Official Sony VAIO AW Series 18.4" Owners thread

I see that there is a BIOS update posted on the sony uk update site. It appears to be the same BIOS update for all AW models. Has anyone installed this yet into a US model AW? If you have, and if you have a single HDD system, can you tell me if the RAID options now appear? Thanks.

brian.

 

I had to return three Hp's for out of the box problems. When in my blue ray wouldn't work, tech support told me not to play any blue ray movies. The screen has more glare than eith Sony screen. The keypad (IMO) is no where near as nice..the same with the look and feel (again,IMO). I would definatly order the Sony with 4mb as I had trouble installing new 800mz memory. If anyone else has had this memory add problem...let me know. I was using OCZ 2x2mb pc26400/800mz. Sony is replacing mine. I still really love it, though. I have the AW290 with the p8700 and 2x320/7200rpm drives. They are fast, quiet and not hot at all.

 

I seriously looked at the HP HDX 18t, but I bought the AW120D. This is what I hated about the HP:
- overly glossy screen
- glossy finish easily shows fingerprints
- "graffiti" drawing on the HP notebook is silly
- the HP at Best Buy had a lower Vista Experience Index even though it had basically the same internal parts and the same P8400 CPU
- HP build quality didn't seem to be as good as Sony

The only two things I really liked about the HP HDX 18t were:
- it has an eSATA port (Sony does not have one)
- the eSATA port can also function as a 4th USB port (Sony only has 3)

 

SNAP, the ONLY thing I liked about the HDX too .

My previous SZ had 2, my work thinkpad has 3 and I have always wanted more. They mostly get taken up by external usb disks but with the 2x320GB disks I now have I hopefully won't need anymore than 3.

 

After going from a clean install of Vista x64 to the default Vista x86 to confirm A2DP can work I decided to give Windows 7 another go and see if I can fix the issues above. The problem seems to be VAIO Event Service.

• With VES installed the Vol and Mute buttons don't work. Brightness does work but the onscreen display is random or delayed.
• With VES removed the Vol and Mute buttons work fine, there is no onscreen display.
• Eject button doesn't seem to work with VES installed or removed, although the onscreen display pops up randomly.
• I've decided to leave VES uninstalled as the brightness is adjusted less often than the volume. The brightness can still be adjusted via Windows Mobility Centre.
• The back/forward buttons on the Logitech VX Nano mouse also worked randomly or lagged when VES was installed.
• The media keys work perfectly, both with VES installed and removed

And finally, A2DP works, I haven't installed any extra Bluetooth drivers or software.

 

Another Windows 7 feature or bug.

Unlike the factory install where all three card readers appear in My Computer as extra drive letters in W7 they aren't there. But only appear when a card is inserted and the next available drive letter is assigned.

I prefer it this way because when using the open/close/save dialogs the list can become cluttered with too many drive letters, esp with several mapped drives.

 

ESATA would of been sweet.

 

hi everybody im new here!

im thinking of buying a new VGN-AW21XY/Q looks like decent specs etc. but am bit bothered about graphics card + other stuff!

i'll be using the laptop mainly for graphics and website stuff but also some video editing. i'd also like to be able to watch hd movies without ANY lag!

what are your opinions on this laptop and will it suit my needs?

i currently have an vgn-a397xp must be 3/4 years old now. its driving me mental because its so slow and noisey! i bought this machine new and was imediately disapointed!! had to install max 2gb memory straight away.

i really like the looks and build quality of sony machines but dont want to be disapointed again! for this sort of money i want satisfaction!

thanks for your help and views, d.

 

Good to know. Thanks for clearing that up. I was feeling like I'd get hosed buying DDR2 with DDR3 just around the corner. However, after reading a lot in this thread and in the HP HDX 18 thread, it sounds like the two machines are pretty much maxed out for video performance at 4GB DDR2 given their processors and video cards. I can always use the extra RAM (8 GB when I upgrade later) for my applications, but it sounds like 8 GB wouldn't improve the video performance of the system.

Good to hear that Sony has higher reliability, though I guess my 4.5 year old Vaio should have indicated that to me directly.

I am confused about the Nvidia drivers. Yes, these machines both use the 9600GT. How could the Sony NOT support the drivers? I guess my ignorance is showing, I would assume the video card would not function at all without the drivers.

Also, thanks to everyone else who has replied so far. I appreciate hearing from those of you who actually bought the HP and returned it.

Finally, I am probably going to opt for the T9550 (2.66GHz) processor. The web page says:
The T9000 series provides maximum battery life and power efficiency and is ideal for highly mobile consumers and professionals that don't want to be slowed down.
While my laptop is normally plugged in, I do take it with me 5 days a week and would like to be untethered at times.

