Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge *PART 2*

i have under 15 posts hence i cannot post links yet.
there's a link on page 2 that works. the hotfile one. i'll leave it to you to try and find it.

 

Why can't you post links? Copying & pasting the URL does not work for you?

Here is the link to Vaio_Gate download you were suggesting: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=433624

It's not available for download on Sony_Support. Maybe an added value software thing for certain models? Edit: Sony_says "*on specific models only" here: http://www.sony.ie/hub/vaio-software



There is also the highly customizable & free RocketDock but personally, I find Win 7's customizable taskbar & Notification area good enough, especially with shortcuts that you can pin to the Jump lists and height of that wide screen is narrow enough.

 

the forum rules. until i have 15+ posts, my account is not able to post links of any sort. kind of annoying but I suppose it was probably implemented so people do not randomly create accounts to advertise their own goods on the forum.

 

They actually create systematically random accounts to advertise, no? My English ain't too good so I'm not sure.

 

Not quite sure what you're getting at but yes, some create an account and then systematically post a thread in every section of a forum with a link to their site where they sell their own products. By enforcing 15 posts before you are able to post a link, it would help stop people from trying to do that. Especially for a forum as popular as this one.

And your English is just fine.

 

That has an amazing level of graphic detail, I thought the driving was still a cutscene at first, and the AI of the other vehicles seemed excellent. That's all on the lowly F11 with GT330? I can imagine how that would do on the crossfired 4850 desktop. Are you using a wheel or joystick?

 

hey guys, first post here but I've been reading these forums intently since January. I too have the f11 and the fan whine, recorded it and sent it off to Sony support. They couldn't understand what I was trying to tell them and kept referring to the morse code fault, but they agreed to take it in anyway. However I was loathed to send it in if they didn't know what they were looking for.

Tausif, please keep us updated as I do want to send mine in at some point. I'd be very interested if they've managed to minimise the whine, that way I would be happier handing it over to them to have a look at. Just out of interest (I may have missed a post) but did you say how long it took to get it back? as I don't have a spare PC here, I sold my desktop and replaced it with this Vaio. I must say though, that apart from that annoying whine from the fan, the laptop is awesome. I wish the EU version had backlit keyboard, I was looking forward to that. I would have thought it would have come as standard, especially with the amount of money they sell for.

Anyway I'm looking forward to hearing your results of the fan whine.

cheers
Andy

 

Hi Andy.

It took 1 day short of 5 weeks.

2.5 wks of that was spent waiting for the fan. I will update my assessment after the weekend by which time I should have spent enough time with it. Try to activate your PM when you can.

Tausif.

 

You may want to try: http://windows7center.com/forums/customization/5235-sony-vaio-gate-dock.html

I, too, ditched the dock after I saw how good the Win7 superbar was

I didn't realize that the Vaio dock came with this computer (or did it? - I don't think I have the software installed... perhaps I uninstalled it at one point... lol).

TDU is so good in that regard - I didn't show this in the video, but if you get a car with sat-nav, the display in the car actually shows your position on the island and shows you your route in real time . It's the little details like that that made it so good.

I'm actually playing with a keyboard (lost the power supply to my wheel ). It's much better with a wheel, but the keyboard controls are pretty intuitive. The game does a good job of guessing how far you want to turn when you tap the left/right arrow keys. I think TDU 2 is coming out this year. It's set to take place in malta with even more cars and dynamic weather + day/night cycles . I can't wait to see how it performs on the F.

With that said - Games I am looking forward to this year (which will all be benchmarked/tested when they get released):

Splinter Cell: Conviction (April 29)
Starcraft 2 (Whenever Blizzard decide to grow a pair and release it!)
Blur (May 2010 - looks like an interesting competitor to TDU).
TDU 2 (Q3/4 2010)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2010??)
Crysis 2 (THE TRAILER IS IN-GAME GRAPHICS!!! "Holiday 2010")
Medal of Honor (THE TRAILER IS IN-GAME GRAPHICS!!! Q3/4 2010)
Spec Ops: The Line (Q3/4 2010)

Actually, now that I think about it, all the trailers (save Deus Ex) are in-game graphics...

ohhhh 2010 is going to be goooooood

 

Can you use the mouse for steering? If so, is it any good?

