Aspire 1200 series User's guide Copyright © 2001 All Rights Reserved Aspire 1200 series Notebook computer User's guide Original Issue: December 2001 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 correspondence 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. Aspire 1200 series Notebook computer Model Number : __________________________________ Serial Number: ___________________________________ Purchase Date: ___________________________________ Place of Purchase: ________________________________ All trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective companies. iii First things first We would like to thank you for making the Aspire series of notebook computers your choice for your mobile computing needs. We hope you will be happy with your Aspire as much as we enjoyed making it for you. Your guides To help you use your Aspire, we have designed a set of guides: First off, the Just for Starters... poster helps you get started with setting up your computer. This User's guide introduces you to the many ways your computer can help you be more productive. This guide provides clear and concise information about the computer, so read it thoroughly. Lastly, there may be a Read me first sheet included with your package which contains important reminders and updates. So, please read through it. For more information about our products, services, and support information, please visit our web site (www.acer.com). iv Basic care and tips for using your computer Turning your computer on and off To turn on the computer, open the display cover, and press the power switch above the keyboard. To turn the power off, do any of the following: · Use the Windows shutdown command Click on Start, and select the Windows shutdown or turn off command. · Use the power switch If you set the power switch to "Shut down", you can use this button to turn off the computer. See Windows help for details. Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the power switch for more than four seconds to shut down the computer. If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on again, wait at least two seconds before powering up. 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 subject 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 and vibration. Do not expose the computer to dust and dirt. Never place objects on top of the computer to avoid damaging the computer. Do not slam the computer display when you close it. Never place the computer on uneven surfaces. v Taking care of your AC adapter Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter: · · · · Do not connect the adapter to any other device. Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it. Carefully route the power cord and any cables away from personal traffic. When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself but pull on the plug. The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also, the total current rating of all equipment plugged into a single wall outlet should not exceed the fuse rating. Taking care of your battery pack Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack: · · · Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the power off before removing or replacing batteries. Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children. Dispose of used batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if at all possible. Cleaning and servicing When cleaning the computer, follow these steps: 1 2 3 Power off the computer and remove the battery pack. Disconnect the AC adapter. Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners. If any of the following occurs: · · · The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged. Liquid has been spilled into the product. The computer does not operate normally. Please refer to "Troubleshooting my computer" on page 73. vi First things first Your guides Basic care and tips for using your computer iii iii iv 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 Connectivity options Ethernet and LAN Fax/data modem Audio Adjusting the volume Using the Audio DJ feature Securing your computer Security notch Passwords 1 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 15 15 19 20 20 22 24 25 25 25 26 26 26 27 27 27 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 29 31 31 32 33 34 34 35 36 Contents viii Peripherals and options External display devices External monitor External display with s-video input Using simultaneous display External input devices External keyboard External keypad External pointing device Printer Audio devices Expansion devices PC Card slots USB IEEE 1394 Miscellaneous options Battery pack AC adapter Key component upgrades Memory upgrade Hard disk upgrade 37 39 39 39 39 40 40 40 40 41 42 43 43 44 45 46 46 46 47 47 48 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 bring with you Special considerations Traveling internationally with the computer Preparing the computer What to bring with you Special considerations 49 51 52 52 52 52 53 53 53 53 54 55 55 55 55 56 56 56 56 ix Software System software Easy Button E-Mail Detector BIOS Setup Utility Main System Devices Security Others Boot Exit 57 59 60 61 62 63 65 66 69 70 71 Troubleshooting Frequently-asked questions Error messages 73 75 78 Appendix A Specifications Appendix B Notices Index 83 89 97 x Getting familiar with your computer This computer combines high-performance, versatility, power management features and multimedia capabilities with a unique style and ergonomic design. Work with unmatched productivity and reliability with your new power computing partner. This chapter gives an in-depth "tour" of the computer's many features. 