Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge

Thanks again Joe Bleau for your monitor calibrations today. I am using one of your settings for the time being. Yours is looking better than the other three I have tried. Saving up for my own calibrator.

 

anyone reply to my post above, i use the xps at times, man dont like it at timmes, its slow at opening broswers, very hot and some other issues as well. I herd the f series is better in most situations than the XPS

 

I haven't got my F yet but reading some posts here and there the sound should be no better than average at best. But one gets by with it

 

Call your Sony rep, they can email the San Diego accounts centre who will call Visa/MC with the debit number and the card will be credited IMMEDIATELY.

 

Please use the keyboard, none of us here prefer Cellphone messaging..

 

@omaroo

Well that's tough...It would be more useful to you and to others to compile a list of perceived concerns and then methodically check them off by simply doing a keyword search to get varied user opinions. The keyword search tool is very easy to use. It will also help you pin down what your basic criteria is for a laptop which in reading some of your posts in this website doesn't seem quite fleshed out yet.

Once your list is pared down with still unanswered items then pose them as questions. Right now they are coming in short bursts here and there in a thread that is moving at a very fast rate and it's throwing it out of it's flow.

You just have to do your homework as much as everyone here has. We can't think for you. In fact we would rather you come into this thread with your own set of opinions.

It's good that you have an XPS. That can serve as a reference point of things you'd like to see in a laptop maintain or improve.

 

Direct from sony style us site. I also spoke to a third CSR and was told that I could purchase an ADH Service Plan up until 30 days from the purchase date.

 

Yes, they seem to have changed the policy on this and matches up with what the CS Rep stated, when I purchased my F. Bottomline, I still have a couple more weeks to decide on whether to get the ADH warranty.

 

I will first qualify my next statements by saying that while I have bought and owned several computers AND have basic knowledge of simple fixes and upgrades, I am no expert.

After that qualification, I will say this:

I am also typing this on a Dell Dimension 4600 (2.8Ghz). Also owned are a Dell Inspiron 1550 laptop and an Acer Extensa 5620 laptop. I have always been partial to Dell. I am awaiting a new XPS 9000 Core i7, 12GB tri-channel DDR3, GeForce 310 w/512MB GDDR3 for a church desktop. I will install a 128GB Crucial SSD as the main drive for this server networked desktop.

I really planned on an XPS 16 as the laptop I was buying. Unfortunately, it did not fit the needs of the church. I looed at the Toshiba a505 series, but again, it wasn't the right machine. I really looked at an Asus N71, but again, it wasn't the right machine.

I never planned on buying a Sony, but the F11 was configurable to what we needed at a price that was much better than the XPS and was the only one to really fit the guidelines I had set. I AM nervous about the purchase as it is not my money. I AM worried a bit about possible problems that may occur...I could indeed end up with egg on my face for this purchase.

This purchase, however, did not come lightly. I read and re-read this thread and only after reading at least twice did I post here. Joe and Melody have been instrumental in this decision whether they know it or not. This gorup, as a whole, made me feel good enough about this machine to purchase it over several highly rated others.

Is this the best laptop ever built? NO! At its price point, however, I see it as a gem. I only hope that it works well for many years to come.

Why bash someone like Joe, who has MANY helpful posts here? Chill out and learn something. If you disagree, that is OK, but being able to back it up with good facts would be helpful. An opinion is not a fact, and each is entitled to his own, so dissing someone for their opinion is not really helpful here.

Heck, I ordered 310M graphics and the lesser monitor. Perhaps I should be chastized too?

 

Just make sure that it's 30 days from time of purchase and not the shipment day or the day you receive it.

 

No but the point is I don't go to the Dell XPS Owners lounge or Asus or whatever to tell them they made a bad choice & my F is much better.

I do think the F is better for my needs, otherwise I would have bought brand X!

 

So they changed their policy as I too did a screen grab direct from the US Sonytyle order page on Feb. 9.

Good for you!

Personally, I don't care for ADH, I never broke anything so far (touch wood).

Still, make sure Provantage = Sony, I'm skeptical.

