Official Sony Vaio Fit multi-flip PC Owners' Thread

does anyone know if there is a universal/car power supply with a plug for the vaio multi-flip?
or the type of connector it has?

 

Good to hear possibly the first experience is a positive one for the 15A. I want to be happy for you but so far just a seething pit of jealousy having ordered earlier than you albeit different specs. Now if only they could send me my order before Christmas...

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

Hi everyone!!!

I ordered a vaio flip on october 12th and until this moment I have nothing. I'm really mad at sony right know that I don't even dare to call the customer service 'cause it'll be worse.
My order moved into delivery on monday and yet I have no information and no tracking number from TNT.
I've called the CS on monday and on tuesday and they told me that my laptop is suposed to be delivered between 16 and 21 november but that they don't have a traking number yet.
How is my laptop getting here before tomorrow if there's no tracking number yet??
I live in Spain and the CS here is absolutely unuseful.

I've been reading you the past few weeks and just like some of you I starting to think that the best option is returning the Flip (as I don't have the option of cancelling anymore).
It really makes me sad because I thought the flip was everything I was looking for but I won't let any company make fun of me.

I'm happy for those of you who already received the laptop and I wait everyday for your news and reviews. Hope I get mine soon enough, I'll test it and decide what to do with the fan issue.

FYI this is what i ordered


15A silver
Intel® CoreTM i5-4200U 1,6 GHz
Windows 8
256 GB Unidad Flash SSD SATA
8 GB 1600 MT/s DDR3L SDRAM
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 735M 2 GB
LED 39,5cm, 1920x1080

Edit:

I just received an e-mail saying they started the shipping today and I should receive my order november 26th.

I'm definitely sending an e-mail back letting them know how I feel about their service and askin for a compensation as I'm going to receive the Flip 5 days later.

 

I would suggest a facebook group titled " Sony stop ignoring your customers" with the following questions to Sony:

1. Admit that there is an unacceptable problem with the Fan and the laptop as-is is not suitable for business use
2. Explain why this could happen and go through QC
3. Provide an acceptable solution

What do you think?

 

I can't say I looked into it too much but from brief Googling it seemed that it was worth paying a little more for dedicated graphics, however, I think they we referring to the old generation of graphics, so HD4400 might be fine.

 

I've created special topic for optimizing Vaio Flips
http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...erformance-battery-life-vaio-flip-others.html

 

Nice review and nice setup. :thumbsup:
When i checked out the 15a at the Best Buy store, it felt more heavier than the other two models and although its a great size screen holding it more than 15 minutes will increase my biceps. (Which wouldn't be a bad idea at this point in my life lol ) Nice to see that you like it.

I've been wanting to get one of those external portable extended battery units to supplement the battery for the Flip on long flights etc, but I can't seem to find any of them that would fit the Flip 13a style power port. I don't think the 14 and 15 inch models have a problem since they use a more normal connector.

Hang in there, soon enough it will be in your hands.
I see TNT is still up to their old tricks of not notifying folks of a tracking number. I had to deal with them a few years back when I bought the Notion Ink Adam and man were they notorious for tracking problems.

Could be, still, it never hurts to have a dedicated graphics card rather than one embedded. The only issue is that only the higher end model allows for that configuration.

TS

 

I received my Flip 13A (top spec) on Monday a day ahead of the original delivery estimate back in October when I ordered it.

I was resigned to having to send it back immediately based on everything I had read about the product on this and other forums and Sony's complete lack of acknowledgement of the issues which is completely unacceptable.

First impressions of the laptop are that it is a beauty.

On original load up the fan was noticeable! It was certainly the loudest laptop I have ever owned. Fan was consistently on and at a high noise level. For example I could hear the fan while sat on the couch with the laptop on the coffee table a few metres away. This compared with my previous Sony Vaio laptop where I had never once heard the fan in years of using it. But the noise was not unbearable like some of the reports and videos that have been posted. Clearly the fan issues of the laptops in the videos I've seen and some of the more alarming posts were severe manufacturing issues (potentially in the early runs of the laptops as some have speculated). Having ascertained I was lucky enough to not have received one of these catastrophic fan duds I began to assess how bad the fan issue was on my laptop (which I believe is BIOS settings related).

