Contents About This Guide .................................................................................. iii Checking Out Your Documentation..................................................... iii Conventions Used in This Guide........................................................... iv Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer .............. 5 Checking Out Your Solo 2500................................................................ 6 Keyboard and LCD panel ................................................................ 6 System Status Indicators (LCDs) .................................................... 8 Back ports panel ............................................................................. 10 Right side ports and bays ............................................................... 11 Left side ports and battery bay....................................................... 12 Bottom release latches and memory bay....................................... 13 Chapter 2: Getting Started .................................................... 15 Getting Your System Running.............................................................. 16 Installing the battery pack .............................................................. 16 Connecting the AC power.............................................................. 18 Starting up your notebook.............................................................. 19 Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook .......................................... 23 Using Your Solo 2500........................................................................... 24 Using the keyboard......................................................................... 24 Using key combinations................................................................. 25 Using the LCD................................................................................ 29 Using the pointing device............................................................... 31 Using the audio............................................................................... 39 Using diskette media (3.5" or LS120 diskettes)............................ 41 Using disc media (CD-ROM)........................................................ 42 Removing and replacing the hard disk drive ................................ 44 Using PC Cards .............................................................................. 46 Using the IR port ............................................................................ 48 Using the USB ports....................................................................... 51 Using McAfee VirusScan.............................................................. 52 i Chapter 4: Managing Power Usage ......................................55 Maximizing Power Management......................................................... 56 Charging the battery pack.............................................................. 56 Using the battery ............................................................................ 58 Monitoring the battery status......................................................... 59 Setting the power button................................................................ 60 Using the suspend and standby modes.......................................... 61 Maximizing the battery life ........................................................... 63 Appendix A: Accessories .......................................................65 Solo Notebook Accessories ................................................................. 66 Appendix B: Using the BIOS Setup Program .......................69 About the BIOS Setup Utility............................................................... 70 Using the BIOS Setup Utility........................................................ 70 Appendix C: Contacting Gateway .........................................73 Contacting Gateway.............................................................................. 74 Calling Gateway ............................................................................ 74 Calling Gateway when outside the U.S. and Canada............................................................................. 75 Index .......................................................................................77 ii Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook About This Guide This document provides an overview of your Solo 2500 and information about using it. Chapter 1: "Checking Out Your Notebook Computer" helps you get familiar with the ports and components on your notebook. Chapter 2: "Getting Started" provides information about setting up your notebook. Chapter 3: "Using Your Notebook" covers using the system ports and connecting peripherals to your computer. It also discusses some common uses for your computer. Chapter 4: "Managing Power Usage" provides information about maximizing battery power and using Standby, Suspend, and other system modes. Checking Out Your Documentation In addition to this User Guide, we've also provided other documentation to help you maximize using your system. Please refer to the following printed and online documentation for additional resources: o Printed manuals · The "Maintaining