Dell Inspiron 1521 User manual

Dell™Inspiron™1521Owner'sManual

Notes, Notices, and Cautions
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
©2007DellInc.Allrightsreserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, Inspiron, Wi-Fi Catcher, and Dell MediaDirect are trademarks of Dell Inc.; AMD, AMD Turion, HyperMemory, ATI Radeon and
combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by Dell under license.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any
proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
Model PP22L
October 2007 P/N RT722 Rev. A02
Finding Information
About Your Computer
Setting Up Your Computer
Using the Display
Using the Keyboard and Touchpad
Using a Battery
Using Multimedia
Using ExpressCards
Using the Memory Card Reader
Setting Up and Using Networks
Securing Your Computer
Troubleshooting
Adding and Replacing Parts
Dell™QuickSetFeatures
Traveling With Your Computer
Getting Help
Specifications
Appendix
Glossary
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

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About Your Computer
Dell™Inspiron™1521Owner'sManual
Determining Your Computer's Configuration
Front View
Left Side View
Right Side View
Back View
Bottom View
Determining Your Computer's Configuration
Basedonselectionsthatyoumadewhenpurchasingyourcomputer,yourcomputerhasoneofseveraldifferentvideocontrollerconfigurations.Todetermine
your computer's video controller configuration:

1. Click Start , and then click Help and Support.

2. Under Pick a Task, click Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems.

3. Under My Computer Information, select Hardware.
From the My Computer Information -Hardware screen, you can view the type of video controller installed in your computer, as well as the other hardware
components.
Front View

camera indicator —Indicates that the camera is on. Based on configuration selections you made when ordering your computer, your computer may not
include a camera.

1
camera indicator (optional)
2
camera (optional)
3
display latch
4
display
5
power button
6
keyboard
7
device status lights
8
touch pad
9
consumer IR
10
media control buttons
11
touch pad buttons
12
Dell™MediaDirect™button
13
keyboard status lights
14
digital array microphones


camera —Built-in camera for video capture, conferencing, and chat. Based on configuration selections you made when ordering your computer, your computer
may not include a camera.

display latch —Keeps the display closed.

display —For more information about your display, see Using the Display.

power button —Press the power button to turn on the computer or exit a power management mode (see Configuring Power Management Settings).
If the computer stops responding, press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely (may take several seconds).

keyboard —For more information about the keyboard, see Using the Keyboard and Touchpad.

device status lights
The blue lights located to the right of the keyboard indicate the following:
If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the light operates as follows:
¡Solid blue: The battery is charging.
¡Flashing blue: The battery is almost fully charged.
¡Off: The battery is adequately charged.
NOTICE: To avoid losing data, turn off your computer by performing a Microsoft®Windows®operating system shutdown rather than by pressing the
power button.
Power light –Turns on when you turn on the computer, and blinks when the computer is in a power management mode.
Hard drive activity light –Turns on when the computer reads or writes data.
NOTICE: To avoid loss of data, never turn off the computer while the light is flashing.
Battery status light –Turns on steadily or blinks to indicate battery charge status.
Wi-Fi status light –Turns on when wireless networking is enabled. To enable or disable wireless networking, use the wireless switch (see wireless
switch).
Bluetooth®status light –Turns on when a card with Bluetooth wireless technology is enabled.

NOTE: The card with Bluetooth wireless technology is an optional feature. The light turns on only if you ordered the card with your computer. For
more information, see the documentation that came with your card.
To turn off only the Bluetooth wireless technology functionality, right-click the icon in the notification area, and then click Disable Bluetooth Radio.
To quickly enable or disable all wireless devices, use the wireless switch (see wireless switch).

If the computer is running on a battery, the light operates as follows:
¡Off: The battery is adequately charged (or the computer is turned off).
¡Flashing amber: The battery charge is low.
¡Solid amber: The battery charge is critically low.

touch pad —Provides the functionality of a mouse (see Touch Pad).

touch pad buttons —Use these buttons much like the buttons on a mouse when you use the touch pad to move the cursor on the display (see Touch Pad).

media control buttons —Control CD, DVD, and Media Player playback.

Dell™MediaDirect™button —Press the Dell MediaDirect button to launch Dell MediaDirect (see UsingDellMediaDirect™).

keyboard status lights
The blue lights located above the keyboard indicate the following:

digital array microphones —Built-in microphone for conferencing and chat.
Left Side View
Mute
Play the previous track
Turn the volume down
Play the next track
Turn the volume up
Stop
Play or pause

Turns on when the numeric keypad is enabled.
Turns on when the uppercase letter (caps lock) function is enabled.
Turns on when the scroll lock function is enabled.


security cable slot —Lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer (see Security Cable Lock).

wireless switch —When enabled through Dell QuickSet, this switch can scan for a wireless local area network (WLAN) in your vicinity. You can also use it to
rapidly turn off or on any wireless devices such as WLAN cards and internal cards with Bluetooth wireless technology (see Dell Wi-FiCatcher™Network
Locator).


air vents —The computer uses an internal fan to create airflow through the vents, which prevents the computer from overheating. The computer turns the fan
on when the computer gets hot. Fan noise is normal and does not indicate a problem with the fan or the computer.

audio connectors

ExpressCard slot —Supports one ExpressCard. The computer ships with a plastic blank installed in the slot. For more information, see Using ExpressCards.
1
security cable slot
2
wireless switch
3
Wi-Fi Catcher light
4
air vents
5
audio connectors
6
ExpressCard slot
1
off
Disables wireless devices.
2
on
Enables wireless devices.
3
momentary
Scans for WLAN networks (see Dell Wi-FiCatcher™NetworkLocator).
4
Wi-Fi Catcher light
lFlashing green: Searching for networks
lSolid green: Strong network found
lSolid yellow: Weak network found
lFlashing yellow: Error
lOff: No signal found
NOTE: The Wi-Fi Catcher Network Locator light appears only when the computer is turned off and the wireless switch is configured in the system setup
program (BIOS) to control Wi-Fi network connections.
CAUTION: Do not block, push objects into, or allow dust to accumulate in the air vents. Do not store your computer in a low-airflow environment,
such as a closed briefcase, while it is running. Restricting the airflow can damage the computer or cause a fire.
Attach headphones to the connector.
Attach a microphone to the connector.