Official Sony Vaio Fit multi-flip PC Owners' Thread

Personally I think sticking those skins on your laptop are unnecessary as no-one can apply them perfectly and the stickered effect of brushed aluminium will unlikely provide the same effect as the actual aluminium and the price just isn't worth it... If you want to look after your device just purchase a sleeve and take care of it. Putting the laptop away in the sleeve when not in use and the sleeve in an appropriate laptop carrying bag etc.

A screen protector is something I am interested in but its likely we will have to wait a few months as here in the UK, I have yet to see a store with a Multi-Flip on display therefore availability of the devices is particularly difficult making screen protectors for them equally so. You can probably purchase a 15.5" protector from eBay but whether that covers the bezel I'm unsure. If you are taking notes on the laptop using the pen then ensure the pen tip is clean and free from grit prior to using on the screen and obviously put the screen in its correct laptop mode prior to transportation.

 

@challis1991 I have Vaio S15 that I am currently selling and that laptop, I bring it everywhere with sleeve and somehow, I still managed to scratched it here and there while using. That Sony paint is pretty soft. Hopefully flip is better. I will just get the sleeve for the time being as you suggested.

On eBay, they already selling screen protector but the quality is unknown since nobody review those yet. Only worry I have is how it will respond to the stylus. I had some screen protector on my note 3 and they made the screen too sticky to write. I will wait a bit longer and see if anybody will chime in that tried those before.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

 

It's personal preference and choice, I would personally purchase a clear film skin instead of a coloured one then that way if it doesn't match up it will be hardly noticeable. I think if you're considering resell, people expect one or two scratches on pre-owned devices and the value increase is minimal of those in tip-top condition at best. This is my first Sony laptop so I'm not quite familiar with the standard of previous models. I would expect the colour to be added to the aluminium during the initial manufacturing process as opposed to at a later stage although I may be completely wrong...

Yes I think it may be difficult to predict the effect the screen protector may have on the pen especially as I believe the pen is supposed to provide a "paper-like" feel against the screen...

Gadget owners and protecting their devices eh .

 

Thanks for the tip! but already tried it...and it didn't work...dead pixel it is...

For anyone wondering about the dead pixel thing...I got a reply on the sony support community forum....

This link should clear it up.... https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/39371/c/65,66/kw/screen replacement

Sending the laptop in to repair service doesn't mean it will automatically get fixed...one of the sony tech will inspect it to see if there is enough dead pixels that is worth a replacement...

So I have decided to stick with it....only 2 dead pixels...can't even noticed while I watched lost in translation blu ray last night.....other than the 2 dead pixels...this display is WOW........lost in translation looked so much better on this than my 5 year old dell...lol

 

I ordered one of these yesterday:

HD Clear Screen Protector Guard for 13 3" Sony Vaio Flip 13 Fit 13A PC | eBay

And I also ordered a keyboard skin...as I hate getting dust/hair/food crumbs into the keyboard...

Clear TPU Keyboard Cover Skin Protector for All Sony Vaio Flip 13 14 15 Flip PC | eBay


I will get them between 1 to 2 weeks....I will let you know how they fit if no one else has reviewed them then....

There is also this one I found on ebay:

ANTIGLARE Antifingerprint Screen Protector for Sony Vaio 15 5" Flip Laptop | eBay

Which states that there they left the bottom part so you can access the windows button in tablet mode....which isn't a good idea...I rather have a cut out......I will have to see how the one I ordered fair first...

 

Thanks! I shall look forward to your review

 

Hello Everyone,

I just purchased my Vaio Flip 14A today as well as a 250GB samsung EVO 840 SSD. I have looked in the forums and tried to figure out how to do a clean install but have failed miserably.

I tried to download a copy of windows 8.1 from the site using this key XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB but it just keeps giving me a "cant connect to the internet right now" error.

I also tried to create a recovery disk to a flash drive and a harddrive which did not work as well.

I am not sure what i am doing wrong and really would appreciate your help. Going back to college in a few days and would really like to have this fixed.