I spent the first day putting through all the updates. Upgrading to Windows 8.1. Removing all the bloatwear and McAfee. I downloaded a CPU temperature program and started playing around with the various CPU performance settings. In conclusion the fan noise is significantly better now relative to when I first switched it on. I had it sat on my desk in an open plan office all day yesterday and it hardly made a sound. My work IT team had it for half a day installing software on it and they had nothing negative to say about it. So something in the updates improved the issue. When I track the CPU temperature it still hardly ever goes about 40c and the most I have seen it at is 52c. So this leads me to believe that there is further room for improvement as while the fan seems to be running a lot quieter post the updates (ie at a lower RPM) it still is on almost all the time which is unusual and certainly not ideal. Hopefully further updates will address the issue even further.

The other issues which have been raised on this forum don't particularly concern me. Like the very slight flex in the keyboard. The flex doesn't impact my usage of the keyboard in any way.
The fact that when you open up in laptop mode it perches on two hard plastic nubs which means it slides around. I used the laptop on a glass table yesterday without any issues of it sliding around.

The digitizer pen works well in my opinion and the touch responsiveness has been good.

There is some bleeding in the lower edge of the screen but not severe. And when you alternate between tablet and laptop mode it seems to gets confused and doesn't always resize the taskbars and icons consistently (which it tends to increase in size in tablet mode so they can be used more readily with a finger). This is frustrating and I am still looking for a fix.

The flip functionality (the reason I bought the laptop in the first place) is everything I hoped it would be and hugely convenient.

I have installed bluestack and run some android tablet apps on the machine seamlessly.

The power cable is fiddly but I don't think its a design flaw. I honestly think they felt it would be a good idea to make the cable easily detachable in one direction of travel. Well in retrospect it wasn't a great idea but doesn't cause me an issue. Stays in place well enough.

I have had some unresponsiveness on internet requests where I have had to click on a link a number of times for the page to open up. I need to spend more time on the laptop to understand what is going on and if this is a real issue.

All in all I am happy. My only remaining concern is the quality control and long-term build quality. With all the issues the multi-flips have clearly had and are having. With the issues the PS4 is having. And the fact that Sony has had its debt downgraded to junk and has made endless huge losses quarter after quarter my fear is they have had to cut corners here and there and we will potentially see the consequences a day/week/month from now.

I will update people further in a few days of further use. Fingers crossed.

 

Your first impressions sum up mine almost perfectly. What bugs me is that something that's so good cannot be perfect -- but, hey, it's a notebook (well, partly )! I would def be happier if the fan wasn't so mindblowing from time to time, and yes, aluminum this thin does flex, and would look nicer if it didn't, oh, and the touchscreen does fall asleep from time to time, and, the last one that comes to mind, screen brightness is off a notch even though I've taken it off automatic and shoould be able to adjust it... but it's still one sweet piece of hardware. I can't tell you how many compliments I've gotten at work over the sheer beauty of the thing, and the flip mechanism still amazes me with its efficiency.

Once I'm past refund time, I might be telling some stories of the rough time the flip has had since it arrived some 3 days ago. I've been taking good care of it, but it's Murphy and I'm a risk taker by nature... (hence my buying a notebook with no reviews to its name). But it's held up, and not a scratch or a bend or anything. So I guess it will be OK in the long run.

 

Another good experience from a 14 or 15....Could really be that the fan problem affects only the 13 inch model, I don't remember complainings from 14 or 15, even though it has to be said that the 13A has been the most bought model, at least in this forum

 

Thanks for the review! Restores my faith after a series of delivery delays. I ordered something very similar (only with the regular windows and bloatware, 256GB SSD and the hi-res screen). I ordered from the U.S. Oct 21, and was told to expect shipping within 7-8 days. That seemed a bit optimistic, and I was even more incredulous when I got an email two days later saying it was finished with manufacturing and about to ship.

So I went online and found the *real* ship date: November 17. Disappointing but not surprising.

