Official Sony VAIO AW Series 18.4" Owners thread

Academic price for Adobe Lightroom is $99 at several on-line academic software stores...full version.

Display could possibly be PVA rather than IPS as some of the new PVA screens have up to 178 degree viewing angles. The key would be if the screen has any color shift at wide viewing angles...the PVA would and the IPS typically would not. The IPS would most likely be plagued by the "white glow" at wide viewing angles, which typically isn't bothersome considering the increased color gamut of the IPS display. Hopefully someone will determine the screen type and post to this forum.

I would consider an 18.4" 1080P IPS screen to be worthy of a $400 add. As I recall, one of the last IPS notebook displays was the IBM/Lenovo "Flexview", which was discontinued due to availability/cost but is still highly sought on ebay, craigslist, etc.

 

Well not everyone can get academic prices or can they? Technically they are not supposed to be able to, although I can since I'm a student, but I don't need the software. It's not like we have that many choices for nice laptop screens though.

You are right that PVA screens also have wide viewing angles, but are there pva screens capable of reproducing 137% of adobe rgb color gamut? Also, I've never heard of a laptop screen with a pva screen, although this can be a first. And yes the IPS screens can have that "white glow" but I believe there is a coating that can be placed on the screen to eliminate this but again who knows if Sony used it, but still a minor point considering all the benifits of an IPS screen. I think its called a "polarizer" but I'm not sure. My understand is that pva screens also have downfalls, but I can't remember off the top of my head. I think it had something to do with some people getting dizzy from a wierd "3d" effect?

Btw I did look at the IBM flexview but I decided against going after an out of date used notebook.

I wish Sony wasn't so stingy with the specs either, oh well. I'll just have to take a look in a few days. The Apple notebook event has been announced! Now I just hope Apple has the notebooks available on day one.

 

Yes, get rid of the $300 Lightroom software as "standard equipment" and lower the price accordingly, add the QX9300 quad core as an option and lower the prices on processor upgrades! The recently introduced HP HDX18t has a $225 processor upgrade to add the quad core QX9300 (actually "had" because the quad core and T9600 were recently pulled from the config options possibly because they ran out of stock due to the popularity at that price point). Sony wants $500 to upgrade to the T9600.

 

My guess is that the 137% adobe rgb color gamut mainly results from the 3 color (rgb) LED backlights rather than the panel type. I believe most if not all other LED notebook displays (Mac, etc) use white LED backlights. If they've successfully integrated the LED system from the Bravia HDTV, then I'd say this screen is "state of the art" as notebook screens go (and Apple has some catching up to do).

 

Well i just ordered mine. Well I didn't get the software. I figured i could buy the video and other softwares later on.

But i will update and let you guys know the details as soon as i get mine.

 

Did you order the one with or without the adobe rgb led screen?

 

Why in the world does the AW come with DDR2 RAM and not DDR3?

Come on, Sony... You can do better than that!

 

If I purchase the Sony's VGNAW120D VAIO® AW-Series with P8400 processor (2.26GHz ).

Could I upgrade it to the P9500 2.53GHz 6MB L2 Cache Socket P.

Does VGNAW120D AW-Series motherboard support the P9500 CPU ?

And does P9500 have to be use with DDR3 ?

 

Well you don't have to use DDR3 RAM.

About the processor - check the socket - that's important.

 

Hi folks,
I had my VGN-AW11Z/U (UK version) delivered today and it's an awesome machine.

I'm a freelance programmer and wanted one machine for work and play and the large 18.4" screened AW seemed ideal for both situations.

Of course with this being my first VAIO - anyone else in the same situation please take note - I had no idea that on top of everything else (no XP drivers for their proprietry hardware), Sony cripples the BIOS options as well. Just out of interest, does anyone know if they do this on the business machines too?
I'm used to being able to configure my (get that Sony... MY) machine how I want it and had I realised that it would be so restricted I would have bought something else.
It's all the more galling when I've spent a considerable amount of time reading on this forum as I was contemplating buying the FW series and I didn't see any threads about it.

So, it's a very nice machine. I just wish it was made by someone/anyone other than Sony.

 

Fujitsu has used MVA type screens on their notebooks which is actually alittle better than the PVA type display.

 

I am hoping that someone puts out a fully hardware/software configurable whitebook with an 8 bit-16.7 million colors, high contrast ratio, excellent viewing angles, RGB LED 17" or larger screen per exact buyer hardware/software configurations for the same reasons you describe in your post. SONY/HP/DELL they all handcuff the buyer to their specs, configs, hardware, software, proprietary worthless set-ups, and the purchase ends up not meeting your needs--what a waste. I wish it were possible to build a DIY laptop the same way it's possible to build your own desktop. The only company that is moving in this direction is OCZ and they aren't offering anything high end or the latest greatest tech yet directly to the end user enthusiast.

