TravelMate 2200/2700 Series User's Guide Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved TravelMate 2200/2700 Series Notebook Computer User's Guide Original Issue: August 2004 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. TravelMate 2200/2700 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 Your guides A set of guides is provided to help you set up and use your TravelMate, Aspire computer: The Just for starters... poster shows you how to set up your computer. English 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 Acer's products, services, and support, please visit the web site: http://www.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 iv English Windows Help and Support for more information. Note: If you are unable to shut down the computer in the usual way, press and hold the power button 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. · · v 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. Do not tamper with the battery. Keep the battery away from children. Dispose of batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if possible. English Cleaning and servicing When cleaning your computer, it is important that you follow these steps: · · · 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 "Frequently asked questions" on page 67 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 vi Getting familiar with your computer A tour of your computer Front view Front view Left view Right view Rear view Bottom view Features Indicators Using the keyboard Lock keys Embedded numeric keypad Windows keys Hot keys Special Key Touchpad Touchpad basics Launch keys Storage Ejecting the optical drive tray Emergency ejection of the optical drive tray Connectivity options Ethernet and LAN Fax/Data modem Fast infrared Audio Securing your computer Security slot 1 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 13 14 15 16 18 19 19 21 23 23 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 29 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 31 33 33 34 35 35 35 36 37 Content First things first Your guides Basic care and tips for using your computer iii iii iii Peripherals and options External display devices External input devices External keyboard External keypad External pointing device USB devices Printer Audio devices Expansion devices PC Card Miscellaneous options Battery pack AC adapter Key component upgrades Memory upgrade Hard disk upgrade 39 41 41 41 41 41 42 43 43 44 44 45 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 54 54 54 54 55 55 55 55 Software System software Using system utilities Acer eManager 57 59 60 60 Launch Manager BIOS Utility Acer Disc to Disc Recovery Multilingual operating system installation Restore without a Recovery CD Setup password and exit 61 61 62 62 62 63 Troubleshooting Frequently asked questions Requesting service International Traveler's Warranty (ITW) Before you call 65 67 70 70 70 Appendix A Specifications Appendix B Regulation & safety notices Index 71 77 93 Getting familiar with your computer Your TravelMate 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 A tour of your computer After setting up your new TravelMate, Aspire notebook computer, as illustrated in the Just for starters... poster, take a few minutes to explore the unit. English Front view # 1 Item Display screen Description Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer output. Buttons for launching frequently used programs. See"Launch keys" on page 21 for more details. 2 Launch Keys 4 Getting familiar with your computer English # 3 Item Status indicators Description Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on and off to show the status of the computer, its functions and components. Turns on the computer power. Inputs data into your computer. Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a computer mouse. Comfortable support area for your hands when you use the computer. The left and right buttons function like the left and right mouse buttons; the center button serves as a 4-way scroll button. 4 5 6 Power button Keyboard Touchpad 7 Palmrest 8 Click buttons (left, center and right) 5 Front view English # 1 Item Speakers Description Left and right speakers deliver stereo audio output. Lights green when the computer is on and lights orange when the computer is in suspend mode. Lights orange when the battery is being charged and lights green when the battery is full charged. Lights to indicate the status of Bluetooth (optional) communications. 2 Power indicator 3 Battery indicator 4 Bluetooth communications 5 Wireless communications Lights to indicate the status of wireless LAN (optional) communications. 6 Latch Locks and releases the lid. 6 Getting familiar with your computer English Left view # 1 Item Security keylock Description Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security lock. 2 Two USB 2.0 ports Connect to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse and USB camera). Support one Type II CardBus PC Card. 3 PC Card slots 4 5 Eject button Optical drive Ejects the PC Card(s) from the slot. Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs depending on the optical drive type. Lights up when the optical drive is active. Ejects the optical drive tray from the drive. Ejects the optical drive tray when the computer is turned off. See page 24 for more details. 6 LED indicator 7 Eject button 8 Emergency eject slot 7 Right view English # 1 Item Line-in/Mic-in jack Description Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD player and stereo walkman). Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers and headphones). 2 Speaker/Line-Out/ Headphone jack 3 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g., infrared printer and IR-aware computer). Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use. Connect to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse and USB camera). 4 Ventilation slots 5 Two USB 2.0 ports 8 Getting familiar with your computer English Rear view # 1 Item Power jack Description Connects to an AC adapter. 2 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even after prolonged use. Connects to a display device (e.g., external VGA monitor and LCD projector). 3 External display port 4 Modem jack Connects to a phone line. 5 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet LAN network. 9 Bottom view English # 1 2 3 4 Item Battery bay Battery release latch Hard disk bay Cooling fans Description Houses the computer's battery pack. Unlatches to remove the battery pack. Houses the computer's hard disk. Help keep the computer cool. Note: Don't cover or obstruct the opening of the fans. Houses the computer's main memory. 5 Memory compartment 10 Getting familiar with your computer English Features Performance · · · · · Intel® Pentium® 4 processors 2.8/3.0/3.2/3.4/3.6 GHz or Intel® Celeron® processors 2.6 GHz and above ATI MOBILITYTM RADEONTM 9000 IGP chipset 256/512 MB of DDR333 SDRAM, upgradeable to 2048 MB with dual soDIMM modules 30 GB and above high-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) power management system Display · The TFT LCD panel providing a large viewing area for maximum efficiency and ease-of-use: - 15.0" XGA (1024x768) resolution - 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) resolution · · · · 3D graphics support Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support "Automatic LCD dim" feature, automatically selecting the best setting for the display in order to conserve power DualViewTM support Multimedia · · · High-speed built-in optical drive: DVD/CD-RW Combo, DVD-Dual, or DVD-Super Multi MS DirectSound compatible Built-in dual speakers 11 Connectivity · · · · · · Integrated 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet connection Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem Four Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports Fast infrared wireless communication (manufacturing option) IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless LAN (manufacturing option) Bluetooth® (manufacturing option) English Human-centric design · · · · Rugged, yet extremely portable design Stylish appearance Full-size keyboard with four programmable launch keys Comfortable palm rest area with well-positioned touchpad Expansion · · One Type II CardBus PC Card slot Upgradeable memory modules 12 Getting familiar with your computer English Indicators The computer has three easy-to-read status icons below the display screen. # 1 2 Icon Function Caps Lock Num Lock Description Lights when Caps Lock is activated. Lights when Num Lock is activa ...