adorable toshiba libretto FAQ updated 22 February 2001 (69KB) =============================== This FAQ can be found on the Internet at the adorable toshiba libretto web site [001]. ----------------------------Latest Additions------------------------- GEN-004 Hard Drive Special Notes for drives larger than 8.4GB ---------------------------Table of Contents------------------------- Overview OVW-001 Introduction OVW-002 What is a Libretto? OVW-003 What is a Cuaderia? OVW-004 Specifications. OVW-005 Official sources of information. OVW-006 Other sources of information. OVW-007 Reliability of information and double-checking. Shopping for a Libretto SFL-001 Introduction SFL-002 Where can I buy a Libretto? SFL-003 What are the going prices for a Libretto? SFL-004 What accessories can I get for the Libretto? SFL-005 Buying locally vs. abroad. SFL-006 Advantages and disadvantages of the Libretto. SFL-007 Where can I buy replacement parts? SFL-008 What cases can I buy to hold the Libretto? My first day with the Libretto MFD-001 Introduction MFD-002 Unpacking the Libretto. MFD-003 Charging the battery. MFD-004 Should I make a backup before using the Libretto? MFD-005 Other considerations. MFD-006 BIOS settings. MFD-007 What should my LCD screen look like? MFD-008 My hard drive makes noises. MFD-009 What are those lights next to my screen? MFD-010 What's that round fuzzy button next to my screen? MFD-011 Can I drop my Libretto? (Shock and cases) MFD-012 Can I wash my Libretto? (Cleaning a Libretto) Cleaning the screen General Information GEN-001 Introduction GEN-002 BIOS Accessing the BIOS GEN-003 Floppy Drive GEN-004 Hard Drive Default setup 3rd party hard drives for the Libretto Power consumption Expected lifespan Special Notes for drives larger than 8.4GB GEN-005 External CD-ROM drives GEN-006 Drive interfaces GEN-007 Keyboard Remapping Keys GEN-008 Screen GEN-009 Mice GEN-010 IR port Installing drivers to use the IR port GEN-011 Modems adorable recommends... Modem speeds and standards Types of phone line connectors Advantages/disadvantages of the various connectors Power consumption range of modem card Heat generation GEN-012 Batteries & AC Adapters Battery Meter Accuracy Standard battery Extended battery Extending battery life Japanese L20,30,50 External Battery Charger L20 AC Adapter rating GEN-013 Storage Devices Avatar Shark Iomega Zip GEN-014 Resetting the Libretto Hard Reset Soft Reset GEN-015 Port Replicators L20 GEN-016 Drivers & Software Toshiba Drivers for the Libretto 3rd Party Shareware, Utilities, & Freeware Installing software ISW-001 Introduction ISW-002 How do I install software without a floppy drive? ISW-003 How do I install software without a CD-ROM drive? ISW-004 How do I install operating systems on my Libretto? ISW-005 ..Win95? ..DOS? ..Linux? Installing hardware IHW-001 Introduction IHW-002 How do I install a new hard drive? IHW-003 How do I install a PCMCIA/PC Card? IHW-004 How do I install extra memory/RAM? IHW-005 How do I install the extended battery? Day-to-Day DTD-001 Introduction DTD-002 Keeping the Libretto running well. DTD-003 Signs of trouble. Overclocking the Libretto OCL-001 Introduction General Troubleshooting GTB-001 Introduction GTB-002 Sad Libretto - Where to start? GTB-003 Skills and intuition. GTB-004 Looking for help. GTB-005 Experts vs. everyone else. GTB-006 When to give up. Hardware Troubleshooting HTB-001 Introduction HTB-002 Hard drive HTB-003 External monitor HTB-004 LCD panel display HTB-005 Built-in speaker HTB-006 Built-in Accupoint mouse HTB-007 Keyboard HTB-008 Other sources of information and help. Software Troubleshooting STB-001 Introduction STB-002 Windows 95 ... Breaking up is hard to do BRK-001 Introduction BRK-002 Selling/Junking the Libretto Table of Links TOL-001 General Links Fun Facts FUN-001 What was the first article posted to the Libretto Mailing List? FUN-002 How many postings have been made to the Libretto Mailing List? FUN-003 When were Libretto exporters Dynamism and Japan Palmtop Direct first mentioned on the List? FUN-004 When was overclocking first mentioned? FUN-005 Fun facts about me. FUN-006 When was the first time someone posted to the group to be removed, rather than to the appropriate address to be automatically removed? FUN-007 Where did the Libretto get reviewed? FUN-008 What predictions have been made about the Libretto? FUN-009 What other laptops have been talked about on the Mailing List? FUN-010 When was the first mention of installing a microphone the Libretto? FUN-011 When was the first report made regarding upgrading the hard drive? ------------------------------Contents----------------------------- General ======= OVW-001 Introduction Welcome to adorable's toshiba Libretto FAQ. This document contains answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Toshiba Libretto mini-notebook computer. OVW-002 What is a Libretto? The Libretto is a mini-notebook PC-compatible computer. Released by Toshiba in several models, it has become one of the leading products in the field due to its light weight and compact size combined with powerful computing features. OVW-003 What is a Cuaderia? The Cuaderia 20 was the pen-based version of the Libretto released by Toshiba in Japan only. It had a touch-screen, no keyboard, and was of limited production and demand. OVW-004 Specifications. See my Internet web site [001] for more information. OVW-005 Official sources of information. See my Internet web site [001] for links to official Toshiba sites. OVW-006 Other sources of information. Infomation on the Libretto can be found in print and online. Many of these questions and items have been discussed before -- see Libretto Mailing List Archives for past postings, Dejanews (www.dejanews.com) for prior postings to the Usenet newsgroups, and the Compuserve Toshiba Laptops forum. The Internet is the modern-day