Official VAIO FW Series Owners Thread

You really should have opted for a 7200rpm hard drive...hard drives are so slow already, you want the fastest possible.

Also, remember that there are no returns on engraved laptops i believe.

 

I received my FW390 CTO today and I'm loving it. I have a question though regarding the display. I opted for the XBRITE-ECO instead of the FullHD, but I did get the Blu-Ray reader. When I watch Blu-Ray movies and click Info in WinDVD it says the resolution is 1920x1080 and the movies look amazing. The max resolution I can choose from in the display settings is 1600x900. Are the Blu-Ray movies just being up-converted to 1080p? Thanks.

 

Other way around..the 1920x1080 movie is being down-converted to fit your smaller resolution (1600x900) screen. Some data pixels are lost in the conversion. WinDVD is just telling you that the movie is indeed 1080p. This is unrelated to the what screen you may decide to view it on.

The quality will be great and most likely not a gigantic difference than with the fullHD. You'll just see a bit less detail.

BTW, you can still output the full 1080p to an HDTV using the HDMI port.

 

Sorry, missed one step (Administrative Tools).

Go to Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Computer Management / Storage / Disk Management

or

Click Start / All Programs / Accessories / Run and then type:

compmgmt.msc /s

which will open the Computer Management snap in. Then go to Storage / Disk Management.

 

Hi, I just got this laptop and I love it so far. I have one question, though: would a dvd formatted for widescreen work better on this, or one formatted for full screen? I'm not sure if the computer squishes down movies into the display size, or if it can sense that something is a widescreen movie and omit the black bars.
Thank you...

 

LOL..is this a joke? well, since you have a widescreen, a widescreen-formatted movie will obviously be the most desirable. A widescreen movie may be 16:9 aspect ratio just like your screen.

Simple logic will tell you that this movie will show on the whole screen, while a 4:3 movie will leave a lot of empty space (vertical bars) while watching the movie, unless you use a zoom type of viewing mode which will chop some of the movie to make it fit.

 

Sorry, I wasn't sure if "widescreen format" means that it's suited for widescreens or if it means that it makes normal screens display in widescreen.

 

No problem, I was just kidding by the way, don't take me too serious.

Widescreen means that it is suitable for widescreens because the actual video on the disc is wider, in an aspect ratio of 16:9, same as your screen. When you watch it, it should be able to automatically fill the whole screen of the laptop, providing the best possible picture quality.

 

I think I might buy a FW soon. It looks like the perfect size for me in terms of screen size and weight. I also like the fact that it comes with a 1600x900 resolution as I think 1080p is too much for me.

This is the setup I am considering:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8700 (2.53GHz)
Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit
White
4 GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GBx2)
320 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive [7200 rpm]
Blu-ray Disc™ Read Only Drive
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3650 with 512MB vRAM
LCD 16.4" (XBRITE-ECO™
QuickBooks Simple Start
Windows Live OneCare 90-Day Trial
No Engraving
Microsoft® Works
WLAN (802.11a/b/g/n) with integrated Bluetooth® technology
Extended Battery

$1379.99

Any suggestions? Does anyone have a picture of the laptop with the extended battery installed? Is there any reason to get Vista Ultimate? Does the Blu Ray Read Only drive burn DVDs and CDs? Is it possible to buy the Blu Ray drive seperately and upgrade later? Do Memory Stick Micro and MicroSDHC memory cards work in the memory card slots with the appropriate adapters? I definitely want Black or White, are there any pics of this in black anywhere? What are common problems/complaints about this computer (particularly regarding the screen)? Is it possible/easy to get rid of all of the bloatware?

Thank you very much and I am slowly reading through this thread but any help with these questions is greatly appreciated.

 

Does anyone have a picture of the laptop with the extended battery installed?
This laptop is BIG. Are you sure you want to be traveling with it? Otherwise, i hope someone does have a picture.

Is there any reason to get Vista Ultimate?
Not really unless you need Bitlocker encryption, animated wallpaper, and a few other insignificant updates.

Does the Blu Ray Read Only drive burn DVDs and CDs?
Yes, it burns DVDs and CDs.

Is it possible to buy the Blu Ray drive seperately and upgrade later?
Impossible. Get it now if you plan to ever watch bluray movies.

Do Memory Stick Micro and MicroSDHC memory cards work in the memory card slots with the appropriate adapters?
I believe so.

Is it possible/easy to get rid of all of the bloatware?
Sure. You can get rid of most by manually deleting in Control Panel - Programs. Our FW didn't come too bloated though.

Other comments:
There isn't a noticeable difference between the 2.4ghz and the 2.53ghz processor, i wouldn't pay extra for that.

