external monitor, headphones, a printer, or speakers. Chap ter 9, “Usin g Mu ltimedi a,” for steps on integrating vi d eo and sound cl ips into



impressive presentations. Chapter 10, “Solving System Problems,” for s i mpl e s olutions to c ommon probl e ms



that may arise wh ile operat in g your notebo ok . Chapter 11, “Getting Service and Support,” for information about getting h elp when



you n e ed it from NEC Comp uter s Inc. Appen dix A, “Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment,” for g ui d elines th at help



promote a healthy work setting. Appen dix B, “Specifi cations,” to r evi ew NE C Versa system specifications.



Appendix C, “Frequently Asked Questions,” (FAQs) for a look at questi ons that



users com monly ask and the ans wers to those qu es tions.

Using This Guide ix

Text Conventions

To make this guide as easy as possible to use, text is set up as follows.

Warnings, ca ut ions, and notes have the following meanings:



personal injury or l oss of life.

software.

Warnings alert you to situations that could result in serious

Cautions indicate situations that can damage the hardware or

Note



Notes give important information, et c.

Names of keys are pri nted as the y appear on th e keyboa rd, for exa mple,

Enter

Text that you mu s t type or keys t hat you must pre s s a re pre s e nte d in bold type. For

dir

example, type

and press

Introducing the NEC Versa

Before You Begin



About Your NEC Versa L320 Notebook



Around the Front of the System



Around the Back of the System



Around the Left Side of the System



Around the Right Side of the System



Around the Bottom of the System



About the NEC Cable PortBar



About NEC Wireless LAN



Before You Begin

Prolonged or improper use of a computer workstation may pose a risk of serious injury. To reduce your risk of inj ury, set up and use your computer in the manner described in Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Wor k Environment.

After com pleting the step s in the qui ck setup sheet that comes with your com p u ter, your NEC Versa L320 system is ready to go! T o get started, do the foll owing:

Read App endix A, “S etting Up a Healthy Work Environment,” for g uidelines that



help you us e your c omputer pr oduct ively and s afely. In formation incl udes how to set up and use your computer to reduce your risk of developing nerve, muscle, or tendon disorders.

Read through this guide to familiarize your self with the NEC Versa.



1-2 Introducing the NEC Versa

About Your NEC Versa L320 Notebook

The NEC Versa L320 notebook computer offers you a por table system filled with exciting resources for business users. Standard features include a powerful Mobile

Pentium® III Processor-M running at 933 MHz, 1 GHz, 1.13 GHz, or higher.

Intel This processor is designed to work together with the latest Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) architecture.

Your notebook computer supports up to 1 GB of system memory. In addition, your system come s with a high-performance hard disk drive, diskette drive, PC Card support and one of the following variable-speed opti ca l dri ves: CD- ROM, DVD- ROM, CD-RW, or combination CD-RW and DVD-ROM. Mi crosoft Edition (SE) or Windows 2000 Professional is preinstalled. To optim i ze your connectivity options, all systems ship with a built-in MDC modem and some models come wit h a M in i PCI LAN or Mini P C I wireless LAN ( when available). A s a multimedia system, your NEC Versa L320 supports the AGP x4 stan dard and provides the tool s needed to create an d present impressi ve i mages using video clips and s ound.

NEC Versa L3 20 no tebook computer

Windows® 98 Second

To get comfortable with your notebook, read the followin g sections and take a tour around you r syst e m!

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-3

Around the Front of the System

The NE C Ver s a is compa ct with features on every side. First, look at the front of the system.

Opening Your System

Open your NEC Versa L320 notebook computer by sliding the LCD pan el latch to the righ t. Lift the cover to reveal the LCD panel and the ba s e unit feat ures. See the section, “Front Featur es,” to locate the latch.

Base Unit

The base unit of your NEC Versa notebook offers the featur e s shown in th e follo wing figure. Feature descriptions are provided after the figure.

After extended use, the surface of the base unit, below the

keyboard, may become hot to the touch.

