UK USER MANUAL EI SYSTEM Thank you for purchasing your new Ei System personal computer. We at Ei System pride ourselves on giving you the very latest technology to meet your needs both now and in the future. This guide will help you make the most of your new Ei System and Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition, the latest home operating system from Microsoft®. Each section of the guide will take you through key areas and include "How do I" guides that take you through common tasks step by step. We hope you enjoy your new Ei System computer and wish you many years of trouble free computing. Page 2 EI SYSTEM Your Ei System PC Page 3 EI SYSTEM Your Ei System PC A computer is made up of many components both inside and outside the PC's case. These components are known as the PC's `hardware'. Each piece of hardware serves an important function in making your Ei System computer work. In order to get the best use from your PC you need to understand some of the most common components that you will use, what they do, and how to look after them. This section of your manual covers the following hardware components: · · · · · · · · · · Mouse Keyboard Monitor (the screen) Optical drives (CD writer, DVD etc.) Floppy disk drives Memory card readers Speakers Modem (for the Internet) LAN card (create a network) The PC base unit Take a few moments to familiarise yourself with each of these components as they are the parts of the computer that you will use on a daily basis. Note: the illustrations in this section are examples only, the hardware, drives, and ports on your Ei System PC may differ slightly. Page 4 EI SYSTEM The Mouse The mouse is one of the main tools for working with your computer. It allows you to move the arrow around the screen. You can also use it to open programs and interact with menus and text. A normal mouse has three buttons: · Left button: this is your main button. Use a singleclick to select an item, or insert the cursor at a certain point in text. Use a double-click (pressing the button twice, quickly) to open a program or document. Right mouse button: you can click an icon, or area on the screen, to open a "Context Menu". These menus give you quick access to common functions, for example, copy and paste. Scroll wheel: the scroll wheel changes functions depending on what program you are in. On the Internet or in a document you can scroll up and down a page. In a graphics program it might let you zoom in and out on a picture. · · How do I... Drag and drop? You can drag and drop text, icons, or shortcuts with your mouse. Click an item with the left button and keep the button held down. Move the cursor to the new location and let go. Clean my mouse? It is important to keep your mouse clean to get the best performance. Use a soft cloth with polish to clean the outside. If your mouse has a ball you need to regularly clean the ball, you also need to clean the rollers inside with a damp cotton bud. Page 5 EI SYSTEM The Keyboard Along with the mouse, your keyboard is one of the main tools for interacting with your PC. The keyboard allows you to enter text into the PC, for example, in a letter, or email. A lot of modern keyboards also have customisable "hot keys". These hot keys can be used to open your favourite websites and programs. Some even allow you to control music and DVD playback. How do I... Use keyboard shortcuts? Keyboard shortcuts are a combination of key presses that perform common functions, for example, pressing the CTRL and C keys allows you to copy something, and CTRL and V allows you to paste it somewhere else. The Help and Support Center contains a list of common keyboard shortcuts. Click Start > Help and Support. Clean my keyboard? Over time your keyboard is filled with house dust, food crumbs and other debris causing the keyboard to become sluggish in use. Page 6 EI SYSTEM Monitors The monitor is used to display the picture from your PC. You may hear people refer to the monitor as "the screen", "the display", or the "VDU". There are 2 main types of PC monitor: · · CRT (Cathode Ray Tube): these are the most common type of monitor supplied with a PC . Their downside is weight, size, and energy consumption. TFT (Thin Film Transistor): also referred to as flat panels. They require less energy and provide a sharper picture. TFTs are ideal for places where space is at a premium. How do I... Clean my monitor? You should clean your monitor regularly to avoid eye strain. Special care needs to be taken when cleaning your monitor as they have a special coating on the surface of the screen. You should use a special cleaner, or wipes, never use household polish. If you use a spray cleaner, spray it onto a soft cloth then wipe the screen. Never spray directly onto the monitor. Page 7 EI SYSTEM Optical drives The term "optical drive" refers to any laser based disc drive. These include: · · · · CD ROM DVD ROM Recordable CD Recordable DVD Optical drives are fitted to most modern computers, most having both DVD ROM and recordable CD / DVD drives. These drives have revolutionised modern computing because they allow far larger amounts of data to be stored than a floppy disk. As an example, a CD holds between 640 and 700 MB of data compared to 1.44 MB on a floppy disk. How do I... Load a disc? Normally you would press the eject button on the front of the CD drive. This will open the tray. Insert your disc with the label face up. Press the eject button again, or gently push the tray to close it. Most CDs will then run automatically using a Windows® feature called `Auto Play'. Clean my drives? You can purchase special CD/DVD cleaners from your retailer. These gently clean the lens inside the drive which can become covered with dust and affect reading of the disc. Page 8 EI SYSTEM Memory card readers Memory card readers are a relatively new addition to personal computers and are a great alternative to floppy disks. Memory cards come in several different formats and are used in a variety of electronic devices including digital cameras, PDAs, mobile phones and more. Current formats include: · · · · · · · SD Cards IBM Microdrive MMC Compact Flash I and II Sony Memory Stick (Memory Stick, Duo, and MagicGate) Smart Media XD Picture Card You can buy these cards in a variety of sizes from 4 MB to 1 GB and above. Your Ei System is supplied with the following readers: Compact Flash (top left), SDTM Card (top right), Smart Media (bottom left), MMC (bottom right). Page 9 EI SYSTEM Floppy disk drive The humble floppy disk has been an integral part of a personal computer from the very early days of computing. They have been an ideal way of transferring files from one computer to another. However, in the digital age most files are now too big for the 1.44 MB floppy disk and are being replaced with recordable CD/DVD and memory cards. How do I... Insert a disk? Insert the floppy disk with the label facing upwards into the drive until you hear a click. Press the Eject button to remove the floppy disk. Do not eject the disk while the drive light is on, this can damage the surface of the disk. Protect my data? Slide the protection tab: Open to protect Closed to allow data to be written and deleted. Page 10 EI SYSTEM Format a floppy disk? Most disks come pre-formatted when you buy them, however, there may be occasions where you will need to do this manually, for example, when you want to erase the disk. You can do this in Windows® XP by: 1. Insert the disk into the floppy drive. 2. Open My Computer and right-click the 3 1/2 Floppy (A) icon. 3. Select Format from the menu. 4. Click Start to perform a full format. 5. Tick Quick Format then Start to quickly erase any files on the disk. Fig. 1 Page 11 EI SYSTEM Base unit The base unit forms the main part of your Ei System computer and contains all the components that make it work. Base units come in 2 configurations: · · Tower unit Desktop unit On the front of your base unit you will find the CD and DVD drives, floppy disk drive, power button, memory card readers, and FireWire and USB ports (on some models). Fig. 2 Page 12 EI SYSTEM Speakers A PC's speakers provide sound for your music, games, videos, and DVD films. Depending on the sound card supplied with your computer you can use 2 point, 4 point, or 5.1 surround sound speakers. Speakers normally plug in to the "Line-out" port on the rear of your Ei System base unit (Fig.3 ). If your Ei System supports 4 or 5.1 surround sound speakers you will need to adjust the speaker configuration in the Windows® Control Panel (methods vary depending on sound card). Refer to your speaker's documentation for more information. Fig. 3 Page 13 EI SYSTEM Modem and network (LAN) There are two ports on the rear of your Ei System PC that look very similar. However, they perform different functions. It is important that you know the difference in order to avoid confusion later on. The first of these is the Modem (RJ-11 port). This port connects to your phone line and allows you to connect to the Internet, and send and receive faxes. Fig.4 shows a modem port. You should connect your phone line to the port labelled `Line'. Always try to connect Fig. 4 your modem to the wall socket, not an extension cable. This allows for a better signal. You can then connect your telephone handset to the port labelled `Phone' if you wish and the port is available (not supplied on all modems). Fig. 5 The network or LAN port looks like the one shown in Fig. 5 . Don't confuse this with the modem port which looks very similar. The LAN port allows you to connect to other computers in your home / office to share files and an Internet connection. Page 14 EI SYSTEM Introducing Microsoft® Windows® XP Page 15 EI SYSTEM Introducing Microsoft® Windows® XP Microsoft® Windows® XP is the latest in the Microsoft® Windows® family. For those familiar with previous versions of Windows® you will notice a fresh new look and easier way of working. Windows® XP now comes in a number of versions, each designed for a different audience. All are built around the same core operating system. Title Home Edition Professional Edition Tablet PC Edition Audience Home users with focus on games and digital entertainment. All the benefits of Home Edition with extra security and network functions. Professional Edition designed for Tablet PC devices. Includes handwriting input. The all-in-one home entertainment centre for music, DVD, home movies, games and pictures. Media Center Edition This section of the manual will explain some of the basic features of Windows® XP, i.e., the Desktop, which is your main starting point in the Windows® environment. It will also show you how to get help and support at any time for questions, or problems you may have. Page 16 EI SYSTEM The Desktop The Desktop is the first thing you will see when you turn on your Ei System computer. It is your main interface with Windows® XP. From here you can access any file, folder, or program installed on your system. Those who are used to older versions of Windows® will notice that the Desktop has changed. The most noticeable thing is the lack of icons. This is to allow you more room to add the things that you want! Windows® XP is fully customisable and you can change the Desktop picture, colours, layout, and theme to suit your tastes. Now we'll explore each part of the Desktop and how to use it. Fig. 6 Page 17 EI SYSTEM The Taskbar Fig. 7 The Taskbar is normally found at the bottom of the screen (you can drag it to the top, or either side). From here you can switch between open programs and documents, check the time and date, and more importantly, access the Start menu. The Start menu The Start menu has changed from Windows® 95, 98, and Me. You now have easy access to commonly used areas such as My Documents, My Videos, My Music, E-mail, the Internet, and Control Panel. As you use your Ei System computer Windows® XP will learn what your favourite programs are and display them on the Start menu for quick access. This will update as your use changes. To open the Start menu click the green Start button in the bottom left of the screen. Fig. 8 Page 18 EI SYSTEM The notification area Fig. 9 The notification area replaces the `System Tray' of previous versions of Windows®. From here you can see the time. Hold the mouse point over the clock to see the date. You will also see icons for running programs, for example, Windows® Messenger. System alerts and messages are also shown here in speech bubbles. This happens when new hardware is detected, or disk space is running low for example. Recycle Bin Fig. 10 The Recycle Bin is a temporary storage area for deleted files. This comes in handy for those times when you accidentally delete a file and decide that you need to keep it. You can restore the file from the Recycle Bin to retrieve it (See "How do I" later on). Shortcuts Shortcuts a ...