Official Sony VAIO AW Series 18.4" Owners thread

You said something about flickering when the screen is dimmed - does it happen when it's at full brightness? Is it very annoying?

 

well, the LED screens are super bright. Like in a dimmed room, you will want to dim the screen.

There's a chappy on here who swapped his out and his doesn't flicker. I did, my 2nd one does. Sony UK are playing dumb on the whole issue.

I'm hacked off it's happening on a 2k laptop, but then the rest of the package is pretty good, so perhaps i'll work with this for a few years and see what the technology brings. Rest of the laptop is fine, and you really have to know it's happening to even to see it happening on full brightness. It only affects bright pages as well.

 

A friend of mine made a pretty good point about recertified/refurbished:
when manufacturers roll-out thousands of units, only a handfull get picked for full inspection. If all is well, they keep roll'n em. Well if a refurbished item is certified by the manufacturer, then it should mean that everything was looked at. So in a matter of speaking, you might actually be getting a better product. Don't think I'm trying to talk you into it, I wouldn't want a refurbished. I'm just adding my 2 cents on the subject. It still depends on what happened to it in the first place and, of course, the uncomfortable feeling of what might happen next. Plus, I don't believe you can get a 3 or 4 yr warranty on it.

 

Yeah, I mean that's a line of thought I've had, though in practice I just hear too many stories of people getting refurbished stuff that's DOA, plus it doesn't help in my case that I just like new stuff

 

Is there any way to install Win XP on these machines? I heard Sony made XP drivers for other laptop models because of popular demand..


Can you that own the laptop post some pics btw =)

 

The intel website says the intel network card that is in the sony aw 190 has a max speed of 300mbs but when i goto wireless properties its saying connected speed @ 54 and i have a netgear wnr3300 with 5ghz enabled 270 mbs max speed.. what gives?

found out that you have to use wpa2-aes or greater in order to get faster than 54mbs

 

N isn't activated on your Vaio.

54MBit/s is just g

 

I had N only enabled on the intel properties but that didnt make a difference only when i changed the password key did it work. http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/4965agn/sb/cs-025643.htm

 

Yikes, you don't want to be running WEP or TKIP anyway. WPA-2!

 

Hi peeps! New here with my second Sony Vaio. Hope to learn more.

 

Tell us which AW model you got.

 

Sony VGN-AW190JAH 18.4" Screen
Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz 1066MHz L2 Cache 3MB
4GB DDR2
250GB 7200rpm
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, 512MB

My other is a VGN-FS660.

And yes, I was one of the lucky ones that got it for $1399 from Newegg - at the very last hour I might add.

I love it - minus the Vista/Sony querks! Been some problems with the USB's not working after updates, but figured out to remove battery before restarting and all is fine. Also had some problems with the mouse being a little jerky at times.

If I have more than one thing plugged into the USB ports, all ports stop working. Not found much on this yet. Hopefully someone here has had similar problems.

Oh, and the fingerprint thing wants to freeze if I use it it when logging onto puter. Wont be using it for web sites, I only use Firefox and that browser is not supported - unless I am using IE tab.

 

Welcome kdwpd. I too have the AW190 from Newegg and got it for the same price. Yeah, the Sony Care software is quirky. I don't even use it now for system updates or maintenance as it was causing things to be " not right. " I have not had the USB issues a few people have mentioned. Typical USB uses for me are a Logitech VX Nano wireless mouse, a Zalman notebook cooler, a Sprint EVDO USB modem, an external hard drive, and Logitech wireless gamepads. Not a single issue with my AW190. The mouse is jerky at times and is even a chore to use with such a big screen so that is why I got the VX Nano. The finger print reader can be quirky at times but it really seems in my case that I need to be extremely precise for it to register a correct identification. All in all, it is a great notebook minus the compatibility issue with some older games. Good luck in correcting your AW's issues.

 

Just a little fingerprint performance notice from my SZ - as I suspect the hardware is similar.

You need pretty much dry fingers.

Water, fat/grease and it won't register.

 

Hello again all, and hello to kdwpd and ehosey2; I also have the AW-190JAH from Newegg. I'm glad to hear we all cought the $1399 price, it was definitely one of the best deals out there. It finally arrived but I only turned it on once to check things out. I'm about to do the Semi-Clean procedure, which leads me to my question: Has anyone done it on their AW yet? I need to verify that I know the correct recovery file to copy. If anyone feels like taking a second to help me out it would be greatly appreciated. You don't need to have done the procedure or even plan on doing it. If you could just take a look at the section of the Semi-Clean thread I included here and help me interpret which file is the right one for the AW.

From thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=146033

"2. Make a copy of your "Vaio Recovery" folder (including all subfolders). It will be needed to finish the install. This can be found in C:\Windows\Sonysys\ or C:\Program Files\Sony. It might be located elsewhere on your model, so do a search for it if you can't find it. It should contain a program called Launch.exe or Launcher.exe, but depending on your model, the name might be different. This is the same program as your VAIO recovery software. If you aren't SURE you've found this program, stop. This guide won't work without it."

Ok, so I found the folder "VAIO Recovery" in C:\Program Files\Sony. But the .exe file in it is called "VAIORecv.exe". When clicked, it opens the VAIO recovery app that will allow me to check the boxes of the software I would like to install. AOL, Napster, Roxio..etc are on that list. Is this the same as the "Launch.exe or Launcher.exe" as mentioned in the thread?

Thank you to anyone who even read this question, I know it's kind of a lot to ask.

Also, If anyone would like to know the results of my Semi-Clean, let me know

 

Not done any of the recovery stuff. Never did on my other Vaio either. So I do not think I will be much help. Usually when things went bad - I just did a factory restore and went from there. I know, probably not the right way - but it is my easy way out.

 

Hey MetalMike. I have not done what you are curious about doing. Sorry. My AW is working so well I'm afraid to mess it up.

 

Hello,
I would like to buy this computer, but im a bit concerned about the graphic card. Anyone tried to play World of Warcraft on it? can you tell me if it does play ok? settings?
thank you

 

Yeah i play WoW on it...it runs fine....obviously not as well as a on a laptop with a 9800gs or better, but its ok. And on the awesome screen it looks beautiful.
-Scotty

 

My Geforce 4 runs WoW at basically max settings at 1152x864 (runs a bit better at that than my monitors full 1280x1024). Usually runs around 40FPS at that....

So I mean a Geforce 9650GT is complete overkill for WoW.

 

I've had a whole bunch of problems with my 190JAH from NewEgg, most of them figured out. I have a write-up post on my blog about the USB problems, for those of you that haven't found a resolution. May help some people, who knows.

(TL;DR version: Disable USB Selective Suspend feature; don't touch media keys area, ports, etc. if you are prone to static electricity.)

As an aside about multiple USB devices - the AW series seem to have a weak USB subsystem. If you're having issues, you may have luck investing in an externally-powered USB hub. Of course, that kind of negates the purpose of a portable computer... But then again - if you're plugging in 3 USB devices, you're most likely not too mobile anyways, so it still might be a worthwhile option.

 

There was a Sony USB update for the AW around a week ago.

 

Im really interested in buying this notebook, i love the design, the monitor etc...
But i really wanted a 9800gt on it, the other notebooks with a 9800gt look wierd or their screen is 15''...

 

The flickering was a BIOS problem! Finally Sony posted the fix on the Vaio Update. I have installed it and everything is ok now...

 

Where did you see it? I didn't see any update referring to AW BIOS from Sony Support site.

 

Hi. I suppose it is only for the 3led monitor (11xu). Here it is: http://support.vaio.sony.co.uk/down.../Updates/EP0000173330.exe&ip=EP0000173330.htm

 

Excuse my ignorance but what exactly is the difference between the 190 and 290 models?

 

It will interesting to see if the people on here with brightness and flicker issues see an improvement.

I've updated my XU/q. I'll advise If notice any issues/improvements.

 

Ok, I received my AW yesterday... I don't see any screen flickering - didn't check BIOS version yet, but there is a chance that I got one that resolved the problem... Screen is blindingly bright - more than 300cd/m2, so setting it to minimum brightness for most of the time is a good idea, cause you still in 100cd/m2 range...
I'm really confused with calibration and Vista's color management though - I'm trying to calibrate the screen with Spyder 3 Elite and can't get acceptable results... I think it's mostly Vista's problem - with XP, color was consistent after calibration and every application (including those that were not color aware) used the same main ICC profile. With Vista (even using Sony's profile) I have strange greens and reds in thumbnails and in a slideshow, but colors are ok in regular Windows Gallery view. FastStone viewer (which usually works perfect) uses the same strange colors as I could see in thumbnails before... IE colors are completely unacceptable, but (what is rather strange to me) Firefox 3 with color management on is not on spot too... I have no idea how to set Vista Color Management properly... Another thing is that Spyder 3 doesn't seem to create accurate profile for that screen - I can definitely see slight color shift in what should be neutral gray and it looks like before calibration white point is closer to 6500K than the one after calibration... Before calibration I could measure ~6300K and after applying a profile it was closer to ~6000K... Any ideas?

