Gateway Solo 2500 User manual

i
Contents
About This Guide .................................................................................. iii
Checking Out Your Documentation..................................................... iii
Conventions Used in This Guide........................................................... iv
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer .............. 5
Checking Out Your Solo 2500................................................................ 6
Keyboard and LCD panel ................................................................ 6
System Status Indicators (LCDs) .................................................... 8
Back ports panel ............................................................................. 10
Right side ports and bays ............................................................... 11
Left side ports and battery bay....................................................... 12
Bottom release latches and memory bay....................................... 13
Chapter 2: Getting Started .................................................... 15
Getting Your System Running.............................................................. 16
Installing the battery pack .............................................................. 16
Connecting the AC power.............................................................. 18
Starting up your notebook.............................................................. 19
Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook .......................................... 23
Using Your Solo 2500........................................................................... 24
Using the keyboard......................................................................... 24
Using key combinations................................................................. 25
Using the LCD................................................................................ 29
Using the pointing device............................................................... 31
Using the audio............................................................................... 39
Using diskette media (3.5" or LS120 diskettes)............................ 41
Using disc media (CD-ROM)........................................................ 42
Removing and replacing the hard disk drive ................................ 44
Using PC Cards .............................................................................. 46
Using the IR port ............................................................................ 48
Using the USB ports....................................................................... 51
Using McAfee VirusScan .............................................................. 52

ii Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
Chapter 4: Managing Power Usage ......................................55
Maximizing Power Management......................................................... 56
Charging the battery pack.............................................................. 56
Using the battery ............................................................................ 58
Monitoring the battery status......................................................... 59
Setting the power button................................................................ 60
Using the suspend and standby modes.......................................... 61
Maximizing the battery life ........................................................... 63
Appendix A: Accessories .......................................................65
Solo Notebook Accessories ................................................................. 66
Appendix B: Using the BIOS Setup Program .......................69
About the BIOS Setup Utility............................................................... 70
Using the BIOS Setup Utility........................................................ 70
Appendix C: Contacting Gateway .........................................73
Contacting Gateway.............................................................................. 74
Calling Gateway ............................................................................ 74
Calling Gateway when outside the
U.S. and Canada............................................................................. 75
Index .......................................................................................77

iii
About This Guide
This document provides an overview of your Solo 2500 and information
about using it.
Chapter 1: “Checking Out Your Notebook Computer” helps you get
familiar with the ports and components on your notebook.
Chapter 2: “Getting Started” provides information about setting up your
notebook.
Chapter 3: “Using Your Notebook” covers using the system ports and
connecting peripherals to your computer. It also discusses some common
uses for your computer.
Chapter 4: “Managing Power Usage” provides information about maximizing
battery power and using Standby, Suspend, and other system modes.
Checking Out Your
Documentation
In addition to this User Guide, we’ve also provided other documentation to
help you maximize using your system. Please refer to the following printed
and online documentation for additional resources:
♦Printed manuals
•The “Maintaining and Troubleshooting Your Solo 2500 Notebook”
contains information about managing system resources, preserving
your system performance, reinstalling your operating system and
drivers, and general troubleshooting tips.
•Windows 95, 98, or NT manual (dependent upon the operating
system you ordered) provides information about using the
operating system, learning about advanced features, networking,
getting help, and more.
♦Online documentation - Lets you access the electronic manuals from
your hard drive when you are traveling or when the manuals are not
accessible. To access the online documentation click Start, Online
Documentation and select the manual you want to review.

iv Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
♦Gateway Website (http://www.gateway.com) - If you have a modem,
an analog phone line, and a subscription to an Internet service provider
you can tap into some of the latest help and other information on our
website. We provide tech support help, technical documents, tech tips,
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), glossary, software library with
BIOS updates, and other resources that can help you make the most of
using your notebook.
Conventions Used in This Guide
This book uses the following conventions to help identify information:
Convention example Description
ENTER Key names, which correspond to
keys on the keyboard, are printed in
small capitals.
CTRL+ALT+DEL Letters in small caps. A plus sign
between keys indicates that the keys
must be pressed simultaneously.
c:\setup Commands to be typed are repre-
sented in all lower case characters
on an individual line.
Click OK Options to click or select are printed
in bold (actions to be taken by user).
“User’s Guide” Names of publications and cross-ref-
erenced headings are printed in quo-
tations.
Sidebars give critical information
such as warnings and important
notes.
Note:
This is an example of an
important note that may
appear in the manual.

