Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge

Thanks. Good sound advice. Since I always experience a genuine alarm at the prospect of work, I was hoping for the "magic pill" but it looks like I'm gonna have to do some work.

 

I used my myTouch3g, I pretty much have to get that close to things to take pics, esp in low light.

But seriously, that is more or less what I see. I sit with my laptop about 1 foot in front of me, roughly a 45 degree angle, maybe a little less.

What makes it distracting is that the light from under the keyboard is a lot brighter than the actual letter on the keypad. Like the letter F in the Sony pic.

But thanks for, I'm not sure what.

 

lol, please, how is a mess of light a feature?

If it's an island keyboard thing, then what is the advantage of island keyboards?

My Logitech and my MacBook Pros do not have island keyboards, and the backlights work very well.

I did not take pictures of my MBP for obvious reasons.

 

Outlook 2003 Office
Spybot
Spyblaster
Norton Security Suite 2010
PMB (Sony Movie making stuff)
Ccleaner
Acronis
Auglogis Disc defrag
iTunes
Quicktime



I-tunes is a terrible memory hog, and I forget which one it is but one of the files associated with it can keep the CPU running at close to 100%. Also Spybot can slow things down a LOT! The trouble is even removing I-tunes doesn't solve the slowdown it caused. And certainly Norton, while not as bad, still hogs a lot of resources. Looking at that list I'm surprised that system runs any faster than a 286! And the Defrag program is always running. Gee, it gets worse each time I look at that list.. Office indexing..is Windows Exlorer indexing enabled as well?? and what's CCleaner?

There are at least four programs there that are required to constantly monitor the drive and memory, checking each access...

Wipe the drive and start over, then put in ONE spy program, and Avast, and leave it at that.

 

Although I agree with you, Sony has advertised the "light bleeding" as a feature:

"Working late? The all-new backlit keyboard available on select F Series notebooks features LED illumination for a remarkable view of the keys. Perfect for typing in the cabin of a plane or in bed with the lights turned down, the lights shine through the characters themselves as well as between the keys—framing them with a pleasant glow that helps minimize typos. And don't miss the 10-key numeric pad for fast input of dates and figures. "

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...1&categoryId=8198552921644691998&N=4294953518

 

That's an interesting link, thanks.

So you traded the OEM Home Premium for a "clean install" with the Home Premium copy downloaded from your link. Some questions:

- How long did it take you for the whole process including downloading & installing the Vaio specific stuff from Sony Support:



- Are all your Vaio features & dedicated keyboard keys working?

- Were you able to download & install the WebCam Companion 3 Software?

- How many programs & trial-wares were removed with your "clean install"? Could you list them?

- Can your Model Name, Product Code, Serial Number and Service Tag still be found in the Main menu of the BIOS setup utility?

- What is your subjective opinion about the system performance gain if any?

- Have you checked the system performance before & after using Task Manager or an other utility? Do you have some data? Did you check the OEM system usage & number of active Serices after uninstalling the trial-wares before the clean install?

- How old is the copy you downloaded? Did you write down the Build number of the OEM? Could you post the Build number of the copy you downloaded.

- How much HDD space did you gain, if any?

That info would be useful to people thinking of doing the same as you did.

 

It does look better from a top down view, like if you were stuffed inside an airplane.

At my work desk though, not so much. It's just looks half baked.

The top down view, like from the direct top, 90 degrees looking down, it looks ok, but I can't imagine anyone using their computer from that position.

Well, wow, I stand corrected. I can't believe that is their take on it.

 

lol. Tell me how you really feel. Ccleaner is a reg, etc, cleaner, http://download.cnet.com/ccleaner/

 

So why is it installed? Why is ANY of that stuff in there? Ask yourself the precise reason for each piece of fluffware. A couple may be ok. Otherwise Windows can take care of itself.

I happen to have I-tunes in this Shuttle system, where it's behaving ok. But it has been the main cause of slowdowns in other systems, in which I otherwise never loaded a bunch of unnecessary stuff.

 

Let's try this again. Where is the light sensor at for the keyboard?

 

On the plinth, at the back of the keyboard in the middle.

 

Wellmainly because it has been running on my SR-390, 2.53 ghz, Dual Core, 4gb ram, 320, 7200 RPM HDD, for years with no problems. One would assume that the F11 would handle this with ease....I thought.

 

Ccleaner is to be used with caution! It wants to delete what it deems as not needed. Make sure to check what it wants to do before clicking Next. In case of doubt, don't do it. BTW, do a backup & create a System Restore point before messing up with it.