What was both surprising and disappointing was when the 17th came and went and it didn't ship. So I called the call center (in Manila) and asked what was going on. I had to call almost half a dozen times before I got a straight answer. First they had no idea, then they said it was delayed an unspecified amount of time in Japan and that this was a "known issue." Then they told me Dec 9. Then today they said Dec 2nd and when I told them I was unhappy with their service and wanted compensation for the delay, they offered me a "5% credit," gave me a reference number, and said I should call back when I get the thing. Assuming I do in fact get it.

So it's heartening to hear that the 15a with SSD and nvidia doesn't have the same issues that people have been posting here. Because after a month and a half of waiting, I don't really want to be given a dud.

 

Good review GPAP.

Speaking of the power connector.
Every night, I disconnect the Flip 13a so that in the morning I can easily slip it in the bag to take to work. Well it seems last night I failed to do that and I naturally grab the Flip to put in my bag failing to realize that the power cord was connected. Well it snapped off fine (I guess as intended by its design). But I can't help to wonder if the connector was one of the regular ones with it fitting snugly in the socket that it could have gotten damage or worse, mess up the connector port.
maybe that's why Sony designed it that way.

Things that make you go hmmm.


TS

 

Yeah, that design is on purpose.. apple does it with a magnet which is a bit nicer, but I guess they protected this design

 

Well, I've had my 13A for a week now, so thought I'd do another round up and update.

Overall, my satisfaction levels have gone up as the days have gone by. Keep in mind I have had to adjust to not only the new machine, but the step from Windows 7 to Windows 8 (briefly) and then to Windows 8.1, and also to Office 2013. By the start of this week, and my feeling now, is that my only real issues are with Microsoft and not Sony (though I still think the service was awful prior to delivery).

Fan - not an issue. I mostly use Office, Chrome, iTunes and Bluestacks (to give me access to Android apps). Being on sleep mode gives me plenty good enough performance. I have the i7. Way more than I need now probably - but I hope I have future proofed this machine so that it will last me a the full 4 year warranty. Based on past record, Microsoft (and others) updates over time will slow down the machine & I will need to go more for standard mode or even performance. Using those now does make the fan come on more, but it's still quieter than my old HP and when I'm on those modes I'm tending to play games & I prefer the bass from my bluetooth headphones (which connect without issue to the Flip) to the sound from the Flip itself (although for music and everyday use they're better than what I've had to date) so then I can't hear the fan at all!

WiFi - now does not seem to be an issue. I am still on Step 1 of the steps Sony suggested to improve WiFi performance (see earlier post). No need to do anything else. Having said that I have got a USB/LAN connector ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AQM8586/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) for times when there are problems or where places have only LAN and no WiFi (yes, there are still such places!). The one I got installed like a dream & seems very fast.

Screen - on the whole very happy. Much better than my old PC. The auto-brightness is a bit hit & miss - but I find that most systems are. The quality of images & videos are very high.

Keyboard - no issues at all - I'm typing quicker than ever.

Touchpad - I'm getting used to it. This took a while. Miss not having buttons, but I'm getting there & the number of errors is reducing day by day.

General settings - taken a while to get font sizes and other settings to my liking. Sometimes they need to be adjusted across the PC (either via Microsoft setting or via Vaio settings) and others need to be done in app. There still seem to be some times when the settings need sorting out again - but I think this is a fault at Microsoft's end (a prime example being that you have to turn the option on every time you do a full restart if you want Skydrive files to automatically download to have a local copy).

My main gripe now is an old one; I wish Microsoft, Apple & Google would be good little children an play nicely together. I love iTunes, but hate it how Apple no longer seems to care about non-iOS users. iTunes itself is not as pretty as it used to be. There is no iTunes app for Android, so guess what I use one app to play music and another to update my iTunes library, but I will never buy another song from Apple as my life is much easier if I go via Amazon, for example. There is no iTunes app that sits nicely on Win8.1. If I have mini-player running, it is only visible if I'm going via the conventional desktop. So I use the rtRemote app to access it quicker via the Start menu. It's a pretty app - much nicer visually than iTunes, but a step that should not be needed. I can access my Google Calendar via the Google Search app on the Start screen, but the reminders won't pop up and Google have not provided separate Calendar, Map or Keep apps, for example. So I have GMDesk on my desktop as well as Calendar running in BlueStacks (together with Gtasks), so that so long as I'm using apps via the Desktop (which is what I'm doing more than 75% of the time), I will see the reminders pop up. The choice of apps in the Microsoft Store are still pitiful and many don't work well (Facebook being an obvious example). I'm sure some of these things will get sorted in time, but for now my biggest problem with my daily usage of my machine is the need for these various workarounds rather than any issue with the hardware itself.