 

I didn't know that, but I know IBM offered IPS screens in the past. Currently, I'[m not seeing a Fujitsu laptop that uses an mva screen. The whole laptop screen industry took a step back when demand for lcd tvs rose and they realized giving consumers a glossy screen was enough into fooling them that a 6-bit tn panel is "nice".

 

Hi, do you have the rgb led screen? Also what kinds of things has Sony crippled in the bios? This is probably something I wouldn't care about since I never mess with the bios but I am curious as to what limitations Sony put there. I can't say I'm surprised though, Sony has always been very proprietary and their software has never been up to their hardware engineering. I'm not sure what proprietary hardware you are referring to though. As far as I know all manufacturers build laptops pretty close to the same way. I bet there is a boutique laptop dealer that actually pulls parts off of a shelf but all mass produced laptops share the same chipsets and each manufacturer probably has the same type of proprietary parts. Laptops are definately not standardized machines like desktops.

 

Without unfortunately.

 

As far as I'm aware they do it on all machines.
My SZ's BIOS is also restriced...

I bleive some people found software to circumvent the restrictions imposed by Sony. That may be an idea - but do at your own risk!

Honest question:
Why do you need the BIOS settings?
(As I can't quite see the point of having extended options...)

 

There are only a few notebooks that come with these Hi-quality RGB screens:
1. Sony AW series
2. HP Elitebook 8730w
3. Lenovo W700
4. Dell m6400

Now, which one do you think is best?

 

Well has anyone seen the led rgb screen in person? I'm hoping an online retailer will offer the 2300 premium version for a few bucks less than what its found at sony style, but even more importantly no taxes!

Anyways, good chance I'll be going to a Sony Style store tommorrow so I can check out this laptop and the new Apple notebooks being announced tommorrow. I'll come back and post my impressions of what I see if I do end up going.

 

Well I sure didn't know other manufactures were offering high end screens like this. I see that HP does offer an rgb led screen labeled "dream color". I've browsed through their webpage and I don't see an option to buy one with that screen though.

On the Lenovo W700 I see no such option or signs of one. Ok looking at the specs sheet I do see something. Lenovo claims the W700 can reproduce 72% of the adobe rgb color gamut. The AW can reproduce 137% of adobe rgb gamut.

Moving on the the Dell m6400 I see that they have an rgb led screen listed as an option but if you try to buy one it's not listed as an option. I'm guessing they have plans to release this.

Obviously I haven't used these machines, but Sony's AW is very different from any of the three machines you listed. The machines you listed are "workstations" and are significantly more expensive. They also have an intentionally bland look. Sony's AW is a consumer notebook targeted for entertainment as opposed to work.

 

It'll be interesting to see if a version of the Macbook Pro will join that list today as #5.

The Elitebook 8730w looks like a sweet machine, but again a workstation more geared toward the business exec. The Dreamcolor display option has been very slow to appear in the config specs (availability??), but I've read that it's expected to be a $400 add.

 

I like the Sony AW series and HP Elitebook 8730w best. In my opinion, the Dell and Lenovo notebooks' designs/aesthetics are too dull and boring.

I like the Sony AW's design and the HP's aluminum finish though. In terms of screen quality, I think that the Sony AW and HP Elitebook will be the best of the bunch.

 

Well Apple does NOT join the list. I'll be going tomorrow to check them out anyways since the Sony Style store is in the same mall

Does anyone want me to check out anything in particular about the machine? The two reviews so far have been pretty low on details and no users have posted impressions =/

The best buy's in my area still don't have this computer in either.

 

Some websites have already posted a first hands-on review. They did mention that the screens suffer from a lot of glare. They are also overly glossy. The MacBook Pro does not join the list at all. I find their new notebooks rather dull and unsurprising.

 

Check out the thread "am I the only one disappointed?" in the Apple forum on this NBR website...some major bashing going on over there, even from some of the Mac fanboys and fangirls (it's getting pretty brutal...the revolution is out!). No high resolution screen, no blu-ray, lost the firewire port, price went up, (but the weight went down 1/2 pound), etc, etc, etc. Oh, and you can add an optional displayport to DVI adapter for only $99.

 

So I decided to go check out the Sony Vaio AW tonight since I had time. Wow what a disappointment. The Sony Vaio AW uses a TN screen! Yes a TN screen. The horizontal viewing angles are good. The vertical viewing angle from the top down is pretty good as well, but if you are below the screen the colors invert pretty bad, especially on blacks.