Also, it has 6MB L2 Cache rather than the 3MB L2 Cache found on the 8xxx series. I'm sold and I don't even know what most of that means. Anyone care to explain why I am willing to spend the $200 upgrading from the P8600 (2.40GHz)?

 

Hi,
I've one AW11Z/B in dual boot S.O. XPpro x86 - Vista Ultimate x64.
Now, my laptop in Vista x64 work fine with ALL KEYS FUNCTION.
After one month of hard testing, I can say that Vista x64 is stable and fast.

Install all the necessary drivers from:

http://www.vaio-link.com/os/vista/64bit/

- install the SOAOTH-43900000-64.exe file, from:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu...=3926&os_id=36

You must reboot when asked...maybe two time...

Enjoy, now.


At the moment in XPpro x86 the keys function don't work on my laptop.

bye

 

Doesn't Vista do that? At least my card reader doesn't show up in My Computer (or whatever it's called now ) until I stick a card in. I sort of like that better, although I guess it's also nice to explicitly see what 'drives' you have attached.

Yeah, although I should have said too they're not MUCH more reliable in their surveys, but it has been consistent, every single year since I started paying attention probably 5+ years ago. (It only amounts to a few percentage points, and they're still one of the least reliable products around, but still!)

Well...unfortunately until recently, notebooks haven't supported the reference drivers you get directly from the GPU maker, like desktop GPUs do. You've only been able to install (officially at least) drivers you get from the notebook maker, which are always outdated (and quickly cease to be updated, if they ever are) and frequently missing features. That's especially important for games, but you can also run across other programs that won't run, or won't run right, not because of the hardware, but just because you can't update the drivers.

In the case of ATi's GPUs that's still true. It's impossible to install ATi's drivers without resorting to third party hacks/modifications, which are both a potential security risk, and unsigned so can cause other issues with some programs.

In the case of Nvidia's drivers, while 'officially' they haven't worked on notebooks, they actually have for a while now. (Installing through the Device Manager even though it tells you the hardware isn't supported.)

But a few months ago the situation got even better than that-Nvidia released official drivers that support almost all (Nvidia based) notebooks. Sony and Leveno are the only exceptions (plus a few exceptions from some other companies).

On the HP you could install the official drivers, while on the Sony you have to resort to the 'trick' of installing through the device manager-though others in this thread have reported that that does work.

Nvidia last year said that they actually have wanted to provide drivers for years now (which probably accounts for why their drivers actually worked when they'd tell you they wouldn't), but it's been the notebook makers who won't let them. They've apparently been fighting to get permission to do this for ages-so it's quite possible Sony isn't letting them.

So...that's the situation. I really don't understand why, though I'd still much rather have an Nvidia GPU on a Sony than an ATi GPU with not even unofficial support.

What are you wanting to do with the system? Officially speaking the P ones can use 25 watts and the T ones can use 35 watts (although I seriously doubt all the P ones are using 25 watts, and then one step up to the 2.53Ghz/6MB T CPU all of a sudden jumps 10 watts...I'm sure it's really much more gradual than that).

There's probably not really a 'right' answer. The 2.4Ghz/3MB CPU is still fast enough for most anything, and (with hardware acceleration on the Geforce 9600) uses around 20% to playback Blu Ray. But $200 more for a 10% faster CPU AND double the L2 cache, which can have another 10% improvement depending on what's running isn't a bad deal either. And plus, if you're mobile, you don't have to have the CPU run at it's full clock speed anyway, so I kind of doubt the real difference would be all that much, unless you're taxing the CPUs at 100%, but then the faster CPU would get done sooner anyway, so... I don't really think you can go wrong either way.

Had I purchased an AW, I was going to go with the 2.53Ghz/6MB CPU when that was available on the 190, and then was going to go with the 2.53GHz/3MB CPU once that replaced it on the 290...but that's fairly arbitrary on my part!

 

I am editing my post because I gave the Spyder 3 Pro another try and it worked perfectly this time when I took the suction cup off.The RGB LED screen really is amazing. I need to find other software for the fingerprint reader though.

 

Thanks for your reply. I was doing everything exactly as you described - it seems like colors are double corrected in color aware apps. Everything looks ok until I restart the app and it reloads Spyder's ICC profile - colors are much too yellow then. Even if I turn Spyder software off and just choose a profile manually it looks a little bit too warm and reds are "muted"... I guess it's better if I select a standard AdobeRGB profile (the one that comes with Photoshop) - reds are slightly bluish (or pinkish), but definitely not as oversaturated and off as with sRGB profile... Is there any specific setting that should be set in Vista CM panel during calibration? Does it matter? What am I doing wrong? With XP, I was just creating a profile and using Spyder app working in the background - everything worked fine...

 

You wont get any playback lag on HD video, it wont encode in real-time either of course. HD playback & noise questions have been posted previously this in thread.

