Aspire Digital 3500 manual

Aspire 3500 Series User's Guide[...]

Changes may be made peri odically to the infor mation in this publication without obligation to notify any person o f such revisions o r change s. Su ch chan ges will b e incorp orated in new editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publ ications. This company makes no representations or warra nties, either expre ssed or implied, with[...]

iii First things first We would like to thank you for maki ng the Aspire series of notebook computers yo ur choice fo r your mobile c omputing need s. Your guides To help you use your Aspire, we have designed a set of guides: Basic care and tips for using your computer Turning your computer on and off To turn on the computer, simply press and relea[...]

iv Note: You can also use the power button to perform power management functions. Se e "Moving aroun d" on page 41 of the AcerSystem User's Guid e . • Use the customized functions for power management You can also shut down the comp uter by closing the display cover, or by pressing the sleep hot key <Fn> + <F4> . See &q[...]

v 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 off before removing or replacing batteries. • Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children. • Dispose of used batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if at all p[...]

First things first iii Your guides iii Basic care and tips for using your computer iii Turning your computer on and off iii Taking care of your computer iv Taking care of your AC adaptor iv Taking care of your battery pack v Cleaning a nd servicing v An Aspire tour 1 Front view 1 Closed front view 2 Left view 3 Right view 3 Rear view 4 Base view 5 [...]

Arcade (for selected models) 27 Arcade hotkeys 28 The Arcade remote control (for selected models)29 Finding and playing content 30 Advanced Settings 30 Arcade controls 30 Navigation controls 31 Player controls 31 Cinema 31 DVD settings 32 Album 33 Slideshow settings 34 Video 35 Playing a video file 35 Video Authoring 35 Music 36 Burner 36 Copy — [...]

Special consideration s 44 Traveling intern ationally with the compu ter 44 Preparing the computer 44 What to bring with you 44 Special consideration s 45 Securing your computer 46 Using a computer security lock 46 Using passwords 46 Entering passwords 47 Setting passwords 47 Expanding through options 49 Connectivity options 49 Fax/Data modem 49 Bu[...]

1 English An Aspire tour After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters... poster, let us show you a round your new Aspire co mputer. Front view # Item Description 1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Disp lay (LCD), displays computer ou tput. 2 Microphon e Internal mic rop hone for sound recording. 3 Keyboard For ent[...]

2 English Closed front view 6 Touchpad Touch-sensitiv e pointing device which functions lik e a computer mouse. 7 Status indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on and off to show the status of the comp uter’s functions and components. 8 Launch keys Buttons for launching frequ ently used p rograms. See “Launch ke ys” on page 14 for [...]

3 English Left view Right view 9 USB 2.0 port Connects to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera). # Item Description 1 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs depending on the o ptical drive type. 2 LED indicator Ligh ts up when the optical drive is active. 3 Emergency eject hole Ejects the optical dr[...]

4 English Note : The positions of the AcerMedi a indicator, ej ect button and emergency eject hole may differ depending on th e optical drive module installed. Rear view 4 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100 based network. 5 Modem jack Connects to a phone line. 6 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay c ool, even after prolonge d use[...]

5 English Base view # Item Description 1 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk ( secured by a screw). 2 Battery release latch Releases the battery for removal. 3 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack. 4 Battery lock Locks the battery in place. 5 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool. Note : Do not cover or obstruct the[...]

6 English Specifications Operating system Microsoft ® Windows ® XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2) or Microsoft ® Windows ® XP Profession al (Service Pack 2) Platform Intel ® Celeron ® M processor 350/360/370 (512 KB L2 cache, 1.3/1.4/1.5 GHz, 400 MHz FSB) Intel ® Pentium ® M processor 715 (2 MB L2 cache, 1.5 GHz, 400 MHz FSB) Chipset: SiS M6[...]

7 English Note: The specifications listed above are for reference on ly. The exact config uration of your PC depend s on the model purchased. Communication Modem: 56K ITU V.92 modem with PTT ap proval; Wake- on-Ring ready LAN: 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet; Wake-on-LAN ready Wireless LAN (optional): integrated miniPCI 802.11b/g Wi- Fi CERTIFIED ™ sol[...]

8 English[...]

9 English Indicators The computer has three easy-to-read statu s indicators on the upper-right above the keyboard, and four on the fron t panel. The power, battery, and wireless communi cation status indicators are visible even when the LCD display is cl osed. 1. Charging: the light shows amber when the battery is charging. 2. Fully charged: light [...]