 

Great info, thanks.

 

Good choice on the Plugable USB to Ethernet connector. Their products are awesome to say the least.

Funny you mention Bluestacks, on my previous setup i couldn't get it to work but on the Flip, no issue. Then again the previous laptop was so full of bloat junk and crap that I'm amaze it lasted as long as it did. Anyway, I don't have Bluestacks open all the time, only when i connect it to a multiple monitor setup at home. I can't figure how to make the window smaller so i can have it open on the Flips 13" screen without overtaking most of the screen. Do you have it resized or full blown?

TS

 

I have it just within the smaller window. I don't seem to be able to resize it, but it takes up around 75% of the screen. That suits me fine. If I go to full screen by hitting F11, it really makes the Flip look & feel like a standard Android Tablet. Downside in that mode is that you can't switch between the apps on the Vaio by using ALT&TAB, you need to resize back down again by hitting F11 first. Bluestacks isn't perfect, but it's usable and helps make up for some of the deficiencies and lack of apps in the Windows Store. I tend to having running all the time - I even added it to the Start-Up group (once I managed to find it!) - but have noticed that sometimes it seems to stop working & needs a restart.

 

No one able to fix the touchscreen issue yet? Its getting pretty annoying now and i really don't want to return the laptop.

 

After two evenings experience:
I still like the Flip a lot. The fan noise would only bother in very quiet surroundings, in which I usually am not (or I'm watching movies or browsing the Internet in bed using the low power settings). What I noticed last night, is that turning the brightness all the way down means, that it is still bright enough to use in dim light settings (like in an aeroplane). The battery life will shoot up to over nine hours estimated. I will have to do a rundown some time to verify this. That means that on long flights it will quite likely be enough...

I had intended to use a battery pack, that I use for my phone as well (10.000 mAh, with a high and low current USB port). The power connector on the 13A defeats that at the moment. I have about a dozen different adapters for all kinds of laptops, none of which fit to the Vaio Fit 13A.

The biggest issue I have with the Flip is the utterly irritating incessant bloatware. I simple uninstall doesn't do the job. You have to uninstall from the all apps screen as well (if it works) and still you will not get rid of it. I wish I had had a Fresh Start version (only I didn't notice the option, which wouldn't have cost me anything extra, since I have Win 8 Pro anyway. There is also no Windows 8 license code to be found anywhere (?!?), so the only way to reïnstall is creating recovery media, strip is like Franek explained and reïnstall. The recovery it makes is 17 GB!!!! A standard Windows 8 installation disk is a DVD (so max 4,7 GB). That means a massive amount of over 12 GB of junk that I do not want. I think I'm going to let Customer Care help me with this.

 

^^^ see my topic on optimizing , you can use Belarc Adviser to recover your windows key, but probably you will have tu use temp microsoft key for install, and then change it for your original key for activation

 

It's possible to retrieve your product key so you can use a clean Windows image to do a fresh install, here is an explanation: How to find your Windows 8 or 8.1 product key

edit: Ah, Franek beat me to it. Good luck solving this!

 

Thanks Franek, I already noticed in your other thread.

 

Darn, it is a shame you didn't see that Fresh Start option. Sony should seriously rethink their approach on this ; to get the option you need to pay $50 for W8 Pro, so why not just add it automatically once Pro is ticked. COME ON SONY.

If/when you contact them, ask for recovery media that includes your specific version of Windows MINUS the bloat (meaning a Fresh Start install). Tell them you can't stand the bloatware and did pay the extra money for Pro. Who knows...