 

I noticed this earlier today at the Sony eSupport site. It was released on the 3rd (4 days ago) in Canada: http://esupport.sony.com/CA/perl/swu-download.pl?mdl=VGNAW120D&upd_id=4395&os_id=28.

This utility installs the USB Registry Patch to resolve an issue where the USB ports, Bluetooth®, or Finger Print devices may not work when resuming from hibernation, standby, or sleep modes.
​

Has anybody tried this yet? Previously, I disabled the "USB selective suspend setting" as discussed here earlier, but that didn't fix the problem.

 

I have the AW120D with the P8400 @ 2.26GHz CPU, 320GB HDD (5400 RPM), and 4GB RAM:

5.2 Windows Experience Index
Processor: 5.2
Memory (RAM): 5.9
Graphics: 5.9
Gaming graphics: 5.5
Primary hard disk: 5.5

 

I have updated everything from the Sony site - not had any problems with the USB ports at all. Hubby laughs at me cuz I have turned my laptop into a desktop with all the extra stuff I have connected. Have set up Bluetooth with my Blackberry, have external drive, external DVD burner and mouse hooked up, Have hibernated, slept, shut down and everything still works.

So either it was a fix, or I am lucky - either way, not complaining about this bad boy. I love it!

 

Why is it different Sony regions have different updates, there is no mention of this update on the UK Sony support site.

 

Yeah this is annoying, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it's to do with the regional differences in the models...like shipping 64bit Vista as standard in US and 32bit as standard in the UK...

 

That shouldn't make any differance as 64bit is backwards compatable with 32bit (it should be )

 

Thanks for letting me know, kdwpd. I haven't updated yet from the Sony site (but I am fully up to date with Windows/Microsoft updates). I keep downloading all the latest Sony updates as they come out, but for some reason I was hesitant to install them. You've convinced me that I really need to start applying all the Sony updates -- starting today!! Hopefully, my USB mouse and fingerprint reader will stop randomly disappearing.

 

There is one optional Update:

USB Composite Device (dc3d) that from what I have heard - DO NOT DO IT!

So that is the only Windows update I have not done.

 

oh i could kiss you !

(pity i took the cheaper 2nd hand laptop back )

 

build the profile, make sure you can find it...

settings>color management>

if its not there, add it.

load your profile as default on the first tab, then i went to advanced and set it as device there... and of course you have to set it on firefox's colour management add-on as well.

i left everything else as default, and check it stuck on a reboot. IE will have screwed colour, because it doesn't support profiles, but firefox is spot on

 

hey all

well I finally got one of these. I purchase a 170y/q that is less than a few weeks old.

Has anyone installed windows 7 on this.

What sort of luck did you have and were you able to retain the RGB profiles

sorry for the newbie question

 

OK, tonight I reset the "USB selective suspend setting" to its default Enabled settings and then I installed all ten Sony updates in chronological order and I rebooted after installing each one. The final one was the USB Registry Patch. It installs one file called USB Registry.reg that refers repeatedly to ForceHCResetOnResume.

I'll now see if my USB mouse and built-in USB fingerprint reader work consistently. If not, I'll try disabling the "USB selective suspend setting" settings again.

Here are the contents of USB Registry.reg:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0000]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0001]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0002]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0003]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0004]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0005]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0006]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-444553540000}\0007]
"ForceHCResetOnResume"=dword:00000001

 

I have a question about the WinDVD BD Player. Does anyone else think the brightness/contrast is off a little? It seems to be too bright like the deep blacks are way too gray. I can clearly see a gritty/grainy appearance throughout, especially in the darkest areas during the film. I opened the player in a small window in front of a jpeg picture with deep black areas and the WinDVD BD player was ALOT brighter(grayer) so it's not the screen. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Only had my AW11Z for 3 days. I spent around 12 hours and 5 clean installs of W7 x64. I used the 64-bit drivers from the US site and all hardware devices installed and were recognised successfully.

The only problem I had was getting the notebook utils working. They all installed without errors but there were too many random problems.

