Tandy 1500HD User manual

TANDY@ Cat. No. 25-3506
1500HD
User Guide

All portions of this software are copyrighted and are the
proprietary and trade secret information of Tandy Corpo-
ration and/or its licensor. Use, reproduction,
or publica-
tion of any portion of this materialwithout the prior written
authorizationof Tandy Corporation is strictly prohibited.
Tandy 1500 HD User's Guide
0 1990Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
DeskMate, RadioShack, and Tandy
are registeredtrademarks
of Tandy Corporation.
GW is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
IBMis a registeredtrademarkof
InternationalBusinessMachinesCorporation.
Microsoft and MS-DOSare registeredtrademarks
of
Microsoft Corporation.
PC is atrademark
of
InternationalBusinessMachinesCorporation.
Tandy 1500 HD BIOS:
0 1984, 1985,1986,1987, 1988
PhoenixSoftwareAssociates, Ltd. and
Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
DeskMateSpell Checker
0 1986-88Tandy Corporation; Microlytics, Inc;
UFO Systems, Inc; Xerox Corp.
All Rights Reserved.
GW-BASIC Software:
0 1983, 1984, 1985 Microsoft Corporation.
Licensedto Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
MS-DOSSoftware:
0 1981, 1986Microsoft Corporation.
Licensedto Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction or use
of any portion of this manual, with-
out express written permission from Tandy Corporation
and/or its licensor, is prohibited. While reasonableefforts
have been made in the preparation
of this manual to as-
sure its accuracy, Tandy Corporation assumes no liability
resulting from any errors in or omissions from this man-
ual,or from the use
of the information contained herein.
10 9 8765 4 3 2

CONTENTS
BeforeYou Begin ........................................................ 5
PackageContents
...................................................... 5
AboutThisBook
....................................................... 5
TextConventions
....................................................... 6
Introduction
............................................................. 7
StandardFeatures
...................................................... 7
Optional Features ............... .........................
GettingStarted .................. ..................................... 9
PowerSources
........................................................ 9
Usingthe AC Adapter and Chargingthe Battery
............................. 9
Low-Batterylndications
................................................ 11
InformationAbout RechargeableBatteries
................................. 12
StartingYour Computer
.................................................. 13
Operating Your Computer
................................................ 14
Usingthe Diskette Drive
................................................. 14
Turning
Off Your Computer ............................................... 15
Usingthe Keyboard
..................................................... 16
Function Keys
....................................................... 16
TypewriterKeys
...................................................... 16
ReversingCTRLand CAPS LOCK Keys
.................................. 20
NumericKeypadArea
................................................. 21
Arrow(Cursor)Keys
.................................................. 22
Getting More
............................................................ 23
Adding and Usinga Printer
............................................... 23
Adding a Mouse or Other Serial Device
..................................... 24
Adding an InternalModem
............................................... 24
Adding an Internal1 MB EMS RAMCard
.................................... 25
ChangingYour Computer's Functions
........................................ 27
Introduction
........................................ ............... 27
The Setup Program
................................
............... 27
The Power Program
................................................... 27
Memory Diagnostics
........... ................................. 29
Serial PortAssignment
................................................ 29
CursorType
....................................... .............. 29
Start-up Program
..................................................... 29
Hard DiskTimeout
.. ............................................ 29
DisplayTimeout
.... ............................................ 29
Floppy Diskstandby
........................................... . . 29
Low PowerAudio
..................................................... 29
Speaker
............................................................ 29
Parameter Defaults and Descriptions
.....................
3