 

Did you try the thumbnail preview speed up trick I suggested here? http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6142041&posted=1#post6142041

Made a huge difference in usability for me, especially with our lightning quick F's.

 

No, I don't believe so... atleast not in-game (you might be able to use a controller mapper to custom map your mouse x+y coordinates as a gaming controller using software like ppjoy) maybe? Not sure...

 

The file that I found on the second page did the trick.
Thanks to you all.

 

Since mine is already enabled, I don't see the link to do it. How about sending me a message and then I can return it with a reply. What you just did did not enable receipt because my message came back saying you have not enabled private messaging for your user name, charvin. Don't purchase the FW at the Outlet until we have a PM exchange.

Good luck!

 

I know that my title above should be a joke, but think about it after reading this press release about how other manufacturers will be making "division two" Sony Vaios:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/357289/sony-announces-division-two-vaio-laptops

P.S. Thanks to Rachel for the heads-up....

 

Hi, Joe. I know that you're keen on arguing with each of my posts, but search the original F11 thread for my initial reports of fan issues. It's absolutely not normal for the fan to be pinned at 100% when idling in the BIOS, and this was a definite change in behavior for my F11. The fan speed would spin to 100% a few seconds after boot, regardless of temperature or operating environment.

Again, we had a similar back-and-forth when I posted my initial fan problems, and you posted similar irrelevant replies then. The issue is very much a hardware problem. My best guess is that a CMOS gets irreversibly reset and needs replacement.

 

I just got a word from my retailer that the VPCF116 that was supposed to be replacing my VPCF111 that I returned do not have any ETA! That makes this model out of stock for about 2 months! More speculation...

 

Interesting read, although I doubt that sony would use a new laptop's debut to test out their "division two" manufacturing scheme - especially one that follows up the FW, which, iirc, was one of sony's bestselling laptops. I can see how the second or third refreshes of the F might be produced in that way, but not the first generation.

 

Nope - not yet. I don't usually use the superbar for navigation (I'm too used to alt+tab from winXP), although I'll try the registry hack you mentioned.

 

Hello Friends,

I just purchased a Vaio F Series from Best Buy. Unfortunately, I have been receiving an intermittent high pitch sound. I have read posts about going to the microphone/listen tab, check listen to this device, digital output optical but I still get the high pitch.

So... I took it back to Best Buy and I am now on my second F Series. Still does the same thing. Are there any other fixes or do I just need to get my money back? Any other Vaios coming down the line I should wait for? Too bad as I really liked this laptop.

Thanks for any help,
E

 

Is it a morse-code like sound, or is it more of a whistle-type noise?

 

No, my point is that the North American version of the F is like a step-child of the European and Japanese F. It's as if it was subcontracted out to another manufacturer to try out the "arrangement" for "division two".

How else does one explain the total lack in the North American market F of one of the main touted features of the new series: the Premium screen? The Premium notebook itself? The LED, the RGB?

Get it? Makes sense to me. It was subcontracted out. The quality was an issue; the North American whine and buzz and fan and motherboard, and, and; the factory line was stopped. Sony slapped some wrists, ironed out the relationship. And now the announcement that Sony will only do this for specifically-designed models. Right. Lesson learned.

Total "spec"-ulation but it does have the advantage of Ockam's razor: the simplest explanation of all of the facts on the ground ;-).

 

Ah I see - thanks for the clarification. That does sound plausible - if only Sony would reveal what companies would be doing the manufacturing for them . This reminds me of what BMW did with their 3-er and X3s. They subcontracted out to a company in austria for cheaper labor to meet rising demand.

Anyhow, it seems like Sony's trying to keep it very hush-hush (PCPro seems to be the only website that's published this info). Make what you will of that.

 

My system was experiencing these issues last month - I've since returned and exchanged the unit. I can't remember specifically, but I tried every combination of power button tricks that I could think of, involving many permutations of battery in/out, pluggged in/not plugged in. It was a frustrating experience. Sony support wasn't very helpful, and I can't really fault them, as I imagine this is a fairly obscure issue.

 

Speculators...just like me

 

Nah, first of all the innards of the F look exactly like that of any other Sony-built system, rather than one of the OEM manufactures, the Panasonic fan is an OEM part, like Sanyo batteries and Hitach ICs, secondly all the FWs and most other VAIOs used Sharp screens, just as in the F, and thirdly the article clearly states new technology (such as the i7) would be used on a Sony-built system FIRST, before being contracted out. So Sony is learning themselves how to make a P55 laptop, they wouldn't farm that out...

Not offering a Premium screen in the NA market was a marketing and supply decision, not a result of changes in manufacture. The NA F is perfectly capable of supporting a two-lamp or LED screen; note the stuck-on invertor, almost as if LED screens were NATIVE to the NA F11.

Anyway, there are people like me, with the 31-series F11, that have had NO fan whine nor hibernating and power management issues, but do have the lousy screen.

 

Yes, but by the time that your laptop was made, production may have been completely changed and re-routed.

Where was yours made? China? Lots of companies make laptops in China. Easy to be trying out a different manufacturer with Sony parts. The European model would have been the original and first-made; the North American, the farmed out. Lower specs but same body. No problem fitting this into the definition.

All the CTOs of the FW were made in San Diego, not China, remember.

I'm not married to this theory, but I do think that the whole issue of the defects and the inferior screen which did not plague the i7 series in Europe do give one pause.

P.S. Sony and Sharp own a factory together in China, primarily for television LCDs. But that's an example of "partnership", you see -- and it would also explain why Sharp wouldn't be making that F Premium RGB LED available on the market to anyone but Sony.

 

Someone posted a while back about getting a second AC adapter, I tried a search but can't find it in part1.

I want a 2nd slimline/more portable adapter for being on the move. Would a 90Watt one be OK ? I don't plan on doing anything processor intensive when on the move. Has anyone got another adapter ? ie other than the VGP-AC 19v16 model ? Haven't Sony sent out a compatible 90W version in error to some people ?

 

I formatted to partition everything how I want and to install Linux and Windows 7 Ultimate. It seems the easiest way to keep everything up to date is to use "VAIO Update" but I can't find a download for this anywhere. Can someone point me in the right direction please as it's driving me mad trying to find it (I hate having to trawl through different sites and check everything randomly to see if it's up to date, one major plus of Linux).

 

The F11's in Europe do exhibit the same issues as the ones in the US (whine, morse code issue, etc). The non-premium Vaio F screen from a user in Turkey was one of the worst displays that had been reported. So these issues are not completely alienated to the US.

For the record, my F was shipped from (and supposedly) put together in San Diego.

 

The question is: Who supplies San Diego? I do not think it is Japan. Many of the pre-configs of Vaios sold in the States were from China.

Europe is NOT supplied by China but by Japan. This does not mean that Japan doesn't also share some parts from China.

Think: labor costs are lower in...China! So the "division two" of Sony will be made in...China! And the co-owned Sony/Sharp factory is in...China!

That's enough for me to "spec"-ulate on today's announcement.

 

Sony developed and makes the Adobe RGB LED PC screen themselves, as introduced in Bravia televisions. And that Sony LED screen is used in Dells.

http://www.sony.com.sg/microsite/vaio/products/vaio_aw/01a_rgb_3chip.html

http://www.sony.com.au/article/304886/section/leadingtech

http://www.trustedreviews.com/laptops/review/2009/03/10/Dell-Studio-XPS-16-with-RGB-LED-Display/p1

 

Not at all inconsistent with my theory. That's why Sony cut the deal with Sharp last summer. See this article which reveals to whom Sony outsources its proprietary screen technology production:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/07/30/sharp.sony.in.lcd.venture/

Correction: The co-owned plant is in Japan. Again consistent with the supplying of the RGB LED to the European but not the North American market. Sharp and AUO are making other Sony screens, as we well know: the screen in the NA F is a Sharp.

