Asus X50rl Hardware User Manual

							
31
Getting Started    3

Switches (Cont.)
Switches and Status Indicators
ASUS F5 ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Power Switch
The  power  switch  allows  powering  ON  and  OFF  the  Notebook  PC  and  recovering  from 
STD. Use the switch once to turn ON and once to turn OFF the Notebook PC. In Windows 
XP, this button can also be used to safely turn OFF the Notebook PC. The power switch only 
works when the display panel is opened.
OFFONEXPRESS
Wireless Switch
Wireless  Models  Only:  Toggles  the  internal  wireless  LAN  or  Bluetooth  (on  selected 
models) ON or OFF with an on-screen-display. When enabled, the corresponding wireless 
indicator will light. Windows software settings are necessary to use the wireless LAN or 
Bluetooth.
OFFON 
						

							
32
3    Getting Started

Status Indicators
Front
ASUS F5 ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Drive Activity Indicator
Indicates  that  the  Notebook  PC  is  accessing  one  or  more  storage  device(s)  such  as  the  hard 
disk. The light flashes proportional to the access time.
Capital Lock Indicator
Indicates that capital lock [Caps Lock] is activated when lighted. Capital lock allows some 
of the keyboard letters to type using capitalized letters (e.g. A, B, C). When the capital 
lock light is OFF, the typed letters will be in the lower case form (e.g. a,b,c). 
Number Lock Indicator
Indicates that number lock [Num Lk] is activated when lighted. Number lock allows some 
of the  keyboard letters to act as numbers for easier numeric data input\
.
Scroll Lock Indicator
Indicates that scroll lock [Scr Lk] is activated when lit. Scroll lock allows some of the 
keyboard letters to act as direction keys in order to allow easier navigation when only 
a part of the keyboard is required, such as for playing games. 
						

							
33
Getting Started    3

CD Play/Pause
During	CD	stop,	begins CD play.
During	CD	play,	pauses CD play.
CD Stop
During	CD	stop: Ejects the CD tray.
During	CD	play: Stops CD play.
CD Skip to Next Track (Fast Forward) & Audio Volume Up
During	CD	play,	this	button	has	two	functions:
Track:	Push once to skip to the next	track during CD playing.
Audio:	Hold down to increase	audio volume.
Audio Volume Controls
Fn	+	Speaker	Icons	(F10):	   Toggles the audio volume ON and OFF
Fn	+	Down	Speaker 	Icon	(F11):	Decreases the audio volume
Fn	+	Up	Speaker	Icon	(F12):	 Increases the audio volume
Multimedia Control Keys (on selected models)
The multimedia control keys allows for convenient controlling of the multimedia application. The fol-
lowing defines the meaning of each multimedia control key on the Notebook PC.
CD Skip to Previous Track (Rewind) & Audio Volume Down
During	CD	play,	this	button	has	two	functions:
Track:	The first push will restart the current track. Second push will skip to the previous	track.
Audio: Hold down to decrease	audio volume.
Use the [Fn] key in combination with the arrow keys for CD control funct\
ions. 
						

							
34
4    Using the Notebook PC 
						

							
35
4. Using the Notebook PC
Operating System
Pointing Device
Storage Devices
 Expansion Card
 Optical drive
 Flash memory reader
 Hard disk drive
Connections
    Modem Connection
    Network Connection
    Wireless LAN Connection
 Bluetooth Wireless Connection
Power Management Modes 
						

							
36
4    Using the Notebook PC

Operating System
This Notebook PC may offer (depending on territory) its customers the choice of a pre-installed operat-
ing  system  such  as Microsoft	Windows	XP. The  choices  and  languages  will  depend  on  the  territory. 
The levels of hardware and software support may vary depending on the installed operating system. The 
stability and compatibility of other operating systems cannot be guarant\
eed.
Support Software
This Notebook PC comes with a support CD that provides BIOS, drivers and ap-
plications  to  enable  hardware  features,  extend  functionality,  help  manage  your 
Notebook PC, or add functionality not provided by the native operating system. If 
updates or replacement of the support CD is necessary, contact your dealer for web 
sites to download individual software drivers and utilities. 
The support CD contains all drivers, utilities and software for all popular operating 
systems  including  those  that  have  been  pre-installed.  The  support  CD  does  not  include  the  operating 
system itself. The support CD is necessary even if your Notebook PC came pre-configured in order to 
provide additional software not included as part of the factory pre-inst\
all. 
A recovery CD is optional and includes an image of the original operating system installed on the hard 
drive at the factory. The recovery CD provides a comprehensive recovery solution that quickly restores 
the Notebook PC’s operating system to its original working state provided that your hard disk drive is 
in good working order. Contact your retailer if you require such a solution.
Note: Some of the Notebook PC’s components and features may not work until the 
device drivers and utilities are installed.
Automatic Touchpad Disabling (on selected models) 
Notebook PC models with newer chipsets will automatically disable the Notebook PC’s touchpad when 
an external USB mouse is attached. To turn OFF this feature, 
deselect  the  option  in  Windows Control	Panel  - Mouse	
Properties - Device	Settings. 
						