Usingthe Setup Program in DeskMate ..................................... 30
RebootingYour Computer
.............................................. 33
Other Setup Options
.................................................. 33
Usingthe Power Programin DeskMate
..................................... 34
Startup Parameters
.................... ........................... 37
Power Management Parameters
......................................... 37
Using the Power Program in DOS
......................................... 39
Using Power-ManagementLineCommands
................................. 40
Power ManagementKey Combinations
.................................. 42
Basic DeskMateCommands
............................................... 43
GettingAround in DeskMate
.............................................. 43
Changingthe Current Drive
.............................................. 44
FormattingaDiskette
................................................... 46
CopyingFiles
......................................................... 47
Renaming Files
........................................................ 49
Copying Diskettes
...................................................... 50
Using MS-DOS .......................................................... 55
EnteringMS-DOS Commands .........................
About the Drives ................ .................................... 56
Usingthe Hard Disk
............. .................................... 56
Backing Up Your Hard Disk
............................................... 56
Restoring Backupsto Your Hard Disk
....................................... 58
Write Protection ........................................... ......... 58
How MS-DOSStores Information
.............................
About Files .......................................................... 59
About Directories
........................................ ... 59
About Filenames
..................................................... 61
FilenameExtensions
.................................................. 61
MoreAbout MS-DOS Commands and Keys
.................................. 62
Typing Commands
................................... .............. 63
EditingCommands
.................................. .............. 63
SpecialKeys
........................................................ 64
Viewing a Directory
................................................... 66
LookinglnsideFiles
................................................... 67
Usingother Commands
................................................. 67
Hard DiskFormatting
..................................................... 69
UsingHsect
........................................................... 69
UsingFdisk
........................................................... 71
Howto Create a DOS Partition ........... ........................... 72
Howto Display Partition Data
............ ........................... 73
UsingFormat .......................................................... 74
Reinstalling MS-DOS and DeskMate on the Hard Drive
........................ 75
Computer Care
........................................ .............. 76
Specifications
......................................... .............. 77
Usingthe Setup Program in DOS
........... ....... ................ 37
Running Non-DeskMate Programs From DeskMate
..............
SpecialCommands ......... ...................................... 66
Index
.................................................................. 78
4

BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Note: You must immedi-
ately install and charge
the supplied battery pack,
as described in “Setting
Up Your Computer” be-
fore you can operate your
computer from the battery
pack. Failure to do this
can greatly reduce the
battery’s life and effi-
ciency.
PACKAGECONTENTS
Your Tandy 1500 HDpackage includes:
The computer and the AC adapterkharger
The battery
Two 1.44MB DeskMate/MS-DOSdiskettes (GW-
BASIC included)
MS-DOSQuick Reference
DeskMafeGettingStarted
QuickStart
RegistrationCard
PC-Link Registration Card
ABOUT THIS BOOK
The sections called “Getting Started,” and “Getting
More,” tell you about your computer and also tell
you howto run programs.
The section called “Basic DeskMate Commands”
gives you information about how to use many of
the computer’s basic functions. The DeskMate
graphics-oriented desktop screen is equipped with
a command menu and program icons that are
easy to use.There is also an on-line help tutorial to
help you understand how to use DeskMate.To run
most programs, see
DeskMafeGettingStarted.
Inthe DeskMafeGettingStarted magazine,you will
find short entertaining articles about DeskMate.
With DeskMate, you can do almost everything you
want to do with your computer. Have fun and ex-
plore!
5

1500 HD Laptop Computer
TEXT CONVENTIONS
This manual uses a simple method of notation to
distinguish among text you type, keys you press,
and what you see on the computer screen.
BACKSPACE Key names that appear in
small, heavy, capital letters
represent keys that you
press.
CTRL+ C
Two or more keys separated
by a plus sign represent
what we call a
keycombina-
tion.
To use a key combina-
tion, press and hold down
the first key. Then, press the
other key (s).
format ENTER Characters that you type are
displayed differently from the
regular text in this manual.
You must press ENTER after
you type your text. With most
programs, you can type in
ei-
ther uppercase or lowercase
letters.
A: \ Characters that appear on
the screen are also displayed
differently from the regular
text, like the example shown
here.
6

INTRODUCTION
Your Tandy 1500 HD Laptop Computer is a versa-
tile, simple-to-use computer. You can use it at
home or take it with you to school, work, or as you
travel, giving you instant access to useful informa-
tion and productivity software. We have included
everything you need
to immediately begin using
your computer.
STANDARD FEATURES
IBM PC softwarecompatibility
MS-DOS version 3.3 operating system and
DeskMateversion 3.3
A 2 Winch 20 MB hard disk drive with MS-DOS
and DeskMateinstalled
A 3 M-inch, 1.44MB diskette drive
LCDdisplay with fluorescent backlight
Full-feature, 84-key keyboard with full 101 key
emulation
Serial and parallel ports that let you use options
such as a printer,mouse, fax, or modem
’ Fullportability
OPTIONAL FEATURES
You can add options to make your computer even
more useful. For example, you can add a printer to
print copies
of the documents you create. You can
connect a mouse or an external modem to your
computer’s serial port. You can also add an inter-
nal modem card (Cat. No. 25-3525) or
1 MB ex-
pansion RAMcard (Cat.
No. 25-3507)to your com-
puter.
7

