Gateway Solo 3150 User manual

i
Contents
Checking out your documentation......................................................... iii
Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook ........................................1
Keyboard and LCD panel.................................................................2
Top panel buttons and indicators......................................................4
Rear panel..........................................................................................5
Right side...........................................................................................6
Left side .............................................................................................7
Bottom ..............................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Getting Started ................................................................. 11
Getting your system running................................................................. 12
Installing the battery pack.............................................................. 12
Connecting the AC power.............................................................. 13
Turning on the power..................................................................... 14
Chapter 3: Using Your Notebook ..................................................... 17
Using your Solo 3150............................................................................ 18
Using the keyboard......................................................................... 18
Using key combinations................................................................. 19
Using the LCD................................................................................ 22
Using the EZ Point......................................................................... 23
Connecting the modem cable......................................................... 26
Connecting the network................................................................. 27
Using the audio............................................................................... 27
Using 3.5" diskettes........................................................................ 30
Using CDs and DVDs.................................................................... 30
Using the USB port........................................................................ 33
Removing and replacing the hard disk drive ................................ 33
Using PC Cards.............................................................................. 35
Using the IR port............................................................................ 36

ii Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook
Chapter 4: Getting Online ...................................................................37
Using the Internet...................................................................................38
E-mail..............................................................................................39
World Wide Web............................................................................39
Using Microsoft Fax..............................................................................41
Setting up Microsoft Fax................................................................41
Sending and receiving faxes...........................................................43
Manually answering with your modem.........................................44
Locating the COM port address.....................................................45
Chapter 5: Managing Power Usage ................................................47
Managing battery power........................................................................48
Charging the battery pack...............................................................48
Using the battery.............................................................................50
Monitoring the battery status..........................................................51
Changing the power button setting ................................................51
Using the Suspend and Standby modes.........................................52
Maximizing battery life .........................................................................55
Chapter 6: Using the Port Replicator ..............................................57
Port replicator components....................................................................58
Ports.................................................................................................59
Attaching to the replicator..............................................................60
Separating from the replicator........................................................61
Setting up the video out port ..........................................................63
Appendix A: Accessories ....................................................................65
Accessories.............................................................................................66
Appendix B: Using the BIOS Setup Program .............................67
About the BIOS Setup utility.................................................................68
Appendix C: Contacting Gateway ...................................................71
Contacting Gateway...............................................................................72
Regulatory Compliance Statements .............................................. 74
Index ...........................................................................................................79

iii
Checking out your
documentation
In addition to this User Guide, we’ve also provided other documentationto
help you get the mostfrom your Solo 3150. Please refer to the following
printed and online documentation for additional resources:
Printed manuals
♦Maintaining and Troubleshooting Your Gateway Solo Notebook
contains information about managing system resources, preserving
your system performance, reinstalling your operating system and
drivers, and general troubleshooting tips.
♦The Windows manual provides information about using the operating
system, learning about advanced features, networking, getting help,
and more.
♦The Internet and gateway.netprovides an overview of the Internet and
tells you how to set up an Internet account on gateway.netSM.
♦Specifications for the Gateway Solo 3150 Notebookgives detailed
information about your computer’s technical specifications.
Online documentation
Electronic manuals on your hard drive give you access to this
documentation when you are traveling or when the printed manuals are not
accessible. To access the online documentation click Start, select Online
Documentation, then select the manual you want to review.
Gateway Web site (http://www.gateway.com)
If you have a subscription to an Internet service provider, you can tap into
some of the latest help and other information on our Web site. We provide
notebook support help, technical documents, tech tips, frequently asked
questions (FAQs), glossary, software library with BIOS updates, and other
resources that can help youmake the most of using your notebook.

iv Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook

Chapter 1:
Checking Out
Your Notebook
Keyboard and LCD panel ................................ 2
Top panel buttons and indicators..................... 4
Rear panel......................................................... 5
Right side.......................................................... 6
Left side............................................................. 7
Bottom .............................................................. 8

2 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook
Keyboard and LCD panel
A
B
C
D
C

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 3
Component Description
A. 12.1" TFT Color
LCD (Liquid
Crystal Display)
Provides sharp, crisp resolution with backlit
anti-glare screen.
B. Keyboard Provides full functionality of a desktop com-
puter keyboard. Many keys have been
assigned alternate functions.
C. Speakers Provides high-quality sound reproduction for
software, audio CDs, and DVDs.
D. EZPoint™ Controls the cursor movement on the screen.

4 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook
Top panel buttons and indicators
Component Icon Description
A. Power or
Suspend/
Standby button
Can be set to either turn the system on and
off or suspend and resume. Pressing the
button for five seconds restarts the system.
B. Display off
button Turns off the LCD display. Activated automatically when you close the notebook
lid.
C. Hard drive
activity indicator Lights when the computer accesses the hard drive.
D. DVD or CD
indicator Displays when the computer accesses the DVD or CD (Compact Disc) drive.
E. Caps lock
indicator Lights when Caps Lock is enabled.
F. Pad lock
indicator Lights when Pad Lock is enabled.
G.Scroll lock
indicator Lights when Scroll Lock is enabled.
H.Microphone Records sounds when the system is
recording.
ABCDEFGH

