Acer Aspire 1500 series User manual

Acer Aspire 1500 series
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 1500 Series Notebook Computer User's Guide
Original Issue: December 2003
Acer Aspire 1500 series Notebook computer
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective companies.

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First things first
Yo u r g u i d e s
A set of guides is provided to help you set up and use your Aspire
computer:
For more information on Acer’s products, services, and support,
please visit the web site: http://www.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.

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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.

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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 63
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.

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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 view 3
Left view 5
Right view 6
Rear view 7
Bottom view 8
Features 9
Indicators 11
Keyboard 13
Special keys 13
Touchpad 19
Touchpad basics 19
Launch keys 21
Storage 22
Inserting and ejecting a diskette 22
Ejecting the optical drive tray 23
Emergency ejection of the optical drive tray 23
Connectivity options 24
Ethernet and LAN 24
Fax/data modem 25
Audio 26
Securing your computer 27
Security slot 27
Operating on battery power 29
Battery pack 31
Battery pack characteristics 31
Installing and removing the battery pack 32
Charging the battery 33
Checking the battery level 33
Optimizing battery life 33
Battery-low warning 34
Power management 35
Peripherals and options 37
External display devices 39
External input devices 39
Contents

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External keyboard 39
External keypad 39
External pointing device 39
USB devices 40
IEEE 1394 Port 41
Printer 42
Audio devices 42
Expansion devices 43
PC Card 43
Miscellaneous options 45
Battery pack 45
AC adapter 45
Key component upgrades 46
Memory upgrade 46
Hard disk upgrade 47
Moving with your computer 49
Disconnecting from the desktop 51
Moving around 52
Preparing the computer 52
What to bring to short meetings 52
What to bring to long meetings 52
Taking the computer home 53
Preparing the computer 53
What to bring with you 53
Special considerations 53
Setting up a home office 54
Traveling with the computer 54
Preparing the computer 54
What to take with you 54
Special considerations 54
Traveling internationally with your computer 55
Preparing the computer 55
What to take with you 55
Special considerations 55
Software 57
System software 59
Launch Manager 59
BIOS Setup Utility 60

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Troubleshooting 61
Frequently asked questions 63
Requesting service 66
International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 66
Before you call 66
Appendix A Specifications 67
Appendix B Notices 73
Index 85

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Getting familiar with
your computer

Your Aspire 1500 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.

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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 view
#Item Description
1 Display screen Liquid-crystal display (LCD) provides
visual output.
2 Status indicators Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that turn
on and off to show the status of the
computer, its functions and
components.

Getting familiar with your computer
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3 Launch keys Buttons for launching frequently used
programs. See“Launch keys” on page
21 for more details.
4 Power button Turns the computer on and off.
5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your
hands when you use the computer.
6 Click buttons &
4-way scroll key
The left and right buttons function like
the left and right mouse buttons; the
4-way scroll key scrolls the contents of
a window up, down, left and right.
7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which
functions like a computer mouse.
8 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.
9 Ventilation Slot Enables the computer to stay cool,
even after prolonged use.
#Item Description

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Left view
#Item Description
1 PC Card slots Support two Type II or one Type III
CardBus PC Card(s).
2 Eject buttons Ejects the PC Card(s) from the slots.
3 3-in-1 card reader Supports Secure Digital (SD),
MultiMedia Card (MMC) and Memory
Stick (MS) formats.
4 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.
5 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices
(e.g., infrared printer and IR-aware
computer).
6 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is
active.
7 Eject button Ejects the optical drive tray from the
drive.
8 Emergency eject slot Ejects the optical drive tray when the
computer is turned off.
See page 23 for more details.
9 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or
DVDs depending on the optical drive
type.
10 Speaker Delivers stereo audio output.

Getting familiar with your computer
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Right view
#Item Description
1 Speaker Delivers stereo audio output.
2 Floppy activity indicator Lights up when the floppy is active.
3 Floppy drive Internal diskette drive; accepts a
3.5-inch diskette.
4 Floppy disk eject button Push to eject the floppy disk.
5 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.

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Rear view
#Item Description
1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.
2 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device
(e.g., parallel printer).
3 S-video port Connects to a television or display device
with S-video input.
4 External display port Connects to a display device (e.g., external
VGA monitor and LCD projector).
5 Four USB 2.0 ports Connect to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
devices (e.g., USB mouse and USB camera).
6 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet Gigabit LAN
network.
7 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.
8 Speaker/line-out/
headphone jack
Connects to audio line-out devices
(e.g., speakers and headphones).
9 Line-in/mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices
(e.g., audio CD player and stereo walkman).

Getting familiar with your computer
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Bottom view
#Item Description
1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
2 Battery release latch Unlatches to remove the battery pack.
3 Memory compartment Houses the computer's main memory.

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Features
Performance
• The AMD AthlonTM 64 processor 3000+ ~ 3400+.
• AMD Hyper Transport technology.
• Two memory slots supporting 333 MHz DDR, upgradeable to 2GB
(Memory modules are strictly required to be JEDEC compliant).
• High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk.
Display
• The 14.1” XGA (1024x768 resolution), or 15.0” SXGA+ (1400x1050
resolution) TFT LCD panel provides a large viewing area for
maximum efficiency and ease-of-use.
• 3D graphics support.
• Supports simultaneous display between LCD and CRT display.
• S-video for output to a television or display device that supports
S-video input.
• “Automatic LCD dim” feature that automatically selects the best
setting for the display in order to conserve power.
• DualViewTM support.
Multimedia
• High-speed built-in optical drive:
CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD/CD-RW combo, or DVD-Dual.
•MS DirectSound compatible.
• Built-in dual speakers.
Connectivity
• Integrated Gigabit Ethernet connection.
• Built-in 56Kbps fax/data modem.
• Four universal serial bus (USB 2.0) ports.
• One IEEE 1394 port.
• IEEE 802.11g or IEEE 802.11a/g Wireless LAN (manufacturing option).
• Bluetooth (manufacturing option).

Getting familiar with your computer
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Human-centric design
• All-in-one design (incorporating hard drive, optical drive and
floppy disk drive).
• Rugged, yet extremely portable, construction.
• Stylish appearance.
• Full-size keyboard with four programmable launch keys.
• Comfortable palm rest area with well-positioned touchpad.
Expansion
• PC card slot enables a range of add-on options.
• Upgradeable hard disk and memory modules.