Operation Manual
Table Of Contents
- Read this first
- Welcome
- Using your VAIO desktop
- Locating connectors
- Starting your computer
- Shutting down your computer
- Using the keyboard
- Using the shortcut keys
- Setting up the monitor
- Using the mouse
- Using the CD and DVD drives
- Using the floppy disk drive
- Using the modem
- Expansion capabilities
- Using the Memory Stick™
- Using the Net MD drive (depending on your model*)
- Using power saving modes
- Connecting peripheral devices
- Getting help
- Sony's support options
- Troubleshooting
- About the computer and software
- My computer does not start
- The message 'Press
to continue, to enter setup' appears at startup - My computer does not shut down
- My system is running slowly
- My computer locks up
- My computer or software program is not responding
- Windows® locks up during shutdown
- My mouse does not work
- My mouse needs to be set up for left-hand use
- About the display
- About CDs and floppy disks
- My CD/DVD tray does not open
- I cannot play a CD
- I cannot play a DVD-ROM
- My floppy disk drive cannot write to a disk
- When I double-click an application icon, a message such as 'You must insert the application CD in...
- Why does my CD/DVD-RW not record at the highest speed?
- The reading speed of CD-RWs/DVD-RWs* is slow
- About sound
- About the modem
- About peripherals
- About digital video captures and DVgate
- About i.LINK™ devices
- About the computer and software
- Upgrading your VAIO computer
- Precautions
- Glossary
Sony VAIO Desktop User Guide
Glossary
86
nN
L2 cache memory
Cache memory is RAM-like memory that enables quick access to data that has already been
read by the computer. L1 and L2 are levels of cache memory in a computer.
LAN
A LAN (Local Area Network) is a group of computers connected together within a limited
geographical area. It enables users to share devices (such as printers) and information using
one processor or server.
LCD
Short for Liquid Crystal Display. Flat display technology using liquid crystals (and light
polarisation) to provide sharp, flicker-free images on a screen comprised of millions of tiny
cells. Colour can be produced by two basic techniques. Passive matrix is the less expensive of
the two technologies. The active matrix technology (or TFT) produces better quality but is
also more expensive.
LED
Short for Light-Emitting Diode. A semiconductor device that lights up when electricity passes
through it.
MAPI
Short for Messaging Application Program Interface. A Microsoft Windows interface
enabling you to send e-mail messages. It allows e-mail access and distribution among
applications. MAPI-compatible applications include a Send Mail or Send in the File menu of
the application.
maximum RAM
The maximum amount of RAM that your computer can contain. Once this amount is
reached, you can no longer add additional RAM to your computer.
Motherboard
The motherboard is the main circuit board inside your computer. It holds the CPU, the BIOS,
the memory and so on.
MPEG
MPEG or Moving Pictures Experts Group is a standard for audio-visual compression of video
sequences. MPEG achieves high compression rates by storing only the changes from one
frame to another. The decrease in data is generally imperceptible to the human eye. MPEG-
1 was developed for digital storage of video and audio data on CD-ROM. MPEG-2 achieves
better image and audio quality and is more targeted to TV broadcasting and DVD.
Operating system
The operating system is software that manages all the other programs in a computer. It
defines how the computer reads and writes information to its disks (and other hardware).
Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP Professional and Windows XP
Home Edition are examples of operating systems found on VAIOs.