10 English Launch keys Located at the upper-right, abov e the keyb oard are four buttons. These buttons are called launch keys. They are: m ail, Web browser, Acer Empowering Key " ," and one user-programmable button. Press " " to run the Acer eManager. Please see "Acer eMana ger" on page 19 . The mail and Web buttons a[...]

11 English Touchpad The built-in touchpad is a poin ting device that senses movement on its surface. This means the cursor respon ds as you move your finger across the surface of the touchpad. The central location on the palmrest provides optimum co mfort and support. Touchpad basics The following items show you how to use the tou chpad: • Move y[...]

12 English Note: Keep your fingers dry and clean wh en using the touchpad. Also keep the touchpad dry and clean. The tou chpad is sensitive to finger movement, hence, the lighter the touch, the better the response. Tapping harder will not increase th e touchpad's responsiveness. Function Left button (1) Right button (4) Main touch pad (2) Cent[...]

13 English Using the keyboard The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded keypad, separate cursor keys, two Windows keys and twelve function k eys. Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off. The embedded numeric k eypad functions like a desktop n umeric keypad. It is indicated by sma[...]

14 English Windows keys The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions. Key Description Windows key Pressed alone, this key has the same effect as clicking on the Windows Start button; it launches the Start menu. It can also be used with oth er keys to provide a variety of functions: < > + <Tab> Activates the next Tas[...]

15 English Hotkeys The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access m ost of the computer's controls like screen b rightness, volume output an d the BIOS utility. To activate hotkeys, press and hold the <Fn> key before pressing the other key in the hot key combinatio n. Hot key Icon Function Description <Fn> + <F1> [...]

16 English Special keys You can locate the Euro symbol at th e upper-center and/or bottom-right of your keyboard. To type: The Euro symbol 1 Open a text editor or word processor. 2 Either directly press the < Euro> key at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold < Alt Gr> and then press the <5> key at the upper-center of the keyb[...]

17 English Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray To eject the optical drive tray when the computer is turned on, press the drive eject button. When the power is off, you can eject the drive tray by using the emergency eject hole. Using a computer security lock A security keylock notch, located on the c hassis of the computer, lets you connect[...]

18 English Audio The computer comes with 16-bit high -fidelity AC'97 stereo audio, and dual stereo speakers. Adjusting the volume Adjusting the volume on the computer is as easy as pressing some buttons. See " Hotkeys" on page 15 for more information on adjusting the sp eaker volume.[...]

19 English Using the system utilities Acer eManager The innovative Acer eMa nager software is designed for easy access to frequently used functions. Press " ," to launch the A cer eManager user interface, featuring three main settings: A cer eSettings, Acer ePresentation and Acer eRecovery . To set the Acer Empowering Key " ", s[...]

20 English Acer GridVista (dual- display compatible) To enable the dual monitor fea ture of your notebook, first ensure the second monitor is connected, then, select Start , Control Panel , Display and click on Settings . Select the secondary monitor (2) icon in the display bo x and then click the check box Extend my windows desk top onto this moni[...]

21 English Note: Please ensure the resolution setting of your second monitor is set to the manufacturer's recommended value. Acer disk-to-disk r ecovery Note: If your system is the multilingual version. The operating system and language you choose when you first power-on the system will be the only option for future recovery operat ions. Resto[...]

22 English Before perfor ming a restore operatio n, please check the BIOS set tings. 1 Check to see if Acer disk-to-disk recovery is enabled or not. 2 Make sure the [D2D Recovery] setting in [Main] is [Enabled] . 3 Exit the BIOS setup utility and save changes. The system will reboot. Note: To activate BIOS setup utility, press < F2 > during P[...]

23 English Frequently asked questions The following is a list of possible situations that may arise during the use of your computer. Easy answers and solutions are provided for each one. I pressed the power button and opened the display, but the computer does not start or boot-up. Look at the power indicator: • If it is not lit, no power is being[...]

24 English No audio is heard from the computer. Check the following: • The volume may be muted. In Windo ws, look at the volume control (speaker) icon on the taskbar. If it is crossed-out, click on the icon and deselect the Mute option. • The volume level may be too lo w. In Windows, look at the volume c ontrol icon on the taskbar. You can also[...]

25 English Note: Please note, on first booting your notebook, that you can skip the Internet Connection setup, as it is not necessary to complete the installation of yo ur Operating System. After the Operating System is setup, you can proceed with the Internet Connection se tup. I want to resto re my computer to its original settings witho ut recov[...]

26 English Requesting service International Travelers Warranty (ITW) Your computer is backed by an Inte rn ational Travelers Warranty (ITW) that gives you security and peace of mind when traveling. Ou r worldwide network of service centers are there to give you a helping hand. An ITW passport comes with yo ur computer. This passport c ontains all y[...]