 

well the xps is not mine its my brothers, thing is wat i need to know and write in the search bar in this forum is not coming with the anwsers. Im sorry for asking questioms, but i dont know wat else to do. Reading eviews, watching reviews, im still into this laptop. But speakers are mymain concern and was hoping someone could address the problem

 

Omaroo, just get the F11. If you don't like it, you can return it to Sony within 30 days.

 

ye buy im getting it from a business to business, so i cant really return it unless its got major problems. Guys i want my money to spend wisely, on a laptop which will last me yrs

 

Please don't recommend the order & return game, it affects future prices for all of us as somebody has to pay at some point.

That's what stores & showrooms are for.

 

I'm glad they changed the policy on the site. I would have felt misled. As far as ADH I'm still on the fence about it. I'm really careful, but you never know. I could get on-site service instead of ADH for around the same price. How much of an advantage is on-site vs express ship? I have a Sony Style store like 20 minutes from me. Do they do any servicing? I wouldn't think so, but have to ask. Would you guys rather have on-site service or ADH?

The whole Provantage vs sony style service plan has my head spinning. I can't get a concrete answer, though most of what I've read points to them selling the same exact service plans.

 

well i dont want to return really if i buy, unless there is some sort of MAJOR problem. I know that sony laptops are probs the most reliable

 

Well if speakers are your main concern, then the sound quality coming from this unit is pretty standard although it sounds as if the bass was dialed down at low or high volume. I use this to listen to my music at times but I pair it with my earphones. it comes out PERFECT that way. It should be the same for external speakers.

MY FW590 also had speakers of the same quality. It was quite tinny. I did not care so much about it. I still don't.

 

Clearly Omaroo doing it once will cost you all to pay 50 grand.

 

well speakers do affect me for a high prcie laptop like this i hope when blu ray movies the sound is impecable, reading the reviews it sed for movies its brilliant but for music it is just about good. Is that correct?

 

@Viking Quest

I guess it's one of those thing that you never can really tell. It just takes one tiny moment in life to screw something up royally. I paid for ADH just for ease of mind. On-site is definitely a no-no since both my girlfriend an I have busy schedules.
(yet i'm here all the time sigh...I look for freedom where I can and while I still have it.)

 

For music it is about what one would expect, yes that's correct.

 

He is not the only one reading this post.

As I wrote before, I worked on a delivery truck for a department store in Canada (Eaton) & we had our share of systematic order & return people. That's why BB online & Dell have a 15% re-stocking fee, Newegg has a no return if not defective policy, etc.

Picture hundreds of thousands of goods going back & forth in the US for no reasons, trucks, planes, carbon footprint, etc....

 

@omaroo

No..If you're expecting to transcend into a musically rich environment with these speakers then no. Definitely no.. Would that happen with a great pair of earphones or external speakers? Possibly.
When I listen to music on this laptop it is dialed fairly low because I can only bear minimal background noise while i'm working. For my purposes the speakers work.

 

If you click on the small print blue link at the bottom of the service plan section while configuring an F CTO for purchase at the US Sony Style site, this comes up right now, like today, Feb. 26th:

"Why add your Extended Service Plan today?

"Extended Service Plans run concurrently with the Limited Warranty so the later you purchase the Service Plan, the less coverage you will receive. Adding your Service Plan today ensures confidence in full product protection and entitles you to value pricing. Also, select Extended Service Plans are only offered at the time of product purchase. Plans that must be added on at the time of model purchase include any accidental damage from handling plans. These Service Plans are not offered for stand-alone purchase and cannot be purchased after you have bought your product.

"Also, purchasing Extended Service Plans at a later date requires a valid proof of purchase and are only available within 180 days of your product purchase. Extended Service Plans with ADH may only be purchased within 30 days of your product purchase."

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...52921666069165&categoryId=8198552921644692000

So, dearly beloved Sony can't seem to make up its mind. Which is it?

