Official 2012 Sony S Series Owners Thread

You can't "fix" a panel which physically cannot show red or violet, which the Orangegate panels cannot. You can reduce how apparent the problem is but that's it.

Realistically if the Orangegate is enough of a problem for you because you are doing work with images or something else which requires better color gamut, the HP Envy 15 is now shipping with the revised panels which fix Orangegate and that would be a better option than the VAIO S15 in that case.

 

Why are Sony deals in USA so much better than in Europe? I'm considering ordering a Vaio S13P, but the only discount i can get is 7% education discount,... Any chance that the PS3/XBOX360 offers are coming to Europe? Should i wait or just don't be a poesy and order?

 

To me a "fix" is anything that makes the problem not a problem. By adjusting the levels of blue and red, you can effectively (for most people) make it a non-issue (if it already wasn't one).

You're correct though on work that depends on accurate color representation. In all honesty, there's rarely a good reason to do that work on a laptop and there are many monitors out there that have much better color spaces (for example, I do most of my work on a 27" Dell UltraSharp that covers 98% of AdobeRGB).

Also, the new panels in HPs have their own set of problems with blues/purples.

 

When I spoke to a rep and asked for some kind of buying incentive because sony USA were giving out free PS3s, he was just like "That is Sony USA, we have nothing to do with them, I can't give you a discount". I wouldn't bother waiting for a free PS3 mate, you'll be waiting forever

 

I took out the three easy screws and then managed to lift the harddrive up enough to pull out the connector. Then I was able to lift the flat cable to get at the other screw. I didn't bother replacing that screw with my SSD, I've just kept it with my old HDD incase I ever need to put it back in.

 

this interests those people who are clean-installing Windows on their hard drivers or SSDs and, hence, lose their pre-installed Adobe applications (Acrobar, Photoshop, Premier) and the Blu-ray playback software (PowerDVD). i have managed to recover those applications from the recovery partition on the factory-shipped hard drive so one can use them later on after clean-installing Windows. i have posted a step-by-step guide here. i hope you find it useful.

 

Don't get your hopes up...I'm 99% sure it is just the LE version. Customer service is bad as they don't even know the difference between the non LE and LE version.

Yesterday I rang Sony Netherlands (because that is where I live) to ask if there where any options regarding a discount on the final price of €1160 / $1454 (i7-3612QM, 12GB ram free, 2GB 640M LE) as the Dell Inspiron 15R is much cheaper and has almost the same specs (€860/$1078)...their answer: no, there isn't such an option. The guy who helped me basically said I should go for the Dell .

 

Thread has just been won.

 

Yeah sometimes they are really strange. I had send Sony Germany an Email asking if the GPU is 640M or 640M LE and the answer was that he does not know for sure but his research showed that it should be LE on all Ivy Bridge Vaios.

 

Coming from Dell XPS M1530 (4.5 years old) which i loved but it is heavy and starting to fall apart, i yo-yo-ed between the Vaio S and the Z series. Flexibility and upgradebility are pretty big pros for the S series imho. The Z series have a great WOW factor but i refuse to pay 600+ euro's extra for that.

So i just ordered this rig:

Productomschrijving : Notebook SV-S13A1C
Prijs : 1.318,75 (education discount)
Geheugen : 12 GB 1333 MHz DDR3-SDRAM
Harde schijf : 500 GB Serieel ATA (7200 rpm)
Grafische kaart : NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 640M
Batterij : Batterij met lange levensduur
Toetsenbord Style : Toetsenbord met backlight
Optisch station : DVD-station
Draadloos LAN : Draadloos LAN (IEEE 802.11abgn)
Processor : Intel®Core(TM)i7-3520M, 2,9GHz
Display : 33,7 cm LCD, 1600x900+camera
Afwerkingen : Gun Metallic

Standard 320GB harddisk was out of stock, so i took this one. I will build in 256GB SSD myself. Excited!!!

 

Excellent! The only one I didn't already own was the Blu-ray software. Now I feel less bad about torrenting it (didn't feel that bad to begin with, Sony should have given us a license key to do with as we please).

 

You sir, are a star.

 

Just called sony support again.
I had some questions concerning the display of the s13. He couldn't give me any specs but he said the premium display had a much lower reflecting surface compared to the plus display. So if anyone is looking for a display to work outside with - go for the premium version.

In addition he mentioned for me in germany(might be whole Europe - didn't ask) I have the right to return the laptop in the first 4 weeks in case I don't like it. Which I guess is a great service - which I hope I won't be using.

My notebook will arrive in the netherlands on 12.07. and will be shipped here in 3 days. My notebook left production 3 days ago(orderer on 20.06).

 

My 13" S just arrived a few minutes ago... very first impressions:

Size+Weight - Nice! - after seeing the size comparison with the Z, I was ready to be a little dissapointed here, but no, after using a bulky 15" Dell XPS, it's great

Build Quality - Good. Yes, the screen flexes a little (hold it at the middle when opening/closing and it doesnt). Palmrests feel very solid, the touchpad feels great - 2-finger scrolling works just about as well as that on Macbooks, and it takes a bit less force to click. Keyboard seems decent. Yes, there's a slight flex, but this is in most laptops - seems unavoidable without adding a lot of weight? It's a proper English (UK) keyboard with a big right-shift and double-height enter key, and I'm already finding it quite comfortable to use.

