Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge

Incentives -- by whom? Sony itself in emails to you?

Very interesting.

 

I don't think that the 'greater' RAM is a bigger RAM, is it?

 

Search this Tread with: fresh start.

Or do we have to re-type everything?

 

A loyalty bonus, as with cars..

There aren't enough laptops with certain configurations to meet orders already in the system, so to those customers who are too delayed they're suggesting just going away for now, and then an Email will come from Sony saying they can NOW order. For waiting, and not buying something else meanwhile, the offer is for an accessory kit, full-price coupons on other Sony products, and a discount on the F11 itself.

 

To prevent any further questions about stuff not working on your F after a clean install, check:

ilfuca's F Win 7 clean install guide: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5905694&postcount=4228

Sony_Support Clean Install Instructions for Windows 7 http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5888748#post5888748

Sony> Sticky List of Popular & Useful Threads including Windows 7 Install guides http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=245279

 

You keep talking about the "$65 SSD." Remember that the first week the F11was offered in Canada, Jan 9th, there were FOUR raid options. One was a 2 X 64 Gig Raid SSD for $65 over the fastest HD. That only lasted a few days, but this is OLD news. I was actually considerng that but went for the 500 gig 7200 instead.

 

Like most others, I also am looking at buying a Sony F laptop. My current Fujitsu-Siemens has been working very well for the past 4 years but is simply lacking power.

What do I do? I am a full-time developer so I run an IDE, VM Ware, browsers databases etc.

What have I chosen in the Style shop:

* Intel® Core(TM) i7 Processor (Processor i7-720QM (Quad core) (1,60 - 2,80 GHz) met 6 MB L2/L3 Cache)
* Legit Windows® 7 Ultimate
* Premium Black
* 500 GB Serieel ATA (7200 rpm)
* 8 GB 1333MHz DDR3-SDRAM
* DVD-station
* 41,6 cm LCD, 1920x1080, camera (41,6 cm (16,4-inch) VAIO Display Premium Full HD (1920 x 1080) (16:9) + met "Motion Eye" digitale camera (0,30 megapixels) )
* Without Office-pakketten
* McAfee® - 60 dagen bescherming
* Without Adobe® Acrobat Standard
* Without Adobe® Creation
* Without AdobePhotoshopLightroom
* HDMI(TM) uitgang
* Batterij works maximum 3 uur
* 2 USB 2.0
* 1 AC-adapter
* Keyboard: US Int
* SD- en MS-geheugenkaartsleuf
* Wireless LAN + Bluetooth
* NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M 1GB

I did not take the SSD drive as many ppl here suggested to wait about a year and then just swap it. Is it just me or is 2x USB not a little? (Not that I can change it though).

This is all from the Sony Style shop in Netherlands.

Priced at 1.628,98 € I would like to know if it is good value and if the specs should be fine for my development.

Thanks for the feedback. So far the majority of the ppl in this thread seem to be thrilled with their F. (The Z is out of my budget but looks very sweet )

 

Intel does not say that R/C: F means fail.

That's what happens when trying to follow this board, swap HDD's & re-install the OS.

It was late last night and I confused th Samsung's M471B5273BH1-CH9 4GB rating (F) with the M471B2874EH1-CH9 1GB (A).

You are right, both Hynix & Samsung's 4gb versions are rated F.

 

My original preconfig came in the nicely packaged box with the black plastic shell, laptop in the tray on the top, and everything organized neatly. At the SonyStyle store, my new preconfig, and several others I saw were boxed in that same manner.

 

Hmmm, yes now that I think about it I ordered the 2x 64GB SSD w/RAID as stated on my invoice, but I'm pretty sure the one they sent me was only 1x 128 GB.

Of course I don't have the laptop in my possession, so I can't even double check that if I wanted to.

I hadn't even noticed they removed the 2x 64 GB off the ss.ca site! Those tricky SOB's...

 

Wouldn't the F11Z1E be something for you?

http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/250772/sony-vaio-vpc-f11z1e-bi.html

€ 1.487,80 with about the same specs:

- not Win7 Ultimate
- 5400rpm
+ has blu-ray writer

Also, the eSATA port doubles as a usb port, so you actually have 3 x usb..

 

I checked it but I did not choose a Blu-ray writer because my current laptop has a DVD writer and int he past 4 years I think I used it two or three times. The reason I chose the 7200 rpm is simply because it is faster

As for Win 7 Ultimate, I like the features like XP Mode. The price difference is too small I think.

 

An i7 Quad with 8GB of ram would make a great dev machine.

Be sure to enable virtualization in the BIOS and you're good to go. The i7 quad chip does a wonderful job with VMs. Core2Duo can't even compare.

 

They held up shipments ("out of stock") while they fixed the "Morse Code Problem," I think. Let's hope the current "out of stock" status is because they are fixing more things that users have complained about. (Praying for a better screen.)

