Official Sony VAIO AW Series 18.4" Owners thread

No, I was hoping you would first!

 

at least a Quad. the HP 18.4"ers have had that as an option for months.

just seems like there should be a meaningful hardware upgrade in the new refresh. oh well.

 

HELP! Latest (& so far, only) BLU-RAY UPDATE renders my AW160 unable to play BD movies (update's from Sony's support page for this model). No additional patches or help have been found there or @ InterVideo (s/w mfgr) so I'm checking here since any AW that came with a BD/DVD burner would have the same WinDVD s/ware for same model Matsh*ta BD-MLT UJ230AS - same as Matsush*ta/Panasonic. (Ok, I see whassup now, not permitted to type mfgr name 'coz it could be misconstrued as profanity, is that it? Well so now I know;-)

Aside from no playback (grrr-rrr-r), after the update, I notice there's NO onscreen msg that the Vista Aero theme is being temporarily downgraded for power mgmt as usual during BD drive use. Changing the theme manually achieves nothing so, apparently, there's more to it than just power mgmt. The WinDVD for BD window opens but remains blank (zip, zilch, nada!). Only way to playback BD movies is to uninstall the May 2009 version then reinstall the Original from the Recovery partition. I have gone thru this cycle 3 times; Sony's updated version just doesn't work here. For sure, BD playback worked fine w/o this 100-plus MB update.

Anyone else experiencing similar issue?
Anyone know of a workaround or fix?
Any negative repercussions of Blocking this update now or in the future?

 

AHA! Now I get what's going on here (cluck cluck cluck hint hint).

Hmmnn... so howz that RAM upgrade comin' along, HUH?

(Sony AW160J/Q ~ T9400/2.53ghz / 4 GB / Nvidia 9600 / 500 GB HDD / Piano Black w/groovy padded palmrest)

 

Congrats! Glad you pursued a solution & that Sony did The Right Thing. Reading about this, from when you 1st wrote of it to the resolution has left me with a very good feeling---in fact, it's empowering. I'll remember this should I ever again have to deal with another big computer company (yep, I've had a few bouts m'self;-)

 

And, of course, the cycles are likely planned at least a year or so in advance -- with each of the three-month cycle changes on the drawing board for execution.

Y'ad think that with the world economy in the shape it's in they'd cut costs by doing the refreshes slightly less frequently (since consumers aren't likely to upgrade as quickly) -- but no. All they really do is inspire us to turn in the computers to the Costcos out there and trade-up every ninety days!

And we wonder why the economy is in the mess it is, eh?

 

I ran the update without problem.

 

I had an accident with my AW110D laptop. Broke the screen and have to replace it. I found there are two types of screens for this laptop. One is a
WUXGA (1920x1080) Sony XBRITE, Clear Bright (Glossy) and the other is a WSXGA+ (1680x945) Sony XBRITE, Clear Bright (Glossy). I noticed my laptop had a max resolution of 1680x945. Should I go for the WUXGA or stay with the WSXGA+? I noitced that the price for the WUXGA is about $75.00 in this one site. What is going on? Anyone know?

link to store: http://www.screencountry.com/index.php?section=products&model=VAIO VGN-AW SERIES&brand=Sony&size=

 

sorry made a mistake: its the WUXGA that's cheaper by about $75.00. The WSXGA+ is more expensive

 

If it was up to me I would want a new AW that has the same horse power as I currently have but runs a lot cooler when under load.

What is the date of this update?

 

Perplexed... Considering both screens are of same type/quality, why would the WUXGA (@1920x1080) cost Less than the WSXGA+ with its lower res / fewer pixels? That might not be the only cost-determining factor... like availability, supply/demand, market prices, stuff like that. Curious...
___________________________________________
Sony VAIO VGN-AW160J/Q ~ RGB-LED / T9400/2.53ghz / 4 GB RAM / Nvidia 9600 / HDD=500 GB / BD/DVD read/write / Piano Black w/padded palmrest & partially-crippled spacebar:-(

 

seems like you just want a second vent.

 

The date of the most recent version of Intervideo WinDVD for BluRay is 3/19/09 (misquoted as May in my original post). Notified @ updates by VAIO Updater in mid-May over a wk after receiving this AW160, D/L'd from here - http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGN-AW160J/Q&region_id=1. There are only 2 files listed under Blu-Ray; I installed both the new WinDVD-BD & BD F/ware issued 3/27. Both installed successfully but later I uninstalled the 3/19 WinDVD since BD playback no longer worked right after update. Note: I installed each update in the order of their issue dates.