3 A tour of your computer After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters... poster, let us show you around your new notebook computer. Front view 4 Getting familiar with your computer # 1 Item Display screen Description Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display), displays computer output. Turns on the computer power. 2 Power button 3 Status LCD LCD that display icons to show the status of the computer and its functions and components. Inputs data into your computer. Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a computer mouse. The left and right buttons function like the left and right mouse buttons. Buttons for launching frequently-used programs. See "Launch keys" on page 22 for more details. Shows the power and email status. Outputs sound. Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the computer. Accepts a 3.5-inch diskette. Press to eject the diskette from the floppy drive. 4 5 Keyboard Touchpad 6 Click buttons (left and right) Launch keys 7 8 9 10 Status indicators Speakers Palmrest 11 12 Floppy drive Floppy drive eject button 5 Left view # 1 Item Optical drive Description Depending on your model: · · · CD-ROM drive reads CDs DVD-ROM drive reads CDs and DVDs DVD/CD-RW combo drive reads CDs and DVDs, and writes to CD-Rs and CD-RWs. 2 Optical drive eject button Ejects the disc from the optical drive. 3 Optical drive emergency eject hole Ejects the disc from the optical drive when the computer is turned off. See "How do I eject the optical drive tray with the computer turned off?" on page 76 for more details. 6 Getting familiar with your computer Right view # 1 Item Speaker/headphone-out jack Description Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers, headphones). 2 Microphone-in jack Connects an external microphone. 3 4 PC Card eject buttons PC Card slots Eject the selected PC Card from its slot. Accepts one Type III or two Type II/I PC Card(s). 5 DC-in jack Connects to the AC adapter. 6 PS/2 port Connects to a PS/2-compatible device (e.g., PS/2 keyboard/mouse/keypad). 7 USB ports (two) Connects to USB devices (e.g., USB mouse). 7 Rear view # 1 Item Security keylock Description Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security lock. 2 IEEE 1394 port Connects to a IEEE 1394 compatible device (e.g., digital camcorder). 3 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based network. 4 Modem jack Conncts a phone line (only for models with an internal fax/data modem). 5 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel printer). 6 External display port Connects to a display monitor. 7 Video-out port Connects to a display device with S-video input. 8 Getting familiar with your computer Bottom view # 1 2 Item Hard disk bay Battery release button Description Houses the computer's hard disk. Press and hold to release the battery latch. 3 4 5 Battery release latch Battery bay Memory compartment Unlatches the battery to remove the battery pack. Houses the computer's battery pack. Houses the computer's main memory. 9 Features This computer was designed with the user in mind. Here are just a few of its many features: Performance · · · · · · · Intel® CeleronTM processor with on-die level 2 cache 128 MB memory onboard and one memory upgrade slot Large LCD display with adjustable video memory High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk Lithium-Ion battery pack Power management system Simultaneous LCD and CRT display Multimedia · · · · · 16-bit high-fidelity stereo audio with 3-D sound Built-in dual stereo speakers Internal optical drive (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or DVD/CD-RW combo) Audio DJ (CD playback) feature S-video (NTSC/PAL) output Connectivity · · · · · High-speed 56Kbps V.90 fax/data software modem Ethernet/Fast Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) CardBus PC Card slots Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports IEEE 1394 port Human-centric design and ergonomics · · · · · All-in-one design (CD or DVD, floppy drive, and hard disk) Sleek, smooth and stylish design Full-sized keyboard Wide and curved palm rest Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device 10 Getting familiar with your computer · Launch keys (supports Audio DJ feature) Expansion · Upgradeable memory and hard disk 11 Display The large graphics display offers excellent viewing, display quality and desktopperformance graphics. The computer supports a Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying up to 16.7 million colors at 1400x1050 Super eXtended Graphics Array Plus (SXGA+) resolution (for models with a 15.0-inch display) or 1024x768 eXtended Graphics Array (XGA) resolution (for models with a 14.1-inch display). Video performance Video memory is adjustable via the BIOS Setup Utility. The system sets aside a portion of main memory for video. For more details on how to configure this setting, see "System Devices" on page 65. Simultaneous display The computer's large display and multimedia capabilities are great for giving presentations. If you prefer, you can also connect an external monitor when giving presentations. This computer supports simultaneous LCD and CRT display. Simultaneous display allows you to control the presentat ...