Winbook XP - Chapter Five: Upgrades; Hardware Upgrade Procedures

CHAPTER FIVE: UPGRADES
HARDWARE UPGRADES
In Chapter Four we described two options you can either buy when you get your WinBook or
install yourself, namely audio and fax modem cards. This chapter covers the upgrades you can
get for your WinBookXP. These options are also available when you buy the computer, so you
may already have some. If you didn’t opt for any of them at the outset or you want to upgrade
further, contact the number listed on the “Read-Me-First” sheet that came with your system.
You can add more memory, a faster CPU and/or external cache memory to improve try your
WinBookXP’s performance. You can also get an additional hard disk drive to either supplement
or replace the one you got with the computer. First, we’ll look at the upgrades you can install
yourself.
SYSTEM MEMORY
You can upgrade your system DRAM memory from the base memory configuration of either 4
or 8MB (megabytes) to a total of 8MB, 16MB, or 32MB. Upgrading system memory lets you
run more programs at one time and in many situations will speed up the system.
There are two ways you can upgrade the memory in your system: install it yourself, or have it
installed for you through a customer service upgrade. If you are familiar with installing memory
SIMs in a computer, upgrading the WinBook memory follow the same procedure and you’ll
have no problem with the installation. If you are unfamiliar with this process or don’t feel
confident about doing the upgrade yourself, please contact the telephone number on the “Read-
Me-First” sheet, which came with your computer.
Static Electricity Warning
All components you handle are sensitive to static electric discharge. In order to protect the
components from damage (and you from shock) please take the following precautions before
handling the open computer or any components:
1. Wear a grounding wrist-strap. This strap is widely available in computer stores. It has an
alligator clip you must attach to something metal, and a strap that fits snugly around your
wrist.
2. Use an anti-static pad. All computer components come in their own anti-static bags, but
there are also foam pads, which give you a larger anti-static work area.
Once you’ve taken these precautions, you can proceed.f
Installing Memory Upgrades
To install a memory upgrade module yourself, follow the procedure below. Don’t forget to take
static electricity precautions.
1. Turn off the computer and disconnect all cables.