Official Sony SB/SA/SC/SD Series Owners' Thread

From what I remember seeing in the thread you're looking at 6-7 hours with light usage with regular battery and 13-14 with the slice

 

forget the last comment.

some pages back hint towards 5h tops on the standard battery. adding the slice is just doubling the standard battery's duration.
But do note that the i7 will make a small difference while the 6630 will make a huge one, like 2h tops on heavy workload for the standard battery i guess.

i will test it this week i hope,since i'm supposed to get it monday.

 

Thanks. The icon showed 100% Battery Charge, but the amber light didn't turn off nor did it change to green, which I originally thought. Didn't want to degrade the battery by leaving the power brick plugged.
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The SC (approx. 1lb. heavier), which I carried around with me part of the day, really feels heavy compared to the VPC-Z. I just realize the SC has no "WEB" launch button like on the SB. Instead, Sony replace it with a quick launch "Push2TV" button, which is bundled with the SC at Best Buys. The only upgrade I see with the SC is the Blu-Ray player. After, playing with the SC, the screen res. isn't that bad. I do have to fiddle with the screen a bit to get it to a perfect angle. The overall experience with the SC reminds of my SZ which I miss. I think this will be a keeper.

 

Leaving the laptop on outlet power wont in itself degrade the battery, since the battery isn't used if on outlet power (it only charges if not full).
The primary battery killer is heat, and it gets worse with higher temps, and with higher battery charge level (i.e. it degrades a lot more on 100% charge then on 40%).
Ofc, the battery also has a limited number of recharge cycles, so that factor could degrade it too with time.



Since i'm on this topic, and I saw some other posts about battery degrading, i'll just add some more text
Some basic guidelines for longer battery life:
- keep battery as cool as possible
- optimum charge level is around 40% (if storing the battery or if using outlet power it would be better to leave it on 40-50% then full)
- it's recommended to do a full charge-discharge (charge to 100% and then discharge to 0-1%) once in a while (every few months, or every 30-40 charge cycles or so) - before someone starts about "no memory on Li-ion's", the reason for this is to recalibrate the battery monitor (charge level indicator), since it looses accuracy. Also don't worry about damaging the battery by discharging to 0% - the battery has some "emergency charge" left, so just make sure to charge it right after the discharge again (or just discharge to 1% if worried).
- never leave it discharged for longer periods, since it looses some charge with time, and if it runs out of charge completely, it gets damaged beyond repair.

That is based on my limited experience (destroyed few laptop batteries before, and my last one is almost as new after 2 years of use) and a lot of research.
And here is one nice site about battery life:
How to Store Batteries – Battery University

P.S. sorry for the wall of text

 

Just visited the Sony Centre again and had another look at the SB.

I know now what people meant by a yellowish screen, I think the optimum vertical viewing angle is very tight, and any slight deviation off this angle and the blacks were quickly going grey and the screen really did appear slightly yellowy. With the right angle though, the screen appeared fine. I don't know if this was a duff screen or not.

I also checked for a 'sleep n charge' feature as some people had mentioned and can confirm that for this uk SB, it didn't have it, there was no power from any of the usb ports when turned off.

I also saw the other flaws that have been mentioned such as the gap between the dvd drive and chassis, but the fingerprint reader seemed well aligned, no problem there.

At the end of the day for me it's a bit meaningless as I don't know what other laptops are capable of. (i haven't owned a new laptop in many many years). I'd love to see a comparison of the screens with my other contenders, the e420s and acer 4830tg (3830tg when it comes out).

I'd be really grateful for some benchmarks with the i5 + 6630 and 3dmark06 for example. I'd just like to know that the numbers do compare well with the 4830tg given that it's almost double the price.

I was going to order one today, but have been slightly put off. It's a lot of money for many compromises, a favorable benchmark would probably make me pull the trigger.

 

Maybe I just missed a setting? Edge motion actually works when I'm scrolling, but not when I'm just trying to move my mouse across the screen (which I don't really need for scrolling anyways because of the circle scroll.

Be sure to let me know how the m4 works out . I have the stock 500GB, I think it comes stock on the Canadian CTOs I think the rest of the laptop is just so silent that the only thing I can hear is the HDD. *whirrrrrrr*

 

Found something else Im not a fan of. It seems you cant manually turn on and off the keyboard backlight.

 

I checked out the SB at a Sony Store and love it. The only thing holding me back from getting it is the screen. It just seems so small and for the prive i'm paying, they should at least offer a 1600x900 (yes I am aware that it would make the screen even smaller but the option should be there). I'm not sure why it seems so small considering the macbook pro essentially has the same screen size/resolution but I can seem to read things fine on it when I use my friends.