==========

Member HoodCP mentionned the steep learning curve from W7 to W8 (8.1) : have you heard of the "Classic Shell" or "Start8" applications ? The former is free, the latter is $5. They both allow us to more or less make W8 look, feel, and work like Windows should work. You get a real Start button and real Start Menu when on the Desktop. You also have the option of booting directly to the Desktop instead of on the Metro interface (tiles) ; this last option is much more important and needed for those who don't have touchscreen equipment. For something like the Flip and other "touch" machines, booting to Metro may be desired. But when you are on the Desktop, a lot of people wish they could have what previous versions of Windows had. These third party shells offer that and they have made Windows 8 usable for countless people including me. I have Classic Shell installed on two machines (desktop and laptop) and love it. Like I said before, you have the option of booting to Desktop or Metro (tiles) and the option to replace the useless W8.1 Start button with a real one. Microsoft are not happy that people are massively turning to these applications for a better computing experience ; they want us to adopt Metro no matter what so we won't buy iPads or Android tablets anymore, just W8 stuff. Right..

 

Hi folks,

I recieved the 13A last week and have been playing with it for some time: I upgraded to win 8.1, which helps a lot in laptop mode. Overall, this is a very nice machine.
Yes the fan is "present", but if you put it in silent mode, you hear it only when you need all the machine resources. I did not experience any problem with the wifi.
With their VGP WAR100 router, the transfer rates are somewhat limited when you hage LAN gigabit internet bandwidth. Getting an USB 3.0 RG45 Ethernet adaptor is definitively a good idea.
I like very much the Sony power managment 50/80% feature: the battery charges for 1/2 hour when I come in the office and the rest of the day, it is not charging and
leaving the office, I can still work many hours in mobility. This should increase the battery life a lot.
Using a bluetooth keyboard+mouse, I only need to connect the power cord and the hdmi cable to have a full host station at work.
The Sony pen is quite nice, but the VAIO paper software is quite limited: you can only import images. Raw text and pdf are out.
On the other hand taking notes with Office 2013 OneNote is quite pleasant. This can be integraded easily in other documents.
Using Sony pen to annotate pdf in Acrobat pro isn't practical. On the other hand I can recommend PDF Annotator (Grahl software)
which works real well with Sony pen or a real keyboard.
Although its only 1.18 kg, the 13A feels pretty heavy as a tablet. You need to rest it on your lap, crossing legs to get the best angle. But
13.3 inches is a real nice big screen to read pdf's on. A scientific paper with lots of equations and small superscripts can be read even more comfortably than
a real A4 paper: You zoom with you fingers on one column and bingo, you can keep reading without straining your eyes.
I cant say that I feel comfortable with the touchpad: its too sophisticated with all the panning ans scrolling with multi-fingers. The result is it does lots of unwanted things,
with the cursor jumping all over and menus opening when all you want is "select". I would recommend disabling all these features except the most basic ones.
As it was pointed before, the edges of the screen and of the laptop are too sharp. I can imagine that someone with a thin an delicate skin could actually
cut her/himself. Sony should make it smoother.
The screen is held in place with a magnet. Without being a powerful Neodynium magnet, its a lot stronger than refrigerator magnet. Can one erase credit cards on it ?
I havent tried, but this might be an issue.
I need to find a way of not loosing Sony's pen. Anyone has an idea how one can attach it to the laptop body ?
I have not had time to play with the cameras nor the NFC features. If somebody can comment on those this
woold be nice. I want to get the most out of this machine.
Anyway compared with my old DELL lattitude, this machine is a real a pleasure: it REALLY combines the power of a laptop
with the ergonomy of the tablet/ although you can be holding the 1.18 kg with one hand, and write with the other.

Best luck with your laptops experiences

L

 

I have been keeping up-to-date with this forum and wanted to post a quick message.

I ordered two Vaio Flips, in the UK, on Oct 8th. Unfortunately I have just cancelled the order and Sony are refunding me within 3 working days. The total was for around £2,200.

Having received my 5th email notifying me of a further delay, I finally had enough. I am furious at how this entire saga has been handled by Sony and would like to state how useless Sony Customer Services are - I am perplexed as to their function as they seem powerless to assist customers.

Perhaps it is for the best. Knowing of potential issues with battery life and fan noise it might be a blessing in-disguise. It is sad, however, as the product looks fantastic.

