Official Sony VAIO P-series Owners thread

Has anyone used a USB Ethernet Adapter for the Sony Vaio P or do you have to use the adapter that Sony sells on their website?

 

If you're or anyone else is interested, I have a Sony VGA/LAN adapter that I bought new recently, but don't need.

Also, a very nice custom-made leather case that fits like a glove available too...

PM me if interested...

Thanks.

 

I have not used or tried using an Ethernet adapter for the Vaio P but I did buy its adapter last year. The adapter is called "Vaio VGP DA 10". Here is a real life picture + small review, if you are interested - [ vaio vgp da 10 review] - MobilityUpdate.com

 

The VGP-DA10 is great, It will do very high quality and high resolution over VGA also. 1080P VGA looks nearly as good as HDMI with this adapter.

 

Hey Computercowboy,

could you tell us a little bit about your experience with the BCM70015 (CrystalHD) on Vaio P. Does this beast generate lots of Heat? Does it accelerate Flash?

 

I haven't tried it in the P.
In the UX it does NOT generate lots of heat.
It does accelerate flash, like youtube. It also works with WinDVD 10 and MPC-HC
You can NOT use it in the 3G slot, it MUST go in the WiFi slot.

 

Just tried this new EMGD from this thread GMA500 2048 Driver (July 2011) - Pocketables Forum
Aero actually works on the P now!
I mirrored the file on my site so you don't have to download from mediafire
http://computercowboy.com/downloads/GMA500-SonyP-v1.0.1.rar

 

Hello Forum Members, I'm new here and was looking to acquire my first P. I was wondering if you can suggest where I can purchase a GEN 2 Ver. I have search ebay, craigslist and J&R but its slim pickings out there. I could only locate one GEN 2 and it was pink not really my preference. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

I was searching Craigslist (Seattle) every day from December, 2010 until one finally popped up in June, 2011. I have not seen a single one since then. So these are really hard to find. You just have to be persistent and also have a little bit of luck. If you really want/need one now, you may have to settle for a first gen.

 

Thanks.... I think you are right, I will buy a first gen. Thanks again.

 

Since you're too new I can't PM you, but I'm looking to get rid of my VGN-P788K/Q (Black). Perhaps you can PM me if you want more details.

 

Why not post it in the NBR MarketPlace? I'm sure you'll be able to find a buyer for it. I've just sold my VAIO VGN-P688E/Q notebook in the NBR MarketPlace this week.

 

To be honest, I've been putting it off too much. I need to get off my and do it!

 

Anyone know where you can get a VPCP118KX/B (2GHz model) ?

 

Watch eBay like a hawk, and pray it shows up.

 

Thanks, had a feeling that might be the case....

 

Saving your search and getting a daily email of new listings is a lot easier than watching like a hawk. I've been doing that for two or three months and have only seen about three 2 gig models listed. The 1.8 gig models are slightly more common. But most of the listings are for 1.3 or 1.6 ones. The last 2 gig model to come up was in the UK and it went for £480. It was a P11Z9E/B. I don't know whether it would work with a US SIM.

 

Good suggestion and info, thanks!

 

Windows 8 Dev Preview runs great on the P, just make sure to install the EMGD Drivers, you'll have to set Setup.exe to run in compatibility mode for Windows 7. Once the good GFX drivers are loaded eight runs great. Pretty much everything else runs out of the box. Love it!

 

Thanks for the info.....

Just out of curiosity, what is it you like about Win8, performance, features or ??

 

I'd say both, it performs quite well, but I think it is more about the features.
Here is a little bit of something I was writing about using windows 8 on the Z that I never really finished.

So yea, it is all that and a bunch of other little things.

I also love Visual Studio 11, many welcome IDE improvements.

 

Great input!

Sounds more interesting than I thought.....

 

Windows 8 has been totally stable on the Z... but it did crash on the P today, some BSOD, I haven't investigated why.

 

Has the P series been discontinued by Sony? I was curious what the latest specs were for the model, but couldn't find it anywhere on their site.

 

Ummm.....afraid you're a day late and a dollar short, as my dad would say....well, actually more than a day.....it's been a while now.....

 

The best P shipped in the US included a 2Ghz ATOM, 256GB SSD and WWAN (it was the last signature series)
They all have 2GB RAM
Some first gen models were HDD, others were SSD, all second gen models were SSD

At the end of its life you could configure a Japanese model from Conics with a 2.13Ghz ATOM

You can find them around, I bought a brand new first gen P and a brand new second gen P this year.
The new ones are getting harder to find, but the refribs and used ones are around, try eBay

 

Just snagged a nice like-new P Gen II 2GHz with 256GB SSD model....