and Troubleshooting Your Solo 2500 Notebook" contains information about managing system resources, preserving your system performance, reinstalling your operating system and drivers, and general troubleshooting tips. Windows 95, 98, or NT manual (dependent upon the operating system you ordered) provides information about using the operating system, learning about advanced features, networking, getting help, and more. · o Online documentation - Lets you access the electronic manuals from your hard drive when you are traveling or when the manuals are not accessible. To access the online documentation click Start, Online Documentation and select the manual you want to review. iii o Gateway Website (http://www.gateway.com) - If you have a modem, an analog phone line, and a subscription to an Internet service provider you can tap into some of the latest help and other information on our website. We provide tech support help, technical documents, tech tips, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), glossary, software library with BIOS updates, and other resources that can help you make the most of using your notebook. Conventions Used in This Guide This book uses the following conventions to help identify information: Convention example ENTER Description Key names, which correspond to keys on the keyboard, are printed in small capitals. Letters in small caps. A plus sign between keys indicates that the keys must be pressed simultaneously. Commands to be typed are represented in all lower case characters on an individual line. Options to click or select are printed in bold (actions to be taken by user). Names of publications and cross-referenced headings are printed in quotations. Sidebars give critical information such as warnings and important notes. CTRL+ALT+DEL c:\setup Click OK "User's Guide" Note: This is an example of an important note that may appear in the manual. iv Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer Checking Out Your Solo 2500................................ 6 Checking Out Your Solo 2500 Take a tour of your notebook to familiarize yourself with its options. Keyboard and LCD panel A B K C H J I H G F E D G 6 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Component A. Color Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) shown w/ 13.3" LCD Icon Description Provides sharp, crisp resolution with backlit anti-glare screen. Indicates the system status modes. B. System status indicators (LCM - Liquid Crystal Module) C. Keyboard Provides full functionality of a desktop computer keyboard. Many of these keys have been assigned alternate functions, including shortcut keys for Windows 95, Status Display menus, and numeric keypad. The CD-ROM reads data CDs or audio CDs. D. CD-ROM drive E. CD-ROM emergency eject hole F. CD-ROM eject button G. Enhanced EZ PadTM TouchPad or EZ PointTM H. Speakers I. Power LED Provides manual eject capability to remove a CD if power is unavailable. Insert a straightened paper clip to eject the CD tray. Ejects the CD-ROM tray from the drive. This button is functional only when power is on. Controls the cursor movement on the screen. Provides high quality sound reproduction for software and audio CDs. Indicates system power status: · Steady green = power is On · Blinking green = system is in suspend mode or standby mode. The LED will flash every four seconds. · LED off = power is Off Provides built-in omni-directional audio recording capability. Press to turn power ON or OFF. Can also be configured to Suspend/Resume mode. J. Microphone K. Power button Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 7 System Status Indicators (LCDs) Indicator A. Battery gauge Icon Description Appears when a battery is installed. Shows battery activity and status. · Battery contains 5 ticks (marks) to indicate charge level where 1 tick = lowest charge and 5 ticks = highest charge. · Battery low - Icon appears with no ticks and blinks. · Battery malfunction - Icon appears with all ticks blinking. Displays when battery is charging on AC power. Turns off when battery is fully charged. Displays when system is powered by the AC adapter. Displays when the computer accesses the hard drive. Displays when the computer accesses the floppy disk drive or LS120 drive. B. Charge C. AC adapter (power) D. Hard drive E. Floppy disk drive F. CD-ROM Displays when the computer accesses the CD-ROM drive. 8 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Indicator G. Scroll lock Icon Description Visible when Scroll Lock is enabled. H. Pad lock Visible when Pad Lock is enabled. I. Caps lock Visible when Caps Lock is enabled. J. System docked Visible when the system is docked. Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 9 Back ports panel A B C D E F Port A. Fast IR (Infrared) port Icon Description Sends infrared signals between the notebook and a remote device that uses infrared (for example, another computer, printer, or other peripheral). Place infrared devices up to 3 feet (1 meter) apart. Connect parallel device such as a printer to this port. B. Parallel port (LPT1) C. Docking port Connect an optional docking station to this port. Connect the VGA monitor cable to this port. D. VGA port E. Serial port Connect an optional serial device to this port. F. Fan intake Pulls air into chassis to keep system components cool. 10 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Right side ports and bays A B C D EF Component A. FDD (Floppy Diskette Drive)/ LS120 drive B. FDD/LS120 eject button (Not shown) LS120 emergency eject hole C. PC Card eject buttons D. PC Card slots Icon Description Either a FDD or an LS120 drive is installed here. (FDD shown) Ejects the FDD or LS120 diskette from the drive. The LS120 button is functional only when power is on. Provides manual eject capability to remove a diskette if power is unavailable. See "Using emergency eject for diskette and disc media" on Page 43. Push once to release the eject button and push a second time to eject the PC Card. Accepts two Type I or Type II PC Cards or one Type III PC Card. (Install Type III PC Card in the bottom slot.) Connect the keyboard, mouse, numeric keypad, or other external device to this port. Connect the AC power adapter to this port. E. PS/2 port F. Power connector Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 11 Left side ports and battery bay A B C D E FGH I Component A. Kensington lock slot B. Air outlet port C. Composite video out (TV out) D. USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports E. Battery bay F. Mic in Icon Description Attach Kensington lock into this slot. Outlet for air intake to cool components. Connect a TV, VCR, or video camera to this port. Plug optional USB serial devices into these ports. Insert battery into the battery bay to power your system with a battery. Connect an external microphone to this port to record audio. (1/8-inch/3.5-mm jack.) Connect an external audio input source (computer, stereo, VCR, etc.) to this port to record or play audio through the notebook speakers. (1/8-inch/3.5-mm jack.) Connect external speakers or headphones to this port. Supports small unamplified speakers. (1/8-inch/3.5-mm jack.) Adjust built-in speaker volume, external speaker, and headphone volume. Other port volume levels are controlled by multimedia software. G. Audio Line In H. Speaker out/ Headphone jack I. Volume wheel 12 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Bottom release latches and memory bay A B C D Component A. Memory bay B. Battery release latch C. Battery pack bay Icon Description Open the memory bay cover to install/ remove SO-DIMM memory modules. Slide the latch to release the battery pack from the battery pack bay. Slide battery pack into bay for battery power and battery charging. Provides product model number, serial number, display type, and processor speed. D. System identification label Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 13 14 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Chapter 2: Getting Started Getting Your System Running.............................. 16 Installing the battery pack .............................. 16 Connecting the AC power.............................. 18 Starting up your notebook.............................. 19 Getting Your System Running To get the computer started you'll need to install the battery pack, connect to AC power, open the LCD panel, and start up the system. Installing the battery pack Your notebook is powered by one of the longest-lasting batteries available, shipped to you partially charged. When you first get started, you may want to use the AC adapter to fully charge the battery and provide a constant supply of power while you are checking out some of the notebook features. If your battery is not installed, you need to install the battery pack and charge it. You can charge the battery: o o o Note: Battery life varies depending on configuration, power management settings, and features used. When you are using your notebook with the AC adapter When the system is attached to AC power and in standby or suspend mode When the system is attached to AC power and the system is turned off The notebook can run on a fully charged battery for about 3 to 4 hours. Use the battery gauge icon in the taskbar or battery gauge in the system status indicator to track the available battery power. See "Monitoring the battery status" on Page 59 to learn more about tracking battery status. Battery life is affected by how much you use the system components such as the hard drive, CD-ROM drive, LCD display, and other components. Other factors such as the power management settings affect battery life. See Chapter 4, "Managing Power Usage" for more information about power management and monitoring the battery status. 16 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook To install the battery pack 1. Slide the battery pack into the battery pack bay. 2. Push the battery until it snaps into place. Chapter 2: Getting Started 17 Connecting the AC power Caution! Replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage rating as the original cord. Your AC adapter comes in two parts: o o Power cord AC power adapter To connect the AC adapter Warning! Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable parts inside. The AC adapter has dangerous voltages that can cause serious personal injury or death. Contact Gateway about returning defective AC adapters. 1. Connect the power cord to the AC power adapter. 