27 English Arcade (for selected models) Acer Arcade is an integrated player for music, photos, DVD mo vies, and videos. To watch or listen, click a content button (e .g. Music, Video, etc) on the A rcade home page. • Cinema — watch DVDs o r VCDs • Album — view photos store d on your ha rd drive or rem ovable medi a • Video — watch and/o[...]

28 English Arcade hotkeys When running in the Windows environmen t, the key combinations listed below are available to control and fine-tune the features and settings of Acer Arca de. Hot key Function <Fn> + <F1> On-line help menu <Fn> + <F5> Display toggle <Fn> + <F6> Screen blank <Fn> + <F8> Speaker[...]

29 English The Arcade remote cont rol (for selected models) The system also provides a remote contro l for a convenien t way to control the features of Arcade mode. The images below show which b uttons on the remote contol fun ction in the different Arcade modes. Arcade Main Page Cinema Mode Album Mode Video Mode Music Mode TV Mode[...]

30 English Finding and playing content Clicking a button o n the Arcade home page op ens the corresponding feature's home page. The c ontent pages have button s on the left and a c ontent browsing area on the right. If a button shows one of several choices, such as sort order, the current setting is shown by a brightly colore d ball on the lef[...]

31 English Navigation controls To return to the Arcade home page, clic k the Home button in the up per left corner of the window. To go up one folder level while searching for content, click Up one level . To return to a previous screen, click Return . Th e buttons in the upper right (minimize, maximize, an d close) have standard PC behaviours. To [...]

32 English DVD settings There are two types of DVD settings: "Video" and "Languag e." Click the appropriate button to op en its settings page. Video The Video settings control the video output of DVDs/VCDs. Use hardware acceleration takes advantage of the special processing power in some graphics cards to reduce CPU loading when[...]

33 English Album Acer Arcade lets you view digital photo s individually or as a slideshow, from any available drive on your compu ter. Click the Album button on the Arcade Home page to show the Album ma in page. The content area on the right shows both indi vidual pictures and folders. Click on a folder to open it.[...]

34 English To view a slideshow, ope n the folder containing the p ictures you wish to view - then click Play slideshow . Th e slideshow is played full-screen. Use the pop-up control panel to control the slide show. To rotate a picture in full-screen, click Rotate right or Rotate left . You can also view a single pictu re by clicking on it. This ope[...]

35 English Video To open the Video function, click Video on the Arcade Home p age. Note : The Video feature is designed to pla y back MPEG1, MPEG2 (if a DVD drive is installed), AVI, WMV, and ASF formats. If yo u want to watch a DVD or VCD use the "Cinema " function. Two options are shown on the Video page: " Video Play" or &quo[...]

36 English Music For convenient access to your music collectio n, click Music on the Arcade Home page to ope n the Music Ho me page. Select the folder, or CD, that contains the mu sic you want to listen to. Click Play to listen to the entire contents from the beginning, or select the song that you want to hear from the list in the content area. The[...]

37 English For Specific details about each of the se options, consult the User's Guide or c lick the Help button to open NTI CD/DVD-Maker's help menu. TV (for sel ected models) Arcade allows you to watch TV from your computer. Click the TV button on the Home page to show the TV main page. The Full screen option plays TV content at full sc[...]

38 English Note : Since the TV content you watch always lag s slightly behind the live TV broadcast, going to the end of the instant replay recording is as close to watching live TV as Arcade perm its. Recorded TV The "Recorded TV" page shows reco rded files using the "Recorded TV Shows" page of the "Video" function. A[...]

39 English TV Settings To change picture settings, click the TV button on the "Settings" page or the Settings button on the main TV page. There are two types of TV settin gs: "TV Signal" and "Channels." TV Signal Select this TV Source option if your TV receives signals via an antenna or cable. The Country option allows[...]

40 English File type compatibility Note : Automatic media detection will o nly function under the main menu. Mode Supported Not supported Cinema DVD/ SVCD/VCD/MiniDVD DTS, Linear PCM, TruSurroundXT, SRS, DVD audio Video ASF/WMV/AVI/MPEG1/2, DivX (re quires c odec) DVD navigator, SVCD, M2V, MOV, Flash Album BMP, JPG, PNG GIF, TIF, PSD, ICO Music MP3[...]

41 English Taking your notebook PC with you This section gives you tips and hin ts to consider when moving around or traveling with your comp uter. Disconnecting from the desktop Follow these steps to disconnect your computer from external accessories : 1 Save any open files. 2 Remove any media, floppy disks or compact disks, from the drive(s). 3 S[...]

