Contents Checking out your documentation......................................................... iii Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook ........................................1 Keyboard and LCD panel .................................................................2 Top panel buttons and indicators......................................................4 Rear panel ..........................................................................................5 Right side ...........................................................................................6 Left side .............................................................................................7 Bottom ..............................................................................................8 Chapter 2: Getting Started ................................................................. 11 Getting your system running................................................................. 12 Installing the battery pack .............................................................. 12 Connecting the AC power.............................................................. 13 Turning on the power ..................................................................... 14 Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook ..................................................... 17 Using your Solo 3150............................................................................ 18 Using the keyboard......................................................................... 18 Using key combinations................................................................. 19 Using the LCD................................................................................ 22 Using the EZ Point ......................................................................... 23 Connecting the modem cable......................................................... 26 Connecting the network ................................................................. 27 Using the audio............................................................................... 27 Using 3.5" diskettes........................................................................ 30 Using CDs and DVDs.................................................................... 30 Using the USB port ........................................................................ 33 Removing and replacing the hard disk drive ................................ 33 Using PC Cards .............................................................................. 35 Using the IR port ............................................................................ 36 i Chapter 4: Getting Online ...................................................................37 Using the Internet...................................................................................38 E-mail..............................................................................................39 World Wide Web............................................................................39 Using Microsoft Fax ..............................................................................41 Setting up Microsoft Fax ................................................................41 Sending and receiving faxes...........................................................43 Manually answering with your modem .........................................44 Locating the COM port address ..................................................... 45 Chapter 5: Managing Power Usage ................................................47 Managing battery power........................................................................ 48 Charging the battery pack...............................................................48 Using the battery .............................................................................50 Monitoring the battery status..........................................................51 Changing the power button setting ................................................51 Using the Suspend and Standby modes .........................................52 Maximizing battery life ......................................................................... 55 Chapter 6: Using the Port Replicator ..............................................57 Port replicator components....................................................................58 Ports.................................................................................................59 Attaching to the replicator ..............................................................60 Separating from the replicator........................................................ 61 Setting up the video out port ..........................................................63 Appendix A: Accessories ....................................................................65 Accessories............................................................................................. 66 Appendix B: Using the BIOS Setup Program .............................67 About the BIOS Setup utility.................................................................68 Appendix C: Contacting Gateway ...................................................71 Contacting Gateway...............................................................................72 Regulatory Compliance Statements .............................................. 74 Index ........................................................................................................... 79 ii Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook Checking out your documentation In addition to this User Guide, we've also provided other documentation to help you get the most from your Solo 3150. Please refer to the following printed and online documentation for additional resources: Printed manuals o Maintaining and Troubleshooting Your Gateway Solo Notebook contains information about managing system resources, preserving your system performance, reinstalling your operating system and drivers, and general troubleshooting tips. The Windows manual provides information about using the operating system, learning about advanced features, networking, getting help, and more. The Internet and gateway.net provides an overview of the Internet and tells you how to set up an Internet account on gateway.netSM. Specifications for the Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook gives detailed information about your computer's technical specifications. o o o Online documentation Electronic manuals on your hard drive give you access to this documentation when you are traveling or when the printed manuals are not accessible. To access the online documentation click Start, select Online Documentation, then select the manual you want to review. Gateway Web site (http://www.gateway.com) If you have a subscription to an Internet service provider, you can tap into some of the latest help and other information on our Web site. We provide notebook support help, technical documents, tech tips, frequently asked questions (FAQs), glossary, software library with BIOS updates, and other resources that can help you make the most of using your notebook. iii iv Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Keyboard and LCD panel ................................ 