 

What I saw was what I wrote: the newer offer was a 128 GB RAID SSD. Not a 2 x 64 GB. Of course, whether they meant what they wrote is another thing. But the 128 GB SSD was new, not old, news -- and I don't recall whether the original CTO on the model offered 512 GB with RAID, as it does now. For some people, this is a refresh.


http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=20153&langId=-1&LBomId=8198552921666067651

 

Hi all,

Any source recommendations for a Car Charger for an F11? I'm trying to track down a good quality 12V charger, not an inverter type.

thx
Billy
SONY VCPF115FM/B (Best Buy)

 

The 512 with Raid at over $1000 has been there since Day One. There was also a NON-raid 512,misidentified as a 500 Gig 7200 RPM drive, at $800.

 

So, you mean Sony is simply correcting its errors?

Well, that's refreshing in itself -- maybe they'll correct the screen while they're at it!

 

Just picked up a copy of mass Effect 2. So far i'm running everything in native screen with every single thing maxed out. Gameplay is smooth and so far no hiccups. But then again, I've just arrived at the abandoned colony after speaking to the Elusive man.

 

To no End, thanks and appreciate the trouble!

 

the actual box that houses the F is 'probably' the same world over, but the 'shipping' box sure is likely to vary.

 

Actually, not. One of my friends went through this in detail in the States, receiving two differently sized and structured "original" boxes placed in outer "shipping" boxes for FWs. And then, when she had to send in her computer to San Diego for a repair -- you guessed it: the box sent to her was skimpier and not double-boxed at all.

I have no idea what Sony is thinking.

 

I never saw the box. I compensate the lost of the unpacking thrill by looking at some F unboxing videos on youtube.

International shipping cost me a good dinner for my US friend & wife who acted as my courier.

 

Not a surprise since ME2 has even less requirements than ME1. The F should be more than capable of handling that game.

 

Hello everyone,
My first post, and all am going to say is that I will wait for refresh of the new F series. Thanks to everyone for posting all their F series related issues etc etc, this thread really helped me make my mind up.

I was just about to order the new F series but after reading almost the whole thread, i decided to wait for the refresh.

Hope sony refreshe's the F series with ATI 5800 series GPU, or maybe surprise everybody by replacing current GPU with Nvidia's upcoming codename FERMI, with optimus technology? Guess we all have to wait and see..

Thanks!

 

Well,I replaced the Samsung HM500JI 5400 rpm with the Seagate 500GB Momentus SEST905003N3 7200. Swap photos.

I used the recovery discs to install easily & successfully the new drive to OEM factory state, it took about 2 hours. No need to activate with Microsoft, it's already activated even with the change of drive.

There are some options in the process like partitioning & save to an additional hidden partition the Vaio_Value software, etc. That's interesting as it means no need for an external HDD enclosure, Ghost, Acronis or other imaging stuff or cloning utility for that task.

Note that backup of current system state is different: Windows Backup with repair disc & system image.

Well, both drives are rated 5.9 by Windows Experience!

Vaio_Care > Performance > Startup: 1:48 min vs. 1:11 for the Seagate. I just lost 37 sec. of butt scratching time.

I guess other benchmark tools would reveal some differences but I just feel the lappy is a little bit more mine after toying with it.

 

There are three boxes, mine came in in foam standoffs in an end-loading box (same as the FW) most seem to come in a plastic tray assembly in a top loading box, and I've seen them on Youtube as all-cardboard mounting in an end-loading box. The shipping container varies as to whether the total contains spare batteries, Neoprene case, or a box of accessories such as car power supply, mouse, and screen cleaner.

 

If you read the whole thread you know that they CAN'T replace an Nvidia with an ATI, and Fermi is not due until June, at the latest tally - and that's for desktop! As for the screen, the European RGB is in short supply, with none left over for the American market, but there was vague talk of using a different-sized screen, 16.2 maybe.

With bad yields, and delayed upgrades, Nvidia is in trouble. IF This series switches to an ATI card, it won't be an F11, more likely one of the other series already with an ATI card will take up the slack, such as by offering a different screen size option - as does Dell..

http://techreport.com/discussions.x/18222

 

wanna laugh at my expense?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=461891

lol

you guys are no good and make people do weird things...

 

I kinda regret paying for a Bluray burner, because it's going to be hauled out and replaced with a 640 Gig WD. I could have saved the money for an External Bluray burner. Oh well.

You can get a used DVD burner for a laptop for $10 or less from any Computer parts store's junk bin. I paid $7 for the burner I put in a friends Toshiba to replace the CDrom only.

 

Welcome! I am in the same boat as you, I actually don't really care about them changing the GPU that much, I would like them to put in a better screen and put it on sale at their site, but I really only expect them to correct their minor misteaks (haha) and that's it.

 

You could ebay the Bluray burner or get a cheap external enclosure instead of swapping with the HDD ODD bay caddy.

