Official VAIO FW Series Owners Thread

The sony vaio neoprene sleeve just came out. Do any of you have any comments on this case.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...-1&productId=8198552921665442579&tab=Features

At first, I was going to go with the macbookpro sleeve from case logic as mentionned a couple of posts back by TetonWolf
...the problem, they don't ship to canada and I have no clue where you can buy yourself a case logic in Canada....

So, any comments, comparisons?

By the way, the case logic seemed perfect since it had a compartment for the ac adapter in the sleeve. The vaio sleeve actually has two sleeves, one for the computer, the other for the ac adapter.

 

I reported a few pages back that video playback on my FW often "skips" or "jumps" once in a while even though video playback is perfectly fine and smooth. I have the Combined Community Codec Pack installed and use primarily Media Player Classic for video playback.

After doing a bit of searching, I found out that this is video jitter/judder (depending from where you are). I haven't encountered anything like this on my old laptop which has the same codec pack installed.

Also, apparently, the only way of "fixing" this is to through a deinterlacing filter, which can be applied by the ffdshow video decoder.

My question is, can anyone shed more light on this issue and what method of deinterlacing would be most appropriate (since there are many options to do so)?

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EDIT: I'm also experiencing this single-pixel border problem when playing videos in Media Player Classic regardless of the video or how it was encoded. It's difficult to describe but it's mostly noticeable during a dark scene when the border is white/light in colour.

After searching around a bit, it seems to be an ATI HD3000 series problem:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1051028

 

Yes i had this on my old sony vaio FW, it skipped and juddered about 10 times during a film, just got stuck and started playing again. This was when i haven’t restated the computer 1 since i set it up for the first time, and there was warnings and alike to restart the computer but I just clicked and ignored it. With my new sony vaio this was not a problem, no skipping no jumping no nothing. Strange very strange! I wonder if it was to do with the film that I was watching. The film on my old FW was war of the worlds, very little letterboxing. The film on my new FW was die hard 4.0 and there was no problem on this machine juddering, but 1inch black bar on the top and bottom of the screen! I don’t know if this has anything to do with it ?

I was also wondering if it would be possible to get hold of a HHD cover, and HHD case from sony that holds the hard drive! As my new WD Scorpio does not take as much room as the old 300Gb 4200 drive. With the lower end models they have a smooth base where the hardrive is not as thick so that you can get a flush aperance to the machine!

I was wondering if it would be possible to purchase one from sony, and then just quote for a lower end mode with the 250 GB HHDl!

 

I fiddled around with the Media Player Classic settings and under Options > Playback > Output, I changed DirectShow Video to VMR9 (renderless) and "Use texture surfaces and render video in 3D".

To be honest, I am totally clueless when it comes to video rendering but this settings seems to have temporarly fixed both problems (the jitter and the one pixel border). Hopefully, I won't be seeing these problems in the future.

 

One thing that most posters have ignored is that Sony falsely advertises the FW's "chasis" as made of "magnesium." I don't know Sony's definition of "chasis," but the only magnesium found on this laptop is on the LCD's top lid. Unless there is a magnesium frame underneath the laptop's plastic enclosure, there is no metal chasis here.

I suppose most people don't really care too much since they are so used to cheap plastic garbage laptops.

 

Errmm, I wouldn't necessarily call it cheap plastic, especially on the FW. I agree that I don't see where the magnesium comes in since the whole laptop feels like plastic to me but nonetheless, it feels very sturdy when I pick it up and barely any creaking, so it can't be cheap plastic, maybe good quality plastic?

 

Uhhhh, isn't "frame underneath" the definition of chasis?

 

Actually, you are right. Can't believe I didn't catch it earlier. The chassis is the structure inside, like the chassis of a car, while the outside is usually called the "body". Maybe that's why it feels so sturdy. Someone should open up their FW and check to make sure the chassis is magnesium.

 

You folks care to open it? I think the reason why it feels so sturdy is because it is well built. It is also by far the coolest running laptop that I've used since the days when laptops were chumps.

Idle around 35C is pretty much unheard of these days in a laptop this quiet.

Sony claims not only the chasis but the outside is also magnesium:

"Finished in durable and lightweight magnesium alloy, the thin-walled exterior of the VAIO FW-Series notebook keeps weight low while ensuring rugged protection."

Source http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=1005351&navigationPath=n32009n100299n100490

Every company is guilty of these exaggerations or outright lies...like Apple's claim of "millions of colors" for its MacBook LCDs.

 

May be they just mean that the screens lcd will be able to display millions of colours :laugh:

 

I was wondering if it would be possible to get hold of a HHD cover, and HHD case from sony that holds the hard drive! As my new WD Scorpio does not take as much room as the old 300Gb 4200 drive. With the lower end models they have a smooth base where the hardrive is not as thick so that you can get a flush aperance to the machine!

I dony know if i can purchase one from sony, and then just quote for a lower end mode with the 250 GB thinner HHD cover and case ?

 

Come on people,give a little help to the noob please. Incidentally is the international warranty worth it for 60€/100$ aprox.?