We first found out about the Sharp role in the making of FW screens from: Chinese tech blogs. I posted from some of them on the FW sites last year and one Chinese NBR forum member also posted about the Chinese Sharp screens.

P.S. A friend who used to repair Mac laptops reported to me that much of the interior was labeled: Sony!

 

Hi, guys i have jus both a Sony VAIO VPCF112FX an made a clean install of a Windows 7 Home Premium x64 and i maked everything work but i cant make the wifi works it looks like the windows doesn't recognise the wifi on the notebook does somenone now how to fix this?

 

With all the posts from users regarding their 'lousy screens' etc., is it so obvious that by looking at the screen straight on that you can tell there is an issue with it? I have the basic F111 model with the 1600x900 display and nvidia gt310 card, and although I don't play games or do any graphics, I can't seem to find an issue with the screen. Sure it doesn't look clear if I'm not right in front of it, but is there supposed to be another issue? What is the problem that many users are complaining about in regards to the displays being bad? Just curious

 

Very interesting theory,seems to me that most people here go with CTO route (NA & EU) and some of those CTO have fan issue. Mine was made in China and I didnt go with CTO route, didnt have the fan issue. Morse code and bad screen only. My conclusion is the Morse code is because of defective MB/Microphone, the same thing with screen and the fan issue caused by assembly workers at the CTO plant.

 

Mine is a US CTO and at the bottom, the sticker says Made in USA with foreign Components.
The skeleton could still be premade in China but by going through CTO they put a different sticker on for the customized configuration.

 

I have a slight whistle type noise in my Vaio and the dude at Frys said it was a typical sound of the Hitachi 7200 rpm Hard drive and is not serious at all. Could this be true?

 

Hi guys. I'm not able to pour in the time to this thread as much as some may like. I will be passing on the "Unification Post". I was thinking of giving it to Mango or Joe or Melody - if one of you guys wants it, please decide, and then quote my unification for all the code and updates, then start to update it please, and ask the mods to link to your new post. If there are any questions, please refer the mod to this post requesting that the "intellectual rights" (if there even are any) be passed on to one of these three. You guys decide. If you DO take it over, feel free to change whatever you like about it, remove reviews, add/delete sections, anything you want. I don't even need my name on it anymore.

Thanks to everyone in the thread for being a great team of fellow owners. I'm sure I'll stop in from time to time to read up on more advances/tweaks/fixes etc.

Last thoughts: I love my Vaio, and I recommend this exact model to all my price-sensitive power-user friends.

Oh, and NOTEBOOKREVIEW rocks. !!

 

I don't think there have been any complaints about the 1600 X 900 display, just the 1920 X 1080. Yes the problem is obvious looking straight on, particularly with dark scenes. If you have the lousy screen, you'd know it, therefore you have a good screen.

 

Oh let Mr. Clam do it, I'm too disorganized.. But you have been doing an outstanding job, and I wish you well in whatever may be your other endeavours, I'm sure you will be just as successful in those......

Thank You...

 

That's wrong, my VPCF111 have 1600X900 and I complaints about the light bleed which is normal for F screen, I think there is no difference in quality as far as the screen between those 2 resolution.

 

Bleed or shading? Some light bleed at the bottom is normal; washed out at the bottom, ok contrast in the middle, and inverted or negative image at the top, THAT is the bad screen - and what my F11 has to some degree.

 

The only 1600x900 16.4" Sony screen that excelled was the HiColor on the FW190CTO. For the next two FW refreshes, the FullHD appeared and the single-lamp ECO paled in comparison but was basically fine. Around about the time of the FW4 and FW5 series, the Eco screen began to get bad to lukewarm reviews from people in the States and abroad.

So, if the F's 1600x900 is a single-lamp screen similar to those later FW lower res screens, then, indeed, its issues are very likely identical to the single-lamp HD screens on the F.