An example: The dangers of using CCleaner & some user comments.

More here: What is a good Registry Cleaner for Windows 7 x64.

Real geeks don't need it, semi-geeks like it, newbies should use with caution.

It's better to get Ccleaner directly from the maker's site to get the latest revision instead of using third parties like Cnet who may have older versions (valid tip for all software downloads). Check their forum while there to see some users problems & solutions.

 

A Bad Habit is no excuse to continue with bad habits.

Different hardware, different OS.

Once Windows may have been more stupid, but Win7 just doesn't need help.

 

Hey guys, new owner of the f series laptop here.
Just wanted to know if my i7 is working properly.

My rainmeter cpu gadget says it never goes higher than 1.6MHz even though this is supposed to be up to 2.6.

Also, my CPU or RAM power has never gotten higher than 40% usage.

I opened up multiple programs at the same time to test its power. The programs do slow down, or take time opening up but i'm wondering why the CPU or ram just dosent go to 100% to make them run faster.

 

Thank Joe Bleau & Melody Maker. I'll get rid of Ccleaner and the other stuff. That may explain why I'm suddendly getting "The system did not shut down correctly" when it comes out of sleep mode. We'll see what happens. Sounds like Windows 7 is a whole new breed of animal.

 

It's on the underside of the laptop, remove the battery to be able to see it.

 

New owners are required by etiquette, in my book, to contribute some feedback on their new machine before asking a question....

 

The F11 can handle FAR more processor intensive tasks and also tasks that utilize a lot of RAM (your 8GB is more than enough for pretty much anything that can be thrown at it) than the SR series could ever dream of.

However, the SR-390 is operating under a totally different operating system (Windows Vista ? XP ?) and I would not make an automatic assumption that the programs that ran under it, would transfer as-is and work fine under a brand-new OS (Windows 7) that got released just a couple of months back.

I personally would get rid of all of those fluff stuff that is doing more harm than good in your brand new F-series. Anything that you add back in (after doing a factory restore), should be added back in, one at a time and add the next one back in, only after studying the effects from the previous one.

Either way, did you check the external monitor out ? Is that the culprit ? Good luck with what you do but I would suggest that you touch base with someone who is a bit computer savvy and have them help you through the uninstall/install.....just as a precaution.

 

I see a lot of comments about "bloatware" & fluff. I would like to see a list of what you consider fluff besides the trialwares.

Good tip about the one by one. I would add: re-boot after installing each programs, create a restore point before installing the really big ones (Office, etc).

 

Alright, just got mine. First impressions:

The screen seems glossier than the FW's. I don't think I'll have a problem with it though.

I'm glad to say that Sony fixed the blueish color profile. The screen looks very good with the default profile, although surely one would still gain accuracy by calibrating it.

There is no whining noise (that I can hear) and the fan noise level when in excessive use seems normal to me (i.e. I don't think it's noticeably louder than the fan in the FW, though I don't have it anymore to compare). I'll install the iPhone app to measure it when I have everything setup, but that might mean waiting for my SSD to arrive.

Keyboard is very good, the position will take a while to get used to. There's very minor flex when pressing the keys, not at all noticeable when typing normally. Pressing a little bit harder in between the keys does produce a little more flexing.

I was in doubt if I would like the Black color, coming from a Titanium FW, but fortunately I was wrong. It looks very good to me.

Somehow I managed to ask for the Professional version of Windows 7 by mistake (didn't even select Fresh Start with it :/). I won't clear any bloatware because I'll use a clean install on my SSD (with Win 7 Ultimate). It definitely has more than "just 2 extra programs":

Microsoft Office 2007 60 days Trial
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 AND 2008
Norton Internet Security 30 days Trial
Norton Online Backup Trial
Free QuickBooks Simple Start Online
Microsoft Works SE

Then there are "full" programs that I wouldn't need and are not necessary for "hardware support" as someone said:
Evernote for VAIO
PMB (seems to be for importing pictures/videos)
ArcSoft webcam stuff

I can also see several Services in Running state which are definitely from the "bloatware". Intel Storage Matrix Manager is installed, I have no idea if it's really needed.