I would also HIGHLY consider the 1080p screen, unless you have eye trouble.

 

Thank you for the comments. So is the P8600 definitely the way to go? Also, as far as resolution goes, I usually use my laptop at arms length, just referring to it every now and then. I want a big screen but I don't want a really high resolution because I don't usually have my laptop right in front of me or on my lap. I have good eyesight but I prefer a slightly lower resolution. Is the 1080p screen that much better? Is there any difference in quality between the screens other than just resolution?

 

1920xXXXX can be a bit much for some with eye sight problems/issues.

I am using a 22 inch viewsonic with the same 1920x1080 res as my 16.4 inch true HD lcd

i dont mind it on the lcd, or the notebook

YMMV tho


Go find one in a store and take a look at it to be sure its what you can see.

 

You can check Sony outlet for `1600x900 mdels with Hicolor screen like one in my sig. They are very reasonably priced but I have never shopped the outlet yet myslef.

Gary

 

So after waiting forever for Dell to build my Studio XPS 16 and having it pushed back over and over I picked up an FW373J/B from newegg.

So far the laptop is great. The 1080p screen is beautiful! It is dual lamp, correct? I figure it is as the lighting seems pretty even. After a download of drivers, a format and clean install it's configured the way I like without a tons of Sony junk of there. Just the bare minimum to make the OSD, fn keys and buttons work.

I do wish they put a matching green ring on the left side too. It looks a bit lopsided. Also, I miss my integrated EV-DO card and I can't find a spot to install it. I was going to pull the whole bottom off the laptop but figured I'd be foolish to risk screwing something up when it's a few hours old.

Oh, and BOOO to Sony for the locked down BIOS.

 

QFTMFGDT

Why even have a bios option when all you can change is what boots, and the time.

WOW SUCH AN OPEN SOURCE BIOS!

And we cant even turn off Hypermemory on the 3650, at all. Because no ATI tool or anything is made for 64 bit OS's

So even then we are screwed

 

speaking of the ATI tool, I'va seen few posts in the past where the CCC allowed for slight o/c of the GPU which seemed easy enough even for a lame user like myself, my CCC however doesn't have this option... any ideas anyone?

 

this is almost too odd, I believe the bluetooth moduale comes on the mobo?

if you go to start then settings, do you see bluetooth? if you do see that there, then BT is installed, otherwise, I am not sure if you can add BT to the comp, unless its via the xpresscard?

I doubt it was to save money, perhaps the bluetooth receiver is just disabled?

 

I just bought the VGN-FW290JRB and a 32" Sony HDTV (KDL-32XBR6). I was hoping to use the FW as a Blu-Ray player for the HDTV, but after reading some of the posts, I am worried about the quality. Has anybody used their FW as a Blu-Ray player for their HDTV and had any luck with good quality picture on the HDTV?

 

Huh? Why wouldn't you have good quality video? We're talking about digital signal here, and the FW outputs 1080p. Quality will be as good as it gets.

 

Because some people posted that the quality of the FW BR player, when hooked up to an HDTV, was not as good as a standalone BR player.

 

I think they were referring to the build quality of the disc tray and not that the player is bad, the cd tray is also quite flimsy in my FW.

 

Ok. Yesterday my computer shut off on me. When it happened it just said that the computer shut down unexpectedly or something like that. So it shut down but then restarted. When it came back on a thing said the problem was "bluescreen". What exactly does that mean? I thought a bluescreen was just something that randomly happened to some computers. I thought that it meant that your pc just died. So i said maybe i installed a new program and that i should uninstall it. Well i haven't installed any programs recently. The only thing i did was update my ipod before it happened. Well at least that was the last thing i did. Since it was the first time i was updating the ipod in this computer i had to do the re-sync thing where it erases itself and then updates with the current library. But that's it. When the computer shut off though the ipod was still connected because i was charging it, My sister borrowed my wall charger.

Does anyone know what could of happened? What is usually the cause of "bluescreen"? One other thing is that i remember it saying that i should uninstall some bios programs. I always seem bios mentioned a lot but never knew what it was.

 

samuraisedge....

make sure your ipod isn't connected while your switching on ur machine..

the same things happened to me, but after unplugging my ipod and rebooting, it booted up fine...

 

just a quick question....im thinking about getting a notebook cooler for my fw...

what cooler would u recommend taking into account where the vents are positioned on the bottom of my fw?

 

In the couple of posts that I read, theywere complaining about a fuzzy picture when connected to the HDTV or that the screen size was off on the HDTV. I have not opened the FW or the HDTV... maybe I can go to Best Buy and test it... I don't want to be charged the restocking fee if it doesn't work the way I want it to.

