Official VAIO FW Series Owners Thread

when u order the FW...does the billing address has to match the shipping address?

 

Is there a specific topic regarding the displays available on the FWs?

How good or bad is the basic Xbrite-ECO 1600x900 screen (especially compared with other basic CCFL screens from manufacturers like HP, Dell etc.)? Can you tell me everything about brightness, colors, viewing angles? Is the ECO any good?

I'm finally going to buy an FW this week. Unfortunately I have to get it from a bestbuy store so any options are completely out of question. I must know how the Xbrite-ECO display is before pulling the trigger.

Which model do you think is better (blu-ray is not a huge plus for me)?
FW270j/w
FW139e/h

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8907061&type=product&id=1213046783513
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9034341&type=product&id=1218010845704

What does OUTLET ITEM mean on bestbuy? Are those refurbished units or new?

How many RAM slots are available on the FW? More than 2? If I get the 3GB RAM version (2GB+1GB) can I add another 1GB or I have to give up on the 1GB on board and swap it with a 2GB.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

LE: So OUTLET item could mean it's refurbished... I guess the more expensive but NEW FW270 seems sweeter after learning this. What do you think?

Another quick question. I've just read this on another topic.

''you can't install a Retail version of Windows.''
''the inability to install non-OEM versions of windows really could be a pain. I hate not being able to do a clean, secure install.''

Can someone please explain? Is there no recovery disc or clean install method? If I simply want to reinstall the 64bit Vista on board of the bestbuy FW it means I can't really do it unless erasing eveything and install a non-OEM vista or I can't even do that if Sony doesn't let me install non-OEM versions? Are there drivers on SONY's website? I can't just reinstall the on-board 64bit vista directly? If no DVD is provided, is there a recovery/reinstall image on a partition of the FW's HDD?

 

well do you need 3 or 4 gigs? if you will be using 64 bit opt for the one with 4 gig of ram unless you can get it cheaper where you are.

also colour wise, which one do you prefer? I've seen both the gray and white at the store here and neither appealed to me, I opted for black since I saw the FW in black and it looks quite good.

next to consider is that one has the ati card (FW1xx) vs the 4500HD (FW2xx) and if you want to game even with any game I'd suggest the ati one, but if you want battery life, go with the 4500HD.

If you have a blu ray player at home then you have no need for blu ray, but if you do not and have a LCD hdtv, I'd suggest getting the blu ray, the price offered here is a good on for it.

also space wise, one has 250gig other has 320, if you can get a hdd that you want for cheaper then ignore this point.

as far as I know the FW has 2 ram slots, and if you want 4 gigs you'd need to stick in another 2 gig stick to get a total of 4.

you should be able to install vista with no issues, there are guides for a clean install of vista on here. you make recovery discs when you get the laptop, for backups if you mess it up. yes there are drivers on sony's site.

yes there is a hidden partition on the hdd.

 

Thanks for your feedback, my friend. You're dependable as usual. Well, I did see the grey version in local stores, unfortunately the white ones are not available in my country. I did like the grey one and the white FW appeals even more to me from pics.

I almost never game and if I would I'd probably do it on my desktop pc so the dedicated gpu is not a huge plus for me.

The design, reliability and brand are important for me.

There's also one more thing, the display, it has to be good. I have to know if the standard Xbrite-ECO is acceptable enough, especially brightness and viewing angles wise. My last few laptops have had appaling screens, with the exception of my most recent Asus -I had an HP 6820s with a terrible Samsung screen, a Toshiba A200 with another appaling Samsung display and a good Asus M50 with a nice AUO lcd.

The display is extremely important for me. Unfortunatelly I can only get a laptop from bestbuy, so Xbrite-ECO only, and gotta know if I'd better give up or if I'll be able to live with it.

I need feedback regarding the ECO. Please help!

 

I think I'm gonna bite the bullet on a CTO FW this week. Is it worth upgrading to the extended battery? What is the difference between the battery life of the regular battery, and the large battery?

Also, since memory upgrades are so much cheaper from Newegg, if I do the 2GBx1 option in my config, I should have no prob adding a second 2GB stick myself, right? Or should I replace the memory altogether and buy a 2X2GB from Newegg?

Does the added battery life of the P8600 chip outweigh the performance/cost increase of the T9400 chip?

Thanks!