Thank you.

 

Its possible that you can't connect to the internet as your wireless drivers may not have been installed. Try connecting to the internet using the Ethernet if you have it on your machine.

I would start fresh on your SSD with a copy of Windows 8 (not 8.1) and at least try and get the desktop up.

 

Hello skyline, try to follow this howto to create the 8.1 installation disk :

Download the Windows 8.1 ISO using a Windows 8 key and some simple trickery

Use the license key you mentioned during the installation process, and change it afterward by the original license key of the VAIO. It activated well for me.

Have you seen bc4m5's howto text file page 121 ? You should give a look before trying the fresh install process !

 

As a complement to pTTy's and challis1991's answers :

For the download failure : I found that it can be difficult to download large files over Wi-Fi, so trying to connect directly via ethernet cable (you have a jack on the 14) might help.

Because you are in a hurry, a Recovery install would probably get you up and going much faster on the new SSD. You haven't been able to create the media yet, probably because the USB stick is not recognized correctly. You can either purcahse a new cheap 32GB stick (USB 2.0, not 3.0 for Recovery purposes) and try that again, or buy/borrow an external optical drive and do the media on DVDs instead. And then do a Recovery install on the EVO, update everything and off to school you go.
Doing a fresh install will require time, possibly a new 8.1 key (roughly $100) though the *trickery* thing may work with the existing key.
Or... start the next semester with the Flip as is and wait for the next long break to attempt the procedure of your choice ; you need time to do this correctly...

Best of luck

 

I've just managed to successfully create a backup of the recovery partition using a 1TB External Hard Drive. The Hard Drive was formatted for NTFS to allow films to be played off it on the xbox so I don't know whether this had any effect but I backed up the recovery partition using Control Panel > Recovery. It's perhaps also worth mentioning that the external hard drive is USB 3.0. Bare in mind though that it did completely reformat my external hard drive (I had a feeling it would and thus, backed up data prior to creating the recovery drive) to FAT32.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Is there a correct way to create the recovery media? some say to create it through the windows 8 settings and i read elsewhere that it needs to be done through the vaio care software. Also i dont have a 32GB drive but i do have a formatted 500GB portable harddrive. Im guessing that it will work roughly the same.

I have also purchased the digital pen and was wondering if is best to just do a recovery or clean install because sony has not released the drivers yet. But i could be completely wrong.

EDIT: Just tried downloading the ISO again and i still get the cannot connect right now error when i run the 8.1 installer and when i run the windows 8 installer i get an "incorrect product key error". I have tried both keys that were posted a couple pages back.

 

Thanks for the reply, didn't have it on my machines, guess mine is not equip with it or gone missing when i upgrade to windows 8.1

 

Just announced at CES 2014...Flip 11A is coming...

Sony unveils VAIO Flip 11A convertible; arrives in February for $799

Other flips will have windows 8.1 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 12 shipped with them starting in Feb.

 

Does anyone have any problems playing youtube videos on your multi flip?

my picture's all distorted with green lines on the top and bottom of the screen and little dots all over the screen.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

 

I've had the same problem. I think it is a windows problem, when i play the same video in youtube and windows media player it has the distorted green lines, but playing it in VLC it works fine.

The green distorted lines only happen when in full window or fullscreen, it doesnt happen when in small window view

 

First of all, I want to apologize if this has been already discussed over and over...but being a prospective buyer who is really interested in this laptop, I just don't want to make the wrong choice!
I am interested in buying the Vaio Flip 13...and my concerns are the following:

1) How bad is the fan noise?(Post-BIOS Update) (I do a lot of work in libraries. Will it be roaring while i'm note taking on one note for example? Or watching an hd video?)
2) How easy was it for you to get used to the keyboard? I'm coming from a Vaio Z series keyboard (VPC-Z) which certainly has more "click" to it than the flip.
3) How is note taking on it? (Pressure sensitivity will work on Evernote and Onenote right?)
Lastly, how is scrolling on the laptop? (2 finger scrolling). Smooth enough for you?

