Official VAIO FW Series Owners Thread

I did a clean install of Vista Ultimate on my new FW yesterday. Everything works great, except I lost most of my hotkey functionality (thankfully Windows Mobility center can turn the screen up and down, etc.)

However, has anyone pulled the driver off of the OEM install yet? If so, I'd love a copy.

One more question... what does...err...did, the "S1" and "AV Mode" buttons do?

 

Anydvd won't work with any Matsh1ta drive. This is a known problem. I have Matsh1ta DVD UJ-842D and I have the same problem. Incidentally, have you tried burning a dvd double layer (DVD DL) with your new laptop? I am asking because Sony spec http://vaio.sony.de/view/ShowProduc...11J&site=voe_de_DE_cons&category=VN+FW+Series said that the DVD DL burning speed is 4X while Matsh1ta official site http://www.panasonic-industrial.com/public/eu/en/product-range/8/397/UJ120.html said 2.4x.

 

hendra the specs on the sony site for the DL burning is 2.4, I mentioned that in another thread where you asked. 2.4 is the correect speed.

 

Can we replace the DDR2-800 ram w/ DDR3-1066 ram, since the mobo's FSB is 1066mhz? Or is that not supported somehow?

 

Of course not. DDR3 is completely different. The pins don't even line up.

Back in the day, you couldn't even use different speed ram in the same slot. These days, ram clocks up and down nicely, but you still need to stick to DDR, DDR2, or DDR3.

 

Thanks hendra, I didn´t know that, but sadly I´m aware of it now. So isn´t there any other software for watching DVD´s of another regions?

 

You mean this thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3694063#post3694063 ?

You are referring to Sony spec for Blu-ray BURNER http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/se...d=1005349&navigationPath=n32009n100299n100490 which indeed said 2.4x

I was referring to Sony spec for Blu-ray READER
http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/se...d=1005350&navigationPath=n32009n100299n100490 which said 4x.

They still have discrepancy with the Panasonic official spec, unless Sony drives are special and can burn at higher speed.

 

JB32 where did you get your FW11J from and did it come with a QWERTY English keyboard

 

that might be the case, are you positive the driver in the device is the one from panasonic? I don't know myself, I thought the bluray,dvd,cd drive was from sony itself?

 

You didn't get an OEM Windows disc? Don't they provide those?

 

Naw... They don't provide them. However, I emailed them and asked about that hotkey driver and they sent it to me, so it all wokred out. Everything is peachy, and I love my FW.

 

Where did you get the rest of your drivers from?

 

Guys what kind of accessories can i buy for it? i get a free Laptop Backpack with it form the sony store (which will be good cause i was planning on buying one for college anyways) but i also wanted one of those protective sleeves for home... any ideas on what i can get? i just haven't seen much of anything for a 16" .

 

I bought a Belkin sleeve for the Macbook Pro 17" which I think will fit the FW with standard battery pefectly. Here's the link on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00198JJYU

Hopefully I will get my FW next week and I'll try it and let you know.

 

Also, you may want to consider a Bluetooth stereo headphone/headset so you can watch Blu-rays without disturbing other folks. And if you need more accuracy with mousing, a wireless mouse might come in handy.

 

aye, will be going for a bluetooth mouse myself, in order not to have anything sticking out of the usb port.

 

Thanks again Teton

i have another question for you though...

i know you recommended the Hi-colour screen, and with that i'de have to order online, i was trying to avoid that. if you saw the other fw thread, you know i put a deposit on the 180 . now i am really worried about the screen because the guys at the sony store told me it WAS Hi-colour, but it was confirmed that it in fact wasn't. so am i still going to get great picture/display with the original Xbrite ECO?i know the hi color is better, but is the ECO just considered standard in laptops in general so i'm not going to get anything special?

 

Is the BD Burner also a Matsh1ta drive? Or is it just the BD Reader that's a Matsh1ta drive?