 

you will not notice the speed difference between the P8600 vs the T9400, unless you do really CPU intensive things.

 

One more thing. The config I wanna buy (FW270) only has the integrated Intel 4500 gpu. Is it good enough to handle or output to an external lcd blu-ray movies?

PLUS

Going back through this thread I noticed a few disturbing posts. I'm especially worried by the poor vertical viewing angles and the narrow sweet spot. That's exactly what made me hate my old HP and Toshiba, both using a crappy Samsung screen. Is the sweetspot problem really this big on FW's Xbrite-ECO display?

Was it an early problem which appeared on the first FWs or is it still the same even today? Those posts are from July.

Was the Xbrite-ECO screen improved after the more recent FW refreshes or it's the same one used since day one?

I'm worried again. The sweetspot problem would be a dealbreaker for me.

 

Hello people could you add your thoughts to my thread please?
I have a sony vaio vgn fe 550g and having a lot of issues thank you so much.

 

Get the extended battery if you can. my standard battery lasts about 2.5 hours, and I wish I had the money to buy the larger battery.

 

I'm close to pulling the trigger but I have another dilemma.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9034341&type=product&id=1218010845704

I wanna get the FW270J/W from best buy and can't figure out if it has a Blu-ray reader only or a Blu-ray RW unit?

bestbuy seems to say it's a BD writer...
QUOTE: ''Blu-ray Disc-enabled DVD±RW/CD-RW drive
With full write support for next-generation Blu-ray Disc (BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE); double-layer support using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media.''

But on amazon and J&R the spec sheet says it's BD-ROM, not BD-RW.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F50K18/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=pc

One user review on this amazon page states that it has a BD writer:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F50K18/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=pc
QUOTE: ''It's 1080P and has a Blue Ray Player and Writer (25 times the space of a DVD). ''

PLus this CNET article also says it's a BD writer, even if the alusive spec sheet seems to say it's a BD read only unit.
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/sony-vgnfw270j-w/4505-3121_7-33309980.html
QUOTE: ''The good:
Attractive, minimalist design; 16:9 screen perfect for HD movies; excellent keyboard; reads and burns Blu-ray Discs; solid performance and lengthy battery life.''

What is the truth? Is it a BD reader or a BD reader-writer? Please help me.

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/sony-vgnfw270j-w/4505-3121_7-33309980.html

CNET says Optical drive Blu-ray recordable

 

I know. I posted the same review. Though here the spec sheet says

Optical Drive
Double-layer DVD±RW/Blu-ray Disc/CD-RW

-notice that it doesn't mention Blu-ray RW-

Optical Drive Speeds
4x DVD+R DL; 4x DVD-R DL; 4x4x8 DVD+RW; 8x4x8 DVD-RW; 2x2x4 BD-R; 5x DVD-RAM; 24x16x24 CD-RW

Which is the blu-ray write speed?

 

What is the 3dmark06 score of the fw290 w/ 3650 DDR3? Has anyone tested it yet?

 

As you all know I was planning to get a Sony FW 270J/W this week from bestbuy. But the deal is not totally amazing IMO.

I'm not sure if I should wait a little longer for better Black Friday prices.

Is bestbuy usually having good Black Friday deals?

PS Are these read-only speeds?
2x2x4 BD-R

 

BD-RE DL Read: 2x max
BD-RE DL Write: 2x max
BD-R Read: 4x max
BD-R Write: 4x max
BD-RE Write: 2x max
BD-ROM Read: 4x max
BD-RE Read: 2x max
BD-R DL Read: 2x max
BD-R DL Write: 2x max

from sonystyle canada. you could keep checking this site

http://www.blackfriday.info/

for black friday deals

 

Thanks again for all the info.

So, it does have a blu-ray writer.

BTW, I've just noticed the www.bestbuybusiness.com website and there is a store near my friend's place. Will he be able to pick up a laptop from there or he should have a company or have a special account or smth for bestbuy business?