Sorry for the many questions! I just want to make sure i'm making the right choice! Thank you SO much for taking the time to answer these...

 

Thank you!

Well, it's really interesting to see that the fan of my new 13A is radically different from the previous one's. This one has (small!) quirks completely different from what I've seen on the other one. I have a single dead pixel as well, but no light patches. I could join those who are angry at SONY for the sloppy job they've done on these machines, but, heck, mine still takes my breath away. And I'm actually feeling kinda fond for that one dead pixel, you see I've never seen one before. If I had time I'd go and check the MacBook forums simply to see whether they live up to their reputation any better. But I don't, and I must be fair. The CONs on the flip (13A) are relatively slight, and you can send it back for another unit any number of times. They don't make any fuss over it, my exchange unit was posted days before they could have received my old machine.

So the CONs I've seen so far
-fan noise and regulation issues (on some devices only! The old one was on almost all the time, though it did not wheeze at all; this one does a bit, but after the BIOS update it's OFF 99% of the time!)
-minor screen issues (on some devices)
-keyboard quality can sometimes be somewhat sloppy (my previous machine had no issues, the Ctrl button on this one is a bit skewed )
-touchscreen issues (nothing major in my case, a double tap solves it)
- Win8 (or 8.1), though I still don't see why anyone would want to live in the past. I'm currently working out how to get rid of the desktop altogether.

Some PROs I'm still amazed about
-gorgeous design (I get so many stares and sighs of jelousy )
-size! my 13A is tiny for its power and functionality!
-revolutionary flip mechanism
-beautiful screen, high brightness
-sheer power (on i7, 8GB RAM, 256 SSD)
-battery life (I easily get 6 hs out of it working constantly)
-sound quality and volume (never seen this from a notebook!)
-touchscreen (works very well for my note taking etc. needs, I sketch even better than with a pencil)
-keyboard -- I'm writing a PhD on it, and I can't type blind, and I have tiny hands. This is the BEST EVER keyboard I've ever typed on. (Tiny) hands down.
-Win8.1 -- I love tech, and to me this is an absolute plus. I like the direction MS is taking, I just wish we were getting there faster. I like the smartphone/tablet OS-like features of 8.1, from switching between tasks to the Start screen, but I do hate to be thrown back into Win7-like settings ever so often and going through several menus to fix one setting.

So, on the whole, I still love this little monster.

 

Try going into your Vaio Control Center. Image quality. Under x-reality for mobile, turn both selections OFF.

 

Seems a restart fixed it...

 

I think that maybe the Sony Flip is your first premium laptop so to you it is the best thing since sliced bread. Kind of like someone who has been taking the bus for 30 years and finally buys a 2005 Toyota Corolla.

I find your post to be misleading and bordering on fan boyism. It reminds me of the kind of comments posted by many Apple fanboys on macrumors.com

You are fond of a dead pixel? Seriously? lol

Countless users, myself included, have the latest BIOS version and the fan noise issue still persists. I have uploaded an audio sample of this noise in the thread. Many, many users on sony community forums are complaining about this issue and a HOST of others in regards to this model.

My screen has a dead pixel and now a smear.

My battery like is 3.5 hours tops but I do keep the machine on full brightness

The keyboard noticeably sinks when you press the keys due to the flex. Comparing it to my XPS M1330 and Toshiba P745 it is horrible as the keyboards of those two laptops are FIRM.

LOL@ sound quality being awesome. Having been used to Harman Kardon speakers and Dolby Digital on the Toshiba P745 I can tell you these speakers PALE in comparison. The only thing I can say about them is that they are better than Sony's typically dismal tinny and low speakers. This does not mean that they are anything to rave about.

I have to shake the screen for the sensors to auto-rotate when in tablet mode

I have noticeable light leaking in the bottom right and left corners

The charger is difficult to remove from the machine

Only 2 usb ports on 14" model when there is clearly enough room for 3

When doing medium to heavy demanding tasks the machine is sluggish and I have the i7, 8gb, 1 tb version

PROS:

Great design

Flawless handwriting recognition and inking

Slim in Design

Please do not give the erroneous impression that the fan noise just goes away poof with the BIOS update and that issues with these machines are trivial and easy to overlook.