18 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook 2. Plug the AC power adapter into the notebook power connector on the right side of the notebook near the back. 3. Plug the power cord into an electrical outlet. Starting up your notebook Once the battery is installed and the AC power adapter is plugged in you will see the battery icon , the AC power icon , and the charge icon . To startup the computer 1. Slide the LCD panel latch to the right to release and open the LCD Note: The power button is preset to On/Off mode. You can set it to function either in On/Off or Standby/Resume mode using the BIOS setup program. See "Setting the power button" on Page 60 for more information about changing power button modes. panel. 2. Tilt the LCD panel to adjust for the proper viewing angle. 3. Press the power button to turn your computer on. Chapter 2: Getting Started 19 Note: This system ships with the "Auto dim with battery" feature enabled. Auto dim cuts LCD power 50% when your notebook is operating on battery power. See "Using the BIOS Setup Utility" on Page 70 for more information about changing the Power menu options. 4. Press FN+ or FN+ to change display brightness for suitable viewing. Notebooks with a HPA screen, press FN+ or FN+ to control display contrast. To complete the first-time operating system setup 1. Windows starts and the Regional Settings dialog box opens. 2. Scroll down the list and select the regional setting. 3. Click Next. The Keyboard Layout dialog box opens. 4. Scroll down the list and select the keyboard layout. 5. Click Next. The User Information dialog box opens. 6. Enter your Name and Company (optional) in the User Information dialog box. 7. Click Next. The License Agreement opens. 8. Scroll through the License Agreement to read it. 9. Click I accept the agreement, then click Next. The Certificate of Authenticity dialog box opens. 10. Enter the Product ID number. This number is located on the Certificate of Authenticity on the cover of the Windows manual. 11. Click Next. The Start Wizard window opens. 12. Click Finish. The Time Properties dialog box opens. 13. Set the Time Zone and Time. 14. Click OK. The Add Printer Wizard dialog box opens. 15. Click Next. 16. Select a printer from the list and click Next. - OR click Cancel to skip the printer setup. 20 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook 17. Select the printer port (usually LPT1). 18. Click Next. The Printer Name dialog box opens. 19. Name the printer leaving the default name or rename the printer. 20. Click Next. 21. Click Yes or No to print a test page. 22. Click Finish. The Welcome dialog box opens. Chapter 2: Getting Started 21 22 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook Using Your Solo 2500................................................24 Using the keyboard..............................................24 Using key combinations......................................25 Using the LCD.....................................................29 Using the pointing device....................................31 Using the audio....................................................39 Using diskette media (3.5" or LS120 diskettes).41 Using disc media (CD-ROM).............................42 Removing and replacing the hard disk drive......44 Using PC Cards ...................................................46 Using the IR port .................................................48 Using the USB ports............................................51 Using McAfee VirusScan ...................................52 Using Your Solo 2500 This chapter covers using the components on your computer. Spend some time getting familiar with the versatility built into your Solo notebook. Using the keyboard Your notebook features a full-size keyboard that has the full functionality of a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assigned alternate functions, including shortcut keys for Windows 95, function keys for specific system operations, and pad lock keys for the numeric keypad. A D C B 24 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Key A. Fn (function) Combination keys B. Fn (function) keys C. Windows logo key D. Numeric keypad Action Press FN key plus one of the Fn Combination keys (blue) to perform a specific function. For example, FN+F2 shows the Pop-up status display. Press FN key plus another Fn Combination key (such as F2, F3, F4, etc.) to perform a specific function. Press to activate the Windows Start button menu. Press FN+F9 to activate the numeric keypad. Using key combinations For normal key functions: o o Press the key to get numerals, punctuation marks, and lower case letters. Press the key together with the SHIFT key to get symbols and standard upper case letters. Special keys The following keys help you use shortcuts when working with some software: Key Description Use this key to display the Windows Start menu. Use this key to provide quick access to shortcut menus and help assistants in Windows. Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 25 Function keys Press the FN key together with one of the following keys (with blue letters) to get these "on-the-fly" functions: Key Combination + Displays the power status display for the Pop-up Status Display program in the upper left corner of the Windows 95 desktop. Press the key combination again to make the display disappear. See "Pop-up status display" on Page 60. Toggles between the LCD display, external monitor, both displays at the same time, or TV display (NTSC or PAL format) as the active display. See "Using the LCD" on Page 29. Places the system in Standby mode. See "Using the suspend and standby modes" on Page 61 for more information about the Standby mode. Description Makes temporary changes to the power management (PM) mode settings by toggling the setting options: · PM ON - enables power management with AC or battery power · PM DC - enables power management when the notebook is using battery power only. · PM OFF - disables power management. The selected option is not saved when the system is turned off. The power management settings selected in the BIOS setup program are effective when the system is restarted. Enables the Pad Lock function so you can use the numeric keypad. The Pad Lock icon stays lit while this function is enabled. Press the key combination again to make the display disappear. 26 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Key Combination + Description In some programs you can scroll through large volumes of text. The Scroll Lock icon is enabled. stays lit as long as this function In some programs this key combination pauses the display when text is scrolling very quickly. Press any key to continue the text flow. In some programs this key combination breaks text scrolling in a DOS screen. Prints the screen if a printer is connected to your notebook (DOS only). In Windows, this key combination puts the screen content into the clipboard. You can then paste it into a program such as Paint to display or print it. SysRq (System Request) is reserved for certain applications such as in some DOS programs. In some programs this key combination will send you to the starting point of your text. In some programs this key combination sends you to the end point of your text. Increases LCD brightness and displays the brightness meter for the Popup Status Display reflecting the changes. Use the FN+F2 key combination to make the display disappear Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 27 Key Combination + Description Decreases LCD brightness and displays the brightness meter for the Popup Status Display reflecting the changes. Use the FN+F2 key combination to make the display disappear. (HPA display only) Increases LCD contrast and displays the contrast meter for the Popup Status Display reflecting the changes. Use the FN+F2 key combination to make the display disappear. (HPA display only) Decreases LCD contrast and displays the contrast meter for the Popup Status Display reflecting the changes. Use the FN+F2 key combination to make the display disappear. Pad lock keys Press FN+F9 (PAD LOCK) keys to activate the keypad. The keypad section of the keyboard will function like a numeric keypad. Press FN+F9 to put the keyboard back into standard mode. 28 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Using the LCD Your notebook features a built-in, backlit, color liquid crystal display (LCD). The LCD uses either thin-film transistor (TFT) or high performance addressing (HPA) technology that provides sharp resolution and brilliant colors. See the table below for the resolution your configuration provides: 12.1 HPA Maximum resolution setting (pixel column x pixel row) Maximum color depth setting 800 x 600 24 bit 12.1 TFT 800 x 600 24 bit 13.3 TFT 1024 x 768 16 bit In addition to using your LCD panel for display, you can also attach an external monitor for presentations and other multimedia purposes. See the next sections to learn about setting up external displays. Setting up the composite video (TV) out port The composite video out port lets you view your notebook's display on a TV screen or record to a VCR. This option is typically used with largescreen TVs to give presentations and for other multimedia needs. Note: TV screen display resolution will not be as clear as an external monitor because of the TV screen display limitations. To setup and connect the computer to a TV or VCR 1. Click Start, Settings, then Control Panel. Double-click the Display icon and click the Settings tab in the Display Properties window. 2. Change the desktop area (display resolution) by sliding the Desktop area slider to adjust pixel resolution to 640 x 480. 3. Change the font size to Large Font. 4. Click Apply, then OK. Windows changes the display settings. 5. Next, connect one end of a video cable to the composite video (TV) out port on the left side of the notebook and the other end to the video in connector on the television or VCR. Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 29 6. Press FN+F3 to change the active display to LCD only, LCD and monitor, or TV only. If the display is distorted, check to see if the BIOS setting is correct for NTSC or PAL (NTSC is primarily used in the United States). See "About the BIOS Setup Utility" on Page 70 for more information about changing the TV Mode. Setting up an external computer monitor You can connect an external computer monitor to your notebook through the VGA port on the back of your notebook. If you are using an optional docking station, you can also connect an external computer monitor to the docking station VGA port. To connect the computer to an external monitor 1. Connect one end of a VGA cable to the VGA port on the back of the notebook, and the other end to the video connector on the monitor. 