LCD pa nel and ba se unit

– LCD Panel

– Operating Status LEDs

– Power Button

– Shortcut Buttons

1-4 Introducing the NEC Versa

– Personal Code Buttons

– NEC Ver s aGlide Touchpad

– Keyboard

– Power Status LEDs

LCD Pan el — Provid e s a high-r e s olut ion di s play for sha rp, e ffective vi suals on



your N EC Versa notebook . Operating Sta tus LEDs — Keep you informed of your N EC Vers a noteb ook’s



curr en t op erating statu s (see the section, “Status LE Ds”). Power Button — Powers on and off t he system ( see the section, “Control Panel”).



Shortcu t Buttons — Launch you r browser or your e-m a il app l ication with these



buttons (see the section, “Control Panel”). Person al Code Buttons — Sets a person al code for securit y. Ava ilable on some



systems ( s ee the sect ion, “Control Panel”). NEC VersaGlide™ Touchpad — Work s lik e a s tandard com p uter mouse. Simply



move your fingertip over the VersaGlide to control the position of th e cursor. Use the selection buttons below the VersaGlide to select menu items. See “NEC VersaGlide Touchpad” in Chapter 2 for in formation about using the VersaGlide and for cus tomizing VersaG lide sett ings.

Keyboard — Pr ovides 87 keys with t he sta ndard QWE RTY-k e y l ayout. ( Model s



pur cha s ed ou tside of the U.S. and Canada ship with cou ntry-sp ecific keyboar d layouts.)

Power Status LEDs — Indicate whether the system i s running on AC power or



battery power, and indica te battery statu s (s ee the secti on , “Status LEDs”).

Control Panel

The NEC Versa L320 control panel provides the features shown in the following figure. The control panel featur es ar e d es cribed a ft er the figure.

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-5

Control panel

– Personal Code Button 1

– Personal Code Button 2

– Personal Code Button 3

– Personal Code Button 4

Security and Personal Code Buttons

Some s ystems have Personal Code Settin g buttons. Use th e buttons to set, enter, chang e, or cancel a personal security code. See “Personal Code Setting Utility” in Chapter 4 for more information .

Power Button

Note

Power button and hold it in place approximately 4 to 5 seconds until the system powers off.

The Power button is a “smart” switch . It recognizes when th e s ystem is in a Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Standby m ode, if the BIOS paramet er “Power Switch” is set to “Sleep.” If the system is in Standby mode, you cannot power off until you press the Power button to resume operation.

Put the unit in Standby mode when you need to be away from your system for a short period of time and want to return to where you left off. Standby mode shuts down all devices in the s ystem whil e r etainin g data and system status.



If you are unable to power off the system, use the power over ride. Press the

In Windows 98 and Windows 2000, go to Start, Shutdown, Standby to put your system into Standby mode.

– Personal Code Enter Button

– Shortcut Button

– Power Button

– Shortcut Button

1-6 Introducing the NEC Versa

Use the Power button in the following ways:



— Press th e Power button to power on. — Press the Power button to resume from a Windows 98 or Windows 2000

— Hold th e Power button in place for 4 or more seconds to initiate power over r ide

Shortcut Buttons

Some systems h a ve shortcut buttons tha t you can configure to launch your default Internet br ows er and your defa ult e-mail appl ication. See “One- Touch Star t Bu tton Settings Utility” in Chapter 4 for information about configuring the buttons.

Status LEDs

The NEC Versa L320 system uses status lights marked with icons to comm uni cate power status an d operating statu s. M ost of these LED s are on th e con trol panel (see the following figure). See the following sections for information about each LED.

Standby mode an d proceed with normal operation.

(po wers of f the s ystem) . Only use this option if you cannot p ower off your system using Start, Shutdown.

Control panel LEDs

– Power LED

– Battery Status LE D

– E-mail Notifi cation LED

– Drive Activity L ED

– NEC Modular Bay Drive Activity LED

– Caps Lock LED

– Scroll Lock LED

– Num Lock LED

– Security Indicator LED

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-7

Note

of t he uni t. See “Around the Right Side of the System” to locate the LED and for a description of the LED.

The Radio Wave Status LED (available on some models) is on the right side

Power Status LEDs

Power Status LEDs in d icate your NE C V er s a L3 2 0 ’s current power status.

