Acer TravelMate 740 Series User manual

TravelMate 740 series
User’s guide
740-e.book Page i Monday, July 23, 2001 3:40 PM

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 © 2001. Acer Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved.
TravelMate 740 series User’s guide
Original Issue: July 2001
TravelMate 740 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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iii
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:
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:
1Click on Start, Programs, TravelMate.
2Click on TravelMate User’s guide.
Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed. If Adobe Acrobat Reader is not installed on your
computer, clicking on TravelMate User’s guide will run the
Acrobat Reader setup program first. Follow the
instructions on the screen to complete the installation. For
instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access
the Help menu.
A handy Hot key pocket reference card is useful for quick
glances at functional key combinations.
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iv
For more information about our products, services, and support
information, please visit our Web site (global.acer.com).
Basic care and tips for using your computer
Turning your computer on and off
To turn on the computer, simply slide and then release the power
switch on the left side of your TravelMate. See “Left view”on page 4
for the location of the power switch.
To turn the power off, do any of the following:
•Use the Windows Shut Down... command
Click on Start, Shut Down..., and select Shut down; then click on
OK.
•Use the power switch
Note: You can also use the power switch to perform power
management functions. See “Power management”on page 23.
•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 “Power
management”on page 23.
An Online guide is your helping hand on-the-go, with easy
to access, detailed and linked information about your
computer.
To access the online guide:
1Click on Start, Programs, TravelMate.
2Click on TravelMate Online guide.
Lastly, there may be a Read me first sheet along with
other documents included with your package which
contain important reminders and updates. So, please read
through it.
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v
Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and
hold the power switch 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 0[C (32[F) or
above 50[C (122[F).
•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.
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.
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vi
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 43.
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Contents
First things first iii
Your guides iii
Basic care and tips for using your computer iv
1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1
A TravelMate tour 3
Front view 3
Left view 4
Right view 5
Rear view 6
Bottom view 8
Features 9
Indicators 11
Using the keyboard 12
Special keys 12
Touchpad 18
Touchpad basics 18
Storage 20
Hard disk 20
AcerMedia drive 20
Using software 21
Audio 22
Adjusting the volume 22
Power management 23
Moving around with your TravelMate 24
Disconnecting from the desktop 24
Moving around 24
Taking the computer home 25
Traveling with the computer 27
Traveling internationally with the computer 27
Securing your computer 29
Using the fingerprint recognition sensor 29
Using a computer security lock 30
Using passwords 30
2 Customizing my computer 33
Expanding through options 35
Connectivity options 35
Upgrade options 39
Using system utilities 41
Notebook Manager 41
BIOS Utility 41
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viii
3 Troubleshooting my computer 43
Frequently-asked questions 45
Troubleshooting tips 49
Error messages 50
Requesting service 52
International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 52
Before you call 52
Appendix A Specifications 55
Appendix B Notices 61
Index 69
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1 Getting to know your
TravelMate
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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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3
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 view
#Item Description
1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display),
displays computer output.
2 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which
functions like a computer mouse.
3 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 scroll up/down button.
4 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands
when you use the computer.
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1 Getting to know your TravelMate
4
Left view
5 Fingerprint
recognition sensor
Identifies the authorized fingerprint, in
order for the user to gain access to 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.
# Item Description
1 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,
infrared printer, IR-aware computer).
2 PC Card slots Accept one Type III or two Type II 16-bit PC
Card(s) or 32-bit CardBus PC Card(s).
3 Eject buttons Eject the selected PC Card from the slot.
4 Power switch Turns on the computer power.
5 Floppy activity
indicator
LED that turns on and off when the floppy
drive is active.
# Item Description
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5
Right view
6 Speaker/
Headphone-out jack
Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g.,
speakers, headphones).
7 Line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD
player, stereo walkman).
8 Microphone-in jack Accepts a mono/stereo condenser
microphone.
9 Volume control Controls the volume of the speakers.
10 Floppy drive Internal diskette drive, accepts 3.5-inch
floppy diskettes.