Sony are meant to be a premium brand but fail miserably with their delivery, service, and support.

I hope others have a better experience.

Please note: Should others request cancellations/refunds: Sony may suggest to wait for delivery and refuse. Only once the order has returned to their factory can a refund be processed. Considering Sony have had my money for the past 6 weeks, I was not prepared to wait any longer. You are within your rights to ask for an immediate refund. Alternatively you can ask your credit card company for a refund.

The search continues for a great laptop...

 

Hmm I tried to cancel and they told me I could only wait and refuse the order despite telling them about the Sale of Goods act and my right to cancel. Was your order "in production" when you asked for the refund? Only one of the assistants said I could cancel and even then I was told that he was mistaken by another assistant.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

I ordered a week ago and they still haven't charged my credit card (US). They put an authorization on it when I ordered, but it's since disappeared.

 

I don't know how their system works. First time I tried to order the Flip, I got a "system error" when submitting. I got that error 6 or 7 times that same day. Then, the order went through. Later in the day, I went to the grocery store and my credit card didn't work. Heh. Got back home and had a message on the answering machine, from my credit card's security dept. I phoned back and they told me I had 7 authorization requests from Sony. I explained what happened and they lifted the block, telling me to look closely at my next statement to be sure all got sorted. I also had just received an email from Sony, telling me my order was on backorder (?). My next move was to call Sony support. I got a nice guy from the Philippines and we talked a good 10 minutes about typhoon Haiyan (that's fine). He then switched me over to the Toronto Sony call center. The guy there told me I should cancel my order and re-submit, just to be sure their *system* wouldn't charge me for all those failed order requests. So we did just that, and he submitted a new order himself, telling me he would put a "priority" on it. He was getting errors from his end as well, and then he realized the plant had run out of pink bodies. Yes, I wanted the pink one for the daughter (only available in North America). He said the system had errored on me (and on him) because of that. So we ordered black. The funny thing about the pink fiasco : he said Sony would have waited 2 weeks and then email me saying my order was canceled because they had no pink. This means the website in unreliable (totally). He also told me he would request I get a $25 rebate for the trouble ; wait and see. I tried to order the stylus that day (an extra for 14 and 15 models) and it went "out of stock" right before my eyes. I requested they alert me when it would become available again ; 3 or 4 days later, I no longer saw the "out of stock" next to it, so I ordered it. After submitting, it went back to showing "out of stock". 2 days later, the stylus was here. I never got any email saying it was available. Go figure.

Sony is a BIG company. Left hand rarely knows what the right hand is doing, unfortunately. Some would say the same about Dell, or HP support as well. It's really hard to get decent support these days...

Edit #2 : email just in from Sony. The Flip has shipped. Let's see how long it takes to actually get here...

 

Well the pen does attach to the laptop magnetically nah not really, the magnets are indeed surprisingly strong but not strong enough to keep the pen securely attached in a bag.

As for NFC, I had some issues getting it to work with the default Sony Windows 8 install – no matter how many positions I tried, it would recognize neither my HTC 8X nor my Galaxy Nexus. However I've since done a fresh install with an official Windows 8.1 ISO (might write up a small guide on how to do that + which drivers you actually need) and it's working fine with both now. You can transfer website links with Windows Phone 8 and Android, and photos with WP8 though that actually uses Bluetooth so I guess NFC is there only to make pairing easier. That's it, as far as I can tell. Note that sharing over NFC only works in Metro apps, not on the desktop, and you have to go to the devices charm, not the share charm, and choose "tap and send". Apart from that I guess there are some NFC-enabled accessories, though I'm not sure how exactly they make use of the feature.

I haven't had a moment yet where I wanted to take a photo and had my Flip but not my smartphone, so that sums up how I feel about the camera I guess – useless Plus it's located under the keyboard so you can only access it while in tablet mode and held up in the air.

 

Livven
Please post the guide on how to upgrade to windows 8.1
That would be a big help. Thank You
I ordered a 13 Flip about a week back.
Have not got any delay emails yet guess we will see!

 

It's the fresh start an option you have to click upon Windows pro install or that something you have click upon notebook order?

