Official 2012 Sony S Series Owners Thread

So jealous and sad I got rid of my s13. Awesome job. How much was screen and where u get it?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

there is other way for display of all parameters of power management it is necessary in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings
to change all parameters
"Attributes"=dword:00000001
to
"Attributes"=dword:00000000

 

The lid is not any more flexible after cutting. The carbon fiber is quite resilient and there are many more load-bearing structures molded into the back part of the lid. I can't tell visually if the keyboard is any closer, but I just went traveling today for 2 hours on a plane with my laptop compressed in my backpack and there are no marks on the screen. You are definitely more tolerant of the stock screen, because just after a month of using this laptop, I felt like my eyes just couldn't take the graininess anymore!

I actually kept some of the clips from the underside of the front bezel and thinned them down a bit with a Dremel sanding tool so that they are still functional. Otherwise, there is nothing to keep the sides of the bezel in place except for maybe gluing it down which would be messy. And yes, if the "standoffs" were cut too much, I guess I would have had to shim them with some felt or tape.

The bezel bulges a bit on the top halfway between the camera and the edge of the screen, on both sides. But I just took another look underneath and there are some posts I must have overlooked which need to be removed.

 

just got my S15 delivered today!!

I will be testing out the screen to see if it has the orangegate issue....so far it doesn't look it! =)
Will post pictures sometime this week.

 

The translation is really bad. What does this actually do?

 

Hi guys!!! :hi2:

First of all I would like to thank all of you for all the knowledge you shared. I read all posts and it could not be more helpful!! Much appreciated!!!

I have just ordered an S15 model wirh Windows 8 and I have a question regarding clean installation (yes I searched the thread

There is an offer from Microsoft to upgrade Windows 7 to 8 Pro for £25, ending 31st January. I have Win7 on my old laptop so I can take advantage of it. However I do not need Windows 8 Pro and I'm completely fine with stock Windows 8 that comes with s15. The only thing I would like to do is to do a clean install of Windows 8 to get rid of all Sony crapware and I'm not sure if I can do that using recovery partition (I assume it would just restore my PC to factory settings with all Sony programs installed again)

So may question is:

In order to do a clean install of Windows 8 on S15, do I need to have a separate Windows 8 copy (I assume Pro as that's the only copy Microsoft sells on their webpage) or can I do this with just software that is provided on recovery partition?

It would be great guys if you could help me with that as soon as possible as the offer runs out in 8 days:/

Thanks in advance!:thumbsup:

 

As far as I understand it, if you use the recovery partition you will be forced to reinstall all crapware.

What you want to do is find a Windows 8 disc (doesn't matter what version, download/borrow the disc), and do a clean install on the laptop. Your product key is locked into your BIOS with an OEM Windows 8. If I understand it correctly, you won't even be asked for a product key during installation. Windows 8 will install using the product key in your BIOS and all will be good. No need to purchase a new copy. You will have to format the recovery partition on your own.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I'll be doing this process myself once my S15 arrives (ordered 2 days ago)

 

Yes, you are right.

 

Hey, just a few quick questions here. Would it be worth it to wait for the release of the Haswell S15's or for the gpu to be upgraded? Also, what is the actually battery life of this laptop with a slice battery for both basic use and more intensive use?

 

Haswell is reported to be coming out around June, so it's really dependent on how badly you need a laptop. There's always something better 6mo around the corner. As far as battery life, I have no hands-on experience, but from what I've gathered it should be 7+ hours for basic use with the sheet battery. Not sure for intensive use

 

I've been in class 4.5 hours today, and I still have 52.2% left (both combined)

I fluctuate between 3-5 bars of brightness, no audio, and just mostly browsing and note taking.

Have had bluetooth mouse connected for a couple hours also.

Running the i5 config w/ a 256gb m4 ssd 12gb ram

 

Quick random, and likely obvious question.

Does the sheet battery charge along with the laptop when it's attached? Or must you charge it separately with the included charger?