42 English Note: If the Sleep indicator is of f, the computer has entered Hibernation mode and is turned of f. If the power indicator is off but the Sleep indicator is on, the compu ter has entered Sleep mode. In both cases, press and release the power button to turn the computer back on. Note that the co mputer may enter Hibernation mode after bei[...]

43 English What to take with you Unless you have some items at home, take the followin g items with you: • AC adaptor and power cord • The printed User's Guide Special considerations Follow these guidelines to protect yo ur computer while traveling to and from work: • Minimize the effects of temperature changes by keeping th e computer w[...]

44 English What to take with you Take the following items with you: • AC adaptor • Spare, fully-charged battery pack(s) • Additional printer driver files if you plan to u se another printer Special considerations In addition to the guidelines for taking the co mputer home, follow these guidelines to protect your comp uter while traveling: •[...]

45 English Special considerations Follow the same special considerations as when traveling with the computer. In addition, these tips are useful when traveling i nternationally: • When traveling in another coun try, check that the local AC voltage and the AC adaptor power cord specifications are com patible. If not, purchase a power cord that is [...]

46 English Securing your computer Your computer is a valuable investment that you need to take care of. Learn how to protect and take care of your compu ter. Security features include hardware an d software locks — a security notch and passwords. Using a computer security lock A security keylock notch, located on the left hand side of the compute[...]

47 English Entering passwords When a password is set, a password pro mpt appears in the center of the display screen. • When the Supervisor Password is set, a prompt appears when yo u press < F2 > to enter the BIOS utility at boot-up. • Type the Supervisor Password an d press < Enter > to access the BIOS utility. If you enter the pa[...]

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49 English Expanding through options Your notebo ok PC offers yo u a complete mobile comp uting experi ence. Connectivity options Ports allow you to connect peripheral de vices to your computer as you would with a desktop PC. For instru ctions on how to connect different external devices to the computer, read the following section. Fax/Data modem Y[...]

50 English Built-in network feature The built-in network feature allows you to con nect your computer to an Ethernet-based network. To use the network feature, connect an Ethernet cab le from the network jack on the left hand side of the computer to a network jack or hub on your network.[...]

51 English Universal Serial Bus The USB 2.0 port is a high-speed serial bus which allo ws you to connect USB peripherals without taking up precious system resources. IEEE 1394 port The computer's IEEE 1394 port allows you to connect to an IEEE 1394- compatible device like a video camera or dig ital camera. See your video or dig ital camera&apo[...]

52 English PC Card slot The Type II PC Card slot of the comp uter accepts PC Cards that enhance the usability and expandability of the com puter. These cards should have a PC Card logo on the m. PC Cards (formerly PCMCIA) are add-on cards for portable computers, giving you expansion possibilities long afford ed by desktop PCs. Popular PC Cards incl[...]

53 English Installing memory Follow these steps to install memory: 1 Turn off the computer, unplug the AC adaptor (if connected) and rem ove the battery pack. Then turn the computer over to access its base. 2 Remove the screws from the memory co ver; then lift up and remove the memory cover. 3 (a) Insert the memory module diag onally into the slot,[...]

54 English Boot sequence To set the boot sequence in the BIOS utility, activate the B IOS utility, then select Boot from the categories listed at the top of the screen. Enable Disk to disk recovery To enable disk to disk recovery (hard disk recove ry), activate the BIOS utility, then select Main from the categories listed at the top of the screen. [...]

55 English Note: To change the region code, in sert a DVD movie of a different region into the DVD drive. Please refer to the online help for more information. Power management This computer has a built- in power management unit that monitors system activity. System activity refers to any ac tivity involving one or more of the following devices: ke[...]

56 English Acer eRecovery Acer eRecovery is a tool to quickly backup and restore the system. You can create and save a backup of the current system configuration to hard drive, CD, or DVD. Acer eRecovery consists of the following functions: 1 Create backup 2 Restore from backup 3 Create factory default image CD 4 Re-install bundled so ftware withou[...]

57 English Restore from backup You can restore backups previously created (as stated in the Create backup section) from hard drive, CD, or DVD. 1 Boot to Windows XP. 2 Press <Alt> + <F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility. 3 Enter the password to proceed. Th e default password is six zeros. 4 In the Acer eRecovery window, select Recove[...]

58 English Re-install bundled software without CD Acer eRecovery stores pre-loaded software internally for easy d river and application re-installation. 1 Boot to Windows XP. 2 Press <Alt> + <F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility. 3 Enter the password to proceed. Th e default password is six zeros. 4 In the Acer eRecovery window, sele[...]