Power Status LED — Lights to indicate the following status:



— Light s green when the system po wer is on. — Blinks green when the system is in Standby mode. — Lights yel l ow (blinks when in Standby mode) to indicate that bat tery power is at

8% capacity or less.

— Light s amber (blinks when in S tandby mode) to indicate that batter y power is at

3% capacity or less.

Battery Charging LED — Lights to indicate battery charging activity.



— Light s amber when the primary battery is charging. Blinks amber to in d icate an

error. The primary battery is installed in the battery bay.

— Light s green when the secondary battery is charging. Blinks green to indicat e an

error. The secon d ary (optional) battery is hou s ed in the NEC Modu lar Bay.

Note

back of the LCD panel. You can see t hese LEDs when you are behind your notebook computer or when the LCD panel is closed.

The system al so has a Power Status LED and a Battery Charging LED on the

Operating Status LEDs

Operating sta tus LEDs keep you inform ed of your NEC V er s a L3 2 0’s curren t op erating status.

E-mail Notification LED — Some systems have an LED that lights when new



e-mail is received.

Note

You can see t his LED when you are behind your notebook computer or when the LCD panel is closed.

1-8 Introducing the NEC Versa

The system al so has an E-mail Notification LED on the back of the LCD panel.

Drive Activity LED — Li ghts when th e NE C Versa L320 a cces s es the hard disk or



an NEC VersaBay™ IV drive (second hard disk, CD- ROM, DVD- ROM, CD-RW, or combination CD- RW and DVD-ROM drive).

NEC Modular Bay Drive Activity LED — Lights when the NEC Ve rsa L32 0 writes



data to or retrieves data from the diskette drive in the NEC Modular Bay. Caps Lock LED — Lights wh en caps lock is in ef fe ct.



Scroll Lock LED — Lights when scroll lock is in effect (not supported in the U.S.



or Canada). Num Lock LED — Lights when num lock mode is active.



Security Indi cator LED — Ligh ts green when the system is in security mode (not



supported on all systems). Radio Wave L ED (on the righ t side of the system) — Ligh ts gree n when a



Bluetooth™ (when avail able) or Wireless LAN d evice is on. The LED goes out when th e device is in a S leep mode. To locate th is LED, see the figure “Right-side features” later in this chapter.

Keyboard Panel

The NEC Versa L320 keyboar d has a standard QWERT Y-key layout. (Model s shipped outs ide the U.S . are equipped wi th countr y-s pecific k eyboa rd layout s.) Keyboa rd features are described after the figure.

– Function Keys

– Numeric Keypad

– Cursor Control Keys

Keyboard

– Windows Keys

– Control Keys

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-9

Function Keys — Twelve function keys, F1 through



Versa L320 keyboar d. These keys wor k together with the

F12

, are avail able on th e NEC

key to act ivate special

preprogrammed functions. Function keys can also be used within applications. Most are application-driven, so

their functi on varies accor d ing to th e ap pl ication in u s e. See the speci fi c application’s user guide for in formation about how each function key works within the application you are using.

The following function key combinations are pre-programmed for the NEC Versa L320.

Fn-Left Ctrl

— Simulates pressing the ri ght control key to support IBM 327X

connections (not supported in U.S./Canada).

Fn-F2 Fn-F3

Toggles a wireless device on and off (supported in some systems).

—

Toggles the video mode between LCD only, CRT only, Simultaneous

—

mode, and TV out.

Fn-F4

— Support ed for Wind ows NT® Workstation 4.0. Sets standby power

management mode on in Windows NT. — In Windows NT, press any key to resume from Stand by mode. — No function wh en Windows 98 or Windows 2000 is configured for Advanced

Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). In Windows 98 or Windows 2000, Standby is equiva l ent to the Windows NT Suspend mode. To resume from the Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Standby mode, press the Power button.

Fn-F5

— Zooms the s creen in or ou t slight ly.

Fn-F6 Fn-F7

Toggl es the system speakers/beep of f and on.

—

— Toggles between various power management levels in Windows NT.