11 Floppy disk eject
button
Push this button to eject the floppy disk.
12 Video capture kit
slot
Accepts the video capture kit option on the
left side of the computer.
#Item Description
1 Video capture kit
slot
Accepts the video capture kit option on the
right side of the computer.
#Item Description
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1 Getting to know your TravelMate
6
Rear view
2 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
3 AcerMedia drive Houses a removable media drive module.
4 AcerMedia indicator Lights up when the AcerMedia drive is active.
5 Eject button Ejects the drive tray.
6 Emergency eject slot Ejects the drive tray when the computer is
turned off. See page 46 for more details.
7 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.
#Item Description
1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.
2 PS/2 port Connects to any PS/2-compatible device (e.g.,
PS/2 mouse).
3 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.
# Item Description
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4 Serial port Connects to a serial device (e.g., serial
mouse).
5 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel
printer).
6 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based
network
7 External display
port
Connects to a display device (e.g., external
monitor, LCD projector) and displays up to
64K colors at 1280x1024 resolution.
8 USB ports (two) Connect to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,
USB mouse, USB camera).
# Item Description
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1 Getting to know your TravelMate
8
Bottom view
#Item Description
1 AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.
2 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
3 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured
by a screw).
4 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the
battery pack.
5Memory
compartment
Houses the computer's main memory.
6 Mini docking
connector
Connects to DockMate V mini docking
station.
7 AcerMedia bay
release latch
Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for
removal or swapping.
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9
Features
Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many features:
Performance
•Intel®Pentium®III processor-M with 512 KB level 2 cache and
Intel®SpeedStep™technology support
•64-bit memory bus
•AcerMedia bay (removable DVD drive or DVD/CD-RW combo drive)
•Built-in floppy drive
•High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk
•Li-Ion main battery pack
•Power management system with ACPI (Advanced Configuration
Power Interface)
Display
•15" Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) Super eXtended Graphics Array +
(SXGA+) liquid crystal-display (LCD)
•3D capabilities
•Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support
•Supports other output display devices such as LCD projection
panels for large-audience presentations
•"Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically decides the best
settings for your display and conserves power
•Dual display capability
Multimedia
•16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio with 3D sound and
wavetable synthesizer
•Built-in dual speakers
•Built-in microphone
•High-speed optical drive (AcerMedia bay)
•External USB video capture kit option
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1 Getting to know your TravelMate
10
Connectivity
•High-speed fax/data modem port
•Fast infrared wireless communication
•USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports
•Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port
•Optional Bluetooth wireless communication feature
•Optional InviLink 802.11b wireless LAN
Human-centric design and ergonomics
•Internet scroll key
•Sleek, smooth and stylish design
•Full-sized keyboard
•Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device
Expansion
•Two type II or one type III CardBus PC Card slot(s)
•Upgradeable memory
•DockMate V
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11
Indicators
The computer has six easy-to-read status icons below the display
screen.
The Power and Sleep status icons are visible even when you close the
display cover so you can see the status of the computer while the cover
is closed.
Icon Function Description
Power Lights when the computer is on.
Sleep Lights when the computer enters Standby mode
and blinks when it enters into or resumes from
hibernation mode.
Media Activity Lights when the floppy drive, hard disk or
AcerMedia drive is active.
Battery Charge Lights when the battery is being charged.
Caps Lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.
Num Lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.
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1 Getting to know your TravelMate
12
Using the keyboard
The full-sized keyboard includes an embedded numeric keypad,
separate cursor keys, two Windows keys and twelve function keys.
Special keys
Lock keys
The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.
Lock key Description
Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters typed are in
uppercase.
Num Lock
(Fn-F11)
When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in numeric
mode. The keys function as a calculator (complete with the
arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /). Use this mode when you
need to do a lot of numeric data entry. A better solution
would be to connect an external keypad.
Scroll Lock
(Fn-F12)
When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up or down
when you press the up or down arrow keys respectively.
Scroll Lock does not work with some applications.
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