A friend of mine has had several back-and-forths with online Sony custhelp and they said "30 days" and that the Website would be changed BUT when she had tried to arrange an ADH after purchase last summer she was told CATEGORICALLY that all ADHs must be purchased at the time of the purchase of the computer.

So she once again escalated her complaint cc'ing a Sony USA VP -- no reply yet (maybe not ever, I'll ask her again).

Conclusion: I'm waiting to see what happens not when Viking Quest or roweraay buy an ADH within 30 days but when one of them makes a claim under that ADH plan.

Why? Because when that Sony rep (directed to my friend by Sony management last summer) stated CATEGORICALLY that all ADHs must be purchased at the same time as the computer, he also said that Sony had someone who was sold one after the purchase date trying to make a claim -- and (surprise!) Sony was not going to honor it.

He also stated that occasionally someone at Sony makes a mistake and honors such plans as after-purchase ADHs from Provantage but if they catch it, they're nullified.

My friend accepted the rejection of her request for an after-purchase ADH only because the rep promised her last summer that the Website would be updated and revised to clarify all of this. But right now she told me she feels clearly and distinctly "jerked around" by Sony.

A Sony service plan shouldn't be available for a hundred dollars less at Provantage and Provantage shouldn't sell ADH at any time after purchase if Sony won't do the same. A Sony service plan should have clear terms of purchase. Yet even today Sony management won't go on record as to what the real story is -- my friend has no final reply from the Sony VP. Just silence.

That, IMHO, under these circumstances is unprofessional in the extreme.

 

well im not a big music fan but movie fan yes, so i hope when at full volume for movies would be brilliant, music i can always use earphones or external speakers if anything, but if i put it at a certain level for music then it should be ok.

On side not i read that this laptop can be upgraded, so can i upgrade the GPU and even the speakers in the future.

 

Mmmm whatever.

As long as they have the service, people ought to use it if they want. Not worry about the business, we don't serve the stores they serve us the consumer. Sony obviously has high confidence in their product if they still allow you to return their product if it is open and you know what?

I wouldn't hesitate to take them up on those services.

 

Well I don't know about that... I've been spoiled as I have my own home theater system.. I would rather watch Blu ray on that.. Bigger and better picture and sound.
I did test out Pirates of the Caribbean on Blu ray and while the picture was good, the sound was as you would put it not 'Brilliant' but just ok. What to do? What to do? I say get external speakers. It'll be better.

 

Hello F-series owners,

I have a question about connecting an old 3.5 inch SATA harddrive to the e-SATA port of the laptop. Is anyone aware of the right cable to do this ( and preferably with a reliable shopping link in the US ) ?

Thanks for any help !

 

Yep, that's what people not seeing the big picture did with Eaton & the delivery service was shut down and we all lost our jobs.

I wish you would have been in my shoes going for the twentieth time to that old lady's apartment to pickup yet an other return.

Nobody individually can stop global warming & the unusual weather events consequences but every time that ant carries that grain of sand, it adds up at the end. From this site:

 

@Derrida

In my excitement over finding the 30 days to purchase ADH on the bottom I failed to notice the conflicting info above.

When I was on the phone with the sales rep he even offered to sell me the ADH Service Plan. What the heck is going on here?

I'm not happy. What to do? What to do?

Reminds me of when my parents purchased a Sony Wega CRT and we later found out that model had a faulty D-board, which resulted in a delay for the TV to come on when pressing power. Toward the end it would take 30 minutes to an hour to come on. Fortunately my mom opted for the extended warranty so they replaced the D-board for free. I read some forums and found out Sony was charging people $500-700 for a replacement out of warranty. In the 5th year of ownership, after the 4 year warranty had expired the TV started exhibiting the same D-board failure and eventually died.

 

ok an update,

I ran the memory diagnostic tool bundled with windows 7 - mdsched - it runs on reboot and then reboots again with the results. That produced no errors.

Which made me reconsider the memtest86 app. I did a bit of investigation and it seem that the latest version of that app doesn't work with i7 processors, and causes a freeze at 7%. I found an older version 2.11 that does work with i7. Again it states that the processor type is i5 though.