59 English English Troubleshooting This chapter shows you how to deal wi th common system problems. Read it before calling a technician if a problem occurs. Solutions to more serious problems require opening up the com p uter. Do not attempt to open the computer yourself; contact your d ealer or authorized service center for assistance. Troubleshoo[...]

60 English If you still encounter problems after going thro ugh the corrective measures, please contact your dealer or an authorized service c enter for assistance. Some problems may be solved using the BIOS u tility. Keyboard interface error Contact your dealer or an authorized service center. Memory size mismatch Press <F2> (during POST) to[...]

61 English English Regulations and safety notices Energy Star Guidelines Compliance As an Energy Star partner, Acer Inc. has determined that this product meets the Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency. FCC notice This device has been tested and fo und to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rule[...]

62 English Operation conditions This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC R ules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this d evice may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, inclu ding interference that may cause undesired ope ration. Notice: Canadian users This Class B di[...]

63 English English Modem notices Notice for USA This equipment complies with Part 68 of the FCC rules. Located on the modem is a label that contains, among other info rmation, the FCC Registration Number and Ringer Equivalence Number (REN) for this equip ment. Upon request, you must provide this information to your telep hone company. If your telep[...]

64 English List of Applicable Countries EU member states as of May 2004 are: Belgium, Denmark, Germ any, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxemb ourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Rep ublic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta. Usage allowed in t[...]

65 English English than 5 seconds between the end of one call attempt and the beginning of another. 5 This equipment shall not be set up to make au tomatic calls to Telecom's 111 Emergency Service. For modem with approval numb er PTC 211/01/030 1 The grant of a Telepermit for any item of terminal equ ipment indicates only that Telecom has acce[...]

66 English 3 Do not use this produc t near water. 4 Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The produc t may fall, causing serious damage to the prod uct. 5 Slots and openings are provided for ven tilation; to ensure reliable operation of the product a nd to protec t it from ove rheating. Th ese openings m ust not be bl ocke[...]

67 English English 13 Warning! Batteries may exp lode if not handled p roperly. Do not disassemble or dispose of them in fi re. Keep them away from children and dispose of used batteries promp tly. 14 To avoid hazard of unexpected electrical sho ck, use the AC adaptor only when the wall socket is properly grounded. 15 Use only the proper type of po[...]

68 English dots. This has no effect on the reco rded image and does no t constitute a malfunction. Macrovision copyright protection notice This product incorporates copy right protection technology that is pr otected by U.S. patents and other intellectual property rights. Use of this copyright protection techn ology must be authorized by Macrovisio[...]

69 English English European Union (EU) This device complies with the essentia l requirements of the Europ ean Council Directives listed below: 73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive • EN 60950 89/336/EEC Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive • EN 55022 • EN 55024 • EN 61000-3-2/-3 99/5/EC Radio & Telecommunica tions Terminal Equipment [...]

70 English The FCC RF safety requirement The radiated output p ower of Wireless LAN mini PCI Ca rd and Bluetooth card is far below the FCC radio frequency exposu re limits. Nevertheless, the notebook PC series shall be used in such a man ner that the potential for human contact during normal operation is m inimized as follows: 1 Users are requested[...]

71 English English 4 An improper installation or un authorized use may c ause harmful interference to radio communications. Also any tampering of the internal antenna will void the FCC certification and your warranty. Canada - Low power license-exempt radio communication devices (RSS-210) a Common information Operation is subject to the following t[...]

72 English Federal Communications Commission Declaration of Conformity This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC R ules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this d evice may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, inclu ding interference that may cause undesired ope ration.[...]

73 English English Declaration of Conf ormity for CE Marking Is in compliance with the essential requ irements and other relevant provisions of the following EC directives. The product specified ab ove was tested conforming to the applicable Rules under the most accurate measurement st andards possible, and that all the necessary steps have been ta[...]

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75 English Index A AC adapter caring for iv audio 18 adjusting the volume 18 troublesh ooting 24 B battery pack caring for v BIOS utility 53 brightness hotkeys 16 C caps lock 13 on indicator 9 care AC adapter iv battery pack v computer iv CD-ROM ejecting 17 ejecting manually 24 troublesh ooting 24 cleaning computer v computer bringing to meetings 4[...]

76 English N network 50 Notebook Man ager hotkey 15 num lock 13 on indicator 9 numeric keypad embedded 13 P password 46 types 46 PC Card 52 ejecting 52 inserting 52 ports 49 printer troublesh ooting 24 problems 23 CD-ROM 24 display 23 keyboard 24 printer 24 startup 23 troublesh ooting 59 Q questions setting location for modem use 24 S safety CD or [...]