People might say why not return it a. I am not in the US although the machine was bought from the Sony online store. b. Return it and get what? I will keep the machine for a year barring any really significant issues e.g. hard drive failure and by then the market for hybrids would have sufficiently developed where I can choose a worthy successor NOT made by Sony.

This will be my last Sony.

 

i am experiencing this also, I think it is something to do with HTML 5 and Internet Explorer because if load the video in Chrome there is no issue. I will try turning off the settings recommended and see of that improves things.

 

If anyone reading my post (and looking at my credits or lack thereof) assumes I'm any authority, they deserve what they get. For every single owner the whole thing depends on YOUR needs and priorities. The CONs I've found so far do not bother me as much as they would others, and things I absolutely can't live without (weight, a touchscreen and the ability to transform into a tablet) won't matter so much to others. So while I understand your point of view, I refuse to be called a fanboy simply because mine is different. I like this machine quite a lot because it does what I want it to do. Compared to other devices in its range it's my best option. No, it's not perfect, but I simply refuse to be seething with rage at a dead pixel or a skewed button. I just won't. Because if I go with any other machine, I will be driven mad by the lack of tablet mode, a pound of extra weight, or no pen support. I'm really sorry, but these are things I need whereas a completely silent device is not something I care about.

But anyone would know that these are opinions, right? Also, no two devices are the same, for which yoou can blame SONY, buy from someone else, but the fact remains that perhaps not everyone's experiencing the same issues you are. For instance, I'm sorry to say but there's no sluggishness on my device, the power charger connects/deconnects beautifully, and sound quality is as good as my ears can ever make out.

As for flexing: what the hell would you expect? If you make metal this thin, it's gonna flex. Better that than break. Or plastic. And I really have to press (not merely type) to get that effect.

I'm not defending my position or the product. I would be the happiest if people returned it, bought something else and took their complaints with them. I'm just putting my 2 cents to the comments on here, saying that it can be a good machine if it fits your needs.

And seriously. So many people are saying that for this type of money they expect perfection. Well, for this type of money I would never buy anything online that I cannot return. That's how much I believe in any manufacturer.

 

OK, my fresh install seems great now thanks to bc4m5 howto !

VAIO Care, Contol Center and Update running fine, and no unknown devices in device manager.

My model is the SVF15N1C5E, Win8Pro; i7; 16GB; 512GB SSD; 2880x1620 screen; NVIDIA 2GB. There was some slight differences in the procedure, so I changed it a little. All credits to bc4m5 of course, but here you'll find it :

View attachment clean install howto.txt

 

hey, could you please share your settings? how did you manage to 'easily' get 6hrs on it? I can only get around 4 hours no matter what settings i use!

 

I've noticed that using it in tablet mode seems to kick the processor into a lower performance setting. Fan noise is better and battery runtime goes up. I'm on an i5 14A and I haven't upgraded to 8.1 yet. I've heard that battery life seems to take a hit with 8.1?

 

Hi Mezzi

I think you were a bit harsh up there. An impression is just that : an impression. Can't be erroneous, just different. I don't hear "fanboyism" in fl0werstar, probably because I've been here long enough to know what they've gone through.

Different strokes for different folks, as they say.
About you returning or not returning the Flip : that's your call of course. I don't have your Flip in front of me so I can't compare, but... it does sound like your fan issue is worse (much worse) than mine here after the BIOS update. You may have a problem (or problems) with your actual unit that some of us don't have. Or not. If you don't excahnge it, we'll never know. Then again, you make a good point about not wanting to return it ; your choice.