8

GETTING STARTED
“Getting Started” provides information to help you
set up and begin using your computer.
Cautions:
Be sure you install all optional devices before
you turn on your computer.
Keep a reasonable clearance space around the
computer and any optional device(s) to prevent
overheating
.
Avoid extreme temperature and humidity
changes when using, storing, or transporting
your computer.
POWER SOURCES
You can power your computer from the supplied
AC adapter or from the rechargeable battery. How-
ever, the battery comes fully discharged,
so you
must use the AC adapter as described below until
you have completely charged the battery.
Using the AC Adapter
and Charging the Battery
The following procedure tells you how to install the
battery and how to connect the AC adapter that
powers the computer and charges the battery.
Cautions:
Using an AC adapter other than the one supplied
might harmthe battery and the computer.
Unplug the AC adapter when you disconnect it
from the computer.
9

1500 HD Laptop Computer
1. Placethe computer on aflat, levelsurface.
2. Slide the battery into the battery compartment.
3. Insert the AC adapter’s connector into the DC
IN 9.5V jack. Then, plug the adapter into a stan-
dard AC outlet and let the battery fully charge
beforeyou usethe computer onbattery power.
Notes:
The battery must charge for eight hours if you
are using the computer while the battery is
charging.
If you are not using the computer, the
battery charges in about four hours.
Do not store the battery in high temperature lo-
cations for extended periods.
For more information about care and use of the
battery, see “Information About Rechargeable
Batteries” in this manual.
The adapterkharger does not charge the battery
when the diskettedrive turns on. Batterycharging
resumeswhenthe diskette drive turns
off.
After a period of time, your computer’s battery
loses its ability to maintain a charge. This time pe-
riod varies depending upon use, storage condi-
tions, and several other complex factors. When
this occurs, you must replace the battery. Replace
the battery only with the same type of battery (Cat.
No. 25-3526) available at your local Radio Shack
10

User’s Guide
store.You should also charge your new battery be-
fore you use it.
Low-BatteryIndications
The BATTERY indicator and the computer’s
beeper tell you the condition of the battery in the
following four ways:
Indicatordoes not light during normal status.
Indicator lights green when battery is fully
charged.
Indicator lights orange during charging.
Indicator lights red and and a tone sounds once
a minute when battery power drops below the
power level needed for normal operation. When
this happens, save all important information and
turn
off the computer or connect the AC
adapter.
Note: The indicator might light red during disk op-
erations.
If the indicator turns off when the disk
drive turns
off, the battery still has plenty of power.
Caution: When the BATTERY indicator lights red
and the tones begin sounding, you have five min-
utesto save your data to the hard disk or diskette.
Then, connect the AC adapter or another battery
if
you want to continue using the 1500 HD. Your
computer
loses all information not saved onto a
disk when the power turns
off. The adapter
charges the battery in approximately
8 hourswhen
you are using the computer, or in
4 hours if the
computer is notbeing used.
11

1500 HD Laptop Computer
InformationAbout
RechargeableBatteries
Your computer uses a nickel-cadmium recharge-
able battery. The battery lasts longest
if you occa-
sionally-about once a month-operate the unit
with battery power until the BATTERY indicator
lights red, then immediately recharge the battery.
Unlike lead-acid batteries used in your vehicle,
nickel-cadmium batteries
forget how much power
they have
if you alwayskeep them fully charged.
You can power the computer for up to
3 1/2 hours
from a fully-charged battery. However, operating
time will vary depending on the options installed,
backlight brightness, and the amount of diskette
and hard drive access. See “Changing Your
Computer’s Functions” inthis manual.
Hints:
You can obtain another battery (Cat. no. 25-
3526) from your local Radio Shack store so you
can use your computer longer where AC power
is not available.
Use the battery’s charge indicator to remind
yourself if you have charged the battery or not.
Set the indicator
so the red dot appears on bat-
teries that need recharging.
Do not incinerate.
Do not directly connect the negative and posi-
tive terminals.
12