The memory test ran for four hours without error. So now I am not sure what the issue is.

I may have resolved this by reseating the ram chips. However, I am going to follow your advice, mark one and do some stress tests. Thanks again MelodyMaster.

Right now though I am going to continue moving data off the disc and onto a USB backup. It may be that a reinstall (this time without the bloatware and following the excellent guides posted here) is the next step.

Anyone have a HD diagnostic tool they like? I doubt the HD is the issue, but grasping at straws here. Bad RAM really sounds the most likely, but four hours of testing and not one error suggests it is not.

I guess it could be the power supply. Each time it froze I didn't notice the fan changing speed or the unit getting particularly hot. I am at a loss really.

 

What do you mean? Search in Win7 is just as good and easy as Spotlight in Mac.
Just go to the start menu, lower left corner, type in Backup and voilà.
You click on it and it takes you to the Backup section in Control Panel, which is similar to Time Machine in System Preferences.
You can backup to discs, hard drives or make an image of your OS.

If you're referring to the Recovery Discs, search fir VAIO Care, click on the program and one of the options on the left side will lead you to create the discs. These discs can only be created once.

 

Anyone else experiencing a delay when trying to make a post or reviewing your post. When I hit the reply button and the reply to thread box opens it takes like 4 seconds until the cursor starts blinking and I can type. Happens with both my mouse and touchpad w/ mouse disconnected. Driving me nuts.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189206

That is the right cable. I dont know if all sata drives work with the esata standard though. I *think* there was a post or two about that somewhere in this mammoth thread.

 

Yes I have the problem quite badly wwith the Netbook, and it's even worse on canuckaudiomart, which uses the same software. I've never found out the cause. And it gets worse as time passes, Canuckaudiomart was taking over five MINUTES before the cursor would appear, with the CPU running 50% meanwhile..

 

I am getting tired of deleting off-topic/personal attack type posts here
Stop it now or I will hand out some infractions


Alex

 

Well you have a point about abuse that I agree with, I think people should only purchase something if they really are interested in it and if something terrible happens they are wiling to keep the product if they had to.

Not just buy anything than come back to return it, for example when the Y-series went on sale I got it because of the price and I knew I could return it to Sony if they announced the i5-520UM refresh in time. Otherwise, I'm willing to keep the Y-series for a greatly discounted price.

 

Well for those of you who missed the earlier post, my eventvwr logs show quite a few errors. I have been trying to diagnose these due to random system freezes.

I have found the answer to one of them: vzcdbsvc

This is the VAIO Entertainment Database Service belonging to the VAIO Entertainment studio

(I considered it crapware and uninstalled it. Unfortunately it didnt also uninstall the service)

So....

firstly remove the call to start it at bootup...
Start> Run> msconfig> enter> Selective startup> Startup tab> UNCHECK this process> Apply> OK

the change the service to startup type manual - just in case something else tries to call it

Start> Run> services.msc>
Right click on VzCdbSvc.> Properties> Change Startup to Manual> Apply> OK.

That should suppress that error.

The suggestion I found online to do this also suggested setting the 'Remote Access Auto-Connection Manager' service to starting manually. I have no idea what that is or does, so proceed with caution.

Hope that helps someone else.

 

We agree then. Don't abuse the Sony 30 days grace period, otherwise they will cancel it & adopt a 15% re-stocking fee policy a la Dell & many others.

Their point is: we think our products are so good that try it for 30 days & return if not satisfied. Not: order & return at will just for the fun of it.

 

Msconfig is out for Win 7, try the free Microsoft Autoruns for Windows v9.57.

> Autoruns > uncheck the programs you don't want at startup, eh voila! No selective startup, etc.



You won't believe how fast and how much info & control it gives you for the F (startup, etc). Shows you what is going on under the hood. I was preparing a post using it to optimize, but here you go.

It's small, portable, no install, it's hard to believe it was made by Microsoft.

BTW, it has a Save function, so do that before tweaking!

Check this quick guide from the Autoruns Forum. A good read: Who’s That Hiding in my Windows?