I'll say it again : I kinda like the 14A we have here, even though my time on it is over (because it's not mine anymore lol). Do we have a lot of experience with *premium laptops* ? Nope. Do I consider the Flip to be a *premium laptop* ? Not quite ; I'd say it's more of an expensive new gadget ; that's how I prepared when I bought it, and kinda knew what to expect (sort of).
Yes, the fan whine surprised me at first ; following the BIOS update, the fan only comes on under high CPU load, when temp reaches the upper 50s (Celcius), and it comes on at a much lower RPM than before, but your mileage seems to vary...

I do hope you can enjoy the Flip a little in the coming year. If you're positive you won't enjoy it at all, then in my book you should consider returning it right now and try another one. But that's just me.

 

Thanks, Mark. I'm actually liking the flip despite of a couple of things, which are minor issues in my book. I've ranted about how mad I was at Sony for not checking the devices they push out for basic quality issues (such as the the patches on my previous screen). But I've long learned that we're guineapigs in their eyes, so there's no point in bringing those issues up. Faulty device? Return it. Complain. Ask for compensation. Sell it. Or, if for some reason these are not options, shut up and try to be happy. That's my policy.

For Kingfield and the others: I don't know what you guys are doing on it... I let the screen sleep after around 5 min, the machine after say 15. The office is too bright for max brightness, so I'm around 80% most of the time, though that varies. I mostly use MS Office, Chrome and Mail. PDFs and IBM SPSS quite regularly too. Wi-fi always on. But it's true, I'm used to gadgets on battery, so if I'm not actually on it, I leave it be. So that's how I get around 6 hours no problem.

 

I have windows 8.1. What HDD do you have? I have the 750 GB hybrid drive.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

Mark, respectfully that individual is the definition of a fanboy having been on enough tech forums to know them.
We the owners of less than satisfactory Flips have every right to complain and make these complaints public.
Potential users are urged to read these unbiased reviews and check the Sony community forums.

Review: Sony
Sony Vaio Flip 13 Review - Convertible Laptop Reviews by MobileTechReview

I will also post the reviews which state that the Flip is a kind of de facto replacement for the S series which would make it premium. Not withstanding premium or not even if this were a $500 machine I do not expect loud fan noises, wobbly keyboard, poor trackpads, average sound, dead pixels, poor battery life on any laptop. I certainly do not expect it from a machine I spent $1300+ on.

It seems if you want quality Sony does not deliver. I am not alone in my sentiments indeed flowerstar is making excuses for the issues present on her machine she loves dead pixels, she doesn't need a quiet machine while saying the machine is quiet since the BIOS.

Good for her, that does not negate the fact that hundreds of people have issues and hundreds more have returned this model. It also does not mean that these so-called problems are minor and Sony should be given a pass on them.

If you are satisfied with your machine fine state it but no not act as if those with problems are just overly picky or in the minority. A quick check of my posts here reveal I have not had any complaints about a machine in maybe over 6 years. I am not picky or unreasonable.

These machines should have been built better by Sony which has obviously lapsed on quality control.

 

So you've been on forums for a while ? How do *we* (forum goers) call those who purposely butcher another's nickname ? You know the answer to that. Are you a troll, Mezzi ? I didn't think so, now I'm not so sure. There. How does it feel ? Come on...
Just between you and me, I've seen too many trolls and I don't think you're one of them. You are, however, very upset at Sony for selling you a pricey Flip that doesn't deliver the quality you expected. I get that 100%. You can complain all you want and I won't stop you.

Yup, I agree.

 

I'm sorry, Mezzi, I just know I shouldn't go into such a personal debate. All I'll say is this. Believe me I am no fanboy (or fangirl to be more appropriate), I am simply someone who made an educated choice based on, yes, complaints and reviews, and I am as happy with that choice as I'll ever be. Being a perfectionist I've come a long way in finding good things in tech products, and I don't intend to shrink into a sour little person just because my notebook is not perfection in a steel chassis. I guess my comment must have offended you in some way, for which I'm sincerely sorry. I'll kindly ask you, though, to please stop twisting my sentences or giving words into my mouth. I am not objectively happy about my single dead pixel, I'm fond of many silly friends of mine too. People who've been reading my post from a couple of months back know my verbal style and either ignore me (which is fine) or take my comments for what they are. I don't, and never have, pretended to know more about tech than the next person. I'm essentially an informed user, as many others are on this forum. And it's not misleading at all to say what I personally find good (and bad) in a product. So please leave me alone.