equivalent of the library. Everything you ever wanted to know about anything is or will soon be made available on the Internet by others who are willing to spend their time and efforts to do so. Many of the items discussed in this document are covered in greater detail in other documents available on the Internet. It is your task then to learn how to locate documents on the Internet, find the ones you want, and to look them up. A librarian can only go so far in researching a topic for you; same with anyone else who has access to the Internet. Spend a couple moments to learn how to use the Internet well, and it will give you years of wonderful use. Books and documents on how to use the Internet are available at your local bookstore, library, and, of course, online on the Internet. Places to ask for help and to find current information on the Libretto 1. Libretto Mailing List - An email-based mailing list of Libretto owners and enthusiasts. Sign up today and read the latest ongoings. Also, see the list Archives. 2. Usenet newsgroups: comp.sys.palmtops, comp.sys.handhelds and comp.sys.laptops 3. Compuserve Toshiba Laptops Forum - Similar to #2 & #3, but you have to pay money to post messages. Linked from my site. 4. Toshiba Support - Why not ask the manufacturer itself? OVW-007 Reliability of information and double-checking. Most information that you read or hear has been created by other people, so it is quite possible that the information may not be correct due to human error. Often, the detection of subtle errors will come about from an intuitive feeling that something is wrong with the information you've received. Try to find another source to verify the information, especially before acting upon it. There's nothing quite so embarrasing or waste of time like disseminating incorect information, or making decisions based on such. If the source is incorrect, try to inform the creator and others so that it may be noted and correct as soon as possible. Shopping for a Libretto ======================= SFL-001 Introduction Computers depreciate in price by 50% or more each year. A Libertto you buy today will be worth less than half the buying price in one year. There have been millions of Librettos made and you should be able to find the in-production models quite easily. Models just released may take up to three months to arrive in the retail distribution channel, so don't expect the announcement of a new Libretto to mean that you will be able to buy one right away. SFL-002 Where can I buy a Libretto? In your own country, contact the local Toshiba branch to find out where they are being sold. In most modern countries, they are available from many online shops as well. See my Libretto site and CompuESP for a short list of additional stores. If you intend to purchase from overseas, there is a short list of stores in Japan that ship abroad on my site. If you are in Japan, visit Akihabara, Tokyo for the largest electronics and computer shopping area in Japan. You should be able to bargin for the best deals there in person. SFL-003 What are the going prices for a Libretto? See my Libretto site for this information. Also, look up the latest pricing at a price search engine such as CompuESP @ www.uvision.com. SFL-004 What accessories can I get for the Libretto? Please refer to the official Toshiba Libretto sites for a complete list of Toshiba Libretto accessories. SFL-005 Buying locally vs. abroad. If you are willing to buy a foreign Libretto model, you can potentially save yourself more money than by purchasing a Libretto in your own country. In general, if you are in the US or Europe, your chances of this occuring is higher than if you live in Asia. Why? Currently, the majority of Asian currencies and economies are in a depressed state. Many of their currencies have depreciated by well over 50% during the past year, and their economies are in a recession. As an example, the South Korean currency depreciated in half during the past year. As a result, a person with US dollars can now buy twice as much with one dollar now versus before. In essence, those living in countries with strong currencies will be buying on sale at 50% off or more. Also, combine this with the fact that the Libretto price drops faster in Japan than in the US, you'll get an amazing price if you shop abroad. E.G. The Libretto 100 currently sells for $2000 US; but only $1000-1300 US in Japan. SFL-006 Advantages and disadvantages of the Libretto. SFL-007 Where can I buy replacement parts? You can buy replacement parts from any authorized Toshiba Repair Center [006], or if you are in Japan, you can find parts in one of the shops in Akihabara, Tokyo - their mecca for computer parts & supplies. Take a look at the parts picture and list for your particular Libretto as well -- they document the exact part #s for every replacement part in a Libretto. SFL-008 What cases can I buy to hold the Libretto? Toshiba Accessories Various cases, see Toshiba's web site. Case Logic [007] ~$20 USD. DM-2 (CD Player Case) or PDC-1 (Zip Drive Case) Nylon, both models appear identical. Holds the Libretto, AC Adapter, and a few additional items in a small bag. Samsonite $45 USD. Clam shell design with day planner, slots for buisness cards, and two zippered compartments. My first day with the Libretto ============================== MFD-001 Introduction MFD-002 Unpacking the Libretto. MFD-003 Charging the battery. The Libretto 20-50 can charge the battery on when the external AC adapter is plugged into the unit and the unit is off. Later Libretto can charge the battery while the unit is on, albeit at a slow pace. The optional external battery chargers can be used to charge batteries seperate from the unit. The Libretto is sensitive to variations in the input voltage. For example, on the Libretto 50, if a 13.8V DC input is provided, the unit will run