Official Sony Vaio CW Core 2 Duo Series Owner's Thread

Can some of you tell us the weight of your CW? Wanna see how close it is to Sony's quote of 5.3 lbs.

 

I just don't believe it. GTS 250M uses exactly the same die as GTS 260M, it is just clocked 10% lower. 40% difference in power usage just doesn't make sense.

 

About this problem, I suggest that you try to install Sony® Notebook Utilities from Sony Drivers Download page.

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VPCCW1FFXL&LOC=3

 

Thanks for the info! Below is the breakdown of those Sony Utilities, might you know which of these would include "Splashtop":
---------------------------------------
This utility installs the originally shipped versions of the following Sony Notebook Utilities:
Battery Checker 4.0.0.05260
Setting Utility Series 5.0.0.07300
VAIO® Event Service 5.0.0.07010
VAIO Control Center 4.0.0.06120
VAIO Power Management 4.0.0.08240

 

Hi,

I have just bought the cw with the P7800 processor and the 230 m.

I must say that i was umming and ahhing about what laptop to buy for weeks and ended up buying this on a bit of a whim. I have a very good desktop computer that is easily capable of playing all games maxed out and i really wasn't expecting alot from it. I am happy to report that i have been very pleasantly surprised.

I have installed 4 games Battlefield 2142 which i can play maxed out! Also wolfenstein that can be maxxed out aprt from anti aliasing. Also i have installed Battleforge that it plays more than sufficiently. The biggest surprise though is that im am racing around liberty city on GTA4 admittanly with all settings on low, but the thing with that is that because the screen is small it seems reasonable and you dont notice te lack of antialiasing like you would on a large desktop screen.

I am a photographer who uses photoshop CS4 and Lightroom and the CW breezes through them with ease, and the screen is razor sharp and the colours are good when i calibrated the screen.

If anyone is interested it scored 5.7 on windows expeirience index with the proccessor being the lowest and the ram get 6.1 and the graphics 6.3!! My desktop witch has a 3.2 ghz (oc) proccessor 1066 fsb 2mb l2 cache scores 5.8 (win 7 also).

I wasn't expecting too much and got alot more for my money than expected!!!

A very happy owner!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Notebook Journal review
: http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/sony-vaio-vpc-cw1s1e-1030

It's in german, but you can use google translate.

The screen is a bit on the downside...
When you put pressure on the frame, there are imprints on the display and it has a rather low contrast...

 

Has anyone noticed any slowdown with their wireless? I'm not sure if its the laptop or the new router (Linksys WRT610N v2). Occasionally it slows to a crawl and I can't connect to router, web pages are dreadfully slow. I'm leaning towards it being the router as I've heard similar stories, but wanted to check here before I swap it out. Thanks!

 

Sorry, since I was recommended by a Sony analyst, I have not tried this solution yet. But I think you should try to install all of them to recognize which utility is belong to Splashtop.

 

which wireless card do you have? the Atheros or Intel?
its really wierd to know Sony shipped several laptops with different wifi cards which makes no sense, and it was random or maybe i havent figured it out. maybe they put it in their lowest model or something, once we get more replies from our owners i guess we wont find out. Knowing that Sony put Atheros in thier specs page but later on on products page it shows Intel Card is really confusing

 

Unfortunately (REALLY want the 5GHz band) have the Atheros card.

 

What I would do if I were you is that I would unplug the router from the power outlet for 30 seconds and then see if problems still persist. If they do, put on another computer and see if that computer is having issues with slowdown also.

 

Hi,

I wasn't able to find anything in the manual explaining how to create shortcuts and assign Function keys to special tasks.

1/ Can someone explain how to put media buttons as shortcuts ? since the CW hasn't any play/pause/etc. buttons , I wanted to create some but don't know if possible.

2/ Splashtop web pages talk about not only web special quick button/access but also about quick media lunch. Is this supported on the CW ? would be interesting to start the media player (music/video) without booting the laptop.

thanks
nalooti

 

How often do you push the frame while working on laptop? It's like saying that it cracks when hit with a hammer - yes it does, so just don't
Contrast, agreed and resolution is a downside for me as well, would gladly pay more for 1680x1050 or 1600x900. Or even 1400x900.