 

When you open MS store, there should be big ad for upgrading to 8.1, if its not present, that means you need to update your current version with all small updates (windows update) and then option for 8.1 should appear

 

@eadred : "Fresh Start" is an option when you order a VAIO from the Sony store (website). So you probably missed it when you ordered ; it comes right after the option for W8 Pro, if I recall correctly.

So now you would need to ask Sony if they can ship you Recovery disks for your Flip. Disks that have Fresh Start already in there, that you could use to reinstall Windows from scratch. I'm not saying they will do it for you, but it's worth asking since you've paid the $50 for Pro already.
But read on (below), you might like to hear that installing Windows 8.1 fresh is possible without Fresh Start.

==========

@Franek : I believe GeckospotNixie wants instructions on how to install a clean version of Windows 8.1, not the upgrade from the MS store. Member Livven said it is possible to install Windows 8.1 fresh, meaning a genuine Microsoft version, not a bloated Sony version. This has been attempted by a few people and it isn't easy, so it's good news when someone says they've done it and everything works. Getting the right drivers for all the important components is key. If we can install a clean W8.1, there would be no need for "Fresh Start" so $50 in our pockets, not in Sony's...

 

So is it? Now I'm on full 8.1 and I've cleaned up most of the junk (both x64 and metro), but an option like this would make me sleep easier.

Ultimately I could harass SONY into sending me disks...hmmm...

 

Would someone be nice enough to set up a 'how to'?
That would be great!

I have seen that the fresh start option doesn't exist on switzerland website. This is an option you can pick in the usa website.

 

I second that. Well, the first. The idea of the how-to.

And not having that option in CH makes me feel quite good about my choice of the simple version. (I don't need Pro anyway)

Guys, honestly, this machine rocks more every day. I'm sure it's just me, or the fact that it fits the niche I bought it to fill perfectly. But I don't think I'll be wanting any other notebook for a long long time.

 

Guys, between the Y2P and Vaio Fit, why should I buy this one over Y2P? (Sorry, I know this must be a recurring question here but I'm yet to find a comprehensive answer; If there is one please direct me to it)

 

I havent seen the Y2P in reality but for me it is the design, material and look. Plastic vs. Aluminum. Y2P does look stylish, but not like a professional business device (at least to me).
AND I could not imagine to have the keyboard on the bottom side of the device when in tablet mode.

I have my 13a now for two weeks and I love it. I was struggling to send it back due to the fan problem (it really annoyed me) but I used it in some meetings and the fan noise wasn't a problem there. Never heard it and it's an eye catcher. Additionally I am pretty sure Sony will do something about it. Battery also lasts only ~6h which is a little bit annoying, too, but I can also live with that so I guess for now I'll keep it.

For me the 13a is the best convertible around.

 

I have been flip flopping back and forth for a month about which one to get (Y2P or Vaio Flip) and finally decided on the flip today. There is no definitive answer about which one to get, I believe they are both great devices and it just depends on what you prefer. I'll just run down the personal reasons I decided on the flip vs. the yoga:

1. I like the hinge and flip design better than the fold over
2. NFC - Yea I'll probably rarely if ever use it but its cool knowing its there.
3. Active pen - another that I'll probably rarely use but I love having the option
4. Full HDMI port
5. Both usb are 3.0
6. The sony software that comes stock - I know a lot of people complain about the bloat and I might change my mind on that, but right now I think it's cool to have without buying additional software or downloading various free programs

That being said I did end up getting the 15" version cause I liked the dedicated graphics, ethernet port, and additional USB along with the larger screen. I'll be using it in laptop mode most the time so the larger screen suits my needs better.

Again just my opinion and at the end of the day they are both great machines and its up to you which you prefer and for what reason. Hope this helps at least a little. I recommend going to best buy and playing with both, that's what I did and what solidified my choice.

 

Look like you can't configure Flips anymore on the Sony site, (unless it's just in the US or I'm losing my mind), but seems like you can only buy pre configured models and almost all of them have the hybrid hard drive. I wonder if they are just in very short supply of SSDs. I ordered a week and a half ago and haven't received any updates yet.

