sony vpc-s11 + msata or expresscard options

I've been looking at getting myself a ssd. Now, i already determined it is possible by using a caddy and a ssd but I'm curious to know if there are msata, mpcie or expresscard solutions

so i was trying to find pictures on the internals of the laptop (because i actually also want to know what other things i can add).

1. Does anyone have a service manual and/or pictures of the internals of this laptop?

2. are there expresscard to msata solutions? this would make a lot of sense as i don't have to open up the laptop

3. any other ssd solutions other than the caddy.

4. is it possible to add 3g and/or fingerprint to this laptop (yes totally unrelated, but it were options for this laptop)

 

1) Sony only has service manuals for ASP (Authorized Service Providers) and do not allow normal consumers access to those manuals. (I'm a Sony ASP at my workplace).

2) I don't think EC to mSATA works, there are EC SSDs.

3) If you are talking about having an SSD as the main and having a secondary drive, unless you do EC, I don't think so. Many HDD caddys that fit in your optical drive support hot swap as long as your SATA operation is in AHCI so you could readily remove it for your ODD if you needed it.

4) If you buy the 3G card separate and you have the contract. As for the fingerprint reader, likely you will need to find the Sony P/N (like pulling teeth from a dragon).

 

ok so let me see if i understand correctly.

1. s11 doesn't have msata support. (and no way to work around this)
2. only other way to add a drive (other than using a caddy) is to use an ec ssd (which are rare and expensive but that's a side note)
3. it is possible to buy a seperate 3g card using m-pcie and add it (wat do you mean if you have the contract?)
4. finger print reader is avaiable but i would ahve to find the product number and order that (from ebay?)

 

bump. Sure want to know about the 3g card.... Actually if there still is a spare m-pcie i can pupolate that with an ssd (or is there only one slot taken by the wifi? and will the wifi be replaced by a wifi+3g card?)

 

bump bump?

 

Your system doesn't have SATA I/O pins attached to the mPCIe socket, so you can't use a mSATA or mPCIe (netbook) SSD. Consider too thateExpresscard SSDs don't allow booting from the drive unless you have quite an advanced bios that does. Those SSDs are only really useful then as a data drive.

There is then only one possible way of getting a bootable mSATA or mPCIe SSD in the box without sacrificing your ODD. That is by wiring the e-sata port internally to one of those SSDs. Required are 4TX/RX lines, 3GND wires and 3.3V, soldering and space to put the mSATA/mPCIE SSD. Not for the feint hearted. Could use a mSATA or mPCIE SSDs. They are very similar with only some of the power wires in different locations and one of the TX/RX lines is reversed.

We see then that the best and no invasive option is to swap out the optical drive for a caddy, put your primary HDD in the caddy and put a fast SSD in your primary drive bay.