Official Sony VAIO F Series i5/i7 owners thread *Part 3*

Would you be able to shed some light on the display options then Melody?

1920 x 1080 A HD

vs

1920 x 1080 FHD Premium for $100


Is the F12 upgraded display now the F13's "A HD" default option?

 

VPC-F1390 - VPC-F1290 = 100.

The current F13 page on Sony_Ca is a total mess full of mistakes and you are wasting your time trying to decipher the LCD's, pricing & whatnot errors for "clues" IMO.

*****

 

Yes it's not a reflection of reality at all. But we probably ARE getting Dell-like screen options at last.

 

To clarify, I ordered the PC with Fresh Start. I did not do a Clean Install. I do not have the Media Gallery software on my machine and it's not available via the Recover/Restore function. If it's on the PC, I can't find it.

So no, you didn't exactly reply to my question...just to be clear. I've read this entire thread.

Thanks!

 

I am not actively recommending that people just abandon their recovery partition. It was an option that worked for me, given that your process led to the same error 5 times out of 6. Do not assume that because the process worked for you without issue that it will work for everyone else the same way.

Do not project that I ASSUME that everyone will have the error that I did. What, in any of my posts gives you that direct impression?

This is the second time you have read more into what I'm saying than what is actually said. I'll repeat what I said last time. I appreciate the corrections you recommend to my posts, but I'll add to it that I do not appreciate you assuming that I'm an idiot.

If I could retract my recent +1 to you, I would.

 

My configured F1390 came out to $700 more than an equally configured F1290 !!!!

 

OUCH! That's amazing.

 

Oh oh. My friend needed a computer ASAP so he got a Asus G73 for approx $1300 US dollars. As you know very similar is specs to the F11. He works in the same office as myself and it should be fun to see both computers side by side, how they perform, now and into the future.

 

Aha! That's quite different. You wrote "I did a Fresh Start..." so that threw me off.

Did you try inserting your recovery disc #1? Some programs may be available there that are not in the Fresh Start OS option like PMB in Melodymaster's F11_case: see Click to disk in his capture of Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features:



It would be really cool if you could do the same for your F12_Fresh Start before installing anything. It makes a great road map for spotting what can be safely removed as seen in the bottom of the OEM clean install article compared to my factory OS.

 

It's a trick to get you to buy an_F12 NOW!

 

I will kill my self. Bought a F12Z and a month later the F13 is coming out. Happy that I do not see any use of USB3 for anything then Flash drives (yet). E-sata and the Expresscard slot + usb to wlan/wifi adapters is good for me. xD

I will wait and see if my unit can hold up during its 2 years.

 

That's cool! I would like to see some side-by-side photos to compare the bulk & maybe an Everest CPU + Furmark GPU @ 100% stress test like many of us posted in the thread recently.

 

Nothing shows up when I go into the Control Panel as you directed (though it was a good idea). I don't have any discs. Why won't Sony make this available on their website? Seems that it shouldn't be this hard to find and download the programs I want. Weird.

I guess I may have to contact Sony directly.

Thanks!

 

You should burn recovery discs ASAP via ASSIST > Recovery & Restore.

Value Added Software are exactly that. If they would be publicly available then anybody could download them w/o purchasing licenses for WinDVD, Roxio, etc. They are incentives to get a_Vaio like the Adobe Bundle for the F12_CTO on SonyStyle for example. BTW one looses that bundle when ordering Fresh Start as specified in the CTO order options.

 

Most people don't even notice the difference between the two, but if you benchmarked both drives you would probably notice that activities such as compiling code will take a second or two longer on the slower drive.

The reason you are seeing those search results is that the HG appears to be a model from Sony Asia-Pacific. Unfortunately, I do not know what differences there would be between a system from Asia and one from the states. From the pictures, it looks as though they are effectively identical, but I can make no guarantees.