Chapter 1:
Checking Out
Your Notebook
Computer
Checking Out Your Solo 2500................................ 6

6 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
Checking Out Your Solo 2500
Take a tour of your notebook to familiarize yourself with its options.
Keyboard and LCD panel
C
H
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
A
B
G

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 7
Component Icon Description
A. Color Liquid Crys-
tal Display (LCD)
shown w/ 13.3” LCD
Provides sharp, crisp resolution with backlit
anti-glare screen.
B. System status
indicators
(LCM - Liquid
Crystal Module)
Indicates the system status modes.
C. Keyboard Provides full functionality of a desktop com-
puter keyboard. Many of these keys have
been assigned alternate functions, including
shortcut keys for Windows 95, Status Display
menus, and numeric keypad.
D. CD-ROM drive The CD-ROM reads data CDs or audio CDs.
E. CD-ROM
emergency eject
hole
Provides manual eject capability to remove a
CD if power is unavailable. Insert a straight-
ened paper clip to eject the CD tray.
F. CD-ROM
eject button Ejects the CD-ROM tray from the drive. This button is functional only when power is on.
G. Enhanced EZ
Pad™ TouchPad
or EZ Point™
Controls the cursor movement on the screen.
H.Speakers Provides high quality sound reproduction for
software and audio CDs.
I. Power LED Indicates system power status:
•Steady green = power is On
• Blinking green = system is in suspend mode
or standby mode. The LED will flash every
four seconds.
• LED off = power is Off
J. Microphone Provides built-in omni-directional audio
recording capability.
K. Power button Press to turn power ON or OFF. Can also be
configured to Suspend/Resume mode.

8 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
System Status Indicators (LCDs)
Indicator Icon Description
A. Battery gauge Appears when a battery is installed. Shows
battery activity and status.
•Battery contains 5 ticks (marks) to indicate
charge level where 1 tick = lowest charge
and 5 ticks = highest charge.
• Battery low - Icon appears with no ticks and
blinks.
•Battery malfunction - Icon appears with all
ticks blinking.
B. Charge Displays when battery is charging on AC
power. Turns off when battery is fully
charged.
C. AC adapter
(power) Displays when system is powered by the AC adapter.
D. Hard drive Displays when the computer accesses the
hard drive.
E. Floppy disk drive Displays when the computer accesses the
floppy disk drive or LS120 drive.
F. CD-ROM Displays when the computer accesses the
CD-ROM drive.

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 9
G.Scroll lock Visible when Scroll Lock is enabled.
H.Pad lock Visible when Pad Lock is enabled.
I. Caps lock Visible when Caps Lock is enabled.
J. System docked Visible when the system is docked.
Indicator Icon Description

10 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
Back ports panel
Port Icon Description
A. Fast IR (Infra-
red) port Sends infrared signalsbetween thenotebook and a remote device that uses infrared (for
example, another computer, printer, or other
peripheral). Place infrared devices up to 3
feet (1 meter) apart.
B. Parallel port
(LPT1) Connect parallel device such as a printer to this port.
C. Docking port Connect an optional docking station to this
port.
D. VGA port Connect the VGA monitor cable to this port.
E. Serial port Connect an optional serial device to this port.
F. Fan intake Pulls air into chassis to keep system compo-
nents cool.
A
BCDEF

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 11
Right side ports and bays
Component Icon Description
A. FDD (Floppy
Diskette Drive)/
LS120 drive
Either a FDD or an LS120 drive is installed
here. (FDD shown)
B. FDD/LS120
eject button Ejects the FDD or LS120 diskette from the drive. The LS120 button is functional only
when power is on.
(Not shown)
LS120 emergency
eject hole
Provides manual eject capability to remove a
diskette if power is unavailable. See “Using
emergency eject for diskette and disc media”
on Page 43.
C. PC Card eject
buttons Push once to release the eject button and push a second time to eject the PC Card.
D. PC Card slots Accepts two Type I or Type II PC Cards or
one Type III PC Card. (Install Type III PC
Card in the bottom slot.)
E. PS/2 port Connect the keyboard, mouse, numeric key-
pad, or other external device to this port.
F. Power connector Connect the AC power adapter to this port.
DEF
AC
B

12 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
Left side ports and battery bay
Component Icon Description
A. Kensington lock
slot Attach Kensington lock into this slot.
B. Air outlet port Outlet for air intake to cool components.
C. Composite video
out (TV out) Connect a TV, VCR, or video camera to this port.
D. USB (Universal
Serial Bus) ports Plug optional USB serial devices into these ports.
E. Battery bay Insert battery into the battery bay to power
your system with a battery.
F. Mic in Connect an external microphone to this port
to record audio. (1/8-inch/3.5-mm jack.)
G.Audio Line In Connect an external audio input source
(computer, stereo, VCR, etc.) to this port to
record or play audio through the notebook
speakers. (1/8-inch/3.5-mm jack.)
H.Speaker out/
Headphone jack Connect external speakers or headphones to this port. Supports small unamplified speak-
ers. (1/8-inch/3.5-mm jack.)
I. Volume wheel Adjust built-in speaker volume, external speaker,
and headphone volume. Other port volume lev-
els are controlled by multimedia software.
ABCDEFGHI