 

Errr, well I personally wouldn't be getting the FW if I couldn't get the HiColor screen. But that's me. Compared to ECO, HiColor is:

• Brighter

• More saturated and accurate colors

• Much better vertical viewing angles

I have seen the ECO in person and I was not impressed (i.e. it's just a screen). Keep in mind that my expectations are pretty high. I haven't seen the HiColor yet and expect it to be signicantly better. If it is not "stunning" as some reviewers have said, it could be a dealbreaker and Sony might be getting a new listing on their Outlet site (i.e. I'll return it). So.....if you can wait a few days, you should be able to get some feedback from some us telling you if it is worth it.

 

Linah4, I went to my second SonyStyle store today, and so far I've seen a total of 5 different FW machines -- all of them with Eco screens. Unfortunately, unless you are looking at EXACTLY the right angle, the screen is poor IMO. It absolutely has a "sweet spot" (and that's not a good thing).

The SR screen compared to the FW Eco screen looks SO much better. So much better that it's tempting -- although the extra real estate on the FW was very nice.

Even a young sales guy at the Sony store said "Hey look, he's right... look how bad the FW screen looks compared to the SR!" The manager he was talking to was not too happy he said that, by the way.

 

I just ordered the FW140D. With the $100 discount I get from ordering a pre build machine the HiColor would cost me $250. Compared to your average laptop screen is it that bad, are you guys just being picky? I don't really want to cancel my order but if it's such a big problem I just might have to.

 

oh well i'll go take a look at it, lol i know that sounds bad..

when i put a deposit on it, i was put on the spot. i didn't even get to look at the screen he pulled me over to the side and opened the 170 for me to look at.

lol either way, i'm still most likely going to buy it i love the laptop itself. i'm not going to lie, the fact that it isn't the higher screen and that i've seen some people say it's no good without it kind of pisses me off, and turns me off of it. BUT, then i see some reviews where people say the display is stunning, and i ask the sales men in different departments and they say the same thing. lol so it's kind of half and half, i just don't know which half i stand on yet... maybe you can answer this for me as well...

compared to a Macbook Pro's screen, how is the xbriteECO?

 

In the review that I recall them using the word "stunning" to describe the FW's screen they had a HiColor screen:

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/sony-vaio-vgn-fw198u-h.aspx

"Image quality from the 1600 x 900 panel is stunning. It employs Sony’s Xbrite-HiColor technology, which claims a higher brightness and wider color gamut than run-of-the-mill LCDs, and it shows."

 

Can you post the driver or let me know which Sony did you contact? I email Sony USA for the same problem and got the folloiwing response...

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience you're experiencing since the function keys aren't working after installing Vista Ultimate Operating System. The Notebook isn't compatible with the Vista Ultimate Operating System. Sony's VAIO Computers are designed for, and supported under, the OEM version of Windows pre-installed at our factory. If you install any other Operating System in your System, you will need to contact the manufacturer of that Operating System for any and all support issues or device drivers and software utilities they may have available. This includes, but is not limited to alternate versions of Windows and/or dual-boot configurations....."

 

no the one i'm talking about was a customer review i read on bestbuy i think... maybe the word wasn't stunning lol but that' what they were saying.

 

No contest. The Macbook Pro screen wins hands down. That's because it's an LED-backlit screen which means brighter, more contrast, better black levels. In fact, it's likely a bunch better than the HiColor screen. But you pay big time for it.

 

In that case, do you believe that the SR's LED backlit screen is likely better than the FW's HiColor screen?

 

Would you say that it's on par with your average laptop screen though? After taxes I payed $1,147.99. I am not expecting anything amazing nor do I really plan to use it outside. I am just your average notebook user.

 

lol, well i'm about to pay over 2k all together and i do expect something pretty amazing... right now i'm on an HP DV6000 that i bought about two years ago, it's only 1GB ram, 80GB hard drive, 1.6 ghz, so i'm hoping that the ECO screen is brighter and bolder than what i have now...

 

I hope so too. You said you were going to check it out? I like in a crap city where the nearest Best Buy or SonyStyle store is about 16 hours away; one draw back of Canada having so much damn empty space. I am counting on you for a solid opinion.