Concerned I might be overtaxing my system 'coz today when I watched a BD movie after having rolled back to the original (factory) WinDVD version---for the 1st time, Vista Aero theme was NOT downgraded to Vista Basic to manage power consumption as usual while viewing BD's. As stated in original post, this missing step was noticeable when I attempted to view BD-DVDs while running the NEW version s/ware (which I removed due to failure). But THIS is the very 1st time that's happened when using the 1st or original version. I gather from this & from the amount of heat generated---& once when curious @ how long the battery would last when running a BD movie---that BluRay uses up a lot of juice.

Moral of the story: Wasn't broken till I fixed it.
(Can't really take the credit for this one 'coz I was following Sony Updater orders^(oO)^

Am I putting my new lappy at risk by running the older s/ware??? --Not that I have a choice since the new version won't allow BD playback at all.

Here... Perhaps this w/provide a clue to someone more knowledgeable than me: Considering that I un-& re-installed the New WinDVD (which was issued 8 days B4 the f/ware update), each time reinstalling the orig version (meaning the pre-firmware update), could that mean something here...maybe? Could the f/ware update be playing a role--- if so, what can I do now? HAVE I SUFFICIENTLY CONFUSED ANYONE YET?!

 

Guess that depends on your budget & which resolution serves your purposes best. Assuming you have the same Nvidia 9600 GT gfx card as the rest of us AW's (unless some exception?). The card supports WUXGA & you've already had the 1680x945 so you know that works. This may not be what You want but I went for the WUXGA because it suits all my video-lovin' purposes (ultrasharp details, etc including BluRay & photos, & the ability to have more windows open/side-by-side at once). However, I don't use such high res for web surfing, word processing & some other apps. Unnecessarily eye/neck straining w/smaller text & icons. Altho I could increase the DPI rather than, and even in addition to, lowering the resolution also makes the display more 'eye-friendly."

For Anyone Reading This:
Is there ANY substance at all to the advise that it's (somehow) best to run a monitor (TV too) at its native res?

Bottom line: Can always turn the res down when not needed but can't turn it UP once it's already maxed out. On my 15.4", I don't have the same use for such a hi-res screen as on this biggy.

OUCH. Broken screen. THAT must've hurt some (frustration?). How'd it happen? (so I can try to avoid doing the same ) Are you going to install it yourself? I'd like if you'll post back to tell how things work w/ScreenCountry if you buy from them. Best of luck!

 

Good morning


i own Sony VGN-AW190 there has been few things i hate about it ....on the left side down it gets really hot i dont know what to do about it


on other things can someone help me find a site on the net that sells the Addition battery (50%+)

Thank you

 

What would it take for you COSTCO guys to trade in your new 160JQ and get the new AW series when it comes out in a few weeks..

 

Should I be concern that my laptop palmrest havent been bubbling and flaking. I want to catch some of these issue within my 90 days so that if somethin happen I can return it.

 

Really want cooler running chips, in my dreams.

 

one day, my friend

 

Ok... exactly how "hot" are we talking? I currently have a 4 year old laptop... granted i run Ubuntu so perhaps it is less taxing on the processor... but it can get pretty warm. I have a top notch aluminum cooler made for 17 inch notebooks that has reduced my processor temp 15 - 20 degrees. But all this talk about the AW getting hot has me wondering... how hot is hot? Will the new AW's get hotter than a 4 year old Pentium? The dual-core's (newest processors such as the T9600) run much much cooler than their predecessors do they not?

 

Anecdotal at best, but my new AW92 (Japan CTO) with dual-core T9900/3.06ghz feels cooler than the S270 (US CTO) with single-core Pentium M 760/2.0ghz it replaced.

One of the factors is that the AW has a comparatively larger exhaust fan, which puts out a greater volume of hot air compared to my S270. But that of course means that's less heat that stays in the system.

On the other hand, the AW's AC adapter gets uncomfortably warm!



The other factor is that the hard drive bays are located just under the right side of the palm rest. Depending on your configuration, you may get Hitachi 7200rpm drives, which can get quite warm. Switching to an SSD, a different brand 7200rpm drive, or installing your own 5400rpm drive(s) can help lower the heat.