Screen - Initially very disappointing. From the second you boot it up, the black level seems very poor and uneven (especially along the bottom edge of the screen). Looks better once you get into Windows and it's running at it's native resolution (and with less black). After using it for another few minutes it's not looking so bad - maybe partly I'm just not used to the non-glossy screen. But the vertical viewing angle doesn't seem very good. I'm constantly adjusting it trying to get the best angle...

Software - Take off and nuke it from orbit, just to be sure! Absolutely needs a clean install - there's 3 junk toolbars in IE, FFS (I'm only using IE as it's already installed, and I've only had the machine for a few mins), and assorted nags, launch bars, and popups attacking from all directions... it's bloody awful - but that's to be expected from Sony. Anyway, I've got a 256Gb Samsung 830 to put in, so I was planning a reinstall anyway

No sign of any defects though, the headphone jack works, and there's no sign of any dead pixels. So time to put the SSD and RAM upgrade in, and get a nice clean OS install on there!

 

Inspiron is cheaper for a reason(s)... Its 50% heavier for example.
Theres tons of other reasons, but im sure youll know them already when comparing the looks, measurements and tech specs.

 

I might be purchasing either the S13 (with the 768p display) or the S15. I wanted to make sure that the laptops don't overheat while playing BF3 though. If they don't then that would be great.

Can anyone confirm that the laptops do not overheat while gaming?

 

there are plenty of reviews stating (low to tolerable) temperatures and also anecdotal reports in this thread of the laptop staying cool under strain/gaming...dont know how much more confirmation your looking for

 

I was wondering how the screen is on the new S series. I have seen the new T series and the Z3 series and I am loving the screen.

How is the new S compared to the SA3?

 

Has anybody a external 2.5" hdd (without power) at native usb 3 running? My WD elements is only working at the usb 2 port

 

Thanks. Also, is the 1600x900 display on the S13 matte?

 

yup

10char

 

I am currently waiting for delivery of my S13P (S13A) and I also ordered the docking station. I understand the dock comes with an internal 500GB drive - does anyone have experience of this?

-What is the interface and how fast is it - is it USB 3 or does the dock provide a SATA interface into the laptop?

- Can the drive be removed easily? I have a decent gigabit home network with a home server loaded up with drives so I don't think I'll be using the drive in the dock unless its significantly faster than my home network connection.

 

There is very little info about the newer docking station. All we know is disapointing.
- No USB3
- Not able to connect 2 monitors

Probably its rahter low speed connection to HDD as well.

 

After I replaced the HDD with a SSD, I took the HDD and put it in a USB 3.0 enclosure, where it runs fine on the USB 3.0 ports.

 

Little tip for SSD installers...

You don't *need* the spacer if you've got a slim drive, but I'd recommend putting it in there anyway. The edges of the HD bracket are quite sharp, and the fragile-looking HD ribbon cable goes over them. The spacer will protect that cable a little.

 

BOOM!

Just cancelled my previous S 15 order and then re-purchased to take advantage of the free RAM upgrade
I was going to buy it myself but now i save £40
current specs: i7 QC, 12GB RAM, 2GB 640 LE, 500GB 7200 rpm HDD (to be ssd)
Just got to wait for it to be built and delivered now

 

Thanks for the info. I knew about the dock not having USB 3 but I was specifically wondering what "type" of connection the the actual docking port is - eSATA/USB/propriatry/something else?
You're right though, not being able to connect two monitors is a bit of a pain but luckily I have never felt the need to (I always get a bigger single monitor for photo work - I've always preferred one big monitor to several smaller ones )

Nice, now just the waiting.... If only I'd waitied for a couple more days I would have been able to take advantage of the memory upgrade too. Never mind, at least I managed to get my i7 upgrade free (and some knocked off the dock) over the phone.
It must be a symptom of modern living that I *expect* stuff to appear the next day. Waiting for a couple of days is barely tolerable but 2-3 weeks?? That's unheard of since the 90's

 

I can't provide a link, but I was under the impression that (at least in the US) if Sony had a sale in the 4 weeks after you order one, you could just contact them and they will credit you back for the sale. No need to cancel orders and re-order or send your old laptop in and order a new one.

 

I purchased the extended three year warranty, but i'm in doubt now,...experiences with Sony warranty seems crappy so i learn from different sources on the internet,.... Should i cancel the extension or could it prove to be usefull and be worth the extra 120 euro's?

 

Do I remember reading somewhere back in this thread (the search function doesn't work) that Sony Vegas came pre-installed? Can't find it on my UK machine although I have had to do a restore from recovery.

 

I didn't find it on my S15 either. May have missed it before I swapped out my HDD.

 

Just got my S15, delivered to our office It's quite snappy even though my cheapest 5400rpm HDD and the Sony bloatware are still slowing it down.