User’s Guide
STARTING YOUR COMPUTER
1. To open the computer, slide the spring-loaded
latch on each side of the cover toward the front
of the computer and raise the display panel.
2. To turn on the computer, press the power
switch. The power indicator lights when the
power is on.
After a few seconds, the screenshows:
3. Tilt the screento a comfortableviewing angle.
4. If necessary, adjust the contrast control and the
backlight BRIGHTNESSswitch.
5. Because DeskMate is loaded onto the hard
drive, you can begin using the desktop screen
after the computer is turned on. See the
Desk-
Mate
Getting Started magazine.
13

7500 HDLaptop Computer
OPERATING YOUR COMPUTER
You do not need to know every key’s function to
use your computer. In fact, many keys have differ-
ent functions, depending on what program you
run. In general, you use the keyboard like a stan-
dard typewriter’s keyboard. You use the
ENTER key
on the computer like the return key on atypewriter.
Press
BACKSPACE to erase the previous character,
or press
DELETE to erase the current character.
Then, type the correct character.
Your computer has some keys that are not
on a
standard typewriter. These extra keys have special
purposes depending on which program you use.
For more information about these extra keys, see
“Using the Keyboard” inthis manual.
You can use the DeskMate programs
to easily
learn your way around the keyboard. DeskMate
can also show you how to store, copy, delete,
move, and print documents that you create. You
will enjoy exploring all the different ways that you
can use your computer.
USING THE DISKETTE DRIVE
You might want to use data or programs on diske-
ttes.
If you want to use diskette data or programs,
or save data or programs on diskettes, insert a
diskette squarely into the drive slot as shown.
To remove the diskette from the drive, press the
eject buttonuntilthe diskette popsout.
Be sure to handle diskettes carefully.
A scratch,
small indentation, or dust can destroy data on a
diskette.
To protect your diskettes (and the infor-
mation they contain) from damage, follow these
guidelines.
Never insert morethan one diskette into a drive.
Do not use damaged diskettes.
14

User’s Guide
Keep diskettes away from magnetic fields (such
as transformers,
AC motors, magnets, TVs, and
radios).
Makecopies of important diskettes.
Handle diskettes with the metal shutter closed.
Nevertouch the surface of the diskette itself.
Keep diskettes out of direct sunlight and away
from excessive heat.
Keep diskettes away from cigarette ashes, dust,
and other small particles. In dusty areas, use fil-
ters to clean the air.
TURNING OFF YOUR COMPUTER
We recommend that you exit any program, return
to the system prompt
(A> or c> ), and remove any
diskette in the floppy drive before you turn
off your
computer.Then, press
POWER to turn off your com-
puter.
Cautions:
You can exit some programs by pressing BREAK
or CTRL+C. However, if you exit some programs
in this way, you might lose information. We rec-
ommend you always follow the instructions in
the software documentation for exiting a pro-
gram.
Do not turn off the computer while the HDD indi-
cator or the floppy disk drive indicator is on.
These indicators show that the computer is
reading from or writing to the hard disk or dis-
kette. Turning
off the power at these times can
cause a
loss of thedata.
15

1500 HD Laptop Computer
USING THE KEYBOARD
Your eomputer’s keyboard consists of four sec-
tions: the function keys, the typewriter keys, the
numeric keypad area, and the arrow keys.
Function Keys-The way the function keys oper-
ate depends on the program that you run. Some of
these keys perform special functions when the
computer is not running DeskMateor another pro-
gram. See ‘Changing Your Computer’s Functions”
inthis manual.
Typewriter Keys-The main part of the keyboard,
below the function keys, looks like the keyboard of
a standard typewriter. However, when you hold
down a character or number key, the keystroke re-
peats automatically until you release the key. This
section of the keyboard also contains some keys
not found on a standard typewriter.
HOME Executes a home function.
The function depends on the
program you are running. In
some programs,
HOME
moves the cursor to the
upper left corner of the
screen.
16

