Acer Aspire 1300 series User's guide Copyright © 2002 All Rights Reserved Acer Aspire 1300 Series Notebook Computer User's Guide Original Issue: May 2002 Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation to notify any person of such revision or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publications. This company makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Record the model number, serial number, purchase date, and place of purchase information in the space provided below. The serial number and model number are recorded on the label affixed to your computer. All correspondense concerning your unit should include the serial number, model number, and purchase information. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated. Acer Aspire 1300 series Notebook computer Model Number : _________________________________ Serial Number: ___________________________________ Purchase Date: ___________________________________ Place of Purchase: ________________________________ All trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective companies. First things first Your guides Basic care and tips for using your computer vii vii vii Getting familiar with your computer A tour of your computer Front view Left view Right view Rear view Bottom view Features Display Indicators Keyboard Special keys Keyboard ergonomics Touchpad Touchpad basics Launch keys Storage Inserting and ejecting a diskette Ejecting the optical drive tray Emergency ejection of the optical drive tray Connectivity options Ethernet and LAN Fax/data modem Audio Securing your computer Security slot Passwords 1 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 13 17 18 18 20 21 21 21 22 23 23 23 25 26 26 26 Operating on battery power Battery pack Battery pack characteristics Installing and removing the battery pack Charging the battery Checking the battery level Optimizing battery life Battery-low warning Power management 27 29 29 30 31 31 31 31 33 Contents iv English Peripherals and options External display devices External input devices External keyboard External keypad External pointing device Printer Audio devices Expansion devices PC Card USB devices Miscellaneous options Battery pack AC adapter Key component upgrades Memory upgrade Hard disk upgrade 35 37 38 38 38 39 40 41 42 42 44 45 45 45 46 46 47 Moving with your computer Disconnecting from the desktop Moving around Preparing the computer What to bring to short meetings What to bring to long meetings Taking the computer home Preparing the computer What to bring with you Special considerations Setting up a home office Traveling with the computer Preparing the computer What to take with you Special considerations Traveling internationally with your computer Preparing the computer What to take with you Special considerations 49 51 52 52 52 52 53 53 53 53 54 55 55 55 55 56 56 56 56 Software System software Launch Manager BIOS Setup Utility 57 59 59 60 v Frequently asked questions 67 Appendix A Specifications Appendix B Notices Index 71 75 83 English Troubleshooting 65 English English vi vii Your guides A set of guides is provided to help you set up and use your Aspire computer.: The Just for starters... poster shows you how to set up your computer. This User's Guide provides clear and concise information on using your computer productively. You are advised to read it thoroughly and keep it handy for future reference. For more information on our products, services, and support, please visit our web site www.global.acer.com. Basic care and tips for using your computer Turning your computer on and off To turn on your computer, open the lid and press the power button above the keyboard. To turn the power off, you can do any of the following: · · Click on the Start button in Windows, and then select Shut Down on the popup menu. Push the power button. To use this method, you must first click on the Power Management icon in Windows Control Panel, and then check that the power button is set to shut down the computer when pressed. See Windows Help for more information. English First things first English viii English Note: if you are unable to shut down the computer in the usual way, press and hold the power switch for more than four seconds. You should then wait at least two seconds before turning the computer on again. Taking care of your computer Your computer will serve you well if you take care of it. · · · · · · · · · · Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near sources of heat, such as a radiator. Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0°C (32°F), or above 50°C (122°F). Do not expose the computer to magnetic fields. Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture. Do not spill water or any liquid on the computer. Do not subject the computer to heavy shock or vibration. Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt. Do not place objects on top of the computer. Do not slam the lid shut. Close the computer gently. Do not place the computer on unstable or uneven surfaces. Taking care of your AC adapter It is important that you look after your AC adapter. · · · · Do not connect the adapter to any other device. Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on it. Route the power cord away from areas where people might walk on it or trip over it. Do not pull on the power cord when disconnecting from the mains power socket. Grasp and pull the plug instead. The total ampere ratings of equipment plugged into a power strip should not exceed the ampere rating for that power strip. Taking care of your battery pack It is also important that you look after your computer's battery pack. · · Use the correct battery model for your computer. Do not use other kinds of batteries. Turn the power off before removing or replacing the battery. ix · Dispose of batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if possible. Cleaning and servicing When cleaning your computer, it is important that you follow these steps: 1 2 3 Turn off the computer and remove the battery. Disconnect the AC adapter. Clean with a soft cloth moistened with a little water. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners. Refer to the chapter entitled Troubleshooting my computer if any of the following occurs: · · · You drop the computer or damage the case. You spill liquid on the computer. The computer does not operate normally. English · Do not tamper with the battery. Keep the battery away from children. English English x Getting familiar with your computer Your Aspire 1300 series notebook computer combines solid performance, versatility, multimedia capabilities and portability with a stylish design. Increase your productivity by working wherever you are. This chapter provides an in-depth "tour" of your computer's features. 3 After setting up your new Aspire notebook computer, as illustrated in the Just for starters... poster, take a few minutes to explore the unit. Front view English A tour of your computer English 4 Getting familiar with your computer English # 1 2 Item Display Launch keys Description Large liquid crystal display (LCD) provides visual output. 4 buttons that can be programmed to start frequently used applications. Turns the computer on and off. Touch sensitive pad that functions like a computer mouse. Right and left buttons that provide the same functions as the buttons on a computer mouse. The scroll key scrolls the contents of a window up and down. Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio output. Provides a comfortable platform for your hands when typing on the keyboard. Full-size keyboard for inputting typed data. Light emitting diodes (LED) that show the status of the computer and its components. Locks and releases the lid. 3 4 5 Power button Touchpad Click buttons & scroll key 6 7 Speakers Palm rest 8 9 Keyboard Status indicators 10 Latch 5 # 1 Item Modem jack Description Connects the built-in fax/data modem to a phone line. Connects the computer to an Ethernet 10/100based network. Connects an external microphone for audio input. Connects headphones for audio output. Press the eject button to remove a PC card from the PC card slot. The slot supports a standard Type II or Type III PC card (PCMCIA or CardBus). Supports a standard 3.5" diskette. Press the eject button to remove a diskette from the floppy disk drive. 2 Network jack 3 Microphone-in jack 4 5 Headphone jack PC card eject button 6 PC card slot 7 8 Floppy disk drive Floppy disk eject button English Left view English 6 Getting familiar with your computer English Right view # 1 Item Optical drive Description Depending on your model, the optical drive is one of the following: · CD-ROM drive for reading CDs. · DVD-ROM drive for reading CDs and DVDs. · DVD/CD-RW combo drive for reading CDs and DVDs, and writing to CD-Rs and CD-RWs. Used to eject an optical disc when the computer is turned off. Press the eject button to remove a disc from the optical drive. Light emitting diode (LED) that indicates when an optical disc is being read. 2 Optical drive emergency eject hole Optical drive eject button 3 4 Optical disc read indicator 7 # 1 2 3 4 5 6 Item Kensington lock slot DC-in jack USB ports External display port Parallel port Ventilation slots Description For attaching a security connector. Connects the AC adapter. 2 ports for connecting USB devices. Connects an external (VGA) display monitor. Connects a parallel device, such as a printer. Enables the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use. English Rear view English 8 Getting familiar with your computer English Bottom view # 1 Item Ventilation slots Description Enables the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use. The computer's removable battery. Slide and hold the latch, and then pull the battery to remove it from the unit. Removable cover provides access to the computer's hard drive. Removable cover provides access to the memory slots for upgrading the computer's memory. 2 3 Battery Battery release latch 4 Hard disk bay 5 Memory compartment 9 Performance · · · · · Mobile AMD Athlon XP1400+, XP1600+, or higher processor. VIA ProSavage KN133 chipset. 2 memory slots supporting 133MHz SDRAM (PC-133), upgradeable to 1GB. 20GB Enhanced-IDE hard disk. Microsoft Windows XP operating system. Multimedia · · · · Built-in optical drive (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or DVD/CD-RW combo drive). 14.1" or 15.0" XGA TFT LCD panel. Built-in stereo speakers. Audio input and output jacks. Connectivity · · · Integrated 10/100Mbps Ethernet connection. Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem. 2 universal serial bus (USB) ports. Human-centric design and ergonomics · · · · · All-in-one design (incorporating hard drive, optical drive and floppy disk drive). Rugged, yet extremely portable, construction. Stylish appearance. Full-size keyboard with 4 programmable launch keys. Comfortable palm rest area with well-positioned touchpad. Expansion · · PC card slot enables a range of add-on options. Upgradeable hard disk and memory modules. English Features English 10 Getting familiar with your computer English Display The 14.1" or 15.0" display panel provides a large viewing area for maximum efficiency and ease-of-use. The thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) supports extended graphics array (XGA) resolution, enabling 16.7 million colors at 1024 x 768. Video performance Your Aspire 1300 series notebook computer features an accelerated graphics port (AGP) video system integrated in the VIA ProSavage KN133 chipset. This provides a robust solution, while enabling high quality video output. Simultaneous display Your computer's large display, combined with its multimedia capabilities, makes it ideally suited to delivering presentations. You can also connect an external monitor or projector, and then choose to use the computer's LCD panel only, the external device only, or the LCD panel and external device simultaneously. Simultaneous display allows you to manage a presentation on your computer, while your audience watches the monitor or projector screen. 11 Your computer provides an array of six indicators located above the keyboard, in addition to two indicators positioned at the front of the palm rest area. These indicators show the status of the computer and its components. The six indicators located above the keyboard provide the following status information: # 1 2 Description Caps Lock active. Num Lock active. (Note: th ...