 

On bestbuy business it still says BD-ROM, not BD-RE. Arghhh...

http://www.bestbuybusiness.com/bbfb/en/US/adirect/bestbuy?cmd=catProductDetail&productID=BB10912356

 

The only problem I have with those FW laptops from BB is that all of them have the 1600x900 Eco screens. I have compared the 1920x1080 HiColor/FullHD screen side-by-side to a 1600x900 Eco screen, and the difference is night & day. The Eco screen looks like junk compared to the HiColor/FullHD screen, and after seeing the huge difference between the two there is no way I could ever settle for an Eco screen. The best deal out there right now, IMHO, is the FW290JAB from NewEgg, which is down to $1,149 w/free shipping right now. And that's a hell of a deal, considering it comes fully loaded with a P8400 CPU, 4GB RAM, 320GB 7200rpm Hard Drive, ATI HD 3650 512MB Video Card, Vista-64, Bluetooth, etc.

I personally wouldn't put Blu-Ray as a deciding factor in buying a laptop right now, that is unless you watch a ton of movies on your laptop. You can always upgrade the drive later, and you'll probably be able to get a drive for relatively cheap once BluRay starts to become more mainstream.

I have personally been teetering between FW290 listed above for $1,149, or the SR290 which you can get configured with the same specs for about $1299 right now (with a $200 off coupon). I just can't decide if I want a nice little 13.3" 4.1lb ultra-portable laptop that gets 4-5 hrs battery life, or a massive 16.4" 6.9 lb beast which only gets 2.5 hrs battery life.

 

BTW I still didn't understand if the FullHD display is HiColour or not. Is there any info regarding this?

 

My problem is that I gotta buy the laptop from a shop, not an online retailer. I don't live in the States and a friend is getting a laptop for me, but for some weird reasons he doesn't wanna get it online. He has a bestbuy store near his house in NJ and suggested me to pick smth from their offer. But I'm not happy either with the standard ECO screen.

My only alternative if I can't convince him at all to buy online (and I don't think I will) is this FW290NEB from bestbuybusiness.com.

It's $1086, but I'd have to add another 2GB RAM. Otherwise it's pretty decent. It has a 7200rpm 250GB HDD, the FullHD display that I desperately want. I'd be giving up on the bigger HDD, the 3650 GPU and the 2GB of extra RAM compared to the newegg deal. It's not good for me, deal wise, but I can settle for a smaller HDD and add some more RAM. Fortunately the 290NEB has one 2GB RAM memory so one slot is free. I don't really need the ati card as I don't really play and the Blu-ray is useless for me unless it's a write unit, not just a BD-ROM, as the 270J/W bestbuy.com FW seems to have after all.

http://www.bestbuybusiness.com/bbfb...etail&showAddButton=true&productID=BB10911954
http://www.advizia.com/v41/PDF/B2B-173841053-149.pdf
http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/product/VGN-FW290NEB

Or maybe this FW285J/H, but it's a bit too expensive for me.
http://www.bestbuybusiness.com/bbfb...etail&showAddButton=true&productID=BB10912265
Full description:
http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGNFW285JH/

# Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26 GHz Processor
# 3 MB L2 Cache, 1066 MHz Bus speed
# 4096 MB DDR2 (PC2-6400) RAM Max: 8GB
# 320 GB (7200RPM) SATA Hard Drive
# 16.4" (1920 x 1080) XBRITE-FullHD Display
# Built-in 1.3 Megapixel Webcamera and Microphone
# ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 with 512MB dedicated Video Memory with up to 2280MB Shared
# Blu-Ray Read/Write DVD±R/RW Drive with Double Layer
# Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN 802.11a/b/g/n

Any ideas/sugestions are welcome.

 

I am going to order my CTO FW tonight. Here are the specs I am leaning towards:

* LCD 16.4" (XBRITE-FullHD™
* 320 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive [7200 rpm]
* Large Battery
* WLAN (802.11a/b/g/n) with integrated Bluetooth® technology
* ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3650 with 512MB vRAM
* Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz)
* Blu-ray Disc™ Read Only Drive
* Black
* Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit
* 2 GB DDR2-SDRAM (Going to add 4gb myself)

Anything I need to change? My only hesitation is the 64-bit OS, but the 32-bit Home Premium is no longer available as a CTO option. Will I be able to run all of my 32-bit software (Photoshop elements, Office 2007, Nero 7, PowerDVD 7, AnyDVD, etc.)

 

Is the FullHD display a HiColour double lamp or not. Is there any info regarding this?

 

I'm pretty sure it's a hicolour screen with 1080p resolution

 

Yes, you will. I can personally confirm that those softwares are working properly in 64 bit. I had the same worry before I bought my FW. As of today, I have not had any problem at all with the OS. Everything runs like normal. I even forgot that I am running 64 bit..