 

If sheet is lower, charges sheet first to 80%, and then charges comp battery to 100%, and then finished sheet (bug requires replugging AC adapter or it won't finish the last 20%).

I also block Flash on my browser to get the type of battery life i'm getting.

 

Woflfick/Hadisious

Thanks a lot for you response! I should have my S15 delivered in 10 days so I'll let you know if it worked.

Much appreciated!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Toaster

 

Does anyone know how to set WEB button to launch browser when using SRware Iron? - currently it does nothing when i change default browser from chrome to Iron.

It works with Chrome but not with Iron. Iron is basically chrome without bloat.

Any clues?

Thanks!

 

As I stated on the previous page, I would post up some pictures of my screen to see if I have the orangegate issue.

You be the judge...

Left: first Gen MacBook (2006 model I believe), so DARK, oh how technology has changed !! LOL
Middle 2: Samsung SyncMaster T220 & Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (GT-P7510)
Right: SVS151290x










To me I think I got lucky and DON'T have the orangegate issue! =) REDs look as RED as they can be in my opinion.

 

congrats.. the reds don't bother me at all even if they look a bit orange.. rather have the ability to OC to 650m levels w/ the older version : )

The current 640m le is to crippled.

 

Thanks for the response. Does it show you the percentage of each battery in windows separately? Or does it average them out?

 

the power options in task bar shows the average and then the individual % separately.

 

I feel the same way.
The orange is really not a big issue tbh.
I can understand for those that do a lot of photo editing and such that it can be. But for other users this is really barely noticable.
The screen is really nice otherwise and have great colors. And it is not uncommon for IPS screens to have problems with some color.

Im really glad i bought my vaio before the upgrade.
Mostly cos of the bios mod of gpu and the fact that if you swap the odd for and extra hdd (like i have) you get a constant 10-20% cpu load with the newer one.
Tbh im not sure i would have bought this computer at all if those 2 things didn't work.

 

Hello everyone, after reinstall had troubles with keyboard backlight settings just gone , after it tried to install Ubuntu 12.10 - bad Idea , one core is always 80% busy , and hdmi & vgs do not work. So after that tried to install win 7 , all is ok, except Fn keys and keyboard backlight settings again, does anyone have a solution , or maybe backups of drivers? Thanks a lot

 

Hopefully someone finds a way to do the bios mod with the new version eventually. I rarely game on my laptop so it's not as important to me, but it would be a nice perk down the road if someone gets it working.

 

Hey All,

I'm looking into a Sony SVS1512DCXB laptop and have doubts on its abilities to be a gaming computer. Please know I'm cognizant of other company's offerings, but prefer Sony, based on experience.

I'm not exactly blown away by the gt640m LE; almost every review I've found of it makes me believe it's a worthless graphics card.

Is there any use for the gt640m le, or am I just looking in to the wrong gaming laptop altogether?

Again, I'm a huge fan of Sony, but have almost always been disappointed by their graphics card selections.

 

First of all, where did you get the impression that Sony SVS15 is a gaming laptop? Sony doesn't actually make gaming laptops, but they do make slim laptops which offer full voltage CPUs and decent graphics cards for the size (though you have to mod the 640M LE into 650M via that modded BIOS to get it to the level of the top competition e.g. like the Macbook Pro or the Asus U500VZ). The physics and the current technology limitations are making it impossible to fit something stronger into such thin cases. If you want a gaming laptop, than you have to compromise with the extra weight and lower portability.

 

Yes. But the laptop he linked cant be modded to 650m speeds. Its only the older win 7 versions of that laptop.
So in other words. If you cant find one of those i would look elsewhere.

 

I should've been more specific, but was advised by the sony store "computer" associate. Please know I'm cognizant of Sony not exactly marketing themselves as a "gaming" computer mfr, but their product speaks volumes with me.

I own a VPCL137FX desktop, presently, and recently had my custom built VGN-AR270G die - after 6 years of use. So, with my latop finally biting the bullet, I'd just like a new laptop that has the ability to play some more modern games.