Beeps in dicat e the level chosen as follo ws:

1 beep Off 2 beeps Custom 3 beeps Highest Performance 4 beeps Longest Life

Fn-F7 has no fun ction when Windows 98 or Windows 2000 is con figured for Advan ced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).

Fn-F8

— Increases LCD brightness (ei ght settings).

Fn-F9

— Reduces LCD br ightness (eight settings).

Scroll Lock

— Toggles th e s cr ol l lock featu re on and off.

1-10 Introducing the NEC Versa

Windows Keys — Use the following two keys to facilitate your work.

Shortcut/Application key – provides quick access to shortcut menus. (This key acts like a right mouse button.)

Floating Window key – disp lays the Start menu.

Numeric Keypad — Pressing



Num Lock

on the keyb oa rd activates th e numeric

keypad numbers and func tion s print e d in yellow on top of t he ke ys. The keypad lets you type numbers and mathematical oper ands (+, –) as you would

on a calculator. The keypad is ideal for entering long lists of numbers. When you press

Num Lock

again, the keys revert to their normal functions as

typew riter keys. Typewr iter Keys — Typewriter keys (also called alphanumeric keys) are used to



enter text and ch aracters. Keys with yellow print on them behave differently when combined with control keys, the

Control Keys —



Ctrl, Alt, Fn

, and

key, or wh en

Shift

are controls used in con junction with oth er

Num Lock

is active.

keys to ch ange th eir functi ons. To use con trol keys, p ress and hold the con trol key

Ctrl C

whil e pressing another ke y. For exampl e, “Press

Ctrl

key and type the letter C. Key combinations work specific to the application

” means to ho ld do wn the

you are running. Cursor Control Keys — Cursor control keys let you position the cursor on the



screen where you want. On the screen, th e cursor is a blinkin g und erline, block, or verti cal bar dep ending on the appli cation. The cursor in d icates where the nex t text typed is inserted.

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-11

Front Featur es

The features on th e front edge of the system are described aft er the figure.

Front features

– LCD Panel Latch

– Speakers

– IR Por t

– Built-In Microphone

LCD Pan el Latch — Slid e the latch to the right to open the N EC Versa L320



– Microphone In Port

– Headphone In Port

– Volume Control

system. Ster eo Sp eakers — Provide stereo sound for your m ultimedia presentations or



listening pleasure. The built-in sound system also supports 3D sound, which simulates the latest surround-sound technology.

IR Port — Allows you to tran s fer files bet w een your N EC Versa and an in frared



(IR)-equipped deskt op or notebook comput er. Microphone — Allows you to record monophonic sound directly into your



notebook com put er. See Chapter 9, “Using Multimedia,” for details about recording.

Microph one In P ort— All ows you to conn ect an extern al microphone for



monophonic recording or amplification through the unit. Plugging in an external microph one disables the built-in microphone.

Headphone In Por t — Lets you plug in stereo headphones or powered spea kers.



Volume Control — Allows you to cont rol the sp eaker volum e th rough th e thumb



wheel.

1-12 Introducing the NEC Versa

Around the Back of the System

You’ll find syst em ports for connecting your NEC Versa L320 to optiona l devices (like a print er or ext e rnal m onit or) on the ba c k of your NEC Versa L320. The por ts are described after the figure.

Back featur es

– PS/2 Port

– USB Ports

– Serial Port

– NEC Cable PortBar Connector

PS/2® Port — Use the standard PS/2 port to conn ect an exter nal PS/2- s tyle mouse,



– VGA P ort

– S-Video Out

– IEEE 1394 Po rts

– Parallel Port

PS/2- style keyboard, or P S /2 - s tyle Numeric Keypad to the system. With an optional Y-adapter cabl e, you can connect up to two of t hese devices at th e s ame time.

USB P o rts — Each Universal Serial Bus (USB) port allows you to connect up to



127 USB-equipped peripheral devices (for example, printers, monitors, and scanners) to your NEC Versa L320.

Serial Port — Use th i s por t to conn ect a digital camera or oth er serial d evice.