Honestly, the viewing angles didn't seem like anything special. Someone else posted earlier that they thought the extra adobe rgb gamut comes from the 3rgb led backlight and I think they are right. I didn't have a way to check the accuracy of the colors or anything like that but I'm disappointed.

This was high on my list and now it just dropped off. I don't even remember how glossy the screen was, it didn't matter. But under the lighting conditions at the sony store I didn't find myself having to tilt the screen because of reflections.

The reviewer that said you could get 180 degree viewing angles must have been talking horizontal.

 

Now not to discourage people or anything but the RGB LED backlighting is not the Holy Grail, it does improve the color gamut but it can't make up for the downsides of the TN technology. It's just a better backlighting, people hoped that the white LED backlighting will solve all of their problems, and of course it didn't, the RGB one won't too, at least not until they start using something better than TN panels.

This is the typical color gamut of the different backlight technologies.
http://powerelectronics.com/power_management/led_drivers/Fig-3-color-gamut.jpg

Of course, there are improved versions of white LED and CCFL backlighting with higher color gamut, still behind the RGB one, which also happens to be the most expensive and that's way it was used only in TVs/monitors before.

The ThinkPad W700 has an optional 400-nit panel, which uses RGB but CCFL backlighting, hence the lower color gamut. You can read a detailed review of it here, yes, it's TN with its typical issues:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=307814

Now the RGB LED screens are in mass production by LG, CMO will also make them, and as I said in another thread we will see them in almost all sizes (13.3", 15.4", 16.4, 17" and 18.4"), but then again that says nothing about the used panel technology, and you really can't expect S-IPS panels for notebooks in mass production. Frankly, it would be a miracle if we see even one (excluding some tablets) but I seriously doubt it will happen. :shrug:

As to the HP's "Dream Color", that name got some people excited as HP uses it for desktop monitors, and some of them have 10-bit S-IPS panels with RGB LED backlighting, but well, that's a whole different world there.

Still, I want to see what the "mobile" Dream Color will be, I found this video, but it doesn't show much.
http://www.notebooks.com/2008/08/12/hp-elitebook-8730w-dreamcolor-goes-mobile-video/


Anyway, we will get reviews soon and will find out.

 

Well two things happened. One is that a reviewer claimed 180 degree viewing angles on the Sony AW. A second thing was that I assumed since 6-bit tn panels couldn't reproduce anywhere near the color gamut of adobe rgb, I figured they had to use something better than TN.

Anyways thanks for bringing me back down to reality, where were you a week ago?

 

Are you sure it was one of the AW190 models with the LED backlit/Adobe RGB screens? The other 190/170 configs don't have those screens.

 

Do either of the customizable configurations have the LED backlit screen? Or is that only the $3300 Y/Q configuration that has that? (At least I guess it does...it dosen't say it again when you're past the first page.)

I *NEED* Blu Ray, LED backlight, and a decent GPU in a system...this is kind of tempting.

Also, does this have a user replaceable hard drive or ship with a clean OS CD? (Or at least a reinstall CD?)

 

Right now it looks like only the configurable 190 Premium and the 170YQ offer the LED/Adobe option.

Keep an eye on their AW page though. I've noticed that Sony often changes the options with no notice.

I too was hoping for a clean-install option, but only a couple of their smaller-screen models (Z? S?) offers a clean option, as well as a dual Vista/XP OS disk option. I quite like that last one...

 

Unfortunately I dont know of any notebook computer being built these days that is using anything other than a TN panel. Most consumers dont want to pay the price of what it would cost for a IPS MVA or PVA type panel on a notebook computer. I really do wish they would offer those of us that do want this type of a display the option at a premium price.
I have been going through a whole bunch of the currently built notebook computers looking for a decent screen. The Sony Xbrite Hi-Color is not bad (I have the BX675P 17" right now) but it is still a TN panel.

The only way you can find IPS/MVA/PVA type panels is to buy an older notebook computer. Certain models have these but you have to search for them.

Just curious are they using the backlight keyboard on the Sony AW series?

 

I wasn't sure if the high end configurable system did or not. It says about the Adobe thing, but didn't explicitly say it was an LED backlight, though maybe they're one and the same? The configurable one isn't too terrible of a price

Any idea about the user replaceable drive? I *think* that the older 17" AR models didn't (let alone their smaller notebooks)

 

I couldn't agree more. The premium for a IPS, MVA, or PVA type display is worth it. You get a great quality screen, which is one of the most important things to consider when buying a notebook. The current trend is going in the wrong direction. I'm still hoping the HP Elitebook 8730's Dream Color display will be better and will offer one of these display types...

 

Do you remember the model number? There are at least 3 types of AW notebooks, low-end, mid-end and high-end. The low-end one has something like a 1680x985 display on it. Pretty much ever store I have been too only have the cheapest version of laptop series on display, although I hope when the AW product is released where I am there will be a high-end on demo somewhere.

