Acer TravelMate 6003 User manual

TravelMate 6000/8000
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 correspondence 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 © 2004 Acer Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved.
TravelMate 6000/8000 Series User’s Guide
Original Issue: Mar 2004
TravelMate 6000/8000 Series Notebook Computer
Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Other company's product names or
trademarks are used herein for identification purposes only and belong to their respective companies.

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First things first
We would like to thank you for making the TravelMate series of notebook
computers your choice for your mobile computing needs. We hope you will be
happy with your TravelMate as much as we enjoyed making it for you.
Your guides
To help you use your TravelMate, we have designed a set of guides:
For more information about our products, services, and support information,
please visit our Web site (www.acer.com).
Basic care and tips for using your computer
Turning your computer on and off
To turn on the computer, simply press the power button on the left of the launch
keys found above your TravelMate’s standard keyboard. See “Front open view” on
page 3 for the location of the power button.
To turn the power off, do any of the following:
First off, the Just for starters... poster helps you get started with
setting up your computer.
This User’s guide introduces you to the many ways your computer
can help you be more productive. This guide provides clear and
concise information about the computer, so read it thoroughly.
If you ever need to print out a copy, this User’s guide is also available
in PDF (Portable Document Format). Follow these steps:
1 Click on Start, All Programs, Acer System.
2 Click on Acer System User’s guide.
Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. For
instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access the Help
menu.

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•Use the Windows shutdown command
For Windows® 2000: Click on Start, Shut Down..., and select Shut down;
then click on OK.
- or -
For Windows® XP: Click on Start, Turn off Computer; then click Turn
Off.
•Use the power button
Note: You can also use the power button to perform power management
functions. See Windows help for more information.
•Use the customized functions for power management
You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover, or by
pressing the sleep hot key (Fn-F4). See the online guide for details.
Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and hold the
power button for more than four seconds to shut down the computer. If you
turn off the computer and want to turn it on again, wait at least two seconds
before powering up.
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 0ºC (32ºF) or above 50ºC
(122ºF).
•Do not subject 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 and vibration.
•Do not expose the computer to dust and dirt.
•Never place objects on top of the computer to avoid damaging the computer.
•Do not slam the computer display when you close it.
•Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.

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Taking care of your AC adapter
Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter:
•Do not connect the adapter to any other device.
•Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it. Carefully
route the power cord and any cables away from personal traffic.
•When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself but pull on the
plug.
•The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed the
ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also, the total
current rating of all equipment plugged into a single wall outlet should not
exceed the fuse rating.
Taking care of your battery pack
Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack:
•Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the power off
before removing or replacing batteries.
•Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children.
•Dispose of used batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if at all
possible.
Cleaning and servicing
When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:
1Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.
2Disconnect the AC adapter.
3Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.
4To clean the display screen, use an LCD cleaning kit.
If any of the following occurs:
•The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged.
•Liquid has been spilled into the product.
•The computer does not operate normally.
Please refer to "Troubleshooting my computer" on page 59.

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First things first iii
Your guides iii
Basic care and tips for using your computer iii
A TravelMate tour 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 15
Special keys 15
Launch Keys 22
Touchpad 24
Touchpad basics 24
Storage 26
Hard disk 26
AcerMedia bay 26
Using software 27
Audio 29
Adjusting the volume 29
DVI(Digital Visual Interface) 30
Power management 31
Moving around with your TravelMate 32
Disconnecting from the desktop 32
Moving around 32
Taking the computer home 33
Traveling with the computer 35
Traveling internationally with the computer 36
Securing your computer 37
Using a computer security lock 37
Using the Smart Card 37
Using passwords 43
2 Customizing my computer 45
Expanding through options 47
Connectivity options 47
Upgrade options 53
Using system utilities 56
Notebook Manager 56
Launch Manager 57
BIOS Utility 57

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3 Troubleshooting my computer 59
Frequently-asked questions 61
Troubleshooting tips 65
Error messages 66
Requesting service 67
ITW 67
Before you call 67
Appendix A Specifications 69
Appendix B Notices 75

1 Getting to know your
TravelMate

Your TravelMate computer combines high-
performance, versatility, power management
features and multimedia capabilities with a unique
style and ergonomic design. Work with unmatched
productivity and reliability with your new power
computing partner.

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A TravelMate tour
After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters...
poster, let us show you around your new TravelMate computer.
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.
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.

