Acer Aspire 1450 Series User manual

AcerAspire1450series
User’s guide

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.
Model Number : _________________________________
Serial Number: ___________________________________
Purchase Date: ___________________________________
Place of Purchase: ________________________________
Copyright © 2003
All Rights Reserved
Acer Aspire 1450 Series Notebook Computer User's Guide
Original Issue: September 2003
Acer Aspire 1450 series Notebook computer
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective companies.

iii
English
English
First things first
Your guides
A set of guides is provided to help you set up and use your Aspire
computer.:
For more information on our products, services, and support, please
visit our web site: www.global.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 Windows Help for more information.
The Just for starters… poster shows you how to set up your
computer.
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.

iv
English
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
English
English
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.
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.

vi
English

English
First things first iii
Your guides iii
Basic care and tips for using your computer iii
Getting familiar with
your computer 1
A tour of your computer 3
Front open view 3
Front view 4
Left view 6
Right view 7
Rear view 8
Bottom view 9
Features 11
Indicators 13
Using the Keyboard 14
Special keys 14
Touchpad 21
Touchpad basics 21
Launch Keys 23
24
Storage 25
Hard disk 25
Optical drive 25
Emergency ejection of the optical drive tray 26
Audio 27
Adjusting the volume 27
Connectivity options 28
Ethernet and LAN 28
Fax/data modem 29
Fast infrared 30
Securing your computer 31
Using a computer security lock 31
Using passwords 31
Operating on
battery power 33
Battery pack 35
Battery pack characteristics 35
Installing and removing the battery pack 36
Charging the battery 37
Checking the battery level 37
Contents

English
Optimizing battery life 37
Battery-low warning 38
Power management 39
Peripherals and options 41
External display devices 43
External input devices 43
External keyboard 43
External keypad 43
External pointing device 43
USB devices 44
IEEE 1394 Port 45
Printer 46
Audio devices 46
Expansion devices 47
PC Card 47
Miscellaneous options 49
Battery pack 49
AC adapter 49
Key component upgrades 50
Memory upgrade 50
Hard disk upgrade 51
Moving with your computer 53
Disconnecting from the desktop 55
Moving around 56
Preparing the computer 56
What to bring to short meetings 56
What to bring to long meetings 56
Taking the computer home 57
Preparing the computer 57
What to bring with you 57
Special considerations 57
Setting up a home office 58
Traveling with the computer 59
Preparing the computer 59
What to take with you 59
Special considerations 59
Traveling internationally with your computer 60
Preparing the computer 60
What to take with you 60
Special considerations 60

English
Software 61
System software 63
Launch Manager 63
BIOS Setup Utility 64
Troubleshooting 65
Frequently asked questions 67
Requesting service 70
International Travelers Warranty (ITW) 70
Before you call 70
72
Appendix A Specifications 73
Appendix B Notices 79
Index 87

English

Getting familiar with
your computer

Your Aspire 1450 series notebook 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
English
English
A tour of your computer
After setting up your new Aspire notebook computer, as illustrated in
the Just for starters… poster, take a few minutes to explore the unit.
Front open view
#Item Description
1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display),
displays computer output.
2 Power button Turns on the computer.
3 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which
functions like a computer mouse.

Getting familiar with your computer
4
English
Front view
4 Click buttons (left, center
and right)
The left and right buttons function like
the left and right mouse buttons; the
center button serves as a 4-way scroll
button.
5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your
hands when you use the computer.
6 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.
7 Status indicators LEDs (light-emitting diode) that turn
on and off to show the status of the
computer, its functions and
components.
8 Microphone Internal microphone for sound
recording.
9 Launch keys Special keys for launching internet
browser, email program and frequently
used programs. See “Launch Keys” on
page 23 for more details.
#Item Description
1 Speaker Outputs sound.
#Item Description

5
English
English
24-in-1 card reader1Reads cards from Smart Media,
Memory Stick, MultiMedia, and Secure
Digital cards.
34-in-1 card reader1
indicator
Displays activity of 4-in-1 card reader.
4 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,
infrared printer, IR-aware computer).
5Bluetooth button2Enables or disables Bluetooth
functionality.
6
Bluetooth indicator2
Indicates that (optional) Bluetooth is
enabled.
7InviLink button3Enables or disables wireless LAN
feature.
8
InviLink indicator3
Indicates status of wireless LAN
communication.
9 Latch Latch for opening and closing the
laptop.
#Item Description
Notes:
1.Four-in-one card reader is a manufacturing option, subject to
configuration. Only one card can operate at any given time.
2.Bluetooth button and indicator work on models with Bluetooth
only.
3.InviLink button and indicator work on models with wireless
LAN only.

Getting familiar with your computer
6
English
Left view
#Item Description
1 Four USB 2.0 ports Connect to Universal Serial Bus devices
(e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).
2 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.
3 PC Card slot The slot supports a standard Type II
CardBus PC Card.
4 PC Card eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.
5 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio
CD player, stereo walkman).
6
Microphone jack
Accepts input from external
microphones.
7 Headphone/ Speaker/
Line-out jack
Connect to headphones or other line-
out audio devices (speakers).

7
English
English
Right view
#Item Description
1 Optical drive Depending on your model, the optical
drive is one of the following:
• DVD-ROM drive for reading CDs and
DVDs.
• DVD/CD-RW combo drive for reading
CDs and DVDs and writing to CD-RWs.
• DVD dual for reading both DVD+/-
RWs and writing to DVD+/-RWs.
2 Optical disc access
indicator
LED that indicates when an optical disc is
being read or written.
3 Optical drive eject
button
Press the eject button to remove a disc
from the optical drive.
4 Optical drive
emergency eject hole
Used to eject an optical disc when the
computer is turned off.
5 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

Getting familiar with your computer
8
English
Rear view
#Item Description
1 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.
2 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based
network.
3 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel
printer).
4 External display port Connects to a display device (e.g., external
monitor, LCD projector) .
5 S-video Connects to a television or display device
with S-video input.
6 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.

9
English
English
Bottom view
#Item Description
1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
2 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the
battery pack.
3 Battery lock Locks the battery in place.
4 Mini-PCI slot Slot for adding mini-PCI cards.
5 Hard disk protector Protects the hard disk from accidental
bumps and vibration.
6 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured
by a screw).
7 Memory compartment Houses the computer’s main memory.

Getting familiar with your computer
10
English
8 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.
Note: Don’t cover or obstruct the opening
of the fan.
9 Personal identification
slot
Insert a business card or similar-sized
identification card to personalize your
computer.
#Item Description