Only thing is that it's in the orange color....

To give you an idea of my taste, my current P Gen II 1.6GHz is black and so are about 5 other of my little portable computing devices....

So, my questions to this illustrious group are:

A. Any relatively easy and not too expensive ways of getting black covers and keyboard and swapping them out with orange ones?

B. If not, what about those carbon fiber or leather covers I see on ebay that you stick on the outside? Are they any good?

C. If not, then other option is to swap the parts from my current P to the new P....

D. Is it hard to remove the covers (outer side of display and bottom of P...) and the keyboard if I were to swap parts?

Thanks for any and all input....

Hope to see my new P on Friday....once I'm all set, will sell my current P that I recently bought new in the box.....oh well....

 

Got Gen II Service Manual...thanks for posting it on your site, ComputerCowboy!....

Got the service manual for Gen II....

Not clear though whether there are screws that hold on the outside cover (that says VAIO on it...) of the display section or if it just pops off with a knife blade inserted along the edge joint?

Starting to think that maybe the easiest thing to do is to spray paint the orange cover and the bottom cover on the VAIO P....did that to a laptop some years ago and it came out very nicely. Then only issue is the orange keyboard....maybe I can get a black replacement keyboard somewhere.....

 

Update

**** Warning for other P users..... ****

Tried to take apart my new P GenII last night...

Big mistake...

After removing screws from bottom cover and realizing that it was not easy to remove, decided to try and remove keyboard unit. got it off but broke 1 or 2 of the really tiny/skinny tabs along the front edge. So, when I tried to put keyboard back, the front edge won't stay down tight against bottom cover....

Now, facing either sending P to Sony for repair job or get a keyboard and try to replace it myself and hope that I don't break tabs....must be a certain trick to doing all this or need some special tools or both....

Bottomline is that I highly advise you not to take your P apart....

If this has already been discussed in this thread, sorry, for repeating...but just trying to save others from the headache I'm now facing....

 

UPDATE

Since last update, I did bring in the P to my local Sony store. They sent it off to Sony repair center for me...

Sony service people were actually quite nice, helpful, and accomodating as I requested that they replace my broken orange keyboard with a black one.

After about 10 days, I got my lil' P back from Sony repair center 2 days ago....looks good now with new black keyboard installed....this saga cost me a few bucks, but was OK since I really wanted this P fixed and paid a fair price to buy it.

So, has interesting look now, the outside is still orange, but the inside is all black....but this will change soon as while P was at Sony, I ordered a black 'leather' skin from someone on ebay...should be here soon...then I'll have black outside as well as protection on P....

So, again, would highly advise gen II P owners not to try and open up your P, it's much more tricky and delicate than other laptops I've worked on....

 

UPDATE

Found solution to this by googling for it....need to disable ISBMgr.exe in msconfig....that's it!

Now, just wish I found some clear instructions for fresh Win7 install plus what order to install the usable Sony stuff...and what is recommend to install of Sony stuff....for the gen II VAIO P's....all info i've found so far on this is for gen I P's....


Just did a fresh Win7HP install today and it went OK, but then I decided to install some of the Sony VAIO stuff....now have issue on my VPCP11AKJ (2.13GHz, Japanese model).....

I downloaded all the Sony VAIO P drivers and apps from Sony USA site as if I have the VPCP118KX model...figured that was closest to my P...things I tried to install the install process seemed OK...

I installed Notebook Utilities and it installed a Battery Check app....not good...

Now I get constant harassment with error message that pops ups telling me to click OK and it will hibernate P for me so that I can remove and reinsert battery to make sure that it's correct....I do that and then wake up P, but a minute later get error message again....

If I don't click OK, within a minute or so, it will hibernate P on its own....

With previous Win7 install, didn't have this problem....

Don't see any obvious way to uninstall this nasty program....any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

So, installed the minimum Sony VAIO related files; Sony Shared Library and Notebook Utilities after Win7 install.....all is working now...

Does anyone recommend installing any other VAIO program besides the above or just leave it as is?

Thanks for any input....

 

Has everyone gone from the P Lounge and hanging out at another lounge?

Meanwhile......about ready to spray paint the outside casing of my P from orange to black.....anyone think that this is a good or bad idea before I do it?

Have masked off all the parts that I don't want to get paint on....but thought I'd ask before it's too late....