Does anyone know if the S series is due for a refresh, or if they plan to offer a more powerful graphics card in any of their offerings?

 

There likely won't be a refresh until Haswell processors come out around June

 

Do you believe the refresh will be inclusive of a graphics card update, or is the gt640m le as good as it'll get?

 

Hard to say, but they will probably update it in some respect. Haswell has updated integrated graphics (GT2 or GT3), so there will be at least a bit better graphics potential in that regard.

 

I would like to start a thread within this thread about Color Profiles.

Can everyone post their unique Color Profile from the Intel Graphics and Media Control Panel? It would be interesting to see which Color Profile would be best for the Vaio laptops.

We can have a section for S13 models and the S15 models.

 

Need some quick help:

I have a S15 with Win 8, just got a SSD (samsung 840). I am having trouble getting an ISO to do a clean install. I checked the usual places (tpb) but when I burn it to a dvd I get an error message "No Operating System found" even when I have it set to boot from optical drive.

I tried to do the Win 7 USB boot tool but I need an official Microsoft ISO.

Also tried using the Windows 8 setup exe from here - Upgrade to Windows 8 with only a product key - Microsoft Windows but when I input my Windows 8 product key (retrieved it by using Belarc Advisor) it says I can't use that key to install a retail version of Windows. So I can't even get the iso via that method.

Is there anything I've overlooked?

 

Ive been looking at the S series for gaming to. This seems like the most useful summary of gaming performance ive found for the S series (S13P) at any rate - Sony VAIO S 13.3 Gaming Demo - YouTube, Same GPU in the 15in as far as I am aware..

It seems to perform pretty well..

 

Use your downloaded iso (used for DVD burn) and make a bootable pendrive with Win7USB. Your product key is embedded into the BIOS. It will work for sure. I did the same when i installed win 8 to my SSD.

 

how do I switch to the dedicated GPU for the s13 on windows 8? i did a reformat and used the vaio upgrade tool to install all the drivers. I'm using gpuz to monitor the stats but it doesnt seem like its using the 640m

 

You can find this key in bios by using some special apps , found one on some us form, also you can use any installation of windows , even not activated and then change key inside the system , like I did for win 8 pro, and system will be activaed already right after reboot, just one thing that after reisntall I 've lost some drivers and settings like backlight of keyboard etc , so if it's possible make dump, if it's possible possible then send it to me ) plz ) Cause sone support is useless in it . So if you will have any questions , you can ask no probs , will try to help . Cheeerz

 

I am quoting myself if anyone reads this in the future with the same problem they can fix it.

I forgot to change my BIOS setting to 'LEGACY' once I did that everything went smoothly!!

Oh I also had to input my product key after the install, possibly because I switched to Legacy bios, so yeah extract your product key using Belarc Advisor or some other uitlity before you put your ssd in.

 

I did a clean install on my SSD and everything works out of the box even keyboard backlight. I haven't installed any drivers from Sony yet.

I am going to do everything in this guide from heywhitmarsh: http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...y-s-series-owners-thread-511.html#post8955315

 

So far, this thread only has 1 post regarding Color Profiles. I guess not many people are interested about getting the best Color combination?

 

Hm, really strange, have you did it from an image of old pre-installed OS , or just downloaded somewhere copy of win 8 and install it, cause inside win 8 everything was fine except backlight settings, for win 7 Fn keys do not work at all, sad story. This is the first laptop for me with problems like this, sad story really

 

The new integrated GPU might be up to 640M LE levels or even more so apart from the questionable Intel driver support, there might be little reason to put the 640M LE in. The question is will there still be plans for the S model refresh and if so, will there be some new graphics cards available with a suitable TDP to fit it in case of this size.

 

How heavy/bulky does the sheet battery make the laptop? I'm trying to decide between this laptop, a refurbished Thinkpad W520, or the new Samsung Series 7 (might end up being too expensive). I'm basically going to be using it for the same purpose as you are (school and such) and maybe a bit of gaming/linux dual bootery.