 

Aikino: If you are going to be running your laptop on mainly AC power, then it would be a good idea to unplug it and run down the battery to about 15% every 3-4 weeks (more often is better than less often) to keep the battery in good shape.

As far as external speakers, I've tried a few different ones that definitely inprove the sound. A friend has a very nice, portable & inexpensive one she got that I really like. Here is a link to the Amazon page for them: b-flex

 

Aikino:

I think the power usage varies from user to user, but ideally the battery should be drained a few times a month to avoid losing it's charge holding capacity. I don't have the Hi-Color screen but I assume that it would drain the battery faster as it uses more energy. Not sure of actual numbers.

The speakers are weak, but frankly, most (if not all) laptop speakers are weak and you'd be better off with external speakers or headphones whenever possible. The sound quality through both is very good. I'd personally recommend some Logitech (Z-2300 if you want 2.1, Z-5500 for 5.1, if you want 5.1 on a budget, get the X-540, I have those, they're great).

 

I got that case in 2006 for my vaio FS and I am now using it for my FW. I am astudent and so I carry my laptop along with my books in the saqme bag but I make sure my laptop is put in the neoprene case and then put in my back pack to keep it safe from dings and scracthes. It is also splash proof. And it streches so it hugs the laptop like a glove. Mine is the 15 inch neoprene case. When I am going other places or traveling, I use a tumi laptop backpack for my FS. My FW also fits perfecly in the tumi backpack. Its really secure because the the backpack has cushions all around. Although its not a cheap alternative, I like the quality and style. It also has alot of compartments.
Here's what I use for traveling or anywhere other than school:
http://www.tumi.com/t3/balance-backpack/

So you can get the vaio neoprene case if you're planning puting it in a backpack or something because it is quite uncomfortable to carry on its own.

 

hi evrybody, I'm from Italy, Im going to buy vaio fw11zu but if it's possible,I want to know if any user have rhinoceros software installed on it and how this notebook goes? in fact the only critic to it may be the graphic card (if would possible I will prefer an N'VIDIA one instead the ATI but perhaps...)
thks for the answer

 

Does anyone know if FW11J is gonna be released in any other countries? Cus Im from Sweden and I went to a Sony Center and asked, and they said that there will be new models during October but the guy I asked didnt know if FW11J was one of them...

That FW11J is perfect and I want it so bad!!

 

Did anyone else experience this:

After I wake the laptop from sleep/standby, my dvd/cd drive appears as a usb removable and if I "remove" it, the dvd drive disappears from Computer. It is listed as "Pioneer DVD-RW DVRKD08 USB Device - (F: )"

If I restart, the problem disappears and everything goes back to normal

 

Hi.
I´m lookign for a model between the FW´s that have the Texas Instruments Firewire Chipset.
Could anyone tell me what the firewire chipset in the following models:

FW139
FW140
FW145

Thanks a lot for help.

 

I am considering buying a Sony laptop and I have a question to any (preferably newer) Sony Vaio users.

Currently my Toshiba laptop has a software called “Synaptics Pointing Device” and I can use my touch pad by virtue of it. One of the major benefits of this particular software is that you can customize tap zones and allocate a function to certain parts of the touch pad. For instance, about one inch of the top right hand side of my touch pad functions as maximizing/minimizing windows when I tap on that part.

This feature is very nice and handy and I was wondering whether Sony Vaio laptops also come with this touchpad software. If not, what is the software that came with your laptop?

Comments from FW uses will be more appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Apologies if this has already been addressed, but has anyone successfully used the semi-clean install tutorial for vaio? I'd prefer to do the clean install but I purchased my fw through sonystyle and therefore I don't have the vista home premium disc. I'd like to get rid of all the bloatware asap.

Thanks.

 

anyone have installed rhinoceros on it? how runs?
thks

 

http://www.radtech.us/Products/SleevzNotebooks.aspx

Has anyone tried this sleeve with the FW yet? The dimensions of the FW are close to the MacbookPro so I'm hoping it will work.

 

Hello all,

just a couple of suggestions needed for my new vaio i'm sorry if it has been asked before but if you can give me suggestions...

I went through the coolers section and the Zalman caught my eye, however how compatible is it with this one? Or for that matter can anyone suggest any coolers for this the fw models.

Also I did look around sony are doing the neo-prene sleeve but is there anything else out there u can suggest ...

i'm based in london... oh lastly what would you suggest for cleaning tools (screen cleaners / keyboard etc ) to keep the shine on

thanks

 

I am new to the Forum and also upgraded to Vista Ultimate. The Motion Eye, among other things, doesn't work. Sony says that I must wait until they come out with the proper drivers for Ultimate some months down the road. Can I get the drivers from somewhere else? What other issues should I expect after the upgrade? Thanking you for your help.

 

FUNNY how sonystyle is out of stock of RAM and harddrives except the lowest options....all at the same time!!!

 

This may have been answered before, but for future reference, can the DVD drive that comes in the FW be replaced with the blu-ray?

 

Frakking FedEx...my FW CTO shipped from Sony Tuesday and only made it a couple hundred miles. It's only a thousand miles from me now...maybe I should just drive down to Sacramento and pick it up myself. :-D

 

it'll come in time. fedex is quite reliable.