fine, but charging of the battery will not occur with the unit turned off. MFD-004 Should I make a backup before using the Libretto? Only if you do not have a Toshiba Recovery CD and a CD-ROM that can be accessed as necessary (best to have a Toshiba CD-ROM for the Libretto). If you attach the 2.5" HD to a desktop PC's IDE connector using a 2.5" to 3.5" (~$10 USD) IDE converter, you can backup the data to another HD under Linux using either one of the following commands : tar cvfz libretto_hard_disk.tar.gz /dev/hda ^ ^ (alter path as needed) (or hdb, hdc, etc.) or dd if=/dev/hda | gzip -9 - >libretto.image.gz ^ ^ (or hdb, hdc, etc.) (alter path as needed) Or you can use Partition Magic or Ghost to copy the partition to another HD on the desktop. If you use a program like Ghost, you can also backup the entire HD over a Laplink/DCC compatible parallel/serial cable to another PC's HD, either as another partition or as a single file that you can later burn to CD discs. Naturally, the destination HD should have enough empty space to hold the image of the Libretto HD. MFD-005 Other considerations. MFD-006 BIOS settings. MFD-007 What should my LCD screen look like? If you display a pure white screen on your Libretto, you should see a white screen, with the exception of a few minor defects in the screen. The same for the colors red, blue and green. If you display a pure black screen, you should see a dark screen that is just slightly backlit depending on the viewing angle. It will not be as dark as when the Libretto is turned off since the backlight will be on and the screen can not prevent 100% of that light from shining through. TFT screen require the precise placement of pixels and each pixel driver must physically work in order for that pixel to work. This is a difficult process. Unfortunately, the process is not 100% perfect, and some screens will be shipped with a small number of defective pixels. Currently, this is normal industry practice. If you get your Libretto and the number of defective pixels is objectionable to you, see if you can exchange your purchase for another from the store your purchased it from and/or Toshiba. MFD-008 My hard drive makes noises. Hard drives spin at several thousand revolutions per minute. The Libretto hard drives spin at approximately 4000 rpm. This will create some noise on its own, and the pitch may vary slightly during operation. When the drive head moves during read and writes, you will head a slightly louder noise. It should generate a quite sound no louder than a loud whisper. MFD-009 What are those lights next to my screen? MFD-010 What's that round fuzzy button next to my screen? MFD-011 Can I drop my Libretto? (Shock and cases) MFD-012 Can I wash my Libretto? (Cleaning a Libretto) // Cleaning the screen // You can clean the screen with a soft cloth or tissue dampened with water to remove fingerprints and other minor debris. You can also use a microfiber cloth to remove any last traces of dust and marks. // adorable tells... // A microfiber cloth is a synthentic, man-made fiber cloth that has an extremely tight weave structure and was pioneered by Toray Japan. This cloth has properties unlike normal cloth in that when you use it to clean lenses, glass, and LCD screens, the tight weave structure of the cloth actually works extremely well at removing grease, fingerprints, and other common marks on these surfaces without leaving scratch marks. You also do not need to use any liquids with the cloth to remove these common markings unlike paper lens cleaning paper. Widely available at sunglass and photographic equipment stores. Usually $5-10 each, reusable, and washable. General Information =================== GEN-001 Introduction GEN-002 BIOS The Libretto comes with a flash upgradeable BIOS. This means that through software, you may upgrade the BIOS as new versions are released. This occurs infrequently. The BIOS provides basic device support and boot capabilties for any computer. It is not an entire operating system, but just the rudamentary core needed by most modern operating systems to interface with the hardware, such as the keyboard and parallel and serial ports. You may change and set basic settings for the Libretto through the BIOS. // Accessing the BIOS // Press and hold the ESC key while powering on. At the prompt, release the ESC key and press F1 to enter the BIOS. GEN-003 Floppy Drive The Libretto floppy drive is a 16-bit device that attaches to the Libretto through a PCMCIA card. Under Windows 95, the device will show up as a 16-bit device under Device Manager, and it will be noted that performance will nt be 'optimal' accessing this device. This is normal. (...then again, there's really no such thing as a fast FDD. The data transfer rates are so dismal vs. hard drives...) The drive is made by Y-E Data of Japan. All Librettos, except Japanese models, come with the FDD standard. adorable says... The floppy drive (FDD) is one of those items that you think you'll never use until you have a need for it. Unlike other devices, the FDD is the only other device besides the hard drive (HD) that the Libretto can boot from. If your HD crashes and can't boot, you'll want a FDD around. Also, the 3.5" diskette is still the most widely available device installed in both desktop and laptop systems. If you ever need to transfer files to another computer, a diskette remains a good, first choice. Thus, if you buy a Japanese Libretto, the only ones that do not come with a standard floppy drive, consider buying a floppy drive with one right away. All other Librettos sold worldwide come with a standard floppy drive! GEN-004 Hard Drive The L20-L60 models come with a 8.45mm hard drive made by Toshiba of varying capacities. The L70-100 models come with a 9.5mm hard drive made by IBM of varying capacities. The L1000 model has a 6.35mm hard drive made by