 

Thanks for coming back to tell everybody how you fixed it. I'm a bit curious why you had to go to Legacy BIOS though. I was under the impression that UEFI worked fine and you didn't need a product key. My S15 is on its way and I'll report back how it goes for me.

Can anybody else comment on whether they were forced to change BIOS to LEGACY in order to do a clean install Win8 on an SSD?

 

it adds about a pound.. which makes it just as heavy as the series 7 15in i believe. It does add slightly less than half in to the thickness. Which i'm sure the S15 would still be smaller than the W520.

If you're gonna game, make sure u get a refurb so u can use the bios mod for 650m speed.

 

URGENT!

I want to access my BIOS as I want to turn off my ODD but I can't seem to access it anymore. Before, I would press F2 to bring up BIOS, but whenever I press F2, it now brings up the Windows Boot Manager page....Also I can't press ASSIST as I don't have Vaio Care, this is a clean installed laptop.

I also can't use System Restore as I don't know when this problem occured...

 

Fully turn off your pc , then press assist button , laptop will turn on by pressing it, and you will see UEFI menu, inside it press F2. Just I have not found any settings for turn on/off devices like dvd or something like this. Too poor BIOS

 

The last days I recognized a annoying error on my S13A. The Laptop has much problems to log into Wifi Networks and when it is connected the connection suddenly breaks down.

I installed the latest intel Wifi drivers.

 

Nope, by pressing ASSIST, all it does is turn on the laptop....no other menu.

PS: By pressing F3 or DEL, I get to the Windows Boot Manager as well..

Should I install Vaio Care then?

 

So I've chosen a Sony Vaio S 13.3 to be next notebook. I should get it Thursday with an i5 3210M, 6GB DDR3, 750GB HD and 4000HD graphics. I originally wanted an ultrabook but then decided there weren't any ultrabook offerings in my budget that met my expectations so I went for the S13 because of the relatively light weight and size as well as the full power i5 CPU and build quality since it will be carried around almost all day and also be used as a desktop replacement. I paid $799 from Amazon, I realize I could have gotten the GT640M and 1600x900 for the same price from Sony but I could only buy from Amazon. Can't wait to get it.

 

I plan to buy an 13, with 1366x768, i7, and upgrade to a Samsung 840 Pro SSD, and make a clean install of Windows 8.
I also plan to purchase:
- Sony Sleeve
- Sony S13 Docking station with 500GB HDD (to attach screen, scanner, printer, etc.)
- Sony Travel AC adapter
- Sony S13 Sheet battery
- Sony Bluetooth mouse

I'm reading the thread, learned a lot, but I am only at page 56 of the 580 so far...

1. What is the experience regarding wear and robustness?
I plan to use it half-half on my desk, and on the go, carry in the laptop-compartment my backpack.
Is there any advantage on wear and robustness of the carbon fiber version?
I had a look on the Lenovo W530, but due to weight and cost, I would prefer the Vaio.

2. First, I was tempted by the S15, but found the letters to be too small at native resolution, and ad DPI scaling, somehow things are just "not right" in most programs.
Anyone using the S13 with 1600x900, how do you find it for everyday use - tiny letters, not tiny letters, icons, interface?
Do you need to lean closer to the screen?

3. Any known downsides of this laptop that I should be aware of?
I see the many positive comments and feedback, and am encouraged to go for it.

4. Any other recommended accessories?

5. Any feedback on the listed accessories?

6. I'm worried about no being able the remove the default battery. It will be constantly charged up when using the laptop on my desk. Any good ways of preventing unnecessary battery wear?

Thanks!

 

Thank you for the link to the Youtube video, I appreciate it; I'm really looking in to the S15 and playing in HD resolution, so I'm still a little skeptical.

I'm hoping the S series refresh, as previously mentioned, will take advantage of the new Haswell chipset and have the ability to run a better graphics card.

I understand that Sony isn't exactly a DTR mfr, presently, but am I asking too much for a notebook with some actual power?

Please know that I'm not worried about weight and would prefer to remain with Sony.