 

http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/sony-vaio-vpc-cw1s1e-1030

It's in german. But you can skip to page 3.....the display (as expected) is the weakest part of this notebook.

Though it uses a LED-panel, it can't reach over 200 cd/m².
Also the contrast is really bad for a multimediabook.

 

FYI...just found a 7% Student Discount, but it doesn't appear that you have to prove that you are a student...I didn't go through with a purchase, but it showed the discount as I was adding components for CTO and it let me add it to my cart with the discount still showing. On this page it also shows a 10% discount available for Accessories.

https://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wc..._page&catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1

 

Slight Correction, the Student Discount page says "up to" 7%, when I calculated the discount it was giving to me for the CW it was about 5%. Well, 5% is better than no percent.

 

Don't mean to post so many times...here is a shorter link to the Student Discount page http://www.sonystyle.com/campus

 

you can just go to your nearby sony style store and get the student discount

 

Many folks, like myself don't have a Sony Store nearby...too bad, I wish I did

 

im sorry to hear that, im guessing that on their lowest model they used the Atheros card, or maybe the 210 GPU comes with atheros card just a guess, but yeah you can try to upgrade the wifi card but i dont know if its hard or easy, ask there isnt a dis assembly guide, to get that 5Ghz band.

 

Or you can skip straight to page 5, where they say something like "Although the display is somewhat disappointing, we would still consider it one of top 10 multimedia notebooks at the moment."

What is GOOD about the display is that it is easy to check it out in a store, so at least you know what you're paying for.

 

Actually that covers my first impression. The display is far away from being typcial Sony-like! Sadly, it's too dark and has no contrast. Compared to FW or SR series, it's hard to believe Sony has built it...

 

There seems to be a big confusion that some people have the atheros and others have the intel 5100.

We can't choose/configure what wireless card comes with our CW.
Maybe Sony includes the intel 5100 with 7PRO or when you configure the laptop with X Proccesor, or X amount of RAM. Dunno just guessing.

I have a few questions for CW Owners.
For those who have the intel card, what was your configuration like?

Another question.
Sony's website says that the fresh start will remove SOME VAIO Applications and bloatware. So those who did CTO with fresh start, what applications did your CW come with?

Another Questions
Also I have been reading that you can turn off the Optical drive to increase battery life. Can anyone show me how this is done on the CW? How much does battery life increase by?

 

Can't agree with that. My main reason for choosing CW was the graphics card, but display was the second one. While not being the best quality LED screen I've seen it offered clearly better picture quality then most other laptops in Sony store (Z & SR excluded). It is obvious when you can see all those laptops together. It's far from perfect but it's not THAT bad.

But this my subjective opinion, I encourage everyone to just check it on your own.

 

I think the Intel vs Atheros thing has to do with where you got your system. My guess is that retailers like Best Buy are offering the Atheros while configurable Sony Style systems come with Intel.

 

Are sony supposed to automatically take the money out of your bank account after you have ordered a laptop? I had money 'ready' to go out (as in no longer can be used, waiting to be transferred) a few days ago but looks like it's back into my account... :S ?

 

Hi vaioforme & Blowitzer225... it was kind of slow from the moment I got it and I did cleaned almost everything that I absolutely don't need on the start up (I don't know what bloatware is?) BUT...when I imported an Adobe CS 4 project and all the clips on internal HD (was on external drive) I've got much faster performance that allows me to edit more or less fine. I know it looks bad from me side that I did not think about that earlier but as I said, on the old laptop that has a bit lower config. I was working fine for 2 years using dock station and all bunch of external HD at the same time. I still do not understand why external HD plays so much influence on CPU while a project from it is just sitting in the background (than the CPU is between 70-80%). Nevertheless, it is working now, thx guys. I actually like this laptop, just have to learn how to use it i guess...

 

Hi mimvid, besides uninstalling some of the bloatware (basically programs which Sony installed that came with your computer that you don't need) you can check what other programs start up when you turn your computer on that you normally wouldn't notice. To do this, type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) in the start search field when you click on the windows icon on the lower left of your screen. Typing in msconfig and getting the box to come up, you can then go to the start up tab and see which programs are secretly starting up when you turn your computer on. Then you will be able to turn them off.