 

Sounds like a case of removing necessary drivers or breaking software, you didn't say you'd done that..

 

I checked Provantage again and in the following link you can see that the warranty uses sony service centers and parts. Provantage is an authorized dealer, listed on sony style US.

http://www.provantage.com/sony-vgp3sylpad~7SOVA08U.htm

Summary

"Designed to extend the original Sony warranty on VAIO notebooks by providing Express Ship service from the day the product is purchased. The plan will also repair or replace eligible parts in your Sony product when it malfunctions due to breakdowns that occur from handling the product under normal operating conditions.

Limitations apply. Go to www.sony.com/ESPreg for complete terms and conditions.

Abstract

Sony extended service plans lengthen the coverage of your in-box limited product warranty with easy to use support, provided by Sony or Sony authorized service providers using Sony genuine parts.

Product Specifications Compare with other products.

Product Name Vaio NB Exp Ship Extended Service with Accidental Damage from Handling 3-Year
Service Details
o Protects product against damage due to normal usage and handling
o Allows free shipping costs for delivery and return of product for repair
o Sony ESPs always use Sony-authorized service providers, genuine Sony parts and Sony quality standards you trust
o You can call Sony's dedicated, toll-free technical support seven days a week, 24 hours a day. One call arranges all of your customers' Sony ESP service needs"


If you go to www.sony.com/ESPreg listed on Provantage and click on Link to PFD next to VAIO you will see the SERVICE CONTRACT COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE page.


SERVICE CONTRACT
"This document sets forth the entire Contract between Service Contract Administrator hereinafter referred to as We, Us and Our, and, the Purchaser as You and Your. No representation, promise or condition herein shall modify these terms. Service Net Solutions, LLC (“Service Net”) is contractually obligated to You to provide service under this Contract where in accordance with, and as allowed by state law."


Service Net Solutions, LLC is the same 3rd party that Sony uses, which makes me think that the Provantage warranty is one in the same.

 

Yep, it could be driver based. I was pretty sure I only removed the bloatware so didn't consider that to be the issue. That streamlined rebuild is looking more and more attractive. 240gb still to copy off the drive first though...

 

Try Vaio_Care TuneUP to fix errors & check my Autoruns post above.

 

Thanks Joe - running the vaio care tune up applet now, and will look next at that interesting startup app.

 

Well, to take the example of Costco, who had a liberal no-questions-asked return policy in the past and found that customers who purchased their products, were coming back in 2 years (after continuously using it for 2 years and in several cases beyond that) and returning it and "upgrading" to the latest models.

The Costco liberal return policy was essentially in place to make sure that genuine customers are never unsatisfied about a Costco purchase. And be aware that these people who were returning the product(s), were not "unsatisfied" about the purchase as such, but were returning it because they could get away with it, with no hit on the pocketbook.

Unfortunately, people started taking advantage of Costco's generosity and a section of the buyers were essentially serially abusing it......and in turn increasing Costco's costs (and indirectly increasing costs for everyone else, including genuine customers ).

What happened then ? Costco dropped the policy when it came to electronics products and pared it back to a 90 day return policy (which too is generous by any yardstick) from the previous unlimited period return policy.

If a lot of customers take advantage of the "service" and start playing games, just because there is no monetary consequence (like say a 15% re-stocking fee etc), you can be assured that the liberal policy will be replaced with a less liberal policy in the future. Everyone, will then have to pay a price. You can take that to the bank.

PS: I need to confess that I personally did replace my original F-series (with the current one), since I sorely missed the SSD and Vegas Pro 9.0 which I missed ordering in my original version. I shamefacedly went through with the replacement (which is a rarity for me and not a gloating matter at all), and got my current one (which has the features I missed in the original one), which I will be keeping for the long haul. Bottomline, even if there was a 15% restocking fee, I would have gone through with this replacement, since this is a laptop I will be keeping for a long while and I needed to be fully satisfied with it.

 

ahh who needs SSD? lol

snipped out the pic as it had my serial number in it - whoops! thanks to joe for the headsup