 

Same here on the Canadian site, although they could be the same site with slightly higher prices for Canada. No more Flips. It says "Coming soon". Two possibilities :

1) The plant can't keep up with demand so they've stopped taking orders until they get control back, or...
2) They've pulled the plug until they can fix problems. The fan thing for example.

It could be a little of both, too. Perhaps they need to work on some problems for one particular model (13A ?)
With X-Mas approaching, I think they have too many orders and had to stop taking more knowing they wouldn't be able to ship in time for Dec. 25

Keep an eye on the site though. As I've said earlier, things change fast sometimes. If you are worried about your order, give them a call.

 

They quoted me a ship date of Dec 8 when I ordered, so I'm not super concerned yet. Obviously I want it, but I can wait. I tend to agree, I don't think they can keep up and called a breather or they didn't anticipate the demand of a particular model or part (most likely SSD).

 

I have had my Flip for 2 weeks now and I'm pretty happy with it. I have a 14 inch 8GB Ram 256 SSD. I have no issues with the fan at all. Its hardly ever on. I did not put it on silent. I cant even find where to change the fan setting. Can anyone tell me where this option actually is? Battery life seems to be more than six hours for me even while watching movies and surfing. Seeing as my old laptop only had 1h in it left, its a great improvement.

I have only 2 problems that are not to bad but that I would like to fix and Sony helpdesk is not helpfull at all. They keep asking questions without giving answers so if any of you can help that would be greatly appreciated.

1. Touchscreen occasionaly stops working. Is there a known fix for this?
2. My vaio update doesnt work either. When I run it, it opens an error page in IE and vaio update says: No automatic update programs are available. I have had this since the start so I never did any vaio updates. The only updates I was able to do when receiving the laptop are windows updates.

All in all I'm very satisfied with the flip even if it isnt perfect.

 

I received my Flip 15 today after 1,5 months waiting. (My order was on 8. Oct on German site). At first it was loud but after I installed the diagnose thing from previous post, IT WORKED! It is so much quiet now! Now I am happy and continueing testing my device

 

What specs does your model have? Would be interested in battery life, too.

 

I have:
Intel core i7, 8gb ram, Nvidia Gt 735, 512 gb+8gb ssd
I just installed 63 updates and then downloaded and installed windows 8.1. It took about 4 hours and dropped my battery from 100% to 20%. It still says my laptop will run for another 2 hours
I am satisfied with this.

 

**Touchscreen Workaround** - Worked for me at least.

Click the Battery in the sidebar. -> More Power Options -> Change Plan Settings -> Change Advanced Power Settings -> USB Settings -> Then Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting

 

Anyone have any idea when they'll be back for order on the Canadian website? I need a laptop before Jan, would waiting for this be a good idea?
If not then I guess the decision has been made for me already.

EDIT: Its available on Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=85d76d05284630d472745d640c31ced6en02
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=798cf72d46f88c2c2d0624b68fb9c5c8en02

Are those good prices?

 

Sorry to hear about your cancellation. Well, I ordered my 13A October 15 and 3 days ago they finally delivered my machine! Everything was good until I opened the box and discovered those idiots shipped me everything correct EXCEPT they put in an i3 instead of an i7 CPU!!! The i3 is of no use to me - so I got on the phone and called their customer support. Cut the story short, they apologized profusely but said that I may have selected the i3 accidentally! Baloney. Why would I order a 512G / 8G RAM fully loaded and select a i3? Seriously.
Anyway, they (SONY) stopped accepting 'customization' and instead give the customers 2 options for the 13A (128G/i5) or (256G/i7) on their web site in the U.S. I returned the i3 but accepted the 13A with 256G/8 GRAM/i7. They shipped next day and I just received the i7 13A this afternoon.

So far, I'm very happy with the i7/256G 13A. Solidly built, fan noise does not bother me at all. Very nice screen. I've installed all 68 updates and then installed windows 8.1. So far everything worked very well. This is the laptop I really wanted especially for the true multi-flip use and the ability to use a electronic pen. Will try the SONY Apps. next week.

Hope this is useful for people waiting for this model. I live in Los Gatos, CA.

Chris

 

Thank you, will try it!