Toshiba. An intesting note is that the Canadian L100 differed from the other worldwide L100 models because it came with a larger 3.2GB hard drive vs. the 2.1GB hard drive that was standard in all other L100 worldwide. All Librettos use a standard 2.5" IDE adapter and the BIOS can handle drives up to 8GB in size. // Default setup // All Librettos come with the hard drive fully formattted and configured with running software. Usually, you can choose between one of two setups for each model - one with the operating system installed only, another with additional software, such as a word processor, spreadsheet, and other applications for a slightly higher price. On average for any Libretto model, the hard drive is approximately half-filled with the OS and applications. Thus, you can estimate approximately how much free space you have left for your own applications and data. If that would be too small for you, you will need to consider purchasing a larger hard drive or an external storage device for you Libretto. The Libretto has two partitions by default - the primary partition used by the installed operating system and applications, and a second, hidden partition used by the Libretto for hibernation. The Librettos can hibernate by saving an exact image of the contents of RAM to the hard drive. It does so by putting the image in a second partition located at the end of the Libretto hard drive. This partition is created automatically if you partition a completely empty, unformatted, unpartitioned (ie. new) hard drive in your Libretto. Usually the amount of maximum RAM that can be installed in that Libretto plus several additional megabytes are reserved automatically. This hibernation partition is hidden and usually can not be accessed by the operating system and applications. // 3rd party hard drives for the Libretto // You can buy any 2.5" hard drive that is approximately 9.5mm or thinner for the Libretto. To be exact, the L20-L100 models can all take up to a 9.5mm hard drive without any modifications to the case. The L1000 can take drives that are 6.35mm or thinner. You can install thicker hard drives if you modify the case, or buy a larger bottom plate for the Libretto. A complete list of available 9.5mm or thinner hard drives is listed on my main web site, adorable toshiba libretto. // Power consumption // The original Toshiba and 3rd party hard drives use approximately the same amount of power and will not significantly affect the battery life of your Libretto. // Expected lifespan // Most hard drives will last through several years of continuous use without failure. Damage made to the drop through dropping or banging the Libretto can potentially shorten the lifespan of the drive and/or cause actual damage. You can safely jog with the Libretto turned off, and walk around with the Libretto turned on. Modern laptop drives are designed to be shutdown and started often and doing so will not significantly affect the life of the hard drive. However, like any spinning device, it will eventually fail due to wear. This will often be years from the moment you start using your Libretto -- back up often if any data is important to you. // Special Notes for drives larger than 8.4GB // Some of the following information is preliminary and should be tested. Please email me with your actual results so I can correct any errors. It is known that for the Libretto 20, 30, 50, 60, 70, 100 and 110 that you must use a drive-overlay program or OS that has its own >8.4GB HD access code to correctly use large HD > 8.4GB. It is known that the IBM 20GN HD model will not likely work in an overclocked L50. ---- While other PCs may have more BIOS limitations that exist which prevent them from accessing hard drives larger than 528MB, 2.1GB, 4.2GB, 7.9GB, 8.4GB, and 137GB, the only sizes of note to the Libretto are HDs larger than 8.4GB and 137GB. The PC BIOS controls many things, and among them, provides standardized interrupt based access to various devices such as the video display, keyboard, and hard drive. Unless specifically designed to bypass the BIOS Int13 calls, most operating systems in use today use the Int13 interrupt to access the HD and not directly through low-level direct device calls. Unfortunately for the Libretto, it was not until 1998 did PC manufacturers begin designing BIOS's that correctly supported hard drives larger than 8GB - in fact, there were no consumer hard drives larger than 8GB before that time for the IDE interface. These older BIOS's used only 24-bits, which allows access to only 2^24 x 512 bytes or 8.4GB. (This number multiplies out to 8.6GB, but due to the way the BIOS uses the bit, only 8.4GB can be accessed.) A HD is mapped using the concept of cylinder/head/sector (CHS), where a combination of the three values maps to a specific, unique area on the HD to store data. The logical CHS mapping used at the Int13 interrupt allows up to 1024 cylinders, 256 heads and 63 heads. These maximum values are exceeded by HDs larger than 8GB, and alternative methods must be used to find the actual size of the HD as well as accessing the data on a HD larger than 8GB. To allow the BIOS to access HDs larger than 8.4GB, PC makers have added Int13 Extended interrupts and LBA addressing which support larger HDs, but only to systems built beginning in 1998. The Libretto 20-70 models were introduced before 1998, and will have compatibility problems with drives larger than 8GB unless aided by additional software and/or BIOS updates. The Libretto 100 may have such problems, but a BIOS update may fix any such problems. The Libretto 110 and all newer Libretto should not have these problems. Luckily, owners of older PCs are not left without any options in larger hard drives. Because the BIOS interrupts can be replaced by both additional software and/or hardware cards that overlay the old Int13 