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Front view
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 22 for
more details.
#Item Description
1 Speaker Outputs sound.
24-in-1 card reader1Reads cards from Smart Media, Memory
Stick, MultiMediaCard, and Secure Digital
cards.
34-in-1 card reader1
indicator
Displays activity of 4-in-1 card reader.
#Item Description

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Notes:
1.Four-in-one card reader is a manufacturing option, subject to
configuration. Only one media card type can be used at any
given time. To avoid data loss or damage, do not shut down the
system while card reader is active.
2.Bluetooth button and indicator work on models with Bluetooth
only.
3.InviLink button and indicator work on models with wireless LAN
only.
4 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,
infrared printer, IR-aware computer).
5Bluetooth button2Enables or disables Bluetooth functionality.
6Bluetooth indicator2Indicates that (optional) Bluetooth is
enabled.
7InviLink button3Enables or disables wireless LAN feature.
8InviLink indicator3Indicates status of wireless LAN
communication.
9 Latch Latch for opening and closing the laptop.
#Item Description

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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 Smart Card slot Slot for Smart Card interface with pre-boot
authentication system.
4 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD
player, stereo walkman).
5 Microphone jack Accepts input from external microphones.
6 Headphone/
Speaker/ Line-out
jack
Connect to headphones or other line-out
audio devices (speakers).
7 PC Card eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.
8 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II 16-bit PC Card or 32-bit
CardBus PC Card.

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Right view
Note: The positions of the AcerMedia indicator, eject button and
emergency eject hole may differ depending on the optical drive
module installed.
#Item Description
1 AcerMedia drive Houses a removable media drive module.
2 AcerMedia indicator Lights up when the AcerMedia drive is active.
3 Eject button Ejects the drive tray.
4 Emergency eject slot Ejects the drive tray when the computer is
turned off. See page 63 for more details.
5 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.

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Rear view
#Item Description
1 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.
2 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-based
network.
3 Expansion port Connects to I/O port replicator or EasyPort
expansion devices.
4 DVI-digital port DVI-digital(Digital visual interface) port
provides a better quality digital connection
between this computer and a display device .
5 External display
port
Connects to a display device (e.g., external
monitor, LCD projector) and displays up to
16.7 million colors.
6 S-video Connects to a television or display device
with S-video input.
7 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.

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Bottom view
#Item Description
1AcerMediabay
release latch
Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for
removing the optical drive.
2 AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.
3 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
4 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the
battery pack.
5 Battery lock Locks the battery in place.
6 Mini-PCI slot Slot for adding mini-PCI cards.
7 Hard disk protector Acer’s patented Disc Anti-Shock Protection
(DASP) system.
8 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured
by a screw).
9Memory
compartment
Houses the computer’s main memory.

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

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Features
Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many features:
Performance
•Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.4~1.7 GHz with 1MB L2 Cache or
1.5~2.0 GHz with 2MB L2 Cache.
•Intel® 855GME chipset
•Memory upgradeable up to 2 GB with 2 slots
•Internal removable optical drive (AcerMedia bay)
•High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk
•Li-ion main battery pack
•Power management system with ACPI (Advanced Configuration
Power Interface)
•Smart Card interface with pre-boot authentication system for
added security
Display
•Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying 32-
bit high color up to 1024 x 768 eXtended Graphics Array (XGA)
resolution for 14.1” or 1400 x 1050 Super eXtended Graphics Array
+ (SXGA+) resolution for 15” models (specification varies
depending on the model)
•3D graphics engine
•ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9700 64MB/128MB(Manufacturing option)
•Simultaneous LCD ,CRT monitor or other display device like
projector support
•S-video for output to a television or display device that supports S-
video input
•"Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically decides the best
settings for your display and conserves power
•Dual indenpendent display
•DVI-Digital improves the quality to realistic display, the
transmitting via a divital means

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Multimedia
•16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio
•Built-in dual speakers
•Built-in microphone
•High-speed optical drive (AcerMedia bay)
Connectivity
•High-speed fax/data modem port
•10/100/1000 T-based Gigabit Ethernet port
•Fast infrared wireless communication
•Four USB 2.0 (Universal Serial Bus) ports
•IEEE 1394 port
•InviLink™ 802.11a/b or 802.11b/g wireless LAN (manufacturing
option)
•Bluetooth™ ready (manufacturing optional)
•SD/MMC/SM/MS memory slot (manufacturing option)
Human-centric design and ergonomics
•Internet 4-way scroll button
•Sleek, smooth and stylish design
•Acer FinTouch full-sized curved keyboard
•Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device
Expansion
•One type II CardBus PC Card slot
•Upgradeable memory
•Acer EasyPort