I also recommend installing a free adware remover, specifically ad-aware, which will then remove any additional problems that may be causing your computer to slow down. Ad-aware is free to install and easy to use.

As for the anti-virus programs people were mentioning in the thread earlier, I do not recommend Norton or Symantec as they are costly and cause your computer to slow down. There are other free virus removal tools which will help keep your computer free from viruses.

 

Well, I got to today and was really pleased with the feel and performance of the laptop until I tried to put the volume up a little. The end result is a screeching noise. So it seems that i'm going to have to send the laptop back to newegg.

EDIT: Somehow I fixed the problem by simply plugging in my headphones when I was trying to troubleshoot the cause. Now the speakers play fine.

 

Two Questions that will hopefully help me make up my mind between the CW and the UL80vt:

1. Could someone do me a quick favor and weigh their CW? I would like to see how close it comes to Sony's posted weight of 5.3 lbs. And if anyone has the larger battery I'd like to know how much extra that adds.

2. Will the CW (P8700/GT230m) play all the newest Need For Speed, Grid, and Burnout games smoothly at full settings? I like car racing games! How about the Asus UL80vt? I'm kinda caught between the two laptops, on one hand I like the long battery life of the Asus and the lighter weight, but I am concerned about not having enough power. Power to run a few games I like, to run Architectual software like Chief Architect, and for running multiple "Virtual PC" Sessions at once, but also power to spare so it won't be outdated for quite a few years. Have any "unbiased" input for me?

 

Just got my CW from fedex this afternoon and just got my hands on it. I have to chime in that my model has the intel wifi card. Specs as I have orderd..

2.53 ghz processor
4 gig ram
230m
bluray drive

So far this computer has been pretty awsome! Trackpad works well and the keyboard feels very natural.
I brought up the list of programs and there are 34 installed programs from when I opened the box. I uninstalled norton trial and quickbooks. I wasn't sure what else to get rid of. Any thought from other owners? I can post the list when I get the chance later if anyone is interested.

 

Does anyone have a general consensus on the average battery life one might expect from the laptop?

 

1. 2.388 Kg with the standard battery.
2. GT 230 in cw is much powerfull than 210 in asus u80. U will need 230m for ur gaming needs and p8700 processor for virtualisation technology.

 

Hey guys I've got my CW connected to my TV via HDMI and my TV is connected to a 5.1 via the normal R/W cables. the thing is the sound is going to my tv speakers but not to my 5.1 which sucks.. =( help anyone?

just for reference it works if i hook it up via RGB and a sound cable.

 

I got an email back from them, it seems to be the correct after all. They were also surpised by this figures at first.

 

Anyone knows how to program shortcut buttons on the keyboard for multimedia commands or other things ?

 

Hi nalooti, there,s a dedicated buttom above the keyboard called "VAIO" that launch the Sony Media Gallery and similar to windows media center, i see it in youtube and looks nice.

 

OK so I'm now 5 days into my experience as a new Vaio CW user (and indeed a new Sony laptop user as I've previously used Dell, Toshiba). Initial comments :-

Ergonomics are excellent. Keyboard is smooth quiet and easy to use. Much better than previous laptops I've used. The instant on buttons for splashtop web browser and to turn the display off to save energy are both useful additions.

Display - I've seen some comments on here questioning the display but I think it's very good both for general usage and movie watching (I have the standard DVD drive not blu-ray). To my eyes it is clear, bright and very usable. The 16-9 form is very useful I find.

Sound - I'd say slightly above average for a 14 inch laptop, nothing more. Adequate enough for web videos but I think I'll invest in some Sony bluetooth speakers or headset for DVD watching or music.

Noise/Heat - compared to every other laptop I've used I've been amazed by how quiet and cool the CW is, whatever the usage and for however long, even all day. Which suggests to me that the "quality premium" often associated with the Sony brand might actually be more than just hype. This is my first Sony product of any type and I'm impressed by the quality.

Speed - does everything I ask of it, quickly enough. I'm not a gamer but for web browsing, photo editing, video viewing, office type apps, the CW deals with all of them, running simultaneously, effortlessly.

Colour - I opted (or rather the wife did!) for the red/black style. It looks very good if that's important to anyone.