 

Circle scroll?

 

Does anyone know if theres a way to get 5.1 audio out of the SB? (to connect to PC speakers)

 

How do you install the Intel centrino card? I want to order one off newegg but I looked at the 1000 card already in the SB and I tried to remove it but I couldn't do it with what seemed like a reasonable amount of force. Is there a strategy to getting the antennae unplugged?

 

a single screw holds it down to the board, lower left corner (mine had a tiny piece of black tape over it)

 

The thing where you scroll down and you can spin in a circle clockwise to keep scrolling. Also, for 5.1 audio you'll probably have to buy an external card.

@manipulate: I think the light sensor on the backlit keyboard is spot on, and you can set the duration that it stays on

 

*cringe*

Yea, there is a screw in it you have to take out.
-Just unplug the antenna, unscrew the screw, and take out the card. Then take out the plastic peg and put it in the new card. Put the new card in, screw it down, and reattach the antenna.

 

Can anyone give me some info on the screen for the SB. Is it good or bad or what? I checked it out in a Sony store and I was wondering waht they only offer a 720p screen? Also, does it seem small to any of you? When I checked it out I though it seemed small but that might have been becasue of it only having a 720p resolution.

 

I think the screen is going to come down to personal preference. I think its agreed upon that it doesn't match up to the premium screen on the VAIO Z, but whether or not it is up to your standards will be up to you to decide.

 

referring to the 6205 centrino wifi card does the SB have the requisite 2 antennas for it?

 

... yes ...

 

I'm going to go ahead and post a few HOW-TO's here so we can add this to the first page as there have been a ton of questions about them. I have tried to make them as fool proof as possible as this is obviously for the people that aren't to familiar with the internals of a computer.

Upgrade Wifi Card:

(Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1000 to Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 / Or any other 2 antenna Mini PCIe Wifi card):

1. Remove the two screws on the bottom front of your SB.
2. Take off the panel and locate the Wifi card (It's to the right of the RAM).
3. Remove the two antenna that are attached to it. Keep them where they are just pop them off of the wifi card. Make sure that they stay in the order they are in now.
4. Remove the small piece of tape that is covering the screw on the bottom left of the card. Remove the screw and slide out the wifi card.
5. Remove the plastic stub on the old wifi card and put it in the same spot on the new card.
6. Install the wifi card. It goes in the same way as RAM does, insert it into the PCIe slot and push down.
7. Reinstall the screw and replace the piece of black tape the same place it was on the old one (not necessary but recommended).
8. Put the antenna's into the new wifi card. They should just pop into place.
9. Put back on the bottom cover and screw in the two screws.
10. Windows should install the drivers automatically but if it doesn't they can be found on Intel's (or corresponding maker's) website. Intel website: Intel Wifi Card Webpage Just click on the wifi card you have, click the support tab and download the driver. "Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for Windows 7 64-Bit*"
-Note that if the drivers don't install automatically you will need to connect your laptop to a router with an Ethernet cable to be able to get online and get the drivers.
11. Once everything is installed click on the up arrow in the bottom right of the Windows toolbar. Click on the green square with the arrows. From there you can turn off/on the wifi card as well as connect to a 5GHz wifi connection.
12. Your done, you should now have the option to use 5GHz wifi if your router supports it and you so choose.


** Please remember to +1 rep if this information helps you out. (Lower left of this post / click the weigh scale) It always helps me to keep adding to the HOW-TO's knowing it is helping people! **

 

Replacing Your Hard Drive:

1. Remove the two screws on the bottom front of your SB. Then remove the bottom cover.
2. Locate your current hard drive (bottom left, under the RAM and to the left of your battery)
3. Pop off the cable connector (right under the wifi card).
4. Remove the four screws surrounding the hard drive (one around each corner).
5. Carefully lift the right side of the hard drive up and slide it out to the right.
6. Take the two screws out from one side of the hard drive bracket. Reinstall that bracket in the same position on your new hard drive.
7. Do the same for the other bracket.
8. Remove the SATA connection from your old hard drive (should slide off). Replace it onto the new hard drive.
9. Install your new hard drive into the laptop by sliding it in.
10. Connect the SATA cable connection (should pop into place).
11. Your done.

If you need to clone your old hard drive to your new one, and don't know how, this is covered in the HOW-TO's on the first page of this thread.