interrupt with a newer one that supports HDs larger than 8GB, owners of older PCs can still use the latest high-capacity HDs. Examples of this include Ontrack EZ-Drive and IBM Disk Manager software programs. Some HD makers provide these programs for free, such as IBM and Maxtor; others currently do not, such as Toshiba, and you must buy the disk manager/ drive overlay programs seperately. Hardware solutions are not available for the Libretto. All PC BIOSs boot from the Master Boot Record (MBR) located at 0/0/1 C/H/S or LBA 0. The BIOS will examine the MBR for an active primary partition, then jump to the boot code on the HD for that partition to continue loading the operating system installed there. The MBR can also contain additional code, and drive-overlay programs use this location and the empty space in this initial track on the HD to store itself, which is never used by any partitions. Once the drive overlay program has been loaded into memory, replacing the obsolete Int13 code, the older PC can now access the full capacity of the HD. However, there are still three additional problems which must be considered when installing and using >8GB HDs in older Librettos - HDs larger than 137GB, the Libretto Hibernation area and OS limitations. HDs larger than 137GB exceed all maximum capacities of modern BIOSs and there is no physical way around this problem. PC makers must redesign both the IDE interface and the BIOS to use HDs larger than 137GB - however, at the beginning of 2001, the largest Libretto HD is only 20GB whereas the largest desktop IDE HD is only 80GB. The Libretto copies the contents of RAM directly onto the end of the HD in a non-partitioned area usually hidden from the operating system automatically. On HDs larger than 8GB, without a drive overlay program, the Libretto will simply access the BIOS's obsolete Int13 code, and save data directly to the end of the HD, usually at the end of 8.4GB because it cannot see the rest of the >8.4GB HD. To correctly use the Libretto, you must split the HD into at least two partitions - one occupying the space under 8.4GB minus the required empty space for hibernation, and one occupying the space above 8.4GB to the end of the HD. If you use a drive overlay program, it should correctly see the full drive capacity and place the hibernation area automatically at the end of the HD. The final remaining limitation has nothing to do with the Libretto itself and is the problem inherent in the operating systems you use - certain OSs can only handle HDs and partitions of certain sizes. This limitation can only be overcome by changing the OS or using a drive overlay program. DOS and Windows older than Win95 Rev. A can only see 8.4GB of any HD without a drive overlay program, and the entire HD with a drive overlay program. Each partition can only be made a maximum of 2.1GB in size. Windows NT can support HDs larger than 8.4GB only with Service Pack 4 installed. The NT partition can only be a maximum 4GB in size until it is fully installed, at which time it can be expanded using the built-in Disk Administrator program. Windows 95 Rev. A or newer can support HDs of any size, but you should make sure you install all available patches fixing minor large HD problems. The fdisk that comes with Windows 95 Rev. A or higher (eg. when you go to Command Prompt Only mode or boot from an Windows 95 Rev. A or higher Emergency Disk) will support partitions larger than 2.1GB only if you enable large partition support at the prompt when you begin partitioning the HD. Older fdisks that come with older versions of Windows and DOS will not support partitions greater than 2.1GB. Third partiiton partition programs such as Partition Magic or Ranish Partition Manager will support partitions of any type and maximum size for those types as long as the hardware and BIOS and drive overlay programs support them. Thus, if you are installing a HD larger than 20GB in a Libretto 20-110, the easiest method is to install the HD into the Libretto, install the drive overlay program, then partition according to the OSs you will use, format, and install the OS, drivers and applications. With newer Librettos, simply install the HD, partition, format, and install the OSs, drivers, and applications. If you are installing an OS that supports its own >8.4GB HD access code such as Linux, you must remember to put the hibernation partition at the end of 8.4GB and leave space for it if the code does not replace the Int13 BIOS code with newer code that will let the BIOS know where the actual end of HD is when it hibernates. Linux users have found the hibernation partition to begin at the 1023/1024 cylinder count and continues up from there. (usually size of maximum RAM + 10-40MB extra) Again, you'll have to determine exactly where the hibernation data is stored, or simply avoid the area starting at 1023 cylinder and the next 100-150MB. A quick search of the Libretto Mailing List archives will bring up the short Linux program that will let Linux users determine exactly where the hibernation data is being stored on the >8GB HDs. GEN-005 External CD-ROM drives The Libretto does not come with a standard CD-ROM drive. You may purchase an external drive to allow you to access and install CD-ROM programs and information. Toshiba has a CD-ROM drive for the Libretto listed on their Japanese L100 & L1000 web pages. Don't expect to see 36x CD-ROM to Libretto transfer rates with any external CD-ROM drive (with the exception of the L100 using a 32-bit Cardbus SCSI card) -- the realistic maximum transfer rate from a PCMICA card to the Libretto is 2MB/second. adorable recommends... If you can find the Sony 6x CD-ROM Discman portable player refurbished, this will be one of the best buys available. It sells for over $250 new, but under $150 refurbished. Also, it comes with an Adaptec 1460A PCMCIA SCSI