 

You are annoying me Mark. Butchered? I made a mistake and typed girl instead of star, this is butchering how exactly? Whether or not you think I am a troll is inconsequential. You are entitled to your opinion.

I am more upset that a user with a machine with issues is trying to act as if though users are nitpicking about real and serious issues. This while hilariously saying that they are fond of some of their issues.

Great be fond all you want but don't insult others by pretending as if the issues are not real and we simply aren't applying updates or too picky. I have had perfect machines for less than 1/2 this price so it's a joke to me for people to be basically saying "Nothing is perfect, love the faults, Sony is great."

Like I said common fanboy over at macrumors where I have been a member for a decade not so common over here. Fanboys give multi-billion dollar companies a pass for just about anything, which is really quite a shame.

 

Mezzi : why is it so difficult for you to consider another opinion, different from yours ? Multiple choice answers on that one, which I won't get into. I annoy you ? You started it, so get off your high horse, or just leave.

I said Sony was great ? Someone else ? Can't find it. You're seeing RED and nothing anybody else says registers, so time to back off a little (or a lot).

 

I considered the statement and simply responded. You decided to swoop in and try to save the fanboy, since you too are satisfied with your flip.
Great for you guys, but do not trivialize real issues with the machine.
Yes someone else did say in not so many words but wait yes in so many words "Nothing is perfect, love the faults, Sony is great"
Hilarious really. Nope, I won't be leaving but you are more than welcome to.

Sony has showcased a new 11a flip and stated it will refresh the Flip series in general at CES 2014. These new models will be released late February, my advice to all potential buyers is to wait until these new models are released before purchasing.
Users who have machines without faults are in the minority not the majority.

 

Guys quick question and hoping for a short,quick response. Was the fan noise fixed?

Thanks

 

OK, I looked up 'fond' just to make sure it meant what I intended it to in any American accent. It does indeed (among others) mean 'silly tender feeling'. And, just so you know I was one of the first to write to Sony about some of the issues, and sent back my first machine the moment I felt dissatisfied -- which I suggest as a solution to everyone else. I do not own any other Sony device and I don't really intend to. I do not think the flip's faults are negligible, but I also do not think being angry about any of them will serve anyone or serve any issue. I received my first flip Nov 14, so I've been there, I know how disappointing it can be. But there are things about it that I like very much, which make the flaws (ALTHOUGH I DO NOT HAVE ALL THE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS LISTED IN THIS THREAD, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE DOES) way easier to live with. And from that moment on I'm no longer looking for them.

There's also a whole story what my previous flip went through, which I will probably never share online, but I must say, kudos to (this aspect of!) the build quality. Yes, that machine had a couple of beauty (quality?) issues as well, but it survived without a scratch so many things...

BTW, I seriously doubt Sony reads these forums. Have you tried contacting them, or writing to their own forums? Though they gave us a very dismissive reply, they might treat your complaints differently.

I also re-read what I'd written, and I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding. Could we leave this whole issue be?

 

Yes for some, nope for others. I wouldn't base a purchase on that factor alone. It's pretty much a gamble.

 

Mezzi : I re-read one of your last posts and I think I get it now (you correct me if I'm way off) . You mentionned Mac fanboys at another forum, so I can't help but wonder if you've simply been looking to acquire the bestest/greatest Mac Killer machine known to man, just so you could go back there and shove it down somebody's throat. Didn't happen with the Flip and I can only guess how much fun they've been having over there. And you're steaming, stuck with a machine you can't hold up high against the almighty Mac...
Well boo-hoo for you.. and better luck next time, really. Maybe the Flip 11 will become the MB Air killer ? Whoopie !

Some of us can actually enjoy the Flips for what they are. You can't. Let's leave it at that...