 

here's the thing i'm worried about. if there is a nicer screen next to it it will obviously look...dim? but i am going to try and look past that. when should you be receiving yours? i will be buying mine the latest next Saturday and bringing it home the same day, possibly even earlier. i think i would appreciate it more and notice the good because i'm not comparing it to anything.

honestly, it probably all depends on the person cause like i said, i've read some say that it sucks all together and some of the ones that have posted their opinion here which don't seem to good. BUT, i read a review on bestbuy.com that said the "Display was just beautiful" (lol what i thought was "stunning"), one that said it's not bad, both screens are perfect, just one is "more perfect" lol.

I may just buy it and check it out at home so nothing will look better . that, way if i don't like the way it looks at home, i can take it back to the guy and make him give me a refund because these are the things he told me...

---i asked him if he was POSITIVE that the screen was XBRITE Hi-Colour and he said yes he was SURE. lol i know it's not but i'm not going to tell him.

---He told me that the only colour they made them in was White, and that I was getting a White one. i know on sony.ca it only says "Titanium Grey" in that model, so i'm not sure what colour i'm going to get, and frankly, i don't care. BUT if it is Grey, and i don't like the screen i can use that against him too, and say i wanted a white one in that style.

---When i went to pay him for the deposit, he said "man, i'm so jealous i want this model so bad it's an AMAZING laptop. when i first opened the display one, the screen was so bright (as he had a big eyed expression on his face, and did that movement with his hands t show something coming at him, which was the light from the screen)"

so there are my three excuses, lol if i sit down and think i could probably come up with more. i just hope i am impressed with the colour/brightness...

 

In a word, yes.

 

The ECO is about as good as the dv6000. I am on a dv4000 right now and I think it is quite good and about as good as ECO. But I want better. If you are happy with dv6000 then ECO should be fine. But as SoundsGood noted and as I also observed, the ECO has a very tight sweetspot so you may find yourself pushing the screen back and forth alot to get it right. Your dv6000 screen likely has a similar tight sweetspot....this is normal for single lamp LCDs. The HiColor is a double lamp screen so it has a much wider sweetspot. The double lamp is also why it is brighter. I suggest you wait until some of us get the HiColor screen and we'll be able to give you some definitive answers.

 

Linah4, relax. You're letting the decision anxiety get to you. One thing to do is stop listening to all of us and think about what you want. Since you are doing graphics work, I recommended the HiColor. But if your HP dv6000 quality and brightness is fine for you, then forget the HiColor...the ECO will be fine...just know your sweetspot.

Now, how do you know it isn't HiColor? If it has a Blu-ray burner, it is definitely in the premium category and HiColor was made for Blu-ray. So?

 

TBH the sony forum is the wrong place to come when it comes to screens..because sony has spoiled us with above average screens these days that even though their "eco" screen is alot better than most other companies screens, the eco just doesnt seem not up to par with the Hicolor screen (even though the eco still exceeds standards) make sense?

 

yeah it does but it doesn't bother me much unless there is someone above me or below me looking at something on the screen. so you say the screen isn't as bright, but how about the colours? aren't they bold on the ECO? because.. well on some reviews of the ECO it says that the picture is crisp, clear and vibrant.

oh and i also wanted to ask you what you think is more important, a higher resolution screen on an eco, or a standard resolution screen that is hi-color?

 

Linah: sonystyle.ca says that my order should ship on the 14th. I got express shipping so hopefully it's in my lap by the 16th.

I need someone with the ECO screen to comment in here and calm my nerves. I figure if it's on my desk for most of the time I won't need to do much adjusting.

 

Makes a lot of sense, actually . i've never really looked at a Sony laptop so i'm not sure what to expect other than a beautiful screen since that's what i hear they are known for. lol but you just saying that, that it does exceed standard screens and is better than most other companies, well it makes me feel a whole lot better and confident.

 

Okay well i should have it before then, if not i will have gone and looked at the display model. i will post my opinion and if i have it in my house i will post some pics

 

Yes well it's pretty true in my experience, especially you can see this yourself if you walk into many stores. The thing also is, while hi color is great (it uses 2 lamps instead of 1 i believe) I ended up turning it down alot because it can seriously fatigue the eyes especially when dealing with reading on screen text. My G/F has a vaio eco screen laptop (some FE or something series) and I still found it to have a great screen.