							
3
Using the Notebook PC    4

IMPORTANT!  Do  not  use  any  objects  in 
place of your finger to operate the touch-
pad  or  else  damage  may  occur  to  the 
touchpad’s surface.
Pointing Device
The  Notebook  PC’s  integrated  touchpad  pointing 
device  is  fully  compatible  with  all  two/three-but-
ton and scrolling knob PS/2 mice. The touchpad is 
pressure  sensitive  and  contains  no  moving  parts; 
therefore,  mechanical  failures  can  be  avoided.  A 
device driver is still required for working with some 
application software.
Using the Touchpad
Light pressure with the tip of your finger is all that is 
required to operate the touchpad. Because the touch-
pad is electrostatic sensitive, objects cannot be used in 
place of your fingers. The touchpad’s primary function 
is to move the cursor around or select items displayed 
on the screen with the use of your fingertip instead of 
a standard desktop mouse. The following illustrations 
demonstrate proper use of the touchpad.
Moving The Cursor
Place your finger in the center of the touchpad and 
slide in a direction to move the cursor.
Slide finger forward
Slide finger left
Slide finger backward
Slide finger right
Cursor Movement
Right Click
Left Click 
						

							
3
4    Using the Notebook PC

Double-clicking/Double-tapping	- This is a common skill for launching a program directly from the 
corresponding icon you select. Move the cursor over the icon you wish to execute, press the left button or 
tap the pad twice in rapid succession, and the system launches the corresponding program. If the interval 
between the clicks or taps is too long, the operation will not be executed. You can set the double-click speed 
using the Windows Control Panel “Mouse.” The following 2 examples produce the same results.
Press the left button twice and release.Lightly but rapidly strike the touchpad twice.
Press the left cursor button and release.Lightly but rapidly strike the touchpad.
Clicking/Tapping	- With the cursor over an item, press the left button or use your fingertip to touch the 
touchpad lightly, keeping your finger on the touchpad until the item is selected. The selected item will 
change color. The following 2 examples produce the same results.
Clicking Tapping 
Double-ClickingDouble-Tapping 
Touchpad Usage Illustrations 
						

							
39
Using the Notebook PC    4

Caring for the Touchpad
The touchpad is pressure sensitive. If not properly cared for, it can be easily damaged. Take note of the 
following precautions.
•  Make sure the touchpad does not come into contact with dirt, liqui\
ds or grease.
•  Do not touch the touchpad if your fingers are dirty or wet.
•  Do not rest heavy objects on the touchpad or the touchpad buttons.
•  Do not scratch the touchpad with your finger nails or any hard objects.
Dragging	- Dragging means to pick up an item and place it anywhere on the screen you wish. You can 
move the cursor over the item you select, and while keeping the left button depressed, moving the cursor 
to the desired location, then release the button. Or, you can simply double-tap on the item and hold while 
dragging the item with your fingertip. The following illustrations produce the same results.
Hold left button and slide finger on touchpad.Lightly strike the touchpad twice, sliding finger on 
touchpad during second strike.
Dragging-ClickingDragging-Tapping
NOTE: A software-controlled scrolling function is available after setting up the included 
touchpad  utility  to  allow  easy  Windows  or  web  navigation.  Basic  functions  can  be 
adjusted at the Windows control panel to allow comfortable clicking and tapping.
NOTE:    The  touchpad  responds  to  movement  not  to  force.  There  is  no  need  to  tap 
the surface too hard. Tapping too hard does not increase the responsiveness of the 
touchpad. The touchpad responds best to light pressure. 
						

							
40
4    Using the Notebook PC

Storage Devices
Storage devices allow the Notebook PC to read or write documents, pictures, and other files to various 
data storage devices. This Notebook PC has the following storage devices:
 •  Expansion Card
 •  Optical drive
 •  Flash memory reader
 •  Hard disk drive
Expansion Card
One  26pin  Express  card  slot  is  available  to  support  one  ExpressCard/34mm  or  one 
ExpressCard/54mm  expansion  card. This  new  interface  is  faster  by  using  a  serial  bus 
supporting USB 2.0 and PCI Express instead of the slower parallel bus used in the PC 
card slot. (Not compatible with previous PCMCIA cards.)
Inserting an Expansion Card
Be sure the ExpressCard 
is level when inserting�
1.  If  there  is  an  ExpressCard  socket  protector, 
remove  it  using  the  “Removing  an  Express-
Card” instructions below.
2. Insert the ExpressCard with the connector side 
first and label side up. Standard  ExpressCards 
will be flush with the Notebook PC when fully 
inserted.
3. Carefully  connect  any  cables  or  adapters 
needed by the ExpressCard. Usually connectors 
can only be inserted in one orientation. Look 
for  a  sticker,  icon,  or  marking  on  one  side  of 
the connector representing the top side.
Removing an Expansion Card
The ExpressCard slot does not have an eject but-
ton. Press the ExpressCard inwards and release to 
eject the ExpressCard. Carefully pull the ejected 
ExpressCard out of the socket.