** Please remember to +1 rep if this information helps you out. (Lower left of this post / click the weigh scale) It always helps me to keep adding to the HOW-TO's knowing it is helping people! **

 

Activate Dolby Digital 'Audio Enhancer':
(This will make your internal speakers sound much better) Obviously remember that these are notebook speakers, you will not be getting heavy low ends, just as with any other laptop.

1. Right click on the speaker symbol in the lower right of your Windows toolbar then click on 'Playback devices'.
2. Click on 'Speaker/HP'. Then 'Properties' in the lower right of the window.
3. Click on the 'Dolby' tab.
4. Enable 'Audio Enhancer' as well as 'Surround Sound' if you want.
5. Then click on the 'Advanced' tab and unclick the 'Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device' (this will ensure the Dolby Enhancer will stay activated)
6. Your done! Enjoy the enhanced sound of your SB's internal speakers.


** Please remember to +1 rep if this information helps you out. (Lower left of this post / click the weigh scale) It always helps me to keep adding to the HOW-TO's knowing it is helping people! **

 

Upgrading your RAM:

The RAM that ships with your laptop is DDR3 1333MHz 10600 SO-DIMM RAM (it can also be 10660 or 10666 depending on the manufacturer you choose to upgrade with. They are all the same kind of RAM.)

-If you ordered your SB with 4GB of RAM, it will be soldered to the motherboard with a single open SO-DIMM slot for expansion.
-If you ordered your SB with 6GB of RAM, it will have the soldered 4GB with a 2GB stick in the SO-DIMM slot (you can replace the 2GB stick with a 4GB stick if you choose to do so).
-If you ordered your SB with 8GB of RAM, it will have the soldered 4GB with a 4GB stick in the SO-DIMM slot (obviously there is no reason to 'upgrade' this).

1. Remove the two screws from the bottom front of your SB. Then remove the access panel.
2. Locate the RAM (above the hard drive and to the left of the wifi card).
3. If your laptop shipped with 4GB RAM, there will be an empty SO-DIMM slot.
4. Install your new RAM stick. Slide it in and push it down until it clicks.
5. Thats it! Replace the access panel and the two screws. Restart your computer (the extra RAM will be automatically recognized).

** Please remember to +1 rep if this information helps you out. (Lower left of this post / click the weigh scale) It always helps me to keep adding to the HOW-TO's knowing it is helping people! **

 

The first post in this thread has been updated with all of these HOW-TO's.

Here's a link for just the relevant information: Sony VAIO SB: Upgrades and HOW-TO's

I also put the link in my signature for quick access from my posts.

 

Does anyone know what the benefit of the Centrino 6205 is over the 1000? Other than that of 5GHZ (what benefit will I get if I'm only going to use 2.4Ghz, if any?)

 

dont upgrade

 

Is there any way to change out the screen for a better one like other laptops? The screen is literally the one thing that is holding me back from getting it.

 

Not sure why people think the screen is so bad... There have been a few people that don't like theirs and their screen differs so much from the rest of ours that they probably got one from a different oem. The rest of us have no complaints.

Just like with anything else with laptops and desktops. If you have the knowledge and skill to do so then why wouldn't it be.. If you don't then don't even try, you'll mess your laptop up..

 

Could someone post a video or picture of the screen with a game playing and/or some text/website? It would really help me figure out if the screen would be usable for me.

 

I'm thinking of upgrading the wireless adapter in my SB to the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205.

And this may not be the right place to ask this - but I'll ask anyway.

Would anybody know if I could upgrade my other notebook, namely, the AcerTimeline1810, with this same Intel 6205 adapter?

And if so, would be much of an improvement over the Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN that appears to be the wireless adapter that's in my AcerTimeline1810?

I tried to find the answer on one of the Acer threads, but there are so many trees in that forest.

 

You could try looking here: Review Sony Vaio VPC-SB1Z9EB Subnotebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

They have a few screen pics

 

So overall I really like this laptop. So far I only have two minor issues. When I'm typing the keys sometimes squeak just a tad which I thought was kind of odd, but I think it just has to do with the way I strike certain keys. An then the fan can be a little loud at times if I've had the laptop running for a while. But neither of those things are really a big deal to me since I love everything else about the laptop. As for the screen, I don't see it as bad at all, but I also tend to keep the brightness down to about half to conserve battery. I think that the best part of this laptop is the weight. It just seems so light compared to my sister's MBP.

 

Still no benchmarks for 6630?

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Nope

A lot of people have asked but nothing so far.

 

I'm just installing 3DMark 2011. My configuration is i5-2520, 6630, 500GB @ 5400RPM. I'm not very experienced in benchmarking though, since I don't really care about it Should I take special care of something, or is it just "click and run".