2 Top panel buttons and indicators ..................... 4 Rear panel ......................................................... 5 Right side .......................................................... 6 Left side............................................................. 7 Bottom .............................................................. 8 Keyboard and LCD panel A B C D C 2 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook Component A. 12.1" TFT Color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) B. Keyboard Description Provides sharp, crisp resolution with backlit anti-glare screen. Provides full functionality of a desktop computer keyboard. Many keys have been assigned alternate functions. Provides high-quality sound reproduction for software, audio CDs, and DVDs. Controls the cursor movement on the screen. C. Speakers D. EZ PointTM Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 3 Top panel buttons and indicators A B C D E F G H Component A. Power or Suspend/ Standby button B. Display off button C. Hard drive activity indicator D. DVD or CD indicator E. Caps lock indicator F. Pad lock indicator G. Scroll lock indicator H. Microphone Icon Description Can be set to either turn the system on and off or suspend and resume. Pressing the button for five seconds restarts the system. Turns off the LCD display. Activated automatically when you close the notebook lid. Lights when the computer accesses the hard drive. Displays when the computer accesses the DVD or CD (Compact Disc) drive. Lights when Caps Lock is enabled. Lights when Pad Lock is enabled. Lights when Scroll Lock is enabled. Records sounds when the system is recording. 4 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook Rear panel A B C DE F G H Port A. LAN Icon Description Provides an Ethernet 10/100 connection to a network. Sends infrared signals between the notebook and a remote device that uses infrared (for example, a printer or other peripheral). Connect external speakers or headphones to this port. Supports small unamplified speakers. (1/8 inch/3.5 mm jack.) Plug a phone line into this jack to connect the notebook's on-board modem to an analog phone system. Connect an external keyboard, mouse, numeric keypad, or other device to this port. Connect a VGA (Video Graphics Adapter) monitor cable to this port. Connect a parallel device such as a printer to this port. Connect a serial device such as a serial mouse to this port. B. Fast IR (Infrared) port C. Speaker out/ Headphone jack D. Modem jack E. PS/2 port F. VGA port G. Parallel port (LPT1) H. Serial port Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 5 Right side A B C D E F Component A. DVD or CD-ROM drive B. Eject button C. Manual eject button Icon Description Reads data and audio CDs (and DVDs if you have a DVD drive). Ejects the DVD or CD tray from the drive. This button works only when the power is on. Provides manual eject capability to remove a DVD or CD if power is unavailable. Insert a straightened paper clip or other stiff wire and push to open the DVD or CD tray. Accepts one Type I or Type II PC Card. Adjusts speaker volume. Other port volume levels are controlled by multimedia software. Push to release the eject button, then push again to eject the PC Card. Push a third time to retract the button into the chassis. D. PC Card slot E. Volume wheel F. PC Card eject button 6 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook Left side A B C D E Component A. Kensington lock slot B. Air outlet port C. Power connector D. USB port Icon Description Attach a Kensington lock into this slot. A Kensington lock is an optional cable lock for portable computers. Outlet for air intake to cool components. Connect the AC power adapter to this port. Plug Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices into this port. Hard disk drive storage bay. The hard drive can be removed only by first removing the mounting screw on the bottom of the notebook, then sliding the drive out. E. Hard disk drive Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 7 Bottom C B A D 8 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook Component A. Battery pack B. Battery release latch C. Hard disk drive Icon Description Slide battery pack into bay for battery power and battery charging. Slide the latch to release the battery pack from the battery pack bay. The hard drive can be removed only by first removing the two mounting screws, then sliding the drive out. Connect the port replicator to this port. D. Replicator port E. Memory bay Open the memory bay cover to install or remove RAM memory modules. Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 9 10 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook Chapter 2: Getting Started Getting your system running................................. 12 Installing the battery pack .............................. 12 Connecting the AC power.............................. 13 Turning on the power ..................................... 14 Getting your system running To get the computer started, you'll need to install the battery pack, connect to AC power, open the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel, and turn on the power. Installing the battery pack Your notebook is shipped to you with the battery 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 your notebook's features. If your battery is not installed, you need to install the battery pack and charge it. The battery charges whenever your notebook is connected to AC power. The notebook can run on a fully charged battery for about 2.5 to 3 hours, but battery life varies depending on configuration, power management settings, ...