card, and if you buy a seperate cable, you can attach other SCSI devices as well like the Iomega ZIP and Jaz drives, CD-R/CD-RW recorders, scanners, and more. Also, you can use this player as a portable audio CD player, and it comes with headphones. All you need to do to install this drive under Windows 95 is to plug it in! Can also use a Li-Ion rechargable battery or 4 AAs for portable use (neither choice included). A bargin and recommended. adorable says... If you want to use the CD-ROM drive with future OSs, try to stay with a well-known company. Smaller companies may not be around to write new drivers. Also, CPU time will be consumed less by certain types of connections (SCSI, ATA/IDE) and more by others (parallel port). This will affect sustainable transfer rates (faster with SCSI, ATA/IDE) and the responsiveness of the OS while transfering data (you may find your OS grinding to a near halt with parallel port transfers). Almost all thin, recently introduced portable CD-ROM drives will work fine with the Libretto, so pick the style and features you want. Most can be used as a portable audio CD player as well. If you want to use the CD-ROM drive away from an AC plug, look for models that can use batteries, especially rechargable ones. GEN-006 Drive interfaces You will find three types of external hard drive/CD-ROM connectors in use today: SCSI, parallel port, and IDE/proprietory. You will want to pick one depending on whether you will need use of the parallel port or the PCMCIA slot at the same time the CD-ROM drive is connected and in use. The amount of CPU usage required to access data through one of these connectors does vary. In general, SCSI connections require the least amount of CPU time. This affects the remaining CPU power that can be applied to multimedia and doing work while reading data off the drive. A SCSI drive will let you playback movies and work with few pauses and problems; a parallel port drive will cause your system to be less responsive during read/writes and maybe incapable of doing much else properly, such as smooth playback of multimedia. As a reference, one magazine tested reading 4x off an external CD-ROM drive on a 200Mhz system. The SCSI drive used only 2% of CPU processing power; the IDE drive used 24%; and the parallel port connection used 70%. You can expect a PCMCIA IDE drive to use between 2% and 30% of CPU time. SCSI connectors These PCMCIA card connectors usually install easily and can be used to control and connect to other SCSI devices. They usually have better transfer rates than the other connection types, but not more than the maximum of around 2MB/second transfer rate with any PCMCIA interface card. Also, the installation, if it uses the Adaptec SCSI cards, is easy - simply plug it in and Windows 95 will auto-detect the card (1450,1460 models). The CPU can let the SCSI card & device fetch data on its own, thus resulting in low CPU useage transfering data to and from the SCSI device. You can attach up to 7 devices to a SCSI card, such as a SCSI scanner, SCSI hard drive, SCSI ZIP/JAZ drive, and SCSI CD-ROM drive. Parallel Port connectors These connectors will need a pass-through if you want to use a printer or other parallel port device. To achieve the best throughput, you will need to use an ECP/IEEE 1294 compatible parallel port cable, have set the parallel port to ECP mode in BIOS, and not do much in Windows 95 while transfering data. Data throughput is less than over a SCSI connector, and varies depending on the CPU activity. Usually, parallel port connections take up a large amount of CPU power and attention, and you will only often see a sustained 2x-4x connection transfer rate because the CPU can do little, if nothing, else while working on data transfer to and from the parallel port. You can not print through the parallel port while reading/writing to a parallel port drive. Some printers will not work when attached to the parallel port pass-through of a parallel port drive. IDE/proprietory connectors Usually, you will see an odd CD-ROM drive that connects to the Libretto using an IDE/ATA PCMCIA card, or other proprietory connector. IDE/ATA transfers are usually good, close to the performance of SCSI connections. Proprietory, non-IDE connectors require device drivers to work and the company making the device may not write drivers for all operating systems. adorable recommends... Just get a SCSI PCMCIA card and drive for the best performance and the ability to attach up to 7 SCSI devices, such as drives and scanners, at once. GEN-007 Keyboard Librettos worldwide use different key layouts and spacings. The English/European models use a keyboard with wider keyspacing than that used by the Japanese models. (see adorable toshiba libretto web site for details). //Remapping Keys// You can remap most keys on the Libretto (Japanese, European and US models). Microsoft's Kernel Toys available for free includes a keyboard remapping program that can be used to remap keys as desired. Other more sophisticated key remapping programs can be found at [005] and searching the Internet. GEN-008 Screen The Libretto uses an active matrix (TFT) LCD (liquid crystal display) screen manufactured by Sharp. The actual number of colors that can be displayed on the L20-70 appears to be 256,000 colors; on the L100 & L1000, it is 16 million. Although the screen is sturdy and can stand some vibration, an LCD screen will break if dropped or if too much pressure is applied to it. Replacement of an LCD screen is usually expensive. GEN-009 Mice The Libretto can use an external mouse if connected to the serial port of either standard or extended port replicators, or the PS/2 mouse port on the extended port replicator (on the L100, the PS/2 port is also on the standard replicator). You can use both the external mouse and the built-in Accupoint mouse at the same