 

I know that a lot of us still hang out here:
Sony Vaio P - Pocketables Forum

But for my bladder's sake, could we call it something other than a "P Lounge"?

 

Yes, I hang out there too....

Hmmm......well, since there's 2 generations of VAIO P out there, we could call it the 'PP' lounge....although that probably doesn't help with your bladder issue....

 

Sorry - wrong forum

 

Hi there I am keenly looking for an oraange P II, signature edition or jap spec prefered. Must have GPS and preferably 3G also.
I want an orange one.
Will pay above market price for it.
I will be in Miami for a week early feb.
I can Paypal or wire - this last depending on the sellers cred.
I am a legitimate honest person with a 13 year ebay account with over 1000 positives.
Please any prospective sellers mail me at yahoo.com my nick is same as my address there.
Thanks and looking forward to do a deal to secure my vaio

 

hi, i just got myself a brand new green second gen p series. for a discounted price of $500...i was wondering tho, was there a set of noise cancelling headphones included in the box for those who originally purchased the full price machine? i got mine at the sony centre in ireland, was wondering if they forgot something in the box...

 

About a month ago I managed to get myself a refurb vaio p gen 2 1.6 with 128gb ssd for 500 Euro including customs and taxes to Ireland. Just got a few questions.

Does anybody know of a company who makes anti-glare screen protectors specifically for the 2nd gen p. I've seen ones that only cover the screen (which would suit the 1st gen as well obviously) but none specifically for the 2nd gen to cover the bezel. I'm starting to get the marks on the screen which effected my 1st gen. How did Sony think making a touchpad glossy was a good idea. Forensics dream come true.

Also can anyone recommend anywhere that sells the large capacity BPL23 battery or recommend any 3rd party batteries they've had success with.

Can someone also verify the Vaio P 2nd gen can read 64gb SDXC cards and what speed the SD and MS readers operate at.

Anyone also know how difficult it is to tighten the screen hinge. Mine is significantly looser than my Gen 1 to the extent it collapses if held up vertically. Driving me nuts but think it just needs a bit of tightening.

BTW just want to congratulate Apple on making a retina screen laptop and congratulate Sony on dong it 3 years earlier with the best little laptop in the world, the Vaio P

As a little tip if anyone using a Vaio P hasn't tried the Opera browser please do. Version 12 is just out of beta and if you set the tab bar to be on the left or right you can have 50+ tabs open and still have no reduction in web page viewing. Its fantastic with a skin such as Ibis, the clarity is amazing


Sorry for all the questions, especially if they've been answered before ubt the search function on notebookreview isn't workign for some people and is just giving an invalid response

 

Anyone live here anymore?????

 

..................................

 

Hello, I am new to this forum so forgive me if I am threading the wrong subject matter. I am hoping that someone can help me. I own aSony P530H/Q Series tablet that has been diagnosed by Sony repair as needing a new LED display module. They are stating the part cost $200.00. I have located an original new Sony LED Module for less than half of what they want to charge me. I live in OHIO and was wondering if anyone new good Sony P series repair shop that may be able to help me save some money. The total cost that Sony is wanting to charge is over $300.00 for the repair. If I can beat that I will be very happy. Please Help Me.

 

So is there any chance of Sony surprising us with a Vaio P upgrade? I feel like the new 7W Ivy/Haswell or even Clover Trail in conjunction with Windows 8 and a touchscreen would make a fantastic combination.

 

Well, suppose anything is possible...but given the way the market has gone the past year or so, seems doubtful....but again who knows what Sony is working on....would be cool if they came out with a P that had touchscreen and detachable keyboard....so you could use as laptop or as tablet....

 

While I am big fan of Haswell, I do not see Sony making another Vaio P-like laptop. Sony was not able to sell a lot these. I have mine with Nlited Windows 7 and it is barely usable with 60gb hdd and Atom Z520 processor.

Haswell promises great battery life and I would love to see some ultra compact laptops based on Haswell architecture.

 

I didn't know what the P series was until I googled. But yes I can confirm Fry's has 2013 Haswell P's coming in this summer, saw models and specs on one of the fresh printouts of incoming inventory.

 

So what specs you saw in the inventory? Does it come equip with a touch screen?

 

Here you go

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

Thanks....but those are not P series VAIO's......

Look at display sizes.....too large....

P's have 8" displays....

P's are much smaller devices....

 

P designation in model indicates P series, is what it is. Unless the P stands for something like F for fit.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD