Using Your Gateway Solo 9150 Notebook

Chapter 2:
Using Your System


Connecting AC power

Warning!

Do not attempt to disassemble the AC adapter. The AC adapter has no user-replaceable or user-serviceable parts inside and has dangerous voltages that can cause serious personal injury or death. Contact Gateway about returning defective AC adapters.

Your notebook is powered by one of the longest-lasting batteries available and was shipped to you charged and ready to use. You might, however, want to use the AC adapter to provide a constant supply of power while you are checking out some of the features.

Connecting the AC adapter

  1. Connect the power cord to the AC adapter.

  2. Plug the AC adapter into your notebook's power connector.

  3. Plug the power cord into an electrical outlet.

Warning!

To avoid serious injury, replace the power cord if it becomes damaged. The replacement cord must be of the same type and voltage rating as the original cord.

Starting up

Slide the latch on the front face of your notebook to the right to release the cover and open up your notebook. To turn on your notebook, press the power button, located in the upper left corner of the notebook and close to the left LCD hinge.

The power button on your notebook is preset to On/Off mode. However, you can set it to function either in On/Off or Standby/Resume mode using the power menu.

LCD panel

Your notebook features a color LCD XGA TFT 14.1-inch or 15.0-inch panel that provides sharp, crisp resolution and up to 16 million colors.

This notebook is shipped with the "Auto dim with battery" feature enabled. Auto dim cuts LCD power 50% when your notebook is operating on battery power. To disable this feature, refer to the chapter "Using Your BIOS Setup Program" in the Maintaining and Troubleshooting Guide that shipped with your notebook.

Tilt your notebook's entire cover forward or backward to adjust the viewing angle. Press the Fn key together with the up arrow and down arrow keys to control display brightness.


Using the keyboard

  1. Numeric keypad
  2. Function keys
  3. Shortcut keys

Your notebook features a full-size keyboard that has the same functionality as a desktop computer keyboard. Many of the keys have been assigned alternate functions, including shortcut keys for Windows, function keys for particular system operations, and padlock keys that enable a numeric keypad.

Function key combinations

Important!

In Windows 98TM, Microsoft® has replaced the term "Suspend" with "Standby." Standby is used when referring to Windows 98TM and Suspend is used when referring to Windows 95TM or Windows NTTM.

Press the Fn key together with one of the following keys to get these "on-the-fly" functions:

Key
Combination+

Description

Displays the power status in the upper left corner of the Windows desktop. Press the key combination again to make the power status disappear.

Toggles between the LCD display, external monitor, both displays at the same time, or TV display (NTSC or PAL format).

Windows 98TM: Notebook goes into Standby mode. Pressing the power button brings the notebook out of Standby mode.
Windows 95TM and Windows NTTM: Notebook goes into Suspend mode. Pressing the power button brings the notebook out of Suspend mode.

Makes changes to the video source (VIDEOSRC) settings by toggling the following settings:
DVD - if using the DVD drive.
TV IN - if using the Composite Video In port.
PCMCIA - if using a zoomed video card in PCMCIA slot.
DISABLED - if 30 seconds pass, display disappears.

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 disable the numeric keypad.

In some applications, this lets you scroll through large volumes of text.
The Scroll Lock icon stays lit as long as this function is enabled.

In some programs, this key combination pauses the display when text is scrolling quickly. Press any key to continue the text flow.

In some programs this key combination breaks text scrolling on a DOS screen.

Increases LCD brightness and displays the brightness meter for the Popup Status Display. Use the Fn+F2 key combination to make the display disappear.

Decreases LCD brightness and displays the brightness meter for the Popup Status Display. Use the Fn+F2 key combination to close the brightness meter.

Special keys

The following keys help you use shortcuts when working with some software:

Key

Description

Displays the Windows Start menu.

Provides quick access to shortcut menus and help assistants in Windows.

Numeric keypad

Press Fn+F9 (Pad Lock) keys to activate the numeric keypad. The section of keyboard below functions as a numeric keypad. Press Fn+F9 to return the keyboard to standard mode.

Using the pointing device

Your notebook came with either the EZ PadTM TouchPad or the EZ PointTM stickpoint pointing device. 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 EZ Pad TouchPad

The EZ Pad TouchPad provides you with fast and easy navigation in large documents, spreadsheets, e-mails, and when using the Internet. You can scroll, zoom, autoscroll, and pan with the convenience of the touchpad. Scrolling capabilities are available in some Windows applications, including Microsoft Office.

  1. EZ Pad (TouchPad)
  2. EZ Pad buttons (mouse buttons)

This touchpad uses one surface for both mouse and wheel actions, which means you can perform all of the wheel mouse actions without using the buttons on the notebook. The touchpad also uses movements of one, two, or three fingers to perform the left, middle, and right mouse button actions.

When your finger reaches the edges of the touchpad, you can continue to move the cursor and drag objects. You can also 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 complete.

Mouse and TouchPad action equivalents

All of the mouse and wheel functions are illustrated and described in the following table.

Mouse Action

TouchPad Action

  


Move cursor


Slide finger.


Left button click




Middle button click




Right button click


Tap one finger.




Tap 2 fingers.





Tap 3 fingers.


Left button double click


Double tap 1 finger.


Left button drag


Double tap and drag.


Smart Edges


Double 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.

Mouse wheel equivalents

Wheel Mouse Action

TouchPad Equivalent

  


Rotate the mouse wheel (roller)


Scrolling Up/Down:
Place finger on right edge of the TouchPad and move up/down.


CTRL + rotate the wheel


Zoom in/out:
Press CTRL while moving finger along the right edge of the TouchPad. This changes the magnification of the document.


SHIFT + rotate the wheel


Data zoom:
Press SHIFT while moving finger along the right edge of the touchpad. You can jump to a hyperlink, return to previous Web sites using Internet Explorer, or expand or collapse menu trees in Windows Explorer using this method.


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 stops the scrolling action.


Press the wheel (middle mouse button)


Panning:
Same function as Autoscroll, except that the action stops when you lift your fingers.

Advanced mouse and TouchPad action equivalents

Mouse Action

  

TouchPad Action


Middle button double click


Right button double click


Double tap 2 fingers.



Double tap 3 fingers.


Middle button drag



Right button drag


Slide 2 fingers. (2nd finger does not need to stay on the pad.)


Drag 3 fingers. (2nd and 3rd finger do not need to stay on the pad.)

Changing touchpad properties

Use the following procedure to change EZ Pad properties including pointer size, button assignments, cursor speed and acceleration, scrolling speed, and edge motion.

To customize the EZ Pad
  1. Double-click the icon in the task tray (bottom right corner). The touchpad dialog box opens.
  2. Click a tab in the Mouse Properties dialog box, then customize the touchpad functions.

In the taskbar located in the lower left corner of your screen click , then MouseWare Help to find more help about using the touchpad.

Using the EZ Point stickpoint

The EZ Point pointing device (U.S. keyboards only) 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 below the spacebar.

  1. EZ Point stickpoint
  2. EZ Point select buttons (mouse buttons)

To use the EZ Point
  1. Place your hands in the typing position and press the EZ Point stickpoint in the direction you want to move the cursor.
  2. Press the EZ Point buttons to select items as you would with a mouse.

Changing EZ Point properties

Use the following instructions to change EZ Point properties including pointer size, button assignments, cursor speed, and acceleration.

To customize the EZ Point
  1. Click Start, Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel opens.
  2. Double-click the Mouse icon. The Mouse Properties window opens.
  3. Click the tab of your choice and customize the EZ Point features.
  4. Click Apply to save a change and keep the Mouse Properties window open.
  5. When all modifications have been made, click OK. The Mouse Properties window closes.

Using an external mouse or keyboard

You can attach an external mouse or keyboard to the notebook using the
PS/2 port, the USB port, or the serial port. It is not necessary to shut down the notebook before connecting to an external PS/2 mouse or keyboard.

Connecting the modem

Your Solo 9150 notebook came with a built-in 56K data/fax/voice modem and a telephone cable. (The Solo 9150's internal modem is only available in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Australia.)

To connect and use the modem

  1. Insert one end of the telephone cable into the modem jack on the left side of the notebook.
  2. Insert the other end of the telephone cable into any analog telephone wall jack.
  3. Start your computer, then start your communications software.

Swapping Option Bay modules

Your notebook shipped with a DVD/120 MB SuperDisk or CD/diskette combination drive. The modular option bay will accept the combination drive or an additional battery. You must restart your notebook each time they are swapped.

To switch the combination module for the battery module

  1. Save all work.
  2. Use your operating system's Shut Down procedure.
  3. Close the cover and turn your notebook over.
  4. Locate the modular bay access latch.
  5. Slide and hold the latch open, then place your fingers over the raised bar near the front of the notebook.