time. You can buy the replacement mice caps from any authorized Toshiba Repair Center if still made. [006] However, the best way to prevent premature wear on the built-in mice cap is to remember that you should not brush the mouse with your fingers. Instead, hold your finger in place on the top of the mouse and move it as if you were tilting it towards the direction you desire. The L50/J and L60/J came with several replacement caps in the box; other models may or may not have come with such - they are tiny, so make sure you don't throw them out with the packaging by mistake by thoroughly inspecting the packaging for them. GEN-010 IR port The infrared (IRDA) port on the L20-70 and the Fast IRDA port on the L100 & L1000 are capable of communicating with another infrared device at speeds up to 115Kbs and 4Mbs respectively. With the proper drivers installed, the IRDA port can be used to print to printers that have an IRDA port, and to communicate with other devices that support IRDA communications, including file transfer. This can be used to replace the cables traditionally used in printing and networking. // Installing drivers to use the IR port // Windows 95 driver setup With the L20-70 and Windows 95 versions older than OSR 2, you will need to download the free Windows 95 IRDA driver package from Microsoft to enable IRDA support. If you have Windows 95 OSR 2 or higher, the drivers are provided for the standard IRDA and you simply add them with the installation of Windows 95, or afterwards by selecting 'Add New Hardware' and installing the Infrared device. There is no built-in support for the FastIRDA port under Win95 or Win98; you must download the Toshiba FastIRDA driver to enable printing and communications for the L100/L1000. For the L100/L1000, you download the Toshiba FastIRDA driver from Toshiba's web site first, then install the driver as instructed by the install notes that are included. You will need to have the Infrared driver installed before you can use the IRDA port for printing or communications (when properly installed, you will see an icon for Infrared in Control Panels). When you install the Infrared driver, Windows 95 will install 'virtual' port - parallel and serial ports - that actually send all data sent to these virtual ports over the IRDA port. Thus, for printing, you simply attach the printer to the virtual parallel port to print through the IRDA port. The same for networking. GEN-011 Modems // adorable recommends... // 56Kb modems are cheap nowadays (as low as $60) and reduce phone bills. Since battery life is affected by power drain, a modem that consumes less power is prefered. Also, a card with a XJack connector will eliminate the need to carry a seperate phone connector, and it will not be lost unlike other connectors. I would look at the Hayes Optima 56Kb XJack PCMCIA modem for a brand-name modem. Cheap, no-brand 56Kb modems can be found for $90 or less; cheap, no-brand 33.6Kb modems for $60 or less. Lots of modems are often put on clearence sales. You can find great bargins all over the Internet at the major auction and bidding sites, such as EBay, OnSale, and UBid. As an example, on 12 June 1998, the 3COM/Megahertz CCEM3288 28.8Kb modem with cellular phone connectivity/10-baseT & 2 compatible was available in large quantities (several hundred) starting at $19.99. In addition, you can often find many older Megahertz XJack 28.8/33.6Kb modems for less than $50 US from online stores and in the Usenet newsgroups, and often start at bids of $1 at the online bidding sites. These are very reliable modems, and install very easily. It is no wonder that they were one of the, if not the, most popular laptop modems made. (If not a 33.6Kb Megahertz XJack, then try to get one of the 28.8Kb Megahertz XJack modems that can be flash upgraded in software for free to 33.6Kb (eg. model # XJ4228, XJ1228, etc.)) Don't forget to check with the manufacturer's web site for the latest firmware upgrades. Often, flashing in the latest firmware will eliminate communications errors, improve performance, and generally give you a better running modem. // Modem speeds and standards // There are only four major speeds of interest in analog modems: 14.4Kb, 28.8Kb, 33.6Kb, and 56Kb. All faster modems will support and connect to slower modems; the reverse is not true. Don't bother buying a modem which only supports non-standard modem protocols (eg. V.FC, X2, K2 flex...) as they are obsolete. 14.4Kb - To identify, the modem must support V.32bis. Dog slow. Bascially the slowest you will want to use to surf the Internet, and even then, you'll have lots of coffee breaks while browsing with pictures turned off. 28.8Kb - V.34 standard, but before the 31.2/33.6Kb were soon added. There was a brief period when the V.34 modems only went as fast as 28.8Kb, but then two faster speeds were added and supported. Slow. Decently fast with text pages due to improved compression schemes vs. 14.4Kb, but you'll switch between browsing with pictures turned off and on. Faster than 14.4Kb, but not snappy. 33.6Kb - V.34 standard. Because it was found that two faster speeds (31.2/33.6) could be added to 28.8Kb modems with ease, it was. While not part of the initial 'V.34' official standard, it has become standard and expect any V.34 compliant modem to support communications up to 33.6Kb nowadays. Medium. Quick enough so most pages load without much hesitation, but you'll occasionally hit a graphics heavy page that'll make you squirm. Heavier, multimedia loaded pages will slow you down. 56Kb - V.90 standard. In actuallity, you will NEVER run at 56Kb due to line noise and FCC regulations. The average speeds you will see is 42Kb, and as you can see, it's not that much faster vs. 33.6Kb modems. Medium-fast. Most lightly loaded pages load up quickly, and surfing the net feels somewhat snappy. Still, heavily loaded multimeda pages will slow you down. // Types of phone line connectors // There are four major types of connectors found in modem cards used to connect the card to a phone line. 1. Physically integrated jack. These modems are rare due to the vertical space required for the jack. Usually, these modems come with a regular phone jack attached at the exposed card edge (the end of the card that is visible when inserted into the Libretto). Some are permanently attached, others are detachable. 