 

Just got my vaio f11 from sony usa last wednesday night. It came with a dead pixel in the upper right side. When I talked to sony about it the rep said it was normal they refuse to refund or fix. Doesn't seem normal to me. LCD it comes with 1080p has horrible motion blur. fan makes a nasty winning noise. Even though I had it less then 48 hours they basically told me on the phone that they don't give a . Was goin right a review on there website but wont let me for some reason. If you buy this notebook expect a dead pixel on delivery so says sony usa. Expect to be treated like garbage on the phone if you don't have a extended warrant. Even if you just got it in the mail. The best feature is the backlit keyboard.

 

Hey everyone, I don't know if this has been said yet (because I don't feel like looking) but for the buzzing noise (that has been fixed with the microphone settings) Sony apparently now has a solution for it. They are sending a tech to my house to swap out some part. So call and see if they will fix it for you!

 

Thank you, roweray, will do. I did make that assumption and it looks like one of installs is the problem. Thanks all for your help. Much appreciated.

 

Thank you for the thoughtful feedback and the trialware list (finally)!

- Microsoft Office 2007 60 days Trial: I wonder if one can use his Office 2007 key to activate it?

- Microsoft SQL Server 2005 AND 2008: maybe this is specific to Pro?

- Norton Internet Security 30 days Trial: I plan on using it, Norton since 2009 reduced considerably the system usage footprint.

- To be uninstalled IMHO: Norton Online Backup Trial, Free QuickBooks Simple Start Online.

- Microsoft Works SE: for the casual user w/o Office, it may be useful.

"Then there are "full" programs that I wouldn't need..." - I would suggest to try them & research them before uninstalling them:

- Evernote for VAIO: check here, here and here. Don't know if it's useful, never used it so far.

- "ArcSoft webcam stuff": check the features here: WebCam Companion 3

- PMB: ???

- Intel Storage Matrix Manager: don't touch that, it's for your SATA drives.

Too bad you forgot to select Fresh Start.

slrosenfeld's Pro with Fresh Start, Start Menu screen grab:



------------

Screen grab how-to: capture active window by pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN, open a new document in Paint, paste capture, crop & annotate to taste, save image. More info here. When you post a message, Go Advanced & Manage your attachments. Browse your computer, select image & upload.

 

So I installed my SSD today. This thing is awesome. I tweaked some of the services (turned bluetooth services to manual etc etc)....everything seems to be perfect except I'm still trying to figure out how to get Blu-rays to play now since Corel WinDVD wants me to buy it for the $80 price tag.


Any ideas how to get it to work? Sony only has hte patch obv.

 

Could you report what the tech did exactly?

Personally I think that on site tech service for such an easy problem to fix is wasteful IMHO: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5845222&highlight=carbon+footprint#post5845222

All of us end-up paying for it.

 

my VAIO F arrived this afternoon, everything so good so far.
only on thing, the power adapter is very thick, do all the F models have the same adapater: VGP-AC19V15?
I was a bit worried because the label on the box says it comes with BD-ROM, but I used EVEREST to make sure that mine has the BD writer.
So I'm assuming only our UK friends have the Intel 6200 in their F, but not here in the US.

 

VGP-AC19V15: "Compatibility F Series, Weight: 0.92 lbs" (0.42 kg).

Could you post a screen grab of the Installed Programs listed in Lavalys Everest?

There is also some benchmark utilities if you have a recent version, that would be interesting!

Can you see your display model number with it?

 

ok sure. Well the screen has a nice resolution, nice island style keyboard display, and its fast enough to handle lightroom with ease. No cons so far I guess.

But then again, i'm worried that i'm not using it to its full potential due to it running at only 1.6mhz max rather than 2.6

 

You misunderstand turbo mode.

You have a 1.6GHz quadcore. When running hard and using all 4 cores, and hyperthreading, 1.6GHz is your top speed.

If you are using some crappy software that does not thread well, and it dominates one core, then that one core will turbo itself to 2.6GHz.

What it does not do is overclock all four cores to 2.6GHz.

 

o ok, so only one core goes to 2.6ghz, and if all four are being used then the max is only 1.6ghz.
I guess that makes sense.

How about the RAM not going above 50-70% under heavy load, does that have to do with anything?

 

Just to the left of the num lock, cap lock, and scroll lock lights above the keyboard. I have a nice little black sticker over it myself.

 

It is named so "Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Processor (6M Cache, 1.60 GHz)" and is what You get. A single core can then be boosted up to 2.8 Ghz, You find all the specs there:

http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43122&processor=i7-720QM&spec-codes=SLBLY



And no, You're not using it's full potential since You stated that You never used it at more then is 40%

 

Why would you like to have all your RAM used, You love system freeze?