User’sGuide
I I END
PGUP
PGDN
I I ESC
Executes an end function.
The function depends on the
program you are running. In
some programs,
END moves
the cursor to the right of the
last character in the current
line.
Executes a
page up function.
The function depends on the
program you are running.
Executes a
page down func-
tion. The function depends
on the program you are run-
ning.
The function of the
ESC key
depends onthe program that
you run.
You use the
CTRL key in com-
bination with certain other
keysto perform specific oper-
ations. The combinations
available and their functions
depend on the program that
you run. To use a
CTRL key
combination, hold down the
CTRL key, and press the other
key. For example,
CTRL+C
performs a break or program
interrupt
in many programs.
See “Reversing CTRL and
CAPS LOCK Keys” in this
manual.
Notes:
Some software manuals
refer
to CTRL as CNTRL.
In some programs, the
right and left
CTRL keys
are not interchangeable
17

1500 HD Laptop Computer
ENTER
INS
FN
ALT
and might be used to per-
form a separate operation.
Press
FN+ CTRL to activate
the right
CTRL key func-
tion.
The
ENTER key enters typed
commands and information
into the computer. After you
press
ENTER, the program or
operating system your com-
puter is running processes
the command you typed.
Note: Somesoftwaremanuals
TURN, CR, or J.
The function of the INS key
depends onthe program you
run. In some programs, this
key changes the typing
mode from the normal over-
strike (typeover) mode to the
insertion mode
so that you
can insert information into a
line of text. Pressing the key
again returns the program to
the overstrike mode.
Use
FN in combination with
certain keys to control special
hardware functions of the
1500HD.
Use the ALT key in combina-
tion with certain other keysto
perform operations. The
combinations available and
their functions depend on
the program that you run. To
use an
ALT key combination,
hold down
ALT, and press the
other key.
might refer
t0 ENTER as RE-
c
18

User’s Guide
CAPS LOCK
DEL
FN+ KEYPAD
Note: In some programs, the
right and left
ALT keys are not
interchangeable and might
be used to perform a sepa-
rate operation. Press
FN+ ALT
to activate the right ALT key
function.
Pressing the
CAPS LOCK key
causes the alphabet keys to
produce
only capital letters.
(Thisfunction affects only the
keys A-Z.) Press this key
once to activate the mode.
The CAPS LOCK indicator
lights green. Press the key
again to return to the normal
typing mode. See “Reversing
CTRLand CAPS LOCK Keys”
inthis manual.
The function of the
DEL key
depends on the program you
run. In some programs, this
key deletes the character at
the current cursor position.
The
FN+KEYPAD key combi-
nation activates the numeric
keypad area. The KEYPAD in-
dicator lights green when you
press this button. The keypad
area includes the numbers,
operators
(-, + , /, and *), and
punctuation labeled in red on
the keyboard. Press the com-
bination again to return to the
normal keyboard function. For
information about the alter-
nate cursor keys and other
keypad functions, see “Nu-
meric Keypad Area” in this
manual.
.
19

7500 HD Laptop Computer
SCRLK
PRTSC
CTRL+
PRTSC
The function of the SCRLK
key depends on the program
you run. The use is defined
in your operating system or
program manual. When you
press this key, the SCROLL
LOCK indicator lights green.
Sends everything displayed
onthe screen to the printer.
Toggles the printer echo
function on and
off. When
or
CTRL+ P the printer echo is on, every-
thing you type goes to the
printer.
The function of this key com-
bination depends on the pro-
gram you run. In some pro-
grams, this combination
stops the program from run-
ning.
CTRL+ SCRLK
ReversingCTRL and CAPS LOCK Keys
The 1500 HDs keyboard comes with the CTRL
and
CAPS LOCK keys in their standard positions.
However, some people prefer to reverse the posi-
tions of their keys.To
do this:
1. Exit any program you might be in and turn off
your computer.
2. Locate the compartment cover near the top row
of keys. Then, press the indentations and lift up
onthe front edge of the cover.
3. Set Selection 1 on top of the DIP switch (Selec-
tion
2 has no affect). Use a small pointed object,
such as the writing tip of a pen, to set Selection
1 in one of the following ways:
20