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 5
Rear panel
Port Icon Description
A. LAN Provides an Ethernet 10/100 connection to a
network.
B. Fast IR
(Infrared) port Sends infrared signals betweenthe notebook and a remote device that uses infrared (for
example, a printer or other peripheral).
C. Speaker out/
Headphone jack Connect external speakers or headphones to this port. Supports small unamplified speak-
ers. (1/8 inch/3.5 mm jack.)
D. Modem jack Plug a phone line into this jack to connect the
notebook’s on-board modem to an analog
phone system.
E. PS/2 port Connect an external keyboard, mouse,
numeric keypad, or other device to this port.
F. VGA port Connect a VGA (Video Graphics Adapter)
monitor cable to this port.
G.Parallel port
(LPT1) Connect a parallel device such as a printer to this port.
H.Serial port Connect a serial device such as a serial
mouse to this port.
ABCDEFGH

6 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook
Right side
Component Icon Description
A. DVD or
CD-ROM drive Reads data and audio CDs (and DVDs if you have a DVD drive).
B. Eject button Ejects the DVD or CD tray from the drive.
This button works only when the power is on.
C. Manual eject
button Provides manual eject capability to remove a DVD or CD if power is unavailable. Insert a
straightened paper clip or other stiff wire and
push to open the DVD or CD tray.
D. PC Card slot Accepts one Type I or Type II PC Card.
E. Volume wheel Adjusts speaker volume. Other port volume
levels are controlled by multimedia software.
F. PC Card eject
button Push to release the eject button, then push again to eject the PC Card. Push a third time
to retract the button into the chassis.
BCDEF
A

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 7
Left side
Component Icon Description
A. Kensington lock
slot Attach a Kensington lock into this slot. A Kensington lock is an optional cable lock for
portable computers.
B. Air outlet port Outlet for air intake to cool components.
C. Power connector Connect the AC power adapter to this port.
D. USB port Plug Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices into
this port.
E. Hard disk drive Hard disk drive storage bay. The hard drive
can be removed only by first removing the
mounting screw on the bottom of the note-
book, then sliding the drive out.
ABCDE

8 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook
Bottom
CBA
D

Chapter 1: Checking Out Your Notebook 9
Component Icon Description
A. Battery pack Slide battery pack into bay for battery power
and battery charging.
B. Battery release
latch Slide the latch to release the battery pack from the battery pack bay.
C. Hard disk drive The hard drive can be removed only by first
removing the two mounting screws, then slid-
ing the drive out.
D. Replicator port Connect the port replicator to this port.
E. Memory bay Open the memory bay cover to install or
remove RAM memory modules.

10 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook

Chapter 2:
Getting Started
Getting your system running.................................12
Installing the battery pack..............................12
Connecting the AC power..............................13
Turning on the power..................................... 14

12 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 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 (Liquid Crystal Display) panel, and turn on the
power.
Installing the battery pack
Your notebook is shipped toyou with the battery 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 your notebook’s features.
If your battery is not installed, you need to install the battery pack and
charge it. The battery charges whenever your notebook is connected to AC
power.
The notebook can run on a fully charged battery for about 2.5 to 3 hours,
but battery life varies depending on configuration, power management
settings, and features used. Click the battery gauge icon in the taskbar to
track the available battery power.
Battery life is affected by how much you use the system components such
as the hard drive, CD/DVD drive, LCD display, and other components.
Other factors such as the power management settings also affect battery
life. See Chapter5, “Managing Power Usage” for more information about
power management and monitoring the battery status.
1. Turn the notebook over so the battery bay is facing up.
2. Insert the front end of the battery into the battery bay, then press the
battery down until it securely latches.
To install the battery pack

Chapter 2: Getting Started 13
Connecting the AC power
Your AC adapter comes in two parts, the power cord and the AC power
adapter.
1. Connect the power cord to the AC power adapter.
2. Plug the AC power adapter into the notebook power connector on the
left side of the notebook.
To connect the AC adapter
Warning!
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!
The AC adapter has
dangerous voltages that
can cause serious personal
injury or death. Do not
attempt to disassemble the
AC adapter. The AC
adapter has no user-
replaceable or user-
serviceable parts inside.
Contact Gateway about
returning defective AC
adapters.

14 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook
3. Plug the power cord into an electrical outlet.
Turning on the power
You can turn on the power after the battery is installed and the AC power
adapter is plugged in.
1. Release the LCD panel by sliding the latch to the right, then adjust the
LCD panel for the proper viewing angle by tilting it.
2. Press the power button. Windows®starts.
3. Change display brightness for suitable viewing by pressing
FN+↑or FN+↓.
4. If you are starting thecomputer for the first time, complete the
Windows setup by following the on-screen instructions. (You can
disregard the Printer Setup dialog boxes.)
To start up the computer
Important!
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 “About the
BIOS Setup utility” on page
68 for more information
about accessing the BIOS
Power menu settings to
change the Power button
mode.
Important!
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
“About the BIOS Setup
utility” on page 68 for
information about the
Power menu options.

Chapter 2: Getting Started 15
5. When the Certificate of Authenticity dialog box opens, type in the
Product ID number located on the Certificate of Authenticity on the
cover of the Windows manual.
For more information about how to use Windows, see your Microsoft
Windows manual.
Important!
The software for your
computer has been
installed at the factory. Use
your software CDs or
diskettes only when
re-installing a program or if
a program prompts you to
use it.

16 Using Your Gateway Solo 3150 Notebook