As far as noise, when under load it is relatively quiet, when under light load is very quiet. The blu-ray burner is a different story, for me the default blu-ray software seems to cause more noise then other player software on the same machine. The BD-ROM one might be quieter.

 

quick question. Will the T9800 proc work in the 170Y/Q

 

Short answer:
Check socket and possibly the heat output.

 

hi guyz..
i gt sony vaio aw 290j..i live in india and i gt it frm my uncle in usa..

1) i wanna kno that since no disks are being provided with the sony then how can we install another os on my laptop.
2) secondly i thnk that vaio is not getting charged up to max power.when it is 98% charged it shows 1 hr 40 mins (vaio optimized power plan).wat is the avg battery time dat we get on vaio..
3) nd lastly do i need any transformer to run my vaio in india coz india has a voltage of 220 vol and vaio requires 210 v smthng...
plz help..

 

1)Your laptop comes with something called the "Vaio Data Restore Tool" - it should be in the manual - this will tell you how to create your own backup recovery discs.
(or additonal booklet)

2) average time - greater 6 hours (if you have a Vaio G)

Honestly: Depends on your usage pattern and laptop.
1 hour 40 minutes on the Vaio Optimized plan sounds OK to me on such a large laptop.

3)Are you sure your "power brick" isn't made for variable voltages?
The European ones are 100-240V - they can be used anywhere in the world.
It says on the back of your power brick

 

You should start by reading the manual.

 

k sorry for the newbie question...
and ya just one more thing...
i gt a usb tv tuner card called avertv...so far wat i e understood is it is a kind of tv tuner card..but wat i cant figure out is how to use it..?i got a mini antenna with it..can i watch live tv using the mini antenna??...anybody who has got the same model..can help me out.?/

 

Have you plugged it in? If it's got an antenna already, sounds like you wouldn't even need to use an external antenna (except for better reception). Just scan for your stations. ATSC reception should be pretty great.

 

Check if thats NTSC or PAL. Here in US the tv broadcast is in NTSC format but India is PAL.
BTW don't worry about the voltage. These days all laptops come with universal power brick and will work anywhere in the world.

-J

 

Also, in Europe it's also PAL.

 

anyone seen a clear laptop skin for this beast. Trying to protect her as I travel every week via plane

 

I haven't even ordered the AW yet (waiting for my next big project to come in) but I've already moved onto shopping for a bag. Here is the top contender so far. It is one of the few I have seen that says it can accommodate a laptop this large. I know many others can cram it in, but this one seems to be made for the 18in laptops (despite the product name).

Case Logic 17" Classic Laptop Case


I'd be very interested in seeing what you people use. Mine needs to look professional, but also have enough room to cram in lots of papers. (I teach at a college and have a consulting business, so I need room for midterms/finals and be able to carry this into a business meeting).

 

http://www.luggage.com/Targus-TXL417-TAR1265.html

I own this for my AW190 and it is perfect.

 

Hmm, does sound as if your profile is being double applied. Unfortunately, that's all I did, load up the profile in the control panel, put it into the advanced tab, made sure it was applied in the CM savvy applications.

Might be worth you popping over to somewhere like the adobe photoshop forums and seeing if there's similar posts there. I used a monaco, so it's not probably the same... and I didn't install the application to start up... so essentially only the profile is doing any work.

 

I bought the Wenger Ibex last week. The laptop will fit in the back pocket but outisde the padded laptop sleeve and the zip has to be pulled over the corners. I'm sending the Ibex back and have a Targus XL backpack arriving tomorrow. I hope this one fits as I've been searching online and the local stores for over a week.

 

After days of trying different bluetooth drivers and software I got A2DP working in Vista x64.

I found the drivers linked in Sony forum for the Z series. They install as Toshiba drivers for the Lenovo but work perfectly.

I had to download a 300MB driver pack, if anyone wants just the BT driver reply here or PM me and I will upload to Rapidshare.

BTW, I only used the factory installed OS for about an hour but a clean Vista x64 install starts up quicker and program launching etc is faster. I've got all the drivers and utlities needed in a folder. Give me a few days and I'll host them.

 

Greetings,

I am about to order a CTO AW series.
The question I have regards the Blue-Ray ROM.

I really don’t intend to view movies on the computer, but if I can play BRD through the AW on my TV, then I would be interested.

So, the question is, using the HDMI port, can I play Blue Ray movies on my TV from the AW? And, if so, is the video and audio quality equal to what I would experience if I were using a dedicated BRD player?

Really appreciate your input and experiences.

Thank you,
bruce

 

I am disappointed with Sony. In order to get the full gamut RGB screen, you have to pay an extra $600 where $300 of which are for the PS software. Why should I pay for a software that I already have?