 

How much performance difference will be between AW125 (best buy one) and any AW130 with 7200rpm HD. The different is between the CPU: One is P8400 2.26 GHz and T9400 2.54 GHz. Also, how much different are between a 5400 and 7200 rpm 320 gb hard drive in the AW. Any help will be appreciated. I am still waiting for some kind of sell on them .

 

Having done video editing on both 7200rpm and 5400rpm discs(with similar CPU), there is a bit of performance difference but I do it only once in a while so I don't mind it that much. I can't say how much better T9400 CPU will be but I think its clockspeed is not that high compared to T8400.

Mind you on Amazon its not clear if AW130 has a Blu ray burner - most probably not else it would be highlighted in specs - where as my AW125 certainly has one.

So faster HD, CPU, 'Adobe RGB color compatible display' and missing blue ray burner are the only differences between between AW125 and AW130.

 

So I just saw this one newegg.com

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834117831

Slightly faster CPU, but smaller HD (not an issue for me because I like to keep my data in a external one). It is also ~150 dollar cheaper...did I miss anything...good deal?

 

Does anyone know how the non-LED 1080P FullHD display on the AW compares to the 1080P Ultra Brightview display on the HP HDX18t? I don't think either have hit the mainstream brick and mortar stores yet, so I doubt few if any have actually seen them side by side.

Was it ever solidly confirmed that the FullHD display is "dual lamp" like the original Hi-color that appears to be phasing out in favor of the FullHD display? Do you suppose the HP Ultra Brightview 1080P is dual lamp?

 

^^ I looked at the high end and the low end AW screens in the Sonystyle store. I don't see much of a difference i.e. there is no way I will pay 500+ for it.

 

Artimeis, did u see aw w/ rbg screen? by 500+ you mean the difference in price b/w non-LED with RGB screen?

i could not find any aw w/ rgb in new york. checked jr, bestbuy and circuitcity. i called to sonystyle store in ny and was told they have 120 and 180 on display, but when i asked if they have aw w/ rgb screen they asked what is that.according to sonystyle for business 180 may have rgb screen. i'll go to check it tomorrow.

p.s just called to online sonystyle. the rep told me that aw w/ rgb is not going to be avaialble at any retail stores. the only one way to get it is direct order. also there is no way to rid off of this 300$ software.

 

I haven't seen either, so I can't tell anything about them...

"Ultra Brightview" is a term that HP uses for dual lamp backlighting, and I even found it written in the specs of the HDX.

 

Probably the same screen as Sony's Xbrite-FullHD Screen which I suspect is the new name for the old Xbrite-HiColor screen.

 

I am pretty sure the high-end AW in the sonystyle is with RBG screen. I mean it is AW170 quickship edition which according to the sonystyle website it is the RGB one. Someone just brought one when I was in the store, so I don't know why the rep told you that it is not available (why believe the rep anyway, do they actually know anything ).

 

Artimeis Thanks for reply!
I just said what rep told me.. actually i never trust them i thought there should be the difference...hm....

 

The pre-configured "quick ship" model with LED display (and therefore Adobe RGB) VGN-AW170Y/Q, has the glossy "piano black" exterior (only LED RGB is available in black) and should be retailing somewhere north of $3,000. Artimeis and Happyprozak: did you notice the price on the AW with the "ho-hum/so-so viewing angle/likely TN" display that you saw in the Sony store? Was the exterior glossy black? And compared to the one with the gray exterior it looked exactly the same? If so, this is disappointing and smells of marketing hype.

 

Is the LED display only available on the 170Y/Q model? I don't see it as an option on any other model.

 

Actually, I see that Newegg has the VGN-AW160J/Q and it has the LED display. I doesn't look like it has the piano black finish, tho.

Edit: Well, Amazon doesn't list it as being LED while Newegg does. The picture on Amazon shows it has piano black. I dunno who is correct.

 

Yea, the Sonystyle store in San Diego has both. The expansive one ~$3000+ has glassy black exterior and some padding where your palm lays. I try to look at their screen carefully (in the store they are not side by side). I really don't see that much of a difference, so I am not even bothering with configuration with that screen which is +500 dollars.

I am looking at the newegg one, AW190JAH...look like the best value there (praying for a sell price soon). Btw, the AW160 is glossy black one, why (how do you know? It only has one picture). Because look at the picture carefully, it has soft padding at the front mouse pad area...all glossy black one has that.

 

Okay, Sony's own site says the vgn-aw160j/q is LED.

 

Sorry to keep posting about this, but I'm trying to figure out which model I want. Does anyone know if all of the piano black models have the LED backlight or not?