  6. Pull the combination drive module straight out and away from your notebook, then release the latch.

    7. Important!

    Anytime you replace a module, you must restart your notebook for the module to work. The restart has to occur after the module is correctly seated.

  7. Install the correct faceplate on the second battery. For details, see the instructions that come with the second battery.
  8. Turn the battery module over. (Your notebook was already turned over, so the module being installed must be turned over as well.)
  9. Firmly push the module straight into the bay until the latch clicks into place. If you don't hear the click, try it firmly again, making sure it clicks.
  10. Restart your system.

Using audio

You can record audio for presentations, attach voice messages to your e-mail, listen to audio CDs, and use your notebook's audio function for many other multimedia applications.

Adjusting the volume

There are many ways to adjust audio input and output on your Solo notebook computer. The volume control wheel 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, then Control Panel.
  2. Double click the Multimedia icon. The Multimedia Properties dialog box opens.
  3. Click the Audio tab.
  4. Set the Playback and Recording levels to your preference.

To adjust volume controls
  1. Double-click the Speaker icon on the taskbar.

    2. A Volume Control dialog box opens, containing volume and balance controls for master volume control, CD audio, wave, synthesizer, line, microphone, and 3D Enhanced settings.

  2. Slide the various volume and balance controls to suit your requirements.

Note:

Connecting an external microphone will disable the built-in microphone.

Making an audio recording

To make an audio recording, use the built-in microphone or connect an external microphone to the Mic port.

To make an audio recording
  1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, then Sound Recorder. The Sound Recorder opens.
  2. Click Edit, Audio Properties, then set or check record volume levels.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Click l (Record). Recording starts.
  5. When you are finished recording, click n (Stop). Recording stops.
  6. Click File, then Save As.
  7. Name the recording.
  8. Click Save.The recording is saved.

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 (Play) button. To stop the file, click n (Stop) button.

Using disc media

Your notebook may have a DVD drive. This section describes some of the ways to use it.

To insert a DVD
  1. Press the eject button. The DVD drive tray opens.
  2. Insert the DVD.
  3. Press down carefully on the DVD to ensure that it snaps under the clips that hold the DVD in the tray.

    Important!

    4. Be sure to place the DVD in the tray so that the label side is facing up. If the disc has two playable sides, place the disc so that the name of the side you want to play is facing up.

  4. Push the tray in. The tray closes.

To access information on the DVD drive

After inserting the DVD, the program should autorun. If it does not, follow the directions below.

  1. Double-click the My Computer icon. The My Computer window opens.
  2. Double-click the DVD-ROM drive icon. The DVD application will appear.

Playing an audio CD

Both DVD and CD-ROMs accept standard data and music CDs. You can play and control an audio CD using the Windows 98 or Windows 95 CD Player application.

To play an audio CD
  1. Insert an audio CD. After a few seconds, the CD starts playing automatically.
  2. If the CD did not auto-start, then click Start, Programs, Accessories, Multimedia, and CD player to start the CD player software.
  3. Slide the mouse pointer slowly over the control buttons on the CD Player software to get familiar with each button function.

    4. You can change music tracks, view playing times, control the volume, set preferences, define a play list, and even set the system to continuous or random play using the dialog box.

  4. Control audio play as desired.

Removing or replacing the hard disk drive

If you choose to increase your storage space with a larger hard disk drive, follow the instructions below to remove and replace the drive.

To remove and replace the hard disk drive
  1. Save all work.
  2. Use your operating system's shut down procedure to turn your notebook completely off.
  3. Close the LCD lid.
  4. Disconnect the AC power and turn your notebook over.
  5. Locate the modular bay access latch on the bottom of your notebook, then slide and hold the latch open.

  6. Remove the combination DVD/120 MB SuperDisk or CD/diskette module from the modular option bay.
  7. Open the flap door next to the modular option bay to expose the hard drive.

    1. Flap door
    2. Hard disk drive

  8. Grasp the hard disk drive flap and pull the hard disk drive straight out from the notebook.

  9. Slide the new hard drive firmly into your notebook and close the door.

    10. Do not force the hard disk drive!

  10. Reinstall the drive module and connect the AC adapter.

Using PC Cards

PC Cards, such as network and modem cards, interface with your hard disk drive. Your notebook's PC Card slots (also known as PCMCIA card slots) are located behind the PC Card doors. These slots accept PC Card 16, PC Card 32 (CardBus), or Zoomed Video cards.