 

Do some searching on this thread. I posted a while ago (3-4 weeks) comparing the 2 screens.

I own another sony laptop with Hi-color and I can confirm that FUllHD is hi color.

 

The FullHD is definitely a dual-lamp screen, I can say that without a doubt. I saw the FullHD screen next to a HiColor and an Eco screen, and the HiColor and FullHD screens looked exactly the same aside from the higher resolution of the FullHD. The Eco screen was noticeably dimmer and the colors seemed a little washed out compared to the other two.

 

If you get the 64-bit Vista and you aren't happy with it, you can always just reinstall the OS as a 32-bit version. The COA that comes with the laptop will work for both 64 & 32 bit installations. All you would need to do is borrow a Vista 32-bit DVD (or download an ISO from a torrent) and plug in your COA, and you will be able to activate it as a 32-bit version.

DISCLAIMER: I am not condoning piracy when I say to download or borrow a 32-bit version of Vista. If you use it solely with the COA that you received with the computer then it is not piracy, because you are simply re-installing a licensed copy of the OS on the same system.

 

this is what I will be planning if certain music production programs or vstis do not work on the 64 bit system, so here is hoping. although I only have 3 gigs of ram, and if I decide to keep the 64 bit OS might have to get another 2 gig of ram so I have a total of 4, although I am not sure I will need it.

but until sony ships my FW I won't know, it is taking quite long for them to build it.

 

Hey, back again.

To people who have this laptop, is the 1600x900 resolution clear on the 16.4" screen? Or do you have to strain a bit, because my eyes are not perfect. Also, what resoulutions can you lower it to, if any?

 

I've seen the 1600x900 at the store and I didn't have to strain my eyes at all. didn't check what resolutions I am sure others can help you out with that, otherwise when I am at the store today I can see what else I can change it to.

 

Can you please try and adjust the FullHD as well and see what other smaller resolutions work and if the quality of the image is drastically afected?

 

there were no fullHDs at the store, or at least on display, and I asked why the employee did not know. :/

 

The next lowest resolution down from 1920x1080 is something like 1024x768 which doesn't look very good. The fonts are pretty small at Full HD, but I played around with the settings for a day or so. The best compromise for me was to change the dpi setting to 106 (instead of the standard 120) and then using the Windows Classic Appearance dialog box, I increased the font size on all of the task and menu bars as well as increasing the icon size by 2 or 3 units. Everything looks perfectly readabe and sharp. You can also increase the text font in internet explorer by going into the Page drill down menu and changing the text to "larger".

 

I just placed an order! It is supposed to ship on the 20th.

 

ok so i checked out what options are available for the normal 1600x900 eco screen on the 2xx models in the store, this is what was available to select

1600 x 900 (16:9)
1280 x 768 (5:3)
1280 x 720 (16:9)
1024 x 768 (4:3)
800 x 600 (4:3)

I wanted to check the AW fullhd but it was not available, only this size 1680 x 945, so I could not compare the eco on the FW to the full hd on the aw, since it was not in stock.

also when I resized the screen on the FW, when it was not in the native 16:9, the windows did not look that great.

 

That's weird. My FW140 has way more options for resolutions. Not that it matters since the standard 1600x900 is perfect.

 

@Ascariss, so you played again with the ECO screen. What was your impression again (of course, not compared with the FullHD, as there weren't any on display)? Is it as dim and washed out as people are complaining to be?

@Wolf04: Same questions. How would you rate your ECO screen? I presume you have an ECO.

 

It is not as badly washed out as I thought it would be, the viewing angle isn't that great, it is better than some of the other brands that were on display.

 

The bad viewing angle is exactly what kinda keeps me away from the ECO... I know I won't be able to live with that.

For people who got to see or own the FullHD: How is the FullHD dual-lamp, viewing angles wise?

 

Not sure, yet to see the fullHD one in person, the 190's hi color was better than the eco in my view. Will compare the current ecos to the fullHD once i get mine.

 

When you receive your baby please tell me how small the fonts and icons are for you and if you have to strain your eyes too much. When is it supposed to arrive?

 

There's a special deal for BF on bestbuy, an FW with blu-ray for 899$ and a Casino Royale dvd. Cool.