2. Press FN+F3 to change the active display from LCD only, to LCD and monitor, or monitor only. Continue changing the display options until you get the desired display. Depending upon the external monitor you are using, you may have to lower the video resolution to 640 x 480. Refer to your monitor manual to find out its display resolution capabilities. To change the display resolution for an external monitor 1. Right-click the Monitor icon in the taskbar tray (right bottom corner). 2. Select the desired resolution. The screen resolution changes. If the Monitor icon does not appear on the taskbar and you want to have it display there, then right-click on the desktop, the Display Properties dialog box opens. Click the Settings tab, then click Show settings icon on taskbar. The Monitor icon appears in the taskbar tray. 30 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Using the pointing device Your system came with one of two possible pointing devices: o o Enhanced EZ PadTM TouchPad - OR EZ PointTM stickpoint Like a mouse, these pointing devices control the cursor movements on the display. Also, you can use an external mouse. Connect the mouse device to the PS/2 port, the USB port, or the serial port. Review this section to find out more about these pointing device options. Using the Enhanced EZ Pad TouchPad The Enhanced EZ Pad TouchPad provides you with fast and easy navigation in large documents, spreadsheets, emails, and when using the Internet. You can scroll, zoom, autoscroll, and pan with the convenience of a wheel mouse in the space saving form of a touchpad that is integrated into your Solo notebook. Scrolling capabilities are available in some Windows applications including Microsoft Office. A B Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 31 A.EZ Pad (TouchPad) B.EZ Pad buttons (mouse buttons) This touchpad uses one surface for both mouse and wheel functions, which means you can perform all of the wheel mouse functions without using mechanical buttons. The Enhanced TouchPad uses the simple movement of one, two, or three fingers to perform the left, middle, and right mouse button functions. These intuitive movements make it easy to learn and use this pointing device. This touchpad also uses the Smart Edges technology to let you to continue to move the cursor and drag objects, even when your finger reaches the edges of the touchpad. This lets you move horizontally and vertically without being constrained by the size of the touchpad. This is especially useful when dragging objects and selecting text because there is no need to remove your finger until the action is completed. Mouse and TouchPad action equivalents All of the mouse and wheel functions are illustrated and described in the table shown below. Mouse Action Move cursor TouchPad Action Slide finger 32 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Mouse Action Left button click TouchPad Action Tap one finger Middle button click Tap 2 fingers Right button click Tap 3 fingers Left button double click Double tap 1 finger Left button drag Tap and drag Smart Edges Tap and drag. When your finger stops at an edge of the TouchPad, the cursor continues moving across the screen until you lift or move your finger away from the edge of the TouchPad. Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 33 Mouse wheel equivalents Wheel Mouse Action Rotate the mouse wheel (roller) TouchPad Equivalent Scrolling Up/Down: Put finger on right edge of the touchpad and move up/ down. CTRL + rotate the wheel Zoom in/out: Changes the magnification of the document. SHIFT + rotate the wheel Data zoom: Jump to a hyperlink or return to previous Web sites using Internet Explorer. Expand or collapse menu trees in Windows Explorer. Click on the wheel (middle mouse button) Autoscroll: Tap with two fingers to drop an Origin mark. As the cursor moves away from this origin, the document scrolls. The direction and distance from the origin controls the scrolling direction and speed. Any subsequent keystroke, mouse click, or roller action terminates the operation. Press the wheel. (middle mouse button) Panning: Same function as Autoscroll, except that the operation terminates when the fingers are lifted 34 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Advanced mouse and TouchPad action equivalents Mouse Action Middle button double click TouchPad Action Double tap 2 fingers Right button double click Double tap 3 fingers Middle button drag Slide 2 fingers. (2nd finger does not need to stay on the pad) Right button drag Drag 3 fingers. (2nd and 3rd finger do not need to stay on the pad) Changing touchpad properties You can customize the Enhanced EZ Pad. Use the following instructions to change EZ Pad properties such as pointer size, button assignments, cursor speed and acceleration, scrolling speed, edge motion, and others. To customize the Enhanced EZ Pad 1. Double-click the icon in the task tray (bottom right corner) to access the touchpad properties. Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 35 2. Click the tab of your choice in Mouse Properties dialog box to access and customize various aspects of the touchpad functionality. Click , then MouseWare Help to find more helps about using the touchpad. Using the EZ Point (optional) The optional EZ Point pointing device provides an easy way to move the cursor across the screen and navigate through software. The EZ Point consists of a stick located on the keyboard between the G and H keys and two click buttons located below the spacebar on the keyboard. A A.EZ Point B B.EZ Point select buttons (mouse buttons) 36 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook To use the EZ point 1. Place your hands in the typing position and press the EZ Point (A) in the direction you want to move the cursor. 2. Press the EZ Point select buttons (B) located below the spacebar to select as you would with a mouse. Changing EZ Point properties You can customize the EZ Point. Use the following instructions to change EZ Point properties such as pointer size, button assignments, cursor speed and acceleration. To customize the Enhanced EZ Point 1. Click Start, Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel opens. 2. Double-click the Mouse icon. The Mouse Properties dialog box opens. 3. Click the tab of your choice in Mouse Properties dialog box to access and customize various aspects of the EZ Point functionality. Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 37 Replacing the EZ Point cap The cap on the end of the EZ Point is removable. If the cap becomes worn, remove the cap from the stick and replace it with one of the spares that comes with your notebook. Using an external mouse or keyboard Y can attach an external mouse or keyboard to the notebook using the PS/2 ou port, the USB port, or the serial port. The optional docking stations also have ports for external connections. It is not necessary to shut down the system to connect an external PS/2 mouse or keyboard. Just connect it to the port and start to work. If the touchpad or stickpoint drivers do not support the external mouse, then refer to the mouse documentation and follow the installation instructions. 38 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook Using the audio Your system comes with lots of flexibility for using audio. It provides 16-bit stereo audio with SoundBlaster Pro capability. You can record audio for presentations, attach voice messages to your e-mail, listen to audio CDs, and use it for many other multimedia applications. This section tells you more about using audio. Adjusting the volume There are numerous ways to adjust audio input and output on your Solo notebook computer. The Volume Control Wheel on the left side of the system controls the speaker out port and the internal system speakers. The volume level for other ports is controlled by the multimedia software. To adjust playback and recording volume levels 1. Click Start, Settings and Control Panel. Double click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties dialog box opens. 2. Click the Audio tab. 3. Set the Playback and Recording levels to your preference. To "quick-adjust" volume controls 1. Double-click the Speaker icon (bottom right-hand corner) to open the Volume Control dialog box. A Volume Control dialog box opens. It contains volume and balance controls for master volume control, CD audio, wave, synthesizer, line, microphone and 3D Enhanced settings. Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 39 2. Slide the various volume and balance controls to suit your listening requirements. Making an Audio Recording Note: Connecting an external microphone will disable the built-in microphone. To make an audio recording, use the built-in microphone or connect an external microphone to the Mic port on the left side of your notebook. To make an audio recording 1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, then Sound Recorder. The Sound Recorder opens. 2. Click Edit, then Audio Properties to set or check record volume levels. 3. Click OK. 4. Click the q (Record) button. Recording starts. 5. Click the s (Stop) button. Recording stops. 6. Click File, then Save As. 7. Name the recording. 8. Click Save.The recording is saved. 40 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook To play back a recording in Media Player 1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, then Media Player. The Media Player opens. 2. Click File, then Open. The Open dialog box appears. 3. Select the file to play back. 4. Click Open. 5. To play the file, click the (Play) button. 6. To stop the file, click the s (Stop) button. Using diskette media (3.5" or LS120 diskettes) Your system has either a standard 3.5" diskette drive or an LS120 drive (optional). If your system has the 3.5" diskette drive, use 3.5" diskettes with up to 1.44 MB capacity. The LS120 drive works just like any other diskette drive, except that it can read and write to the standard 3.5" diskettes (720 KB/1.44MB) or to LS120 diskettes (SuperDiskTM) that hold up to 120 MB of data. Caution! Do not expose diskettes to water or magnetic fields. Exposure could damage the data on the diskette. Note: If power is unavailable and you need to remove a diskette, you can manually eject the diskette. See "Using emergency eject for diskette and disc media" on Page 43. Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook 41