From this post, I just bought one for $11 shipped worldwide: SATA USB DVD Enclosure. Will report in 2-3 weeks after receiving it.

Make sure the ODD/enclosure connector is SATA & that it does include the bezel. The F's ODD is 12.7mm thick.

 

Thanks, but the screen is not a problem for me here in EU (UK). The only thing that is holding me back from ordering is the GPU.

I think the new refresh will just fix all those Hole/glitches reported by F series cutomers, and maybe provide more options when customizing, eg backlit keyboard for EU maybe ?

 

The EU guys whine about the backlit keyboard & the US guys about not having matte screens.

Could you define "all those Hole/glitches"?

All stuff made by humans have a percentage of failures/issues, that's why there is a return policy & a warranty.

While some users reported some stuff, many others said their F is fine, including me.

Happy users tend to play on the thing while those having a problem, either cockpit or hardware or Win OS, tend to post in threads like this one. It's nothing new.

Meanwhile I find my F refreshing compared to my old laptop.

 

If i had the choice between backlit keyboard or matte screen, i will go for the matte screen. The backlit keyboard would have made the new F series more complete.

Its true what you said, "The EU guys whine about the backlit keyboard & the US guys about not having matte screens"

Lets hope sony brings the new refresh for US the matte screen and EU the backlit keyboard, this will end the whine about not having 1 or another.

 

Thanks, what I NEED is an Esata case, since Bluray burning exceeds USB2 speeds. And all my computers have Esata. However that is simply not to be found, it seems.

 

Check this video, a simple cable! Attaching an optical drive externally via a laptop's eSATA-USB combo port.

Exactly what you & I want to do: F with 2 HDD & external ODD.



Check:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5106978

Note that some Power Over eSATA cables work ONLY with HDD & SSD like the ones linked below. The special cable shown in the video is specifically made to connect only to a ODD!

http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=235

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130356420423&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

Your animation is pretty cool. I like the hand moving the hand.

On the other hand, I hate the animated emoticons overload. I thought that Canadians were know for moderation?

 

It's stolen from another site, with not quite the same forum layout. And it's not a signature but a reminder to myself in this one post to look before leaping.

(edit) Anyway I'm not a native-born Canadian, just a (proud) citizen.

 

Carefull upgrader whould have noticed that in total there are 4 screws: two of them secure the lid and the HDD at the same time

 

Careful board reader would have seen my Duh! post.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5924316&highlight=sony_guys#post5924316

 

I'm not just a reader, but a writer as well )) And sometimes, I'm too impatient too read everything before posting My OBHD is scheduled to arrive in two days, so I'll post a few pics about my experience.

BTW, does anybody wanna European top vaio F model at cost price with SSD and OBHD?

 

You ask NOW, when it appears I'll actually be getting my F11 after waiting seven friggin' weeks... Anyway European computers cost considerably more in real money than we pay in North America.

 

Well, yea, I'm aware about the prices But you don't have the Adobe RGB display yet... If it hadn't been the US policy of forbidding US-made goods export, I would have bought every single piece of electronics in US Numbers are identical with only one "little" difference: in US they'r expressed in $ whereas in Europe - in Euros

 

I'm not worried about the screen. The FW appears to have used a Sharp screen for its 1920 X 1080, the European F11 Mattes are Ekran (a subdivision of Sharp), I don't yet know about the US Glossy Premium screens. A year from now I'll probably invest in a better display, rather than paying for an extended warranty.

 

Do you know of any better screens available for the F? As far as I know, there's just no better screen for a laptop. All TN panels have a poor vertical viewing angle (and Premium screens are not exception), except for Hydis (not sure if it's TN or not), but the latter has poor color reproduction.

 

I know about the official high pitch noise problem but i can't seem to solve it.. I've updated to the latest sound driver and muted the microphone but it's still there! I don't know if i have the same problem as everyone else but it sounds like a really fast high pitched morse code you can hear it the best around the touchpad. What should i do?

 

My F was working fine and then I moved it to another room and started experiencing an issue. I don't know if moving it was just a coincidence and has no effect.

Whenever I have a browser (IE and Firefox) or a program in full screen mode and I move the cursor over the "Show destop" bar in the far right of the taskbar my desktop has these strange diagonal bars. (Picture 1)

When I don't have any program open the desktop looks normal. (Picture 2)

I tried AC power and battery power and the result was the same. I tried different desktop backgrounds and the effect was there. What could be causing this?

 

Hi,

I just received my F11 and I am somewhat annoyed by the noise the fan makes even when processor load is very light . Maybe it was stupid of me to buy an i7 computer when wanting a quiet computer. Does anyone know how the noise of the fan compares on the i5 model (or even the FW-series)? I would really appreciate any advice here. Wouldn't want to send the computer back and get a worse performing model with the same noise-level :-/ .

Thank you!

(I see that this question has been posed earlier in this thread, but I don't see that the question has been answered.)