Bad thing is I can't see what model this Sony FW is. I'm not sure which config should be. There's no FW with a 250gb HDD and Blu-Ray currently on bestbuy. I just hope that it has the FullHD screen as well. If anyone can figure out what model the FW is, pls hlp.

 

Hey, I was just wondering If I it was possible to install a Seagate Momentus 7200.3 320GB ST9320421ASG HDD in my FW?

 

Has anybody successfully installed Windows XP on an FW ?

 

It seems the FW advertised in the Bf bestbuy ad is a Sony Vaio VGN-FW245J/HC which wasn't released yet.

You can find that it exists by going to Sony's support website and typing in something a little off like VGN-FW245J/WC into the model number... it will return possible results, one of which will be the VGN-FW245J/HC... but the link will just redirect...

Can anyone find out the specs of this model?

I sure hope HC means HiColour.

 

I went by Best Buy tonight and had the sales guy put in the SKU 9084475 into the system, and it came up with a price of $1349, if that gives you any clues... He could not provide any specs... The system said his store was allotted 12 units due in for BF.

Best Buy's "regular price" for the VGN-FW270J/W is $1299, so that might serve as a point of comparison.

 

I don't see why not, it is a notebook hdd.

I thought there was a thread, but I can't find it, perhaps there wasn't but I know philflow did an excellent guide to installing XP, he modified sony's guide. Perhaps you could modify it for the FW. But I will keep looking for the thread, I know I saw someone do it.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=309592

I googled and checked other sony sites, and nothing appeared, only option is too call sony or best buy.

on the sonystyle.com site all the FWs have J in their model number, apparently the H is actually for the color of the model

VGN-FW290JT B - black
VGN-FW290JT H - titanium gray
VGN-FW290JV H - titanium gray
VGN-FW290JT W - white

apparently all have the J moniker

VGN-FW245J/HC

the H is probably for the colour, titanium gray

VGN-FW290JTW
blu ray playback
ATI card 512mb
Resolution : 1600 x 900 eco
P8600
4 gig of ram
250 gig drive 5400rpm

VGN-FW290JTH (same as above, only difference is colour)
blu ray playback
ati card 512mb
Resolution : 1600 x 900 eco
P8600
4 gig of ram
250 gig drive 5400rpm

VGN-FW290JTB (same as white only its black)
blu ray playback
ati card 512mb
Resolution : 1600 x 900 eco
P8600
4 gig of ram
250 gig drive 5400rpm

VGN-FW290JRB
ati card 512mb
P8600
Resolution : 1920 x 1080 - fullHD
Blu ray - read and write
4 gig of ram
500 gig drive 4200rpm

VGN-FW290JVH
T3200 cpu 2.0ghz
250 gig drive 5400rpm
Resolution : 1600 x 900 eco
4500HD GPU
no bluray, just dvd/cd
4 gig of ram

so problem here is deciphering the letters W, B and H are easy, they related to colour

W - white
H - titaium gray
B - black

J I have no clue, but as far as I can tell all of them have J in their model numbers, all FWs, all SRs. It's not the CPU, since the the 290JVH has the T3200 while the rest have 8600 and also have J in their model names.

Perhaps T is for bluray playback capability?, and V is for cd dvd? and R is for blu ray read and write. since all have 4 gigs of ram, perhaps the V also combines the dvd/cd and 4500HD GPU?

T could also be the 1600x900 eco screen but then the V moniker also has it, so my guess is the middle letter corresponds to the optical drive? again not sure, just a hunch. so my only guess that its a titanium gray model

 

Thanks, ascariss. But what would the C stand for. I just hope they'll offer the FullHD screen or at least the older 1600x900 HiColour display, to make this FW a true BF deal. Otherwise it's just the usual bb run-of-the-mill ECO FW.

 

Thanks. Well, given that this FW245 has almost the same specs as the cheaper version, but sports a smaller HDD, I hope the price difference would be matched by the FullHD or older 1600x900 screen. I know I'm going crazy over this screen issue but I gotta have a HiColour in my life.

If you go again to bb please try to find out if this SKU 9084475 item has a FullHD/HiColour or a standard Xbrite-ECO, please. That's the biggest question mark for me. Otherwise I can't see what could be wrong... maybe having a 3200 or 5800 CPU under the hood. And not getting that Casino Royale on blu-ray.