 

Jerome, it's an UNconditional 90-day return policy. I returned an FW before just because I didn't like it... really, it was pretty bad in both build quality & its XBRITE-ECO display was unbelievable compared to this beautiful AW display altho both models are cheaply built IMO (btw, that was my 1st & only other VAIO experience). As usual for Costco, they'll ask for a reason for return, something to enter on their form, but there is no wrong answer. "Didn't like it" is good enough... + maybe reason(s) why you didn't like it.

Should you be concerned that you're not getting the bubbling, flaking, &/or (in my case), half-crippled spacebar? Nawh! Just today, I noticed the shiny silver finish is quickly coming off of the plastic "chrome" strip around the bottom half. Before I received it, I assumed that was made of metal, silly me. Not certain yet it seems no matter which high-end model I get, the build quality w/be made using the same materials. Like you, I have no bubbling palmrest or flaking/chipped shiny black lid. No doubt, the spacebar can be fixed either by me (sh/I get up the courage;-) or send it into the shop... but the rest of the exterior...I'm feeling uneasy when projecting 6-mos or a yr into the future: how will it hold up even by then? Any words of wisdom or comfort for me?

 

Was hoping somebody would dare to ask!

I've been quite verbal @ desire (need actually) for better build quality since that's a huge deal for me. Aesthetically, I'm so enamored of this AW that if Sony left the exterior as-is OR altered it some, I'd be pleased either way. More high-end CPU choices & better gfx solution(s) would be welcome. And definitely MORE PORTS (like toss in an eSATA, Firewire 800, more USBs) & better strategic/ergonomic placement of ports. Right now, I can't say for sure that a different selection of hardware would compensate for casing made w/just more cheesy materials. A solid-build notebook, that would inspire me (to be sure, I handle my electronics like pets;-). 1 more thing: More reasonable pricing. I figure SSD prices w/come down more in time (as all tech does) but I'd like to be able to configure that into a new AW300 (as C:drive) or install 1 myself before long as prices become more acceptable to me (hey, these be hard times lately;-(

PS: * No offense to cheese; cheese is good---just not in this sense;-)

 

How high is the heat & is it the same level of heat all the time or vary depending on what you're doing? Also, is the heat level the same as when you 1st got it? Mine gets pretty warm when running video-intensive apps, otherwise surprisingly cool (& so far, runs very quiet). The power brick gets pretty hot tho! I keep both the laptop's bottom & the brick away from fabrics (anything that traps heat) & make sure they both have some ventilation. Have seen the extended battery around the web but right now, can only remember SonyStyle.com -- yet I got the impression prices are better elsewhere.

 

(2nd post) I'm considering a laptop cooler & want to know if anyone uses the NZXT Cryo-something... From what I've seen around the web, it's pretty popular esp w/more powerful gaming pc's, has large dual fans, black anodized aluminum construction, w/fit 18.4"-ers. Tho I'm not having a heat problem per se, I believe in prevention & besides, the weather's warming up fast & ambient temp is a factor for the notebook, too (just as for my desktop).

 

it's going to get hot on the left side because the GPU is over there. fret not.

 

Funny thing, I just replied to a your post today & (of all things) mentioned my complete dissatisfaction with an FW I'd gotten from (you guessed!) Costco. Incidentally, the same model I got a while back for appx $1450 has been selling as a "Hot Buy" at Costco.com for $799! Honestly, for that particular config, it wdn't have been worth that price either. BUT... I want to clean that up a bit. The model I got was Sony's absolute bottom of the pile (long since discontinued I'm sure). Since then, I've seen loads of highly capable FW's (w/configs available same as AWs) that have real video cards in 'em & FULL HD displays (tho to my knowing, the RGB isn't available in FW series - NOT "XBRITE-ECO" which is disappointing unless you're into high-shine & ultra-DIM;-) On top of it all, the silver-coated palmrest wore OFF (white underneath, btw).

Now I can't know what the build quality is on the top-of-the-line FW's, but I do know they're immeasurably superior in every other way to that model I had for a couple months then returned it in early Feb. I keep hearing from those who have them that the(non-RGB LED) Full HD glossy display is gorgeous which would be the same on the FW as on the AW.