EDIT: This review of the Sony single-lamp lower res screen on the FW41 shows that the contrast on this screen is worse than on the F's HD single-lamp -- 1:138. Remember the FW's HiColor was at least 1:400 and the European RGBLED is around 1:545 (going by memory here, but you can search for my earlier posts) and the F's single-lamp is around 1:168 (again, from memory, check my earlier posts for exact citation and links).
http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/inspection/sony-vaio-vgn-fw41-e-h-933

 

Yes - I'm guessing that the computers are not *made* in China (mainland chinese quality control isn't good enough for this, most laptop components are made in Taiwan). For most computers, parts are made in nations with better quality control (Taiwan, Japan, etc) and then these parts are shipped to China, where the computers are assembled. But the CTO orders seem to be assembled in San Diego, at least for me, possibly with the chipset/motherboard/memory/hdd/wifi from Taiwan/Japan/Korea/SE Asia and the screen/keyboard/chassis from China or SE Asia.

Again, all speculation. I promise I wont speculate any longer on this

 

Thanks so much for making the Unification post!! I'm very sure it's helped ALOT of people out. Joe would probably be the best person to take over the unification stuff, since he seems to have a good grasp of what goes on this this thread .

Thanks again and cheers!

 

It was yowl who had a defective A/C adapter & was sent by mistake a 90w version. Sony_sent him the correct 120w one after he complained and they did not ask him to return the 90w. yowl did not report about how the 90w & his F was acting with it. Maybe you could PM him & report here?

Sony_says here in the F specs tab: "Power Requirements: 100W + 10%", from notebookcheck's VPC-F11Z1/E review:

My F's brick says: model VGP-AC19V15, OUTPUT: 19.5v, 6.2A. So: 19.5v x 6.2A = 120.9 Watts (W = V x A) his 90w brick: 90w divided by 19.5v = 4.6A.

So how the F would react to an underpowered brick if you never use it @ full power? I dunno.

BTW since the F's Battery Designed Capacity is 57240mWh = 52.7 Watts/h, that's why the CPU throttles down to 933mHz x 4 cores by design when running on battery. More info here.

*****

Taskbar Thumbnail Preview Speeding up

What superbar? I am talking about if you have Word, for example, pinned to the taskbar & 4 or 5 Words documents and a few other programs with multiple windows opened. When hovering over the Word shortcut, you can see an Aero dock with thumbnails preview of said documents.

Try it on your F and note how long it takes for them to appear, go back & forth from one pinned program to the other. Then tweak the registry as suggested in the bottom of this post & do it again. It's now instantaneous on mine which make this preview feature much more usable when multitasking between various programs.

*****

Fan Revving Fast in BIOS?

Maybe not 100% if you can measure that but it's normal that the fan works faster in BIOS when the F is hot:

Now if the fan is revving 100% in the OS then yes, it's not normal. To my knowledge, there are 4 or 5 owners who reported that problem so far in this thread.

Using Search this Thread: so far there are Replies: 3,094 and Views: 189,999 so mangosango: "...it sounds like it's something that affects all units when a certain set of conditions is met ..." is relative.

*****

Lousy Screen?

Everything is relative & unhappy users tend to be more vocal than happy ones simply using their F instead of posting here.

That's why the Sony_F_Series Owners Display Poll was created where you can see 119 opinions so far.

*****

Passing on the Unification Post

Thank you lrudyk for your efforts on setting up & maintaining the useful Unification Post.

Thanks also for the offer but all the spare time I have for this thread goes into trying to make useful posts.

 

Not at all, a different "Polarizing filter" is used on the 1600 X 900, and as far as I can see the problem with shading is to do with the polarizing filter and backlight diffuser. The actual LCD matrix can't really do wrong. As always, a person may THINK they have a poor screen, until they see one of these really bad ones in action...

Again, contrast is not the problem with the bad screens, neither is backlight bleed the issue.

 

Maybe Poohkie would like to do it? With an ex-F with all the problems, and her anticipation of the refresh unit she's getting in July, she certainly has a vested interest.. Having said that, ask me again this weekend Irudyk, my PM DOES work.