Software - Windows 7 is great, very easy to use. I also activated the McAfee Internet security suite on the CW and my desktop PC (can use it on up to 3 PCs) and it has so far proven far less resource intensive that the Norton software I previously used. Works for me. Still exploring the other software options that are pre-installed and trying to work out what I need to keep or delete. Vaio Media is one I'm note sure about - seems to emulate Windows Media Centre so I'm not sure what the point is.

For those interested I went for the standard model available in UK retail stores - Intel P7450 processor (2.13Ghz), 4GB RAM (DDR3), Nvidia GT230 512MB GPU, 320GB hard drive, standard DVD drive. I decided that blue-ray was not a priority. This model is £699.99 at various UK retailers but if you buy via John Lewis then you get a standard 2 year warranty, which is clearly useful.

Overall, for someone looking for a laptop that offers high quality build compared to other brands, decent performance for general usage including "multimedia", as well as something that looks pretty cool, then I'd recommend the Vaio CW. I think it's a very good buy.

 

How's the wireless going on with the CW, interbear?

 

No issues for me, works fine.

 

Good to hear. Do you have the Atheros or Intel card there?

 

Well with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834117966 model, I tried to wear out the battery at a full charge however I had to go to bed beforehand, however simply on the "Balanced" power settings I got 2 hours and 30 minutes out of the laptop, however there was 30% power left in the laptop so that means the battery life is probably 45 minutes to an hour longer. I was doing a report for school so I was listening to music for about 30 minutes and I was also occassionally surfing on the web. Today i'll test out the battery in battery saving mode as I do a longer assignment and i'll have the results today or tomorrow.

 

no one with solution with the sound system? =(

 

Hi Paco_freak,
I've never used W media center; does that "vaio" button bring the multimedia buttons (play, pause, FFW, REW, etc.) ?

How about other keyboard shortcut for other uses ? Is it possible to make custom buttons ?

 

For the sound system question:

5.1 digital Audio cannot be transfered through normal R/W RCA Cables from your TV to the receiver. You need to have a digital cable (optical or HDMI) going to the audio receiver from the TV to get the 5.1 out.

 

I have a clean install question.

Apart from the details on order of installing drivers, chipsets, sony utilities, etc. how one can do a clean install without a Windows 7 CD/DVD ?

I mean all the drivers are present on Sony's sites for CW, but the laptop comes with the OS (Windows 7) pre-installed and no W7 disk is provided. So, should I buy a new W7 license ?!!!

Is is possible to download the similar W7 edition (Pro in my case) from MS site and then enter the same license number provided with the laptop ?

thanks
nalooti

 

Here is the list of programs that are installed on my computer:


Adobe Flash Player 10
Adobe Flash Player 10 Plugin
Adobe reader 9.1.2
Application Manager for VAIO
Arcsoft Magic-i Visual Effects 2
Arcsoft Webcam Companion 3
Compatibility Pack for the 2007 office system
Google Chrome
Google toolbar for internet explorer
Intel Matrix Storage Manager
Java(TM) 6 Update 15
Java(TM) 6 Update 15 (64-bit)
Java(TM) SE Development Kit 6 update 15 (64-bit)
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2007
Microsoft Office Suit Activation Assistant ( i think this one is def going bye bye I have a CD key for office and already activated it)
Microsoft Silver light (need this one for watching film online)
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (what is this?)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
Microsoft Works
NVIDIA Drivers
PlayReady PC Runtime amd64(???)
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
Roxio easy media Creator 10 LJ
SmartWi Connection Utility
Synaptics Pointing Device Driver
Vaio Help and Support
WIDCOMM Bluetooth Software
Windows Live Essentials
Windows Live Sign-in Assistant
Windows Live Sync
Windows Live Upload Tool
Win DVD BD for VAIO

Any clue what I would need and not need, planning on watching blurays, school work, and light gaming.

Side note: The snap to side feature of windows 7, looked kinda meh from that commercial, very useful!

 

A simple (like, really simple) embedded database engine. May be used by required by other MS or .net apps. It only takes ~ 10MB hdd space. Harmless.

 

cool has anyone tried turning off the optical drive so that they cold extend their battery life?

has anyone stumbled across any coupons for the sony cw?

 

I haven't found any CW discount coupons out there, been looking. Some folks on here are predicting that Sony may have a sale on Black Friday...keeping my fingers crossed!