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook Computer 13
Bottom release latches and memory bay
Component Icon Description
A. Memory bay Open the memory bay cover to install/
remove SO-DIMM memory modules.
B. Battery release
latch Slide the latch to release the battery pack from the battery pack bay.
C. Battery pack bay Slide battery pack into bay for battery power
and battery charging.
D. System identifi-
cation label Provides product model number, serial num- ber, display type, and processor speed.
A
B
C
D

14 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook

Chapter 2:
Getting
Started
Getting Your System Running.............................. 16
Installing the battery pack .............................. 16
Connecting the AC power.............................. 18
Starting up your notebook.............................. 19

16 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
Getting Your System Running
To get the computer started you’ll need to install the battery pack, connect
to AC power, open the LCD panel, and start up the system.
Installing the battery pack
Your notebook is powered by one of the longest-lasting batteries available,
shipped to you partially charged. When you first get started, you may want
to use the AC adapter to fully charge the battery and provide a constant
supply of power while you are checking out some of the notebook features.
If your battery is not installed, you need to install the battery pack and
charge it. You can charge the battery:
♦When you are using your notebook with the AC adapter
♦When the system is attached to AC power and in standby or suspend
mode
♦When the system is attached to AC power and the system is turned off
The notebook can run on a fully charged battery for about 3 to 4 hours. Use
the battery gauge icon in the taskbar or battery gauge in the system
status indicator to track the available battery power. See “Monitoring the
battery status” on Page 59 to learn more about tracking battery status.
Battery life is affected by how much you use the system components such
as the hard drive, CD-ROM drive, LCD display, and other components.
Other factors such as the power management settings affect battery life.
See Chapter 4, “Managing Power Usage” for more information about
power management and monitoring the battery status.
Note:
Battery life varies
dependingonconfiguration,
power management
settings, and features used.

Chapter 2: Getting Started 17
1. Slide the battery pack into the battery pack bay.
2. Push the battery until it snaps into place.
To install the battery pack

18 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
Connectingthe AC power
Your AC adapter comes in two parts:
♦Power cord
♦AC power adapter
1. Connect the power cord to the AC power adapter.
To connect the AC adapter
Caution!
Replace the power cord if it
becomes damaged. The
replacement cord must be
of the same type and
voltage rating as the
original cord.
Warning!
Do not attempt to
disassemble the AC
adapter. The AC adapter
has no user-replaceable or
user-serviceable parts
inside. The AC adapter has
dangerous voltages that
can cause serious personal
injury or death. Contact
Gateway about returning
defective AC adapters.

Chapter 2: Getting Started 19
2. Plug the AC power adapter into the notebook power connector on the
right side of the notebook near the back.
3. Plug the power cord into an electrical outlet.
Starting up your notebook
Once the battery is installed and the AC power adapter is plugged in you will
see the battery icon , the AC power icon , and the charge icon .
1. Slide the LCD panel latch to the right to release and open the LCD
panel.
2. Tilt the LCD panel to adjust for the proper viewing angle.
3. Press the power button to turn your computer on.
To startup the computer
Note:
The power button is preset
to On/Off mode. You can
set it to function either in
On/Off or Standby/Resume
mode using the BIOS setup
program. See “Setting the
power button” on Page 60
for more information about
changing power button
modes.

20 Using Your Gateway Solo 2500 Multimedia Notebook
4. Press FN+↑or FN+↓ to change display brightness for suitable viewing.
Notebooks with a HPA screen, press FN+→or FN+←to control
display contrast.
1. Windows starts and the Regional Settings dialog box opens.
2. Scroll down the list and select the regional setting.
3. Click Next. The Keyboard Layout dialog box opens.
4. Scroll down the list and select the keyboard layout.
5. Click Next. The User Information dialog box opens.
6. Enter your Name and Company (optional) in the User Information dialog
box.
7. Click Next. The License Agreement opens.
8. Scroll through the License Agreement to read it.
9. Click I accept the agreement, then click Next. The Certificate of Authenticity
dialog box opens.
10. Enter the Product ID number. This number is located on the
Certificate of Authenticity on the cover of the Windows manual.
11. Click Next. The Start Wizard window opens.
12. Click Finish. The Time Properties dialog box opens.
13. Set the Time Zone and Time.
14. Click OK. The Add Printer Wizard dialog box opens.
15. Click Next.
16. Select a printer from the list and click Next.
- OR -
click Cancel to skip the printer setup.
To complete the first-time operating system setup
Note:
This system ships with the
“Auto dim with battery”
feature enabled. Auto dim
cuts LCD power 50% when
your notebook is operating
on battery power. See
“Using the BIOS Setup
Utility” on Page 70 for more
information about changing
the Power menu options.