 

Uhhh no, guess again not so smartie. While I have been a member there quite some time I don't even have 20 posts. Most of my posts actually encourage people to go Mac than gamble on these PC manufacturers, many of which can only dream of Mac quality. I don't need a Mac killer, if I wanted a Mac I would have bought a max speced 13" retina. All I simply wanted, like the hundreds of users with issues, was a quality machine from Sony. As all people do when they spend their money we are entitled to error free products that have actually been rigorously tested before release. If you want to enjoy the Flip for what it is, a machine with numerous quality issues, then by all means do so. If you are the owner of a Flip with no quality issues, you must be the extremely fortunate and it would be nice to you. However, do not give the false impression that the Flips are without numerous well documented issues. These issues are highlighted in review articles, review videos and by owners using the machines daily.

The fan noise has not been fixed as evidenced by the number of users who still report issues all over the web and on the Sony website. I have the latest BIOS and the fan noise still persists.

 

i'm an owner of the 14", and my problem is the ctrl+shift+{key} not recognizing most of the time.
iv'e checked with ubuntu portable, and the problem is there too \=.
i hope it's not an hardware issue, cuz i can't apply my warranty from where i leave.
besides that -
the hardisk partitioning is a little messy, but all of the other thing about this laptop are awesome!
got used to the keyboard and its fun now.

 

New Vaio Flips :'( oh noes, I like having the latest gadget :'(

Well at the end of the day, the flips come with 1 year guarantee/warranty whatever so if anything is wrong with it in that time then it can be returned to Sony and fixed free of charge. If I was seriously unhappy with my device (although I think I have been uber lucky *fingers crossed* as I haven't spotted a single thing wrong with mine other than the touchpad which I dislike but I'm not a fan of touch pads anyway, I'm awaiting a matching mouse ) despite how much I like/want it I would simply ask Sony for a full refund and then await for version 2 to come out which will probably have different fans, a different manufacturer for the screens etc. The issue here is lack of patience.

I don't want to defend Sony as there are an awful lot of problems reported with their machines but has anyone stopped to think that perhaps the quality checks were overlooked because of the high demand in calls they received from customers querying as to were their laptops where combined with the factory fire (if I recall correctly) and backlog orders they had?

I think it will be difficult to find another hybrid as well-designed (by which I mean the hinge) as the flip as Sony aren't stupid and will have patented the design leaving other manufacturers with limited options. I think I can state that the hinge is well-designed as I haven't seen any complaints of screens falling off...

I once read something which went along the lines of "If someone has a good experience with something they will tell three people however if the experience is negative they will tell ten"...

EDIT: I lied, I find the weight of the laptop too heavy (15A) but as it's equivalent to my previous laptop I'm not going to complain too much

 

I could not agree with your post more. However, in my case my main workhorse had hard drive failure and had a slight loosening of the frame on the right side after nearly 3 years of use. So I needed a new laptop asap after literally weeks of analyzing thoroughly I crossed my fingers and got the flip. However, I would not put anything past Sony more than likely they ordered thousands of parts already and have not sold as many or are faced with high returns. So I suspect the best time to buy a Flip might actually be towards the end of the year when it would be more likely that current raw material inventory would be depleted or low. I await the reviews from the new Flip owners at the end of February to see if the Flip has really improved.
Notwithstanding high demand a company has to be mature and ensure that when it releases a product it not only satisfies it delights customers. Apple, Toshiba and Ritz-Carlton all adopt this policy Sony should do the same.

 

With any luck the fans for the new flips may become available on eBay and so it may be the case of spending £10 + a bit of manual labour will hopefully fix any noise.

I agree that regardless of high demand they shouldn't slack on quality but as aforementioned by another forum user, Sony aren't rejecting nor making a bit deal about returns/replacements so for that we shall be grateful. I suspect other companies have had a negative bounce at some point Apple ( Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro Owners Report Freezing Bugs, Other Issues | Digital Trends) overheating with Acer (I forget which model). To digress, I owned an Acer once (my first laptop after a vTech ) and the day after the 1 year guarantee passed the hinge broke and pulled the corner of the motherboard out with it :'(. I don't believe there is such thing as a perfect device and nor do I believe there ever will be.

