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TMa550.book Page i Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM
TravelMate α-550 series
User’s guide
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TMa550.book Page ii Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM Copyright © 2001 All Rights Reserved TravelMate α-550 series Notebook computer User’s guide Original Issue: October 2001 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 expr
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TMa550.book Page iii Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 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 intr
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TMa550.book Page iv Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM iv Use the Windows shutdown command Click on Start, and select the Windows shutdown or turn off command. Use the power switch If you set the power switch to “Shut down”, you can use this button to turn off the computer. See Windows help for details. 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
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TMa550.book Page v Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM v 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. 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
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TMa550.book Page vi Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM vi
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TMa550.book Page vii Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your computer iii 1 Getting familiar with your computer 1 A tour of your computer 3 Front view 3 Left view 5 Right view 6 Rear view 7 Bottom view 8 Features 9 Display 11 Indicators 12 Keyboard 15 Special keys 15 Keyboard ergonomics 19 Touchpad 20 Touchpad basics 20 Launch keys 22 Storage 24 Connectivity options 25 Ethernet and LAN 25 Fax/data modem 25 Audio 26 Adjustin
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TMa550.book Page viii Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM viii 3 Peripherals and options 37 External display devices 39 External monitor 39 External display with s-video input 39 Using simultaneous display 39 External input devices 40 External keyboard 40 External keypad 40 External pointing device 40 Printer 41 Audio devices 42 Expansion devices 43 PC Card slots 43 USB 44 IEEE 1394 45 Miscellaneous options 46 Battery pack 46 AC adapter 46 Key component upgrades 47 Memory upgrade 47 Hard disk
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TMa550.book Page ix Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM ix 5 Software 59 System software 61 Easy Button 62 E-Mail Detector 63 BIOS Setup Utility 64 Main 65 System Devices 67 Security 68 Others 71 Boot 72 Exit 73 6 Troubleshooting 75 Frequently-asked questions 77 Error messages 81 Appendix A Specifications 85 Appendix B Notices 91 Index 99
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TMa550.book Page x Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM x
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TMa550.book Page 1 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 1 Getting familiar with your computer
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TMa550.book Page 2 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM This 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. This chapter gives an in-depth "tour" of the computer’s many features.
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TMa550.book Page 3 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 3 A tour of your computer After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters... poster, let us show you around your new notebook computer. Front view
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TMa550.book Page 4 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 4 1 Getting familiar with your computer # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display), displays computer output. 2 Power button Turns on the computer power. 3 Status LCD LCD that display icons to show the status of the computer and its functions and components. 4 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer. 5 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a computer mouse. 6 Click buttons The l
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TMa550.book Page 5 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 5 Left view # Item Description 1 Optical drive Depending on your model: • CD-ROM drive reads CDs DVD-ROM drive reads CDs and DVDs DVD/CD-RW combo drive reads CDs and DVDs, and writes to CD-Rs and CD-RWs. 2 Optical drive Ejects the disc from the optical drive. eject button 3 Optical drive Ejects the disc from the optical drive when the emergency computer is turned off. See “How do I eject the eject hole optical drive tray with the
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TMa550.book Page 6 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 6 1 Getting familiar with your computer Right view # Item Description 1 Speaker/headphone- Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., out jack speakers, headphones). 2 Microphone-in jack Connects an external microphone. 3 PC Card eject buttons Eject the selected PC Card from its slot. 4 PC Card slots Accepts one Type III or two Type II/I PC Card(s). 5 DC-in jack Connects to the AC adapter. 6 PS/2 port Connects to a PS/2-compatibl
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TMa550.book Page 7 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 7 Rear view # Item Description 1 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security lock. 2 IEEE 1394 port Connects to a IEEE 1394 compatible device (e.g., digital camcorder). 3 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based network. 4 Modem jack Conncts a phone line (only for models with an internal fax/data modem). 5 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel printer). 6 External display por
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TMa550.book Page 8 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 8 1 Getting familiar with your computer Bottom view # Item Description 1 Hard disk bay Houses the computer’s hard disk. 2 Battery release button Press and hold to release the battery latch. 3 Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the battery pack. 4 Battery bay Houses the computer’s battery pack. 5 Memory compartment Houses the computer’s main memory.
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TMa550.book Page 9 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 9 Features This computer was designed with the user in mind. Here are just a few of its many features: Performance Intel® Pentium™ III or Intel® Celeron™ processor with on-die level 2 cache 128 MB memory onboard and one memory upgrade slot Large LCD display with adjustable video memory High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk Lithium-Ion battery pack Power management system DualView capability Simultaneous LCD and CRT disp
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TMa550.book Page 10 Wednesday, October 3, 2001 10:57 AM 10 1 Getting familiar with your computer Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device Launch keys (supports Audio DJ feature) Expansion Upgradeable memory and hard disk