 

Why not take it into your local Sony retail store for assistance? The Costa Mesa (CA) store told me it didn't matter that I'd purchased it at Costco---that if whatever issue was serviceable in-store then the onsite tech would tend to it. So as long as you take it to a Sony store that has an onsite tech available... just call 1st. At this time, I don't know if you already got your colors calibrated to your satisfaction but I hadn't seen any post indicating you had. Btw, looks as if a few of us here have a Wait-n-See 'Costco 90-day Countdown" going on till we know more about the AW300's. Ahhh, the suspense!

 

Costco product specialist & their tech support (in FL) each informed me that Costco had sold a huuuuge # of this model (forgot the actual # but recall that it was impressive). Given that fact, it's really but a relative few of us who got minor factory-related problems--or problems due to Sony's lower quality external materials (case construction). That this model was discontinued, IMHO, has no bearing on the model itself but that computer mfgrs come out with "new" models about every 3 mos anymore (aggressive Intel marketing strategy).

 

I could swear you took the imagery & words straight out of MY head. Every word---the Gateway's burnt orange (Halloween-y) trim, shocking pink/red bulk of plastic on the Toshiba (that one was supposed to have a cell processor). AND the HDX18t...altho on that one, it was a whole lot more (for me anyway) than the weird design element. Everywhere I went, that HDX18t haunted me w/its unbeatable options & pricing---but experience revealed it was better on paper than in reality. So, I hear you, when you KNOW what you want, the pickin's grow slim, don't they? Hence, I kept going back to the AW.

 

Thanks man!!!! i have deleted some applications but reading your post i need help. can u write a list of services to stop (and how to ) and usseles apps?

Thanks again, really.

PS1: u know how to put (assign) more memory to the graphic card?
PS2: my english suckssss LOL

 

btw, the "vaio sz spacebar fix" to that someone posted a youtube-link in this thread works if you "modify" it to the AW spacebar. the spacebars of SZ and AW have a bit different dimensions, but the same mechanics. basically the paper has to be smaller. I fixed my spacebar in terms of not responding!

about the temperature issue, i dont understand. of course there's some heat, and on the left there's the fan so the hot air leaves the case there ... but apart from that, my AW stays cool even under hours of full power usage. the case itself doesn't heat up or anything. maybe that's cause I have a P series cpu, I dont know.

 

space bar fix? there's something wrong with the space bar?

 

Maybe for that model the case construction is of lower quality but before I bought my AW I tried 3 out instore and like the AW170 I bought I found the case construction to be quite solid. I have had mine for 5 months and nothing has chipped, flaked or fallen off.

I am not a cheerleader for Sony, it's just I did not hear of these kind of complaints before Costco customers started posting here.

Hot when underload, hotter then other similar notebooks? I quess no. It does blow hot air out though and it's keyboard is too warm for me.

 

Here here (& amen;-) How screwy this scenario has become... planned obsolescence, disposable electronics, etc. amidst a global economic depression. Hey, just thought of an addition to the Zoo Tycoon / Amusement Park Tycoon series... why not ComputerCo Tycoon! Anyway, point well taken. Now back to the AWs

 

Bravo! Somebody finally performed that YouTube video fix on an AW. AND it worked, yay! Ok, now I'm not feeling as scared @ breaking the whole spacebar when only the right edge of mine is dead, enough to be really annoying but still usable.

Ditto for me re Heat... I run it @ full power all the time, too. Fan sure works well at quietly blowing heat out of the system & the vent is sufficiently large for the job. Sometimes the very bottom of left side gets hot (not warm) but no problem detected here.

Hard to gauge "hot" w/out providing some data on temp / usage / conditions.

 

Would need to see a list of what apps you're running (task mgr), and services that are listed in your Administrative Tools > Services that start up "Automatic" or "Automatic (delayed)." For those services that aren't required at boot up but can be activated manually when you launch dependent apps, those can be changed to "Manual" startup. My system arrived w/ over 90 processes running automatically but I only use 60 or so. Verrry few services have I Disabled (not used or pose a security risk). Plus, as said, I uninstalled all the trialware & AOL junk I'll never be interested in, including MS Office Trial, Windows OneCare Trial & more---but that's purely up to you.