NEC Cable P ortBa r™ Conn ect or — Plug your optiona l NEC Cable P ort Bar (port



replicator) in to this connector. You can connect man y of your peri pheral devices to the NE C Cable Port Bar instead of to the connectors on the back of the system.

VGA Port — Use this 15-pin port to attach an external monitor to your NEC Versa



L320. S-Video Out Port — Use thi s p ort to connect a camcorder, VCR, or a game



machine for a conn ection th at provides i ncreas ed clarit y an d sh arpness of imagery. IEEE 1394 Ports — Use each port to daisy chain up to 63 IEEE 1394 devices to



your system . IEEE 1394 devices suppor t Plug and Play connectivity for tr ansfer rates of up to 400 Mbps. The Windows NT operating system does not support the IEEE 1394 ports.

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-13

Parallel Port — Connects a parallel printer or other parallel device. The parallel port



default supports the Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) standa rd. The port also supports bi-direct i onal and output only pr otocols.

Around the Left Side of the System

The left side of your NEC Versa L320 provides the features shown in the following figure. The left- s ide featu res are des cr ibed after the figure.

Left-side features

– AC Power Port

– Fan

– LAN Port

AC Power Port — Lets you attach the NEC Versa L320 to the AC power source



– Modem Port

– PC Card Slots

– Kensington Lock Slot

using the AC adapter that comes wi th your system. K eep the system connect ed to AC power whenever p oss ible to keep the battery pack and intern al CMOS battery charged.

Fan — All ows your syst em to cool properly and maintai n a safe opera tin g



environment.

Do not block t he fan while the NEC Versa L320 is in use.

Modem/LAN Ports — Some system s include a V.90 fax/data modem or a Mini PCI



LAN port for network or Intern et access. PC Card Slots — Two PC Card slots all ow you to i nser t two T ype II PC Ca rds or



one Type III PC Card in the bottom slot. Kensington® Lock Slot— This slot allows you to attach a Kensington security lock



or oth er compatible lock to secure the notebook from theft.

1-14 Introducing the NEC Versa

Around the Right Side of the System

The righ t side of t he NEC Vers a L320 offer s t he fea tur es shown in the following figure. The right side features are described after the figure.

Right side features

– Radio Wav e Stat us LED

– NEC Modular Bay Slot

Radio Wave S tatus LED — Provid e s th e opera t i ng st a tus of a Blue tooth ™ or



– Modular Bay Latch

– NEC VersaBay I V Slot

Wireless LAN devi ce. The LE D li ghts green when the Blu etooth or Wireless LA N device i s on . The LED goes out when the d evice is in a Sleep mode.

NEC Modular Bay Slot — Houses a diskett e dr ive or an opti onal secondary battery.



Devices ca n be swapped wit hout t he syst e m being disas s e mbled or tur ned ove r. Modular Bay Latch — Slide th e latch to the left before removing a Modular Bay



device fr om th e s ystem. NEC VersaBay IV Slot — Houses a CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, combin a t ion



CD-RW and DVD-ROM drive, or a second har d dri ve. On e of these dri ves comes with th e notebook. This slot accommodates an optional hard disk drive that has been pl aced in a specially desig ned cradle.

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-15

Around the Bottom of the System

The bottom of the NEC Versa L320 offers the features shown in the following figure. The features are descri bed after the figur e.

Bottom features

– Battery Rel ease Latch

– Primary Battery Bay

– Mini PCI and MDC Bay Cover

– NEC VersaBay I V Slot

Battery Release Latch — Press th e latch toward the edg e of t he system and hold it.



Lift the battery up slightly by its edge and pull the battery toward the edge of the system to free the battery connectors and remove the battery. Do not lift the battery straight up.

Pri mar y Ba ttery Bay — Equipped with a lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery.



Mini PCI and MDC Bay Cover — Remove the screw to find the Mini PCI or MDC



card. NEC VersaBay IV Slot — Houses a CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, combin a t ion



CD-RW and DVD-ROM drive, or a second har d disk drive. Memory Module Bay Cover — Remove the screw to find two SO-DIMM slots.



One sl ot contain s an SDRAM memory board configured by the factory. The oth er slot is empty for upgrade use.