EDIT:
OK, here are the results. I hope they're plausible. I just switched to SPEED, High Performance settings and Performance Mode for the fan.

http://3dmark.com/3dm11/1127319

 

Has anyone found out a solution for the shielding problem of the VGA-output?

 

I was finally able to see the new SB in person, overall pretty nice but some thoughts

1. the screen is well not up to par, there was a FW with the Full HD screen beside and well the SB looked washed out.

2. the side bezel is not that thick, but still could have been thinner

3. it is light which is nice

4. the trackpad is iffy, was not responsive at times, not sure why

5. the lid felt plastic and not metal unless its not metal? I thought it was

6. the body is actually quite nice, and much better than I expected

If the SB came with a better quality screen with more saturated colours, smaller better on the sides and a HD cam, then it would easily be my next laptop.

But until then I will stick to my FW and wait to see what sony delivers either later this year or early next year.

 

Not, really. (quite frankly we're not even sure that it IS shielding, or at least i haven't seen it confirmed)

As to what your options are, you can either just return it/RMA it, or if you decide you can live with it you can get yourself a HDMI<-->DVI cable. The lines don't show up when hooked up via HDMI.

Having said that i seem to have a problem when i try to connect the computer to a monitor with an HDMI input that isn't a TV. For some reason the computer decides that my monitor is really a TV (and messes up the res.) So for that monitor i have to use a HDMI <--> DVI cable even though it should be able to go HDMI<-->HDMI.

 

So I went to Best Buy on Saturday and bought SC. The price is really good considering what you are getting. The biggest difference with SB I saw in the Sony Style store is that the lid and palm-rest are plastic and not magnesium/aluminum in SC. The was a bummer when i first opened the box. There is a little more flex in the lit, but not terrible. The palm-rest texture feel really nice. The screen is not as good as my old Z, but bright and looks ok. The WiFI card that came with it is 6520. Only G is enabled by default, but you can go in the settings and enabled both. I tested both and it works great. The WiDi works great even in 1080p, you can extend your desktop to it and watch videos on your tv while using your laptop at the same time. This thing is not perfect, but I can't imagine anything better for $949.

 

Could you please post a few pics of the SC and maybe a short video review?
Could you also comment on the fan noise and the screen quality

Thanks

 

It should be a shielding problem since when I'm running on battery, the flickering disappears. Still, the image seems somewhat unsharp. I guess I'll have to use the HDMI output then... Pretty hardcore problem though...

 

@ numein

One last comment.... If the battery does not degrade by simply leaving the notebook plugged to an outlet, what's the purpose for Sony including a Battery Care Function to charge the battery at either 50% or 80% maximum?

 

From what I understand, having the battery fully charged or fully discharged will decrease the lifespan of the battery. The charger won't overcharge it, but it will allow it to remain at a given charge. It is better for a batery to be left at 80% charge than 100% charge.

(This is just what I remembe reading in previous posts, I'm not 100% sure)

 

I hope this is the correct place to post this but I would like to get another 4GB of memory for my SB.
I researched all over the place but would like your opinions.

Kingstons, Crucial, etc.
I got the specs, but they all have different models with same specs, so whats the difference?
I don't need the BEST, but I also don't want the cheapest and least quality.

Any advise/opinion which 4GB stick to get?
Thank you.

 

They are all the SAME, just make sure you choose 1333MHz DDR3. I like Corsair but it doesn't matter. Google - Shopping

 

I posted this in the SA thread. Figured I should post it here, too.

Well, I bought the Best Buy Vaio SC yesterday.

The Best Buy site says that the computer comes with this hard drive:
500GB + 4GB SLC hybrid hard drive (5400 rpm)
Offers spacious storage and fast read/write times.

But when I checked the device manager, it is actually a 7200RPM drive! 7200RPM 500GB + 4GB SLC hybrid hard drive. I believe it is the Seagate Momentus XT 500GB. I can get the model number when I get home today.

This sucker is fast. On the second boot, it booted to a usable desktop in ~15 seconds! A Restart took under 30 seconds.

I am not terribly impressed with the screen (really bad off-axis), but for our purposes, it is fine.

 

+1 rep ..........

 

in the SB, thats about my boot time with my scorpio black 500

 

Ah, someone did notice! Thanks!

 

On mine i get the lines, plugged in or running on battery. Yeah, if i didn't absolutely need the machine right now i would've returned it. There seems to be quite a few of us with the issue, you'd think they would have caught it in testing...or not.