In simple terms my HiColor FZ seemed to "POP OUT" at you with color. Where the ECO screen seems more "relaxed and laid back" but still holds that same true looking great color, minus the brightness.

Indoors, it doesn't really matter... Outdoors usage would benefit from the extra brightness the hicolor provides.

Like I said, the only difference I notice is the level of intensity of the brightness between the screens. That's just me though.

 

You ask hard questions. What I know is that the HiColor claims 100% NTSC color gamut meaning colors can be reproduced with full fidelity...green grass looks like green grass. The Sony press conference showed an FW HiColor next to an older model (I think FZ with ECO) both playing the same demo video. The difference was dramatic as far as the color accuracy and saturation...the older FZ looked drab.

As for which is better, more resolution or HiColor, I'll take the HiColor. More resolution doesn't do much for me except make text smaller. But you need enough resolution to ensure the screen isn't grainy. Bottom line: there's a sweetspot with resolution and I think 1600x900 on 16.4" FW is perfect (as would be 1440x900 on 15.4" screen).

 

And it's that trademark Sony POP that I think many of us are looking for. That's why Sony Bravia TVs are so popular. But you are right, the ECO is probably superior to other standard screens (particulaly new HPs...just terrible).

 

I guess you either took this to private messages or went to sleep.

Get an ECO and then we can stop the hand wringing.

 

Eco on left, HiColor on Right.



I would disregard the glare on the Eco screen, as it seems to be closer to the lights at that angle. I am sure the HiColor would have similar glare (but perhaps less noticeable due to higher brightness)

 

Ah, that's where you were. I wanted to find that photo too but didn't have the patience. That really shows the brightness difference (as I recall Phil put them both on max brightness). Colorwise they are pretty similar but that wallpaper photo isn't very colorful to begin with. I've gotta say the HiColor screen sure seems to have that Sony "POP".

 

To those that ordered an FW with an Eco screen and are now worried:

Here's the thing... as long as you do the push-pull thing every time you use your FW, you'll be fine. Simply adjust the screen by pushing it back, pulling it forward, until you find the best position. Only takes a second or two in reality. That will give you (and only you) a very, very nice screen to look at.

If that's good enough for you -- and there's no reason why it shouldn't be -- then you have no need to worry. Period.

Some of us, however, (like TetonWolf and me) want better than that. It's not really a right or wrong thing, it's just an option. And luckily for us anal types , Sony provides that option.

 

I'm so not anal....i just demanded to spend a 100 on a better screen. Who got their CTO from sony?

 

Lol, sorry for leaving yesterday Teton, i must have zonked out on the couch here. well i can see the picture difference in those two screens. i'm not sure if it will matter all that much to me though. of course i would prefer the hi-colour, but then i will be paying another $300 more just for that and to keep what i m getting for $1700. also, i'de have to get it online and pay for shipping (i don't know why, but i just don't like the idea of buying a computer online, maybe Sony is better because i can still take into the store if anything goes wrong but they can't like replace it right away or anything. i don't know, see now i'm kind of doubting because of that "sweetspot" you all keep talking about. i mean, i am used to it with my HP, but it does get annoying when i am trying to show somebody something. i'm thinking it will be okay though..

 

linah its not that scary getting it from online. You could probably just use the CTO and get what you want in it, it'll probably come out cheaper since i can't imagine why anyone would need a 400 GB at 4200rmp...

 

Okay, i found this online...

http://stuff.tv/blogs/cool/archive/2008/07/16/unboxed-sony-fw-series.aspx

That's the screen on a single lamp/eco, honestly, that looks beautiful to me. if that's what i'll be looking at than i will be more than happy. i'm not even sure if i'm going to go in and look at it, if i have the extra time i will but i'm not going to make room in my schedule to go take a look. i'm going to buy it, bring it home on Friday-Saturday hopefully and judge it from here. i will post pics like i said, and if i don't like it i will just take it back and tell him it's not a hicolor and have him order me one with in store. but that screen looks pretty darn nice to me