Til t Foot — Ad j ust each foot to provide a flexi ble keyboard angle.



1-16 Introducing the NEC Versa

– VersaBay IV Latch

– Memory Module Bay Cover

– Tilt Foot

About the NEC Cable PortBar

The NE C Cabl e P ortBar is an a cces sory th at duplicates some of the port s on th e ba ck of your NE C V er s a L3 2 0 system, including a power connector. Ports include a LAN port for a network connection. Keep the NEC Ca bl e PortBar in your office c onnected to peripherals while you take your NEC Versa L320 on the road.

The ports on the NE C Ca bl e PortBar are descri bed after the following figur e.

NEC Cable PortBar

– PS/2 Keyboard Port

– PS/2 Mouse Port

– Parallel Port

– Serial Port

PS/2 Keyboard Port — Connects to a 6-pin standard PS/2-style ke yboard.



PS/2 Mouse Port — Connects to a PS/2-style mou se.



Parallel Port — Conn ects to a print er . You can change the LPT M ode in the Set u p



– VGA P ort

– LAN Port

– USB Port

program. Serial Port — Conn ects to a serial device, such as a digital camera.



VGA Port — Connects to an external VGA/SVGA monit or.



USB P o rt — Connects up t o 127 peripheral devices to your notebook c omputer.



LAN Port — Connects vi a an RJ-45 connector t o th e s yst em’s built-in LAN card



(available on some models). Power C onnector — Conn ects to an AC a da pt er . The NEC Ca bl e PortBar has two



power connect ors on the left s ide of the P or tBar (see the following figure). Use the 19-volt DC power connector for the NEC Versa L320 n otebook computer.

Introducing the NEC Versa 1-17

NEC Cable PortBar power connectors

– 19-volt DC Power Connector for the NEC Versa L320 system

– 15-volt DC Power Connector (for future use)

About NEC Wireless LAN

Some NEC Versa L320 notebook computers come with built-in wireless LAN capabilities featur ing the Wi-Fi™ (wireless fidelity) IEEE 802.11b High Rate (HR) stan dard for bus iness users. Wirel es s LA N eliminates the n eed for conn ecting cables between your computer and your local area networ k, facilitating mobility, minimizin g downtime, and improving your product ivity. With a wir eless L A N solution, you have the flexibility of accessin g e-mail, th e In ternet, corporat e intranets, and res ource planning application s on the network from your notebook computer.

The Wi-Fi compliant radio techn ology provides high- s p eed (11 Mbps) wireless networ king with the perfor mance ca pa biliti es of a wi red 10BaseT LAN conn ection.

Wi-Fi products are tested by an industr y group, WEC A (Wireless E thernet Compatibility Alliance), to meet the international IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless radio technology an d guaranteed to wor k with all other Wi-Fi certified pr oducts.

1-18 Introducing the NEC Versa

Getting Started

NEC VersaGlide Touchpad



Power Sources for Your NEC Versa



AC Adapter



System Batteries



Using the Primar y Batt er y



Using a Secondary Battery



System Care



NEC VersaGlide Touchpad

The NEC VersaGlide touchpad is an easy way to control the cursor with your finger . Lightly glid e your finger a cross the NEC VersaGlide and th e cursor follows. Use the VersaGlide touchpad as follows.



Single tap the touchpad

— equivalent to a single click of the primary mouse

button.



Double tap the touchpad

— equivalent to a double click of the primary mouse

button.



Click

and

hold,

then

your finger acr oss the VersaGlide touchpa d —

drag

equivalent to a click and drag of th e primary mouse button.



the scroll button up or down to scroll your document or screen.

Press

VersaGlide features

– NEC Ver saGlide touchpad

– Left Button

Try all of the VersaGlide fea tures and decide wh ich you prefer. If you find the doubl e tap or any of the other features difficult to use, go to the n ext section for general direct ions about adjust in g the Versa G lide properties.

Note

capability may be lost.

2-2 Getting Started

– Scroll Button

– Right Button

If you install another m ouse driver ov er the s hipping default, t he double- tap

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