Changing the optical drive might be hard, I haven't tried.

 

I just tried configuring the FW 190 CTO and have noticed that the discounts for things like the hard drive and RAM are no longer available. Wasn't the sale supposed to end on September 17?

 

Hello everyone, I'm writing from France where the Vaio FW series has just decrease by 100 euros (it's still less interesting than North America or Germany Offers).

I've just a little question :
I don't want to install the preconfigured Vista of the FW, so can I boot from my Vista Business DVD (the first time I launch the laptop) and erase already existing partitions ?
It's better than uninstalled useless soft one after another...

Is it easy to find all the drivers for the laptop (Graphics Card, Audio, etc) ?

Thanks in advance.

 

You still haven't bought it yet?

 

I thought it was supposed to end September 3rd. I just went and priced out my CTO again and it comes to $235 more than it did when I ordered last week.

 

I know, I'm just being impatient. I want it here NOW!

 

YYYYYeeeeeahhh!!! I know what you mean, I ordered mine back on the 24th of last month and am still waiting myself. They showed me fedex coming on Tuesday next week with it so I will be locked and loaded...I feel that since i have not seen it in quite some time that I am losing the love affair I had with it

 

Is there any one who uses Zeroshock III sleeve for his FW laptop? If so, which size do you use? 15 or 17 inch model? And how does is fit?

 

Nah, the Sony FW uses Alps and won't do that. Maybe Alps has software?

 

My new FW140E is nice for $900 HOWEVER the wristpad to the right sure is creaky as is the rest of the notebook esp after it's being used for a while but when I called Sony they said it was to be expected as the heat does that to the plastic and I was not to worry.

ALSO the MOTION EYE webcam has 1 limited software called Webcam Companion 2 that is limited to 640x480 max and is small on the 1600x900 screen; when opening to fullscreen it is extremely noisy/grainy and pixelated, compared to the new HP AMD models that i looked at that had AMD's ZM precessors -- THAT Camera is amazing ; although it doesnt seem to open to full screen like the vaio it is clearly MUCH better and the HP (and Toshiba 3Gig RAM Vista notebooks do NOT creak!)

Any ideas if other software can work with this MOTION EYE to make it better?? Hmmmm maybe VOIP etc..

 

Creak? Thus far I have not seen a single post that mentions any creaking, and in fact I saw many posts that praise FW in this regard.

So I must admit I am a bit surprised. Is there anyone else who started hearing creaking on his/her FW laptop after using it for a while??

If this is a common issue, I may not open my VGN-FW190EEH that I will (finally!) receive from newegg and go to a Bestbuy store and take a more thorougher look on a display model, which would have already been intensively and rather harshly used.

BTW, has anyone tried 15 or 17 inch Zeroshock III sleeve for his FW? How is it?

 

Creak: not a bit. Actually love the wristpad area.
Sleeve: not that one. I'm using the case logic mentioned earlier in the thread. It's for the 17" MBP and fits perfectly for the FW.

Probably not the answer you were looking for, but there it is.

 

Yeah everybody says the case logic case fits like a glove but the reason why I am interested in Zeroshock III is because its interior is is composed of a "high-resistance polyurethane foam", which appears to be a really good protection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz8R-q_VHfo

 

I'm awaiting delivery of my Zeroshock III sleeve. I bought the 17" version. I'll write more as soon as I get it (should be next week).

 

I've got a FW139e/h in next week. I purchased at Frys store.
But right now I'm confuse so much.
Does FW139 use Intel centrino 2? Yesterday I found on bestbuy said centrino 2. But today, it is Centrino without 2.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...PGR&srccode=cii_5784816&cpncode=07-71095924-2
What going on with this model:-(

 

The P8400 is the new chipset (Montevina). It's Centrino 2.

 

No.
Intel Centrino 2 means that laptop has Intel CPU, Intel Chipset and Intel wireless. FW139e/h has Atheros wireless, so it's not Centrino 2.

 

Yep...sorry about that...Joshefin is correct. For it to be 'officially' a Centrino 2 platform, it would need the Intel wireless. The processor is the same as would be on the 'Centrino 2' models of the FW with it, but the wireless would be different. The processor is actually labeled as 'Core 2 Duo' on both.

More info here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=282472

Looks like this model was one of the first to come out, and the Intel wireless wasn't available, which is why the Atheros is there.

 

First this is a very informative thread, thanks to everyone who contributed, I have been reading it for some time after buying my FW-139E and learning about it a lot.

My question is about the overseas use (europe) and converters/transformers. The chargers adapter says "input 100-240V", does this mean that in Europe all I will need is a simple adapter like this



and no transformer/converter is needed? Thank you.

 

Correct just a plug. Most laptops have universal adapters.

 

correct...no transformer needed.

 

Here in The Netherlands the FW11J is also not available. In a Dutch FW11 forum, lots of people were complaining about this (including myself )

We all contacted our local SonyStyle shop, and there are signs that due to big demand, it is going to be introduced now in 4-5 weeks. So I think it's worthwile to let Sony know this is the model you want!