 

I was seriously considering the ASUS G73, but ordered an F12 instead because of all the reliability problems being reported on the various G73 forums... e.g.:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asu...457024-official-asus-g73jh-owners-lounge.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/486816-asus-g73-official-ati-10-5-released.html

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Forum- G73 Issues that needs to be resolved

http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/460437-asus-g73jh-keyboard-issues.html

 

Nothing is established for the F13 yet, at all, and it's probably a more expensive base unit.

 

In Win 7 an optical drive doesn't even show up in Explorer UNLESS it has a disc loaded, (in case you hadn't noticed..) and that applies for any software dependant upon an optical drive. This is closer to the Macintosh way of doing things, with Win7 the first MS OS to function this way.

 

I'm not, that's why I quoted you & 2 other F owners in the article. I cannot test it on many F's because I have only one. Cool man.

 

Or maybe the title should be: Watch those calibration settings!

Thought I might share a scenario which I find just crazy. I've never purchased a screen calibrator and I have been using a Spyder2express profile from a generous poster (forget who) since January. Today I thought I would retry Joe's HueyPro calibration profile and decided this is the one I prefer. Set it and that is that. Now I have an old HP 3050 printer/scanner. The printer is great -they just do not make them like this any longer. Always worked will with my old 32bit HP Pavillion and Adobe Pro. So, after purchasing my F11, I installed the 64bit driver for the 3050 and using Adobe Pro, a problem would arise with scanning. I do a lot of scanning to PDF. Only the first page would be recognized or I could scan one page at a time (If anyone knows a solution to this problem please let me know). So needing a solution I am using the Windows Fax and Scan, printing pages with PDFNitro a free application. What a hassle.
Now here is the kicker. Today when I go to Windows Fax and Scan, it first defaults to Win Photo Viewer. Now Win Photo Viewer states 'Windows Photo Viewer can't display this picture because there might not be enough memory available on your computer' What?? I have 6GB of memory and not running any other demanding applications. And here is Microsoft's solution. go into colour management and click colour management, under devices use my settings for this device and the highlight and delete the profile associated with this device, it should then display fine What?? Color calibration profiles will cause Win Photo Viewer problems? And this is their fix? Just reminds me of the old days of Microsoft and all the problems. All and all Win7 is great, just sometimes old Microsoft rears its ugly head.

 

My brand new F12 CTO will arrive in two days and now I hear that Sony just introduced the F13. "What the? ".....so I'm starting to bead up thinking I just made a huge mistake but then I go to the links posted and find that its on the Canada website and other than a few extra CTO options the biggest change appears that you can get something other than gray/black or black. AND every option shows as "backorder".

While I'm sure that Sony will release the F13 soon, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.......yet.

 

I know the G73 is smoother for gaming, but how else is the other performance?

 

Hello all, read the entire part 3 and skimmed parts 1 & 2. I can say there is an incredible wealth of information and it's quite a shame that some who own the laptop don't take the time to look for the detailed information they need, as I don't have an F series yet and I could have answered many of the questions for the last 50 or so pages that are made by new posters, not that much new comes up so it's strange people don't look.

Anywho didn't come here to rant just don't like that aspect of forums. I currently own a 4 year old Alienware m9700a 17" laptop that suffered from the Turion heat/paste issue with some nice customer service... The Sony F series looks great and although I have an issue with the GPU the fact that the laptop stays so cool under stress is awesome with an i7! Seriously you look at the other big or not so big names and cooling the beast under stress looks too easy on the F. I'd like to say a big thank you to the major contributors in the thread for all they've put into it (you know who you are, no not Omaroo).

When I put together the money I'll be purchasing an F series, should be within the next month or so. If the F13 should be released in time in the UK then I'll get it and will provide SSs of the clean install process and any new quirks for JBs guide if the process has changed from the F12s. If the F13 is not out by then and not out soon I will get the F12 because although it may seem odd I really don't care about a few extras or updates because you're always a few months away from them and I really need to get a new one. Only other thing to add is I may get a hybrid drive and stick the supplied HDD into my 2nd slot on the m9700a or into my PS3 for HD films.