How big is the difference between the RGB and non-RGB screens on the AW?

Thanks

 

I got PS with a CCFL screen... the CCFL screen itself is great compared to other notebook screens, but can't touch the RGB LED one (tho I only compared in store), which even beats the macbook pro screen easily.

 

what photoshop software?

 

You are supposted to receive Adobe Lightroom with the Premium model. I just received my laptop from SonyStyle yesterday but Lightroom was not included. Does anyone know if they ship it separately?

 

All computers with a blu-ray drive and HDMI port can view blu-ray discs on an external display. I have seen no tests of the AW vs other BRD players but in theory at least they should have similar output depending on the software used.

 

You get the full gamut RGB screen on a RGB LED regardless of what software is installed, because its hardware not software.

The biggest difference on a AW is that a non-RGB LED has a light leak on the bottom and a RGB LED does not.

A sticky FAQ on RGB LED displays seems to be needed on this forum, the same questions keep getting asked.

 

Hello all. Had the HP HDX 18T but hated it, especially the fact that you cannot turn off the lights on the keyboard. I just got m AW yesterday and I love it. Premium screen, 1tb, vista ultimate, 2.83 gz and a bluray writer. where can i find a bag for this?

 

Here are two.

 

www.sonystyle.com

They have AW290 premium and AW290.

You get the RGB-LED with the premium ONLY and it comes with Adobe's software. The catch is that the premium costs $600 more.

$600 is way too much to get the RGB-LED even with the $300 software!!!

According to Sony, there is no way to get the RGB-LED screen withOUT the software so I can save the extra $300.

 

Maybe try reading numerous previous posts on this subject for a start.

 

I agree they bundle unnecessary software. On the previous AW one could customize the notebook without some of the software, but you have to pay with a credit card and it will still cost more then a non-RGB LED.

 

I have a question regarding memory and my 170y/q

Stated max memory is 4gb but I see other models in the premium line that have a max of 8gb. If the chipsets are the same shouldnt I be able to install 8gb

 

The software doesn't cost them $300... in fact it doesn't cost $300 anyway.

$600 is probably the reflection of the increase in costs for the RGB-LED.

Lightroom isn't installed by default, but the installer is loaded. The registration code is in the lightroom manual.

 

This might be a dumb question, but is there any way I can give PS Lightroom to my father. He would get a lot more use out of it than I would, I just want the upgraded LED backlit screen (plus the piano black finish is a nice addition for me). I'm guessing the software comes pre-loaded, not sure if you actually get a "real" copy of it.

 

Don't think so.

If its anything like adobe Acrobat standard on my SZ then all Sony includes is the installer and a key in the actual software somewhere on your laptop.

And even say you could find the key and could move the software, you'd have to remove it completely from your AW - also after every recovery...
And still, it may end up in dubious legality, as Lightroom could be distributed by Sony under an OEM license.

Basically:
Don't try.

 

After reading a bit about CCFL and LED I'm thinking of upgrading the order on my AW290 to the premium model. Here are the upgrades in addition to basic AW290 specs:

2.66 GHZ T9550 processor
4 GB Memory
640 GB Hard Drive (320 x 2 )
Blu Ray Read/Write

HDTV and BluRay display is important to me-the unit will also be my HDTV and although I am considering cable it's free over the air channels I want the most and it's my understanding the AW290 works better this way than with cable

Should I opt for the upgrade to the premium model? Thanks.

 

You should do what you want, but here is my opinion. If you are going to be using this as your TV, then I'd say go for it. Just remember that if you aren't using the PS Ligthroom software, you are paying $600 for the LED and piano black color. For me it's worth it, and it seems like it would be worth it for you given the fact that this will stand in as a TV for you.

 

Can anyone who has model AW290YPH share the major specs here? Or hasn't it been released yet? (No mention on Sony's site.) Or perhaps someone can interpret/interpolate what YPH means? Apparently Y refers to the premium line with the upgraded screen (I'd love someone to confirm this), but what of P and H? If AW290YPH is in the premium line, it must be pretty minimally decked out, as it's listed variously for $1600-$1700 online -- well below any other premium model I see.

Thanks.

 

A quick Google search found this.

It is not premium (note the color "Gray"), but it has some upgrades. If you custom order the AW290 (non-P) with those options, it will be $1624 @ 2GB RAM...$1724 @ 4 GB RAM (ram was not listed in link).

I have no idea about the lettering scheme, but this clearly does not have the LED RGB screen.

EDIT: here they list ram @ 4GB

 

Oh by the way-I saw something about somebody getting a 7% Sony Campus discount and the $300 rebate for warranty and accessories...Number one is this possible? Not according to the phone reps. Two: I thought the student discount is 10% so where does 7% come from?