Almost instantly after opening the laptop a tiny piece of the surface coating came off from the left front corner. I found the chip and might be able to glue it on.. (I can't be bothered to return it because of such a small defect.) Has anyone else ran into brittleness on their black, rough surfaced vaio?

 

I posted something about this earlier.. But does anyone have experiences dealing with Canadian Sony Customer Service? There seems to be a handful of "special offers" associated with Sony USA, but nothing on the Canadian website. Anyone able to schmooze their way into a free dock or anything?

 

just bought an S15 yesterday: tried every which way to get a better deal or something free; best I was able to negotiate was a $50.00 credit on my $979.99 plus HST purchase.
Good luck doing better: you may also note that the warranty is good only in Canada plus also any "custom laptop" is not returnable - both of which surprised me somewhat

 

US CTO SVS15 came with Sony programs. They are not pro versions but rather consumer, like ACID Music rather than ACID Pro, etc. I removed them all since I have pro versions (have not upgraded to SoundForge 10 but 9 is working fine).

It is possible that Sony does not have those preinstalled in all configurations. Europe might have different config from North America, for instance. In fact, for hardware US CTO version does not have fingerprint reader and does not let you configure to include one when ordering.

 

While replacing HDD with SSD, I noticed that to the right of Wi-Fi card, under the back cover there is an empty full-length mini-PCIe slot. Could be used to plug something like this with Logitech micro-receiver and leave all the original USB ports free.

 

I guess that's where the WWAN card would go, adding a usb port for a mouse receiver is a good idea What else could it be used for? Further to this, has anyone spotted any other potential expansion/add-on slots/connectors when accessing the internals??

 

$50 credit? Seems pretty weak if you ask me. Why can't we all just get the same deals? Would make things so much easier..

 

Definitely preinstalled on my S15. On the start menu it is towards the bottom in a folder simply called Sony

 

Hi All,

I have a question regarding Intel Wireless Card. I have a router which transmits both 2.4 Ghz and 5.0 Ghz radio bands. My old HP laptop is able to see both the networks. But my new Sony S15 is only seeing one network which is 2.4 Ghz. I'm not sure do I need to change any settings on wireless card to use 5 Ghz network. I tried adding manually 5 Ghz network but no luck. Can anyone faced same problem with 5 Ghz network?

 

I'm new to these forums(and forums in general), so if I do something wrong, just steer me in the right direction. Thanks!

I just ordered my first Vaio, a S15, and I selected freshstart(I don't like bloatware). My question is, does freshstart remove "Imagination Studio VAIO Edition"? You know, programs like Sound Forge, Vegas, Acid, etc. Thanks.

 

I am pretty sure "fresh start" means you have a clean install of windows 7 on your machine. so yes you will lose Sound Forge, Vegas, Acid, etc.

 

Looks are a big one for me. I plan to get all the babes when my Sony arrives. Seriously though, the laptop does look a lot better than the compitition imho.

 

Thanks jano_lapino, that makes sense. I guess I missed out on that software. I did manage to get the free docking station so I guess that makes up for it.

 

I got my Sony S15 Tuesday and I must say, this laptop is awesome.

My only issue so far is with the HDMI out. I connect my laptop to my TV and then the TV is hooked up to my A/V receiver. My issue is that I am only getting stereo output to my TV. I think it's something with the
Intel Audio driver as I cannot force the output to go out in 5.1. My only option is stereo. I have researched this problem online and a workaround I found is to go setup the audio through Windows Media Center. Strangely enough, I can force 5.1 in there and am getting Dolby DTS on my A/V receiver, but when I go back to Windows, it goes back to 2 channel (with no bass).

I remember having to mess around and load specific drivers on my old laptop for it to work fine. I have tried different ones without success. Another piece of information is that I did a fresh install of Windows 7 Ultimate and loaded the drivers/software in the order mentioned in this thread. Everything else seems to be working fine.

Anyone has had success with that? Anybody can help me?

Thank You guys for all your help in here

 

yes, it supposedly also exists on the 2011 model (SA). people use it for DIY eGPU solutions and connect desktop graphics card to the laptops for gaming.

 

Thanks darxide, I'll check it out and add it to the first post of the thread.

Petrov.

 

not so clean, but clean enough. you are still left with some useless SONY software (or should i call them adware?) even with Fresh Start, but i assume it's much better than the stock SONY configuration.

 

Try loading Vaio Smart Network. Then hit the "Settings" button on the bottom right hand side. Then under "Wireless LAN" the mode can be set to 2.4ghz only (default setting) or 2.4 and 5ghz mode.

Hope this helps - please let me know if it works.

Petrov.

 

Make sure the audio you are pushing to your TV is 5.1. For example if you download a program in dolby digital it will only playback in dolby digital. I don't know if the actual setting will show dolby or not.

Another example is if you are watching TV on a cable box. Some programs are in different audio formats. It usually says the format on the information button on your guide. So if you have surround sound 7.1 awesome system, it still will only play in the quality as the program is outputting.

I don't have my S15 yet (waiting for the shipment), so they may or may not apply. I will be hooking mine up to my TV once in awhile as well, so I will check when it arrives.