Seriously the information contained in this thread is astounding and I feel I am already aware of many issues, even win7 related that put me at ease, the problems with the F series aren't issues for me and it is the most solid piece of equipment for the price out there, and seeing it in store confirmed this considering the Sony Style staff are incredibly ignorant, they did the screen a disservice in it's display. The power pack is a lot smaller than my beast so I guess size is relative, the weight is so light again relative I guess if you've never worked with something of it's size and the screen size isn't much of a noticeable decrease although the hinge system I dislike. All in all I'll be happy to join you all as F series owners regardless of which I get very soon, although I doubt I'll have to post any problems I have .

 

Ok to reply to hamid693 if there isn't a huge issue with price then I would recommend go with the Asian_VPCF127HG because of the same screen as the EU matte, as shown on the site you linked it's the "100%" Adobe RGB screen. Just for that I'd opt for it, and you get the larger RAM which may be useful for you in future although I'm unsure of your usage for the laptop. The HD can always be swapped out later and ultimately with you being in Iran from what I've heard the middle east have it easier dealing with Asian tech support and so on as they tend to support the middle east. Hope this helps.

 

You are absolutely right about the fantastic cooling of the F series. I just purchased the Coolmaster Notepal U2 today and it's taken what was a hot breeze from the side of my F11 down to a warm breeze. That hot breeze was already drastically lower than other brands. I can't wait to try one of my new games and see how it goees.

 

I want to try that profile. How do I do?

 

Fans are as far to the bottom as you could get them without touching the table? How is the noise? I hear the cooler fans, but I really don't normally hear the F11 fans at all.

 

I see very little difference between the F11 and F12. The F13 that I have seen is also very similar. Perhaps it will have a better screen. My screen is already very good.

Don't worry about a model refresh. You have already purchased a great laptop, and computers are refreshed, updated, discontinued and replaced every few months. If you waited for an F13, you would kick yourself when the F14 comes out just in time for Christmas.

I have an F11. I am very happy...dare I say "giddy"...with it. My machine (with an aftermarket SSD) is blazing fast. It is quiet. I am happy with the display. I have no whining issues. I have none...NONE... of the problems reported sparsely on this forum, with the exception of the spacebar squeek. This squeek went away after a short break-in period. The keyboard is amazing...better than any laptop I have used and the backlighting is not only cool, it completely allows me to work in darkerned rooms at night, which I do quite often so as to not disturb the rest of the family.

Have fun with your new laptop. It is really a great machine.

 

Vaio F Series Monitor Calibration and Users Created Profiles Roundup

 

Does anyone have for a service manual for the VPCF127FD? The power button has become stuck in after only 4 weeks of owning it!

I’m trying to see if I can take the bezel off and maybe fix the button/switch…


Thanks!

 

Although you don't need all this information to be able to just see the power button from the inside, JBs guide to LCD replacement shows you how you can get there. Just ignore the parts about the LCD and use it as a way to get to the power button. If it gives you all you need then +rep him at some point .

JBs LCD replacement

 

Wow! Perfect thank you very much!

 

Is there a link to the specs for the new F13 laptop?

 

Hi, i want to have the internal backlit keyboard. I think it looks great. But i justcan not understand why the UK market wont have this as an option - they will giveyou the blu-ray burner for £40 but no backlit keyboard : (

 

Hola Gandalf, long time no see!

I noted in your sig the Seagate XT Hybrid HDD 500 GB. Any feedback on it? Does your F feels snappier? Boot time vs your old drive? Did you ran some benchmarks? How about noise emission & vibrations?

*****

@ DeWinte: Welcome to the thread & thanks for the feedback.

*****

I think it's a question of market size, mass production & keeping costs down. The US market is huge while the EU is fragmented with many languages & probably just a fraction of customers in Italy, Norway, France, etc would opt for the backlit option. Besides parts cost, I guess it would also complicate the ordering & assembly process.

Anyway, you can get an OEM US backlit keyboard on Fleabay for $35 including shipping worldwide, which I did to have a spare handy because I use the F in harsh conditions & it gets quite dirty and I hate keyboard skins. Just run this search & include title & description in the search: VPC-F11M1EH.