 

Just depends on how the app uses ram.

When I render things in After Effects, it gobbles up all available ram. When I start to render the ram usage just goes straight to max in a diagonal line.

Other apps, like Handbrake, don't really use that much ram.

Windows 7 does not hog up all of the ram like Vista did. Vista was designed to fill up all of the ram with data. Windows 7 is a little more chill in that regard.

 

Thanks.

Run some benchmarks like the ones found in this free PC WIZARD & report here!

 

I just downloaded that...anything special u'd like to see?

 

OK, been at local store to check on this laptop and i somebody says this laptop is quiet you'd better try samsung fe. r710. This Sony ( it was european high model z/BI is really loud evem when playing some screen saver animation.
Is it possible that it was faulty unit? But on the other hand you can feel really hot air coming out.
This model has 1066Ghz mem and W7 HP.
Can users definitely state whether this one is quiet or not.

 

Hi- I am getting ready to buy an F series laptop and trying to decide whether to buy the HD (1920x1080) screen. I will use the computer for general surfing and MS office applications as well as come light video use, and I anticipate that the kids will evolve int ogamign on this computer before its expected 5 yr life span (my last notebook lasted that long) runs out.

The one experience i had with a 1080p screen was on a Toshiba notebook that I used last year. I found that web pages and applications rendered *very* small fonts on the 16" screen, and I had trouble coming up with a combination of resolution and font sizes to make things consistently readable.

What have people's experiences been with the higher res screens for general browsing and app use outside of video and games? Are there system font settings that work? Is everyone just comfortable with 6-8pt fonts on their pages, and my eyes are getting too old?

I want to "future proof" this purchase, but I don't want something that won't be readable because the development standards on the web aren't thinking about 1080p 16" screens. I have to admit that the toshiba offerings were 768 vs 1080, not 900 vs. 1080

Thanks,

 

Hey

can anyone confirm that the option for the nividia gt330m is still available for cto??

i was just on the sonystyle.com website and it seems to have been taken off??

 

Screen Shot taken from www.sonystyle.com two minutes ago.

 

I love my new laptop.

 

hmm the sonystyle.ca site seems to be playing tricks on me i stil dont see an option for the 330m on the sonystyle.ca site

could it be possible that canada wont be able to get the 330m on the f series cto?

 

Search this thread with Canada or sonystyle.ca or check this post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5871758&highlight=canada#post5871758

You could buy a 1080p w/ a 330M video card preconfig from a US store & have it shipped to Canada. That's what pjdb did.

Sonystyle USA will not ship to Canada.

 

To add to this, the following are the speeds with the i7 notebook Quad-Cores:

i7-820QM:
Max Turbo Boost Frequency
4 Core: 2.00 GHz
3 Core: 2.00 Ghz
2 Core: 2.80 GHz
1 Core: 3.06 GHz
Core Frequency: 1.73 GHz with DDR3-1333
LFM Frequency: 1.2 GHz
Shared L3 Cache: 8MB

i7-720QM:
Max Turbo Boost Frequency
4 Core: 1.73 GHz
3 Core: 1.73 GHz
2 Core: 2.40 GHz
1 Core: 2.80 GHz
Core Frequency: 1.60 GHz with DDR3-1333
LFM Frequency: 0.933 GHz
Shared L3 Cache: 6MB

Then there is an Extreme version of the Quad-Core i7 processors (called i7-920XM), that is not present in any of the consumer models, whose specs are as follows:

i7-920XM:
Max Turbo Boost Frequency
4 Core: 2.26 GHz
3 Core: 2.26 Ghz
2 Core: 3.06 GHz
1 Core: 3.20 GHz
Core Frequency: 2.00 GHz with DDR3-1333
LFM Frequency: 1.2 GHz
Shared L3 Cache: 8MB

Just some additional tidbits...

 

I love data, thanks!

 

Bragging about your SSD, uh?



Is that for a cold start up? Could you post a link to the boot time utility you used so other users could compare their system & post here?

How about some description of what you did w/ some tips & caveat?

 

I posted a Cinebench result a long way back in the thread and it shows while running Cinebench that all cores are maxed 100% and the Core Speed at 1727.3mhz so even when all cores are maxed you still get a little turbo boost advantage from the 1.6ghz speed. This is an i7 720 of course.

 

Read my post a couple of posts above and you will see that it matches upto the specs of the i7-720QM....