• VAIO Launcher would start maybe once after ten key presses.
• Same as above with the Vol up/down buttons. Mute worked fine.
• Brightness worked OK.
• The on-screen visual indicatiors didn't work. Sometimes a indicator would appear a few minutes after a button had been pressed. e.g. I pressed the Eject button repeatedly out of frustration and about 5 mins later the Eject indicator started to flash on/off. But the tray still didn't open

The taskbar was nice to play with for about 30 mins but I can't sleep until everything works so am now trying out Vista x64.




The UK AW only comes with Vista x86, in my case Home Premium. We don't have any customsation options. If any UK users want to install Vista x64 you can find all the drivers you'll need on the US site.

I've also extracted all the applications from the VAIO Recovery discs, including the WinDVD BD player.

When I get time I'll upload a drivers pack and the recovery apps as I did for the SZ. If you can wait drop me a PM with what you need.

 

I running a clean install of Vista x64 and there are no options for A2DP for use a BT headphones. I've installed the Broadcom drivers, software an updates from the US site.

AW reviews list A2DP as a feature. Can someone with a Sony factory install confirm this please.

 

I suspect it is the graphics card doing that, I see the moving grain/ video noise effect on other media players I install on the AW and games, etc as well. I also see it on my external LCD but not on my plasma connected to AW.
I have not connected my spare CRT monitor yet, would be interesting to see the result.

 

I've been drooling over the AW190 then 290 since Christmas when I started looking for a new laptop. I'm trying to decide if I should get the 290 or wait one more cycle hoping the next version has a few more options I was hoping to see in the 290.

Mostly I am hoping for DDR3 RAM (was told it has "almost 2x the throughput", I only assume that means it's 2x as fast...please correct me if I'm wrong). If I "settle" for the 290, I was am planning to upgrade to 4GB RAM with the intention of upgrading to 8 GB in about a year when the 4 GB DDR2 RAM chips are much cheaper. I guess the question this all leads to is whether 4 GB DDR3 would be about the same as 8 GB DDR2 (I'm assuming if I can't afford 8 GB DDR2 now, I won't be able to afford a hypothetical 8 DDR3 later).

I am also hopeful the next model will have keyboard back lighting, though this is not a deal breaker.

Finally, I need everyone to tell me why I shouldn't get the HP HDX 18t. If you compare builds at base levels (HP HDX 18t vs AW 290 non-premium) they are pretty close in price. But once you start upgrading the two side-by-side, the AW gets much more expensive...then choosing the Premium really puts you over the top. Still...I want the AW Premium. So someone, please tell me why the HP sucks.

Thanks,
knight427

EDIT: I've also chatted with sales reps on SonyStyle about the AW290, they keep telling to call in for special deals only offered over the phone...anyone know what deals they offer and how often they offer them?

 

I am looking at buying the aw290 but can't find a few details I need to know I am hoping some people who own it might be able to answer the questions.

1. I can't find a picture of the bottom, are the Hard Drives Easy to access and swap out yourself?

2. Does the Raid support RAID 1 (mirrored) or just RAID 0?

3. Any advice as to what level to buy outright with the desire to upgrade the memory and Hard drives, either at purchase or after?


Thanks!

 

Restored the factory OS (Home Premium 32-bit) and A2DP is supported. Software version is "WIDCOMM Bluetooth Software 6.2.0.4100".

 

I use the A2DP function on a regular basis, works definately.

 

Nooooooo! There's no performance difference. The higher latency on DDR3 negates any performance advantages at the speeds notebooks run it. At some point (on future systems I mean) it'll be an advantage, but I wouldn't think twice about a system one way or the other if it has DDR2 or 3.

You mean in terms of price? DDR3 for now is quite a bit more expensive, although it's hard to say how that'll go. Eventually it'll probably be cheaper, though either way going to 8GB sounds like a nice idea once it gets MUCH cheaper (I'm kind of thinking about that too...not that 4GB is an issue for me!)

Sony's got consistently higher reliability than all the other notebook makers that Consumer Reports is able to track. It's probably also got a better screen. For me, the only negative if the price isn't too different would be that the AW doesn't officially support Nvidia's drivers (yet?) and I guess the HP would (we are talking about two systems with the Geforce 9600GT, right?). Though you can install Nvidia's drivers through the device manager (just tell it 'no, that's okay, use them anyway' when it says it can't find drivers for it).