2. Line dongle. These connectors are commonly seen in cheaper brands. It is a flat plug the height of the card and connects directly to the exposed edge of the modem card. The plug is connected to a short line, usually a couple inches long, and then to a larger dongle which houses the phone plug. 3. XJack. These are one of two proprietary plug designs. This design was originally made popular in the Megahertz line of modem cards (now owned by 3COM after being purchased by USRobotics). This is a flat jack that pops in and out of the edge of the modem card. The phone line comes in from atop and plugs vertically into the open jack center. 4. SimpleJack. This design was made popular by Simple Technologies in their line of modem cards. Unlike the XJack which pops in-and-out, this jack opens up vertically like a mouth opening up to accept the phone line, which plugs straight in facing the exposed edge of the card. // Advantages/disadvantages of the various connectors // 1. Physically integrated jack. + Strong connector box. Usually, you'll never break the box that houses the jack itself due to its bulky shape. Often, these boxes will also have a second jack so you can connect another device in line, such as a telephone, so you don't need to unplug and replug the phone line to use another device. Some have modem lights to indicate the status of the modem during operation. - Connector to the card can break and cause damage to the card. Big size, usually gets in the way of using the second slot in PCMCIA slots that handle dual cards. Exposed when not in use. The box remains exposed outside the laptop when not in use and can be damaged or snagged during travel. Detachable versions can get lost. 2. Line dongle. + Phone line is located away from the laptop and has room to bend to connect, while remaining out of the way of the laptop. Usually disconnects when too much stress and strain in placed on the dongle, preventing damage to the phone card itself. Some have modem lights to indicate the status of the modem during operation. Some have a second phone jack for hooking up other phone devices to the phone line. - You have to carry a seperate part with the laptop. It can get lost. 3. XJack + Lightweight, stored internally, no parts to lose. - Phone cord must bend to fit from above. Too much strain on the line could pull the jack out and/or damage the card as it normally is not possible to remove the jack from the card. 4. SimpleJack + Lightweight, stored internally. Phone line goes in horizontally into the jack and does not have to bend to fit. Excessive strain, when the Simplejack connector is attached to the exposed edge of the card, will usually result in safe detachment of the jack and line with no harm made to the card. - The SimpleJack connector must open vertically to be used. This prevents the use of the second slot in a dual PCMCIA slot, and the SimpleJack can not be used in the default location on the card in a single slot PCMCIA slot --- thus you must detach the jack and connect it to the secondary connector located on the exposed edge of the card. You can lose this jack when moving it back and forth between the two locations. // Power consumption range of modem card // Range varies from 100mA for a slow 14.4Kb card to a large 300mA for a 56Kb card. While power consumption does increase with faster frequencies, there are fast 56Kb modem cards that consume less power than other 56Kb cards (eg. Hayes Optima @ 131mA, 3COM/Megahertz 56Kb @ 290 mA) due to more efficient circuits. To lengthen the Libretto battery life, try to use a lower power modem card that draws less energy. As a rule of thumb, look for modem cards that draw less than 200mA. You can also, turn the card off when it is not in use, or remove it from the Libretto to lengthen battery life. // Heat generation // All electronic devices will generate heat due to resistance in the circuits, and thus will add to increase the temperature of the surrounding area. Modem cards will run warm/hot in the Libretto, but should never exceed 120 degrees F (50 degrees C). Doing so may cause serious damage to the card, Libretto and yourself if you happen to touch the card at that temperature. Some cards, like the 3COM/Megahertz XJack modems, consume more energy than others, and will run hotter on average vs. lower power cards. You can expect a hotter running modem to experience a greater chance of thermal shutdown and communciations problems. The 3COM/Megahertz XJack cards have also been reported to run hotter than other, lower power modems. Better low power XJack card(s) The lowest power available XJack 56Kb modem card available is the Hayes Optima 56Kb card - 131mA power consumption @ 5VDC. Worse high power XJack card(s) 3COM/Megahertz 56Kb modems - on average 290mA @ 5VDC. GEN-012 Batteries & AC Adapters //Battery Meter Accuracy// The battery meter in the Librettos are not extremely accurate. This is due to the fact that the batteries do not contain any accurate monitoring chips that can report in-depth information to the APM/ACPI power management controller in the system. Unlike other laptops, such as the Sony 505GX, where the battery meter is far more accurate due to the use of intelligent batteries, the Libretto user can expect to have some 'emergency' runtime after the battery meter is at 0%. As a result, you can easily run the standard battery (