I do find the HDD annoying but I had an SSD in my old laptop but as it was 128GB it was far too small for all my software (Computer Science student here ) so I opted to give it a miss and by the end of the year SSDs should be at a more than reasonable price .

On another note, does anyone know how to turn off the windows interaction the touchpad? E.g. dragging your finger from the RHS bringing up the charms menu? I keep opening it by accident

 

Hey challis1991

Nope, you're not allowed to enjoy the Flip in any way, shape or form because many reviews say it is just a horrible machine. So keep complaining and look hard for new bugs/defects

Ok-ok... all fun aside. Mezzi, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes, that's all that comes to my mind right now. Must be hard, living with all those high expectations. You see, not everyone on this planet expects perfection. Even the almighty Macs aren't perfect and don't fit the needs of everyone, but you knew that already.
Let's look at this from another angle. My daughter and my family (big sister is a MacBook/iPad/iPhone fanatic) did not notice fan noise. My daughter has logged probably over 100 hours in just over a week on the Flip, and she doesn't hear a fan problem. Is her Flip quieter than yours ? Maybe, maybe not. You refuse to return yours so you'll never know if YOUR unit has a defect (other than a less noticeable whine post BIOS update under full load - as reported by MANY owners here in this thread, now happy with the change).

When I joined this forum after purchasing the Flip, I knew I was going to be exposed to ugly stuff about the Flips. That's the nature of the beast. Love the forum, or else I wouldn't be here. Just trying to learn as much as I could about the Flip, be ready for bugs, know about fixes, etc... and it is exactly what I got out of this thread, nitpicking and all. Some positive stuff too, you know. Jeez, some folks even like the keyboard, how dare they...

Getting yourself all worked up like that is unhealthy ; high blood pressure, stress, you name it. Return the darn thing and try another one, or else some like me will always wonder if you got a rotten lemon (worse than a regular lemon, you know...). Get another one and compare, like flowergirl did

 

For those having dropped wifi problems with Broadcom 43142 WLAN cards, I found this on another forum (pertains to Sony Fits, but with the same wireless card) :


These are the steps I took to fix my wifi .

Right click the wifi icon on the task bar

Click open network and sharing center

Click change adapter settings

Right click the wifi icon with BCM43142 Wireless Network Adapter

Click properties

Click Configure

then click the Power Management tab and Disable the Allow the computer to turn off this Device to save power.

Now Click the Advanced tab,

then Click Bandwidth capability and select option 11b/g:20/40MHz,
then Click IBSS Mode and select option 802.11b/g/n Auto,
then Click XPress(TM) Technology and select option enabled,
then Click Minimum Power Consumption and select option Disabled,
then CLick AP Compatibility Mode and select option Higher Performance,
then Click 20/40 Coexistance and select option Auto,
then Click 802.11n Preamble and select option Auto.

and then click OK.

That's all I did to fix my wifi .

 

This Worked. Thank you very much.

 

I really want this device I played with it for about an hour and found it to be great. .

Now Im torn between the 13" with the 128 ssd or the 14" with 1TB hhd. . (those are my only choices I currently and living in Vietnam, so I cannot get a customized machine)
are there any major differences between the 2?

also if I wait till after February will there be a way to tell if its a newer model or an original?. .

Does anyone have experience with the Yoga pad 2? . .I really like the yoga 2 but dont like the exposed keyboard and hearing alot of complaints about the wifi. .

 

mcatt66, let us hope there will be a way to tell.

What are the temps that you guys are experiencing I am wondering if mine is running too hot. It usually is over 80 degrees.

 

Mezzi ;

I installed Core Temp on the Flip 14 a few days after I updated everything (BIOS included). As far as I know, it is as reliable as any for monitoring CPU core temps. I never saw anything above 65C (i5), even while bench testing the CPU (full load of course). If those temps are legit, something is definitely wrong. I would double-check with Core Temp : Core Temp