 

While my buddy is not as interested in this stuff, I'll be able to do some benchmarking on his computer and compare to my F11. Posts to follow.

 

Personally, I like keyboard skins and would get one for my (on-order) F12 - but - is there an F12 keyboard skin available that is clear, so that it doesn't defeat the illuminated keyboard?

The local Sony Style store didn't have one that is clear, but didn't know whether or not a clear one is made.

 

In my side by side, nowhere near scientific tests, my F12 was faster than my friend's G73. It transferred files faster, and the screen on the G73 had a weird film on it. The G73 does a great job of keeping cool though, while the F12 is fully loaded with awesome and cutting edge features

 

Searching Fleabay with vpc f keyboard, found 2 transparent ones (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) @ $12 shipped. They specify for US keyboard only (Not for "7" shaped EU Enter key) and one specifies including the numeric pad on the right. This search: keyboard skin "vaio_f_series" returns some skins made of silicon and one is only $6 shipped. Will give it a try as it may be useful when working with kids & post some feedback in 2 to 6 weeks. Absolutely dunno if they are any good but the resellers have good feedback.

It looks like I could put my F under a faucet with that thing.

 

Follow-up question to my prior post re keyboard skins. I found several clear keyboard skins on e-bay that are for the VPCF1190X US keyboard. If they fit that model, should they also fit the VPCF1290X US keyboard?

 

Is anybody using sony vaio f series laptop with "Large Capacity Battery" ?? If yes, could you please post some pictures of the same showing battery shape...
Does large capacity battery have extra shape that pops out of laptop main body ?

What is battery life of large capacity battery with normal laptop use ?

 

Anyone have this info?

 

Photos posted a long time ago by slrosenfeld here. Note that @ the time we did not know that the CPU speed is reduced when running on battery by design as explained here, hence his comment about throttling.

 

Does anyone use bluetooth speakers for their F11 or f12? If so, which speakers and how much do you like it?

 

Here is a photo of a US F11_keyboard, maybe an US F12_owner could do the same so we could compare? My guess is they are identical.

 

Hi Joe, I had a nice summer holiday without any computers.
I love my new hybrid Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 7200 RPM.
It halved my boot times coming from standard Samsung Spinpoint M7 HM320II 320GB 5400 RPM.
Using the Samsung my laptop booted in 2 minutes and 18 seconds.
Now using the Seagate it boots in 1 minute and 5 seconds according to VAIO Care.
This on the factory install with most of the bloatware (according your clean install guide) removed.
I opted for the manual bloatware removal because after using your guide I could not find both the Arcsoft webcam programs on the recovery discs when using VAIO Care.
I also liked the Sony branded support information and I lost most of the VAIO Care hardware diagnostics.
So your guide worked on an European Core i5 F11, but I could not easily recover all things I wanted.
After using your clean install guide the boot time was 58 seconds using the Seagate.
I did not do any benchmarks, I only looked at the boottimes.
My general impression of the Momentus XT is fast, more snappy and only a little bit noisier (no vibrations) as the Samsung Spinpoint.

I ordered today the backlit keyboard on Ebay and then I think it is perfect.

 

No, because it hasn't been officially announced. Don't expect much info on the 13 at all until probably October. If Sony follows it's current pattern, the F13 will come in the next laptop refresh this holiday season.

 

Thanks Tanis.

 

The eBay seller of this clear keyboard skin ( http://cgi.ebay.com/TPU-Keyboard-Co...C-F1190X-/150364377524?pt=PCA_Mice_Trackballs ) says it will fit the VPCF1290. We'll see... I've ordered one and will report back, when both the keyboard skin arrives from Hong Kong & my F1290 arrives from Sony Style (the latter shipped FedEx today)...

 

Max of about 4 hours for general productivity use: email, MS Office, light web etc. Maybe 3.5 hours for more typical web surfing which includes Flash content and some streaming video. That's on power saver with a dimmed screen running on a fairly clean install. Maxing out the screen brightness reduces battery life by another 30 min. or so. If you have background tasks churning such as the search indexer, Norton, or auto-update processes phoning home, that could reduce your battery life as well.