You do not need to restart your notebook when changing most cards because your notebook supports "hot-swapping." This means that you can insert a PC Card while your notebook is running. If your PC Card does not work after hot swapping, refer to the PC Card manufacturer's documentation for further information.

To insert a PC Card
  1. Insert the PC Card with the label face up.

  2. Push the card firmly into the PC Card slot. When the card is installed correctly, the computer plays a two-toned beep.

To remove a PC Card

Important!

If you are using a Type III PC Card, it must be inserted into the bottom slot.

  1. Click the PC Card icon in the taskbar.
  2. Click the card that you want remove.
  3. Click Stop. A screen appears telling you that you may safely remove the device.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Press the PC Card eject button once to release the eject button.
  6. Press the PC Card eject button twice to eject the PC Card.
  7. Press the PC Card eject button three times to reset the eject button.

About CardBus cards

The 32-bit CardBus technology (sometimes referred to as "PC Card 32 cards") supports DMA and bus mastering technologies that are useful in performance-intensive applications such as full-motion video, high speed network connections, full-motion video capture and display, and high performance peripheral interfaces.

32-bit CardBus cards can be used interchangeably with 16-bit cards in your notebook. However, some Solo docking solutions do not support CardBus. CardBus cards function only in your notebook's PC Card slots.


Using Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports

USB is an interface that serves as a single port alternative to connecting devices that traditionally have required their own specific ports such as mice, joysticks, keyboards, scanners, video conferencing cameras, and speakers.

To use a USB-compatible device, connect it to the USB port. The USB automatically installs and configures the necessary drivers and notebook resources.


Using Fast Infrared (IR) ports

The IR port uses infrared technology to send and receive signals between the notebook and a remote device also equipped with an IR port.

Your notebook shipped with the IR port enabled. A variety of desktop computers, printers, and other peripherals are IR-equipped. To set up a remote IR device, follow manufacturer instructions.

If you do not use the IR port and need to make more resources (IRQs) available for other commonly used devices, the IR port can be disabled.


Using Composite Video Out

By connecting a standard video cable to the Composite Video Out, you can view your notebook display on a TV screen. The Composite Video In lets you view and capture motion video or still images from a VCR or video camera. Video capture software programs require windows drivers, which are supplied with your notebook.

To perform the functions described in this section, you need to have a video display program installed.

To connect your notebook to a TV
  1. Connect one end of a standard video cable to the Composite Video Out on the notebook.
  2. Connect the other end of the cable to the Video In connector on your television or VCR.
  3. Press Fn+F3 to switch to Composite Video Out.

Note:

Reset your display setting to 640 × 480 resolution with large text fonts for best viewing.

To connect a VCR/Camera to your notebook
  1. Connect one end of a standard video cable to the Composite Video In on the notebook.
  2. Connect the other end of the cable to the Video Out connector on your VCR or camera.
  3. Switch to the TV IN video source by pressing FN+F7.

Using ATI Player

ATI Player is a video capture utility program that lets you display, capture, and edit video (single frame or video stream) from Composite Video In.

To use ATI Player
Important!
Your notebook configuration does not support Tuner Mode.

  1. Connect Video Out of your external source, such as a video camera, to the Composite Video In on your notebook.
  2. Connect Audio Out of your external source, if available, to the Line In.
  3. Press FN+F7 until TV IN appears in the VIDEOSRC window in the upper left corner of your screen.
  4. Click Start, Programs, ATI Multimedia, then ATI Player. The program starts. The following information will assist you in getting started.

Note:
Click the Help button (E) for further details on the capabilities of this program.

ATI Player Descriptions

A - CD Audio mode: Plays standard audio CDs.
B - MPEG mode: Plays compressed/decompressed video and audio.
C - TUNER mode: Not supported.
D - CAPTURE mode: Captures still images from video input and displays full-motion video.
E - Displays Help information.
F - Displays current file position.
G - Opens file(s).
H - Opens setup dialog where you can display player options.
I - Mutes audio volume.
J - Controls audio volume.
K - Selects between audio tracks on dual mode MPEG CDs.
L - Plays previous track.
M - Plays next track.
N - Displays current file name.
O - Skips to last frame.
P - Advances to 10 seconds later.
Q - Returns to 10 seconds before.
R - Skips to first frame.
S - Plays full screen video.
T - Plays current track or playlist repeatedly.
U - Plays or stops playback.
V - Slides to randomly search through the file and select a location.