Don't know what model AW you have or how much RAM installed. You have an Nvidia 9600 graphics card but are short on vRAM? Hmmnn;-) How about just buying more system RAM? (if your model AW accepts 8 GBs & you have less than that now). I'm NO expert but I don't think it's possible to allocate more memory to gfx card (it already has 512 MB dedicated gfx memory & can also use something like 1700 additional MBs of your system memory. So I can't help you beyond that---but I do know how to increase virtual memory (system, page file). There's also Vista READY BOOST.

Can someone more PC-savvy than me advise on this part???

PS; Nothing at all wrong w/ the english in your post...you did just fine. Might want to check my english though;-)

 

What a non sense. Educate yourself first then write
For notebook users very important difference- lower power consumption of P, at a higher price though.
http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2duo/mobile/specifications.htm

 

Fixing the non-responsive space bar

Ok, the space bar right-hand side bugged me one too many times, so I took the plunge and followed the youtube video I found and posted back a few days, and did the fix. I found that 2 layers of double sided tape folded over did the trick nicely. Now when I press on the right front corner of the spacebar, it registers every time. Before, it would not register at all.

Just pay attention to how the key came out so you can put it back in the same way.

When you pull the key out, you are lifting the front edge.

When you put the key back, rotate the longer metal piece out a bit and slide the hooks under the metal guides on the rear of the keyboard first, then lower the key and press down gently and you'll hear clicks as the black plastic lifters click into the metal rods on the key.

If one side of the key is too high, you may have pulled the metal guide off of the guides in the key itself. Just remove the key again and make sure the metal bars are seated into the plastic tabs on the key itself and try putting the key back onto the keyboard again.

I had to redo mine the first time for that problem and a second time because of a rattle that appeared only on the right side. I had 3 layers and backed off to 2 and perhaps that fixed the rattle or it was something else.

Anyway, hats off to the youtube author for posting the video titled " How to fix the VAIO SZ spacebar".

 

I have the Vaio AW-230 and it will not stay in sleep mode nor hibernation mode as well. Contacted Sony support via email, no help at all.

In hibernation mode the unit should be fully powered off and require the power button to be pressed. So it must be something in the hidden bios settings that Sony will not let you see.

Anyone know how to display all the BIOS settings?

 

fuggem, see link in my sig.

 

Thinking about buying a vaio too. AW or FW, don't know yet.
Is the AW still doable to actually use this as a laptop? As in: is it comfortable to have it on your lap for a long time? Or is it just too bulky and big for that? And perhaps too hot?

 

One of the first things the AW manual states is do not put it on your lap.

 

Ever noticed that the word "notebook" has replaced the word "laptop" in most advertisements? That's because the ventilation of the system necessarily requires use of the bottom of the chassis for vents. So, a notebook can only be used on the lap with a notebook desk or tray which permits some air circulation under the system.

There's the rub with 17 and 18.4 inch notebooks: the off-center (but centered with respect to the main keyboard) touchpad and typing area do force one to shove the computer to the right in order to type comfortably, I find.

Maybe "desktop replacements" are ultimately meant to be just that ;-).

 

What screen does the VGN-AW290JAH use?

FL?
LED?
RGB Adobe (137%)?
CRT? (Ok, just kidding on that one )

 

Good news folks! Sony has confirmed that I should be getting back my laptop in a week with the whole lid replaced.
Same as docslm. Fairwell to the laptop chippings!!!

 

it's not hot in your lap, unless you open your legs such that your left leg sits on the extreme left of the laptop. that's the only place where it gets hot (at the vent and maybe 2" in. chances are you don't.

I sit it in my lap all the time.

and FYI, all laptop manufacturers say not to put laptops in your lap, because they pose a potential health risk.

 

First, thanks again!
Here is a screen of my task manager. hope u can help me
http://www.blouan.com/process.gif[/IMG
[url]http://www.blouan.com/process.gif[/url]

I have de vgn-aw170 Y/Q 4 gbram, 1tb disc, blueray burner, etc etc , nvidia 9600 with 512 and i want assignate 1 gb from ram to the graphic card.

Thanks again,
wait 4 your answer.

 

Good News!!!!
Sony Style have just unveiled the AW390 CTO in their web.
Is the same old 290, but with option to the t9900 processor, little less cost for the same options, and -oh boy- the LED display simply dissapeared!!!!!
None of the body differences present on the Japan model we've watching this days. Bravo for the Sony's flagship model!!!!!!