 

Have not done a Bluray, but several other movies - quality and sound are great. See if can test as you describe to see for yourself.

 

Hey guys, just spent a long time researching a new lappy, and finally pulled the trigger on this:

FW390
P8700 core2duo
4gb ram x 2 (8total)
Full HD screen
ATI 512mb video
320gb HD 7200rpm
Extended Battery
BluRay Read only
Vista Ultimate
3 year damage/quick ship warranty
REFURBED
Black

$1540 final with all taxes/ship/etc.


So what do you think, a good deal? I have owned a Fujitsu (1999) still going, and a 2004 Toshiba p25S520, (using it now!), and its time for a new one... I was looking at the Gateway 7805u NEW from BB for $1150, no Bray avail.

I have read a lot of this forum, and wanted to say thanks for all the info. The refurb section has a bunch of great deals, anyone have any issues with refurbed 390's ?

Thanks guys.

DRP

 

Unless you live on the side of a volcano.

Use what I use.......bottle caps from soda or water bottles.

My FW output air is cold all the time, and I am sweating in my room now if that tells you anything.

 

Anyone with problems with their keyboard? Maybe one or two squeaky keys??? I wonder why it started squeaking when i type pretty slow.. LOL

SONY FW 290 CTO

 

i lived in nairobi, kenya....which at the moment is dry and searing heat in excess of 30 degrees.....
that aside, the air coming out of the side vents is pretty toasty, and after prolonged intensive use the bottom of the machine is fairly hot..

just looking for a fw specific cooler to prolong the life of my fw....

may even modify it slightly with the addition of an air filter to stop the cooler fans from blowing dust into my machine..

anyone have any ideas for coolers?

 

well i have to agree that theleft side where the fan is located gets pretty hot during an intensive use(and i don't use it any other way ) but i take it as a good thing as it may mean the ventilation works fine:]

 

Hi.

I've watched a number of BD movies from the FW to/on HDTV, no complaints. Although my setup goes through a AV receiver, picture was sharp and clear.

If you are connecting direct from the FW to the HDTV, you'll need to adjust the LCD Overdrive adjustment to fit the picture/desktop to the TV. That would be from the ATI Catalyst Control Center.

 

Anyone know if it's possible to remove the CD/BD ROM drive in an FW and install a second internal SATA HD in it's place? Are there any kind of adapters that would hold the HD in the laptop properly?

Thanks.

 

Although this is a slightly different computer I got an email from Sony saying that the VGN-FW378 is going on sale thursday for $330 less an ecoupon. I included the link below:

http://epidm.edgesuite.net/CMS/SonyStyle/2009/mar/391534/new/link.html?sssdmh=dm11.122578

 

EDIT: lol at myself

 

Just bought a 378J/B the other day -- it's an incredibly nice screen. 1080 is indeed pretty small on the screen, but I definitely want the resolution. The solution is simple -- just increase the font size to meet your needs. Then you can have all that resolution, for photos, Blu-ray or whatever, yet still keep the text big enough to read easily.

 

Just a quick tip-when you change the dpi fonts in some programs may appear blurred, the solution is quite simple, when you change the dpi to custom-select windows XP style scalling as apparently some apps dont support the vista scalling ]

 

Thanks for the tip! Can't say that I've seen anything amiss, so far....

 

Hypermemory? Isn't that shared system memory? I though the 3650 had 512MB dedicated onboard memory?

 

Geeze! Two days after I order my fw390 I get an email about $330 off a similar one! It would be like getting the same price I paid now but with the addition of a blue ray reader.

Oh well, I guess I wouldnt even use the bd anyway.. and it has a p8600 while what i ordered had a p8700.

Anybody think slaes are suffering at sony?
i ordered an fw, they said it would ship on the 17th, it shipped today. Odd... but im not complaining.

Oh, for randomness' sake, anybody know if the 3650 has any problems running runescape hd?

 

hows the ATI 3650 in the FW like for gaming?
and is it GDDR3, DDR3 or something else?

will my laptop(specs) play Starcaft2 on good settings?
its the only pc i wanted since bfme 2

EDIT: found out the new FW's (mine) comes with the 512mb GDDR3 card.
how does this do on benchmarks(games,3dmark06) compared to cards like the 9600mgt and the GDDR2 256mb version?

i just wish thy had added a 4XXX gpu like the 4650, 4860, 4670 which are all sooo good compared to other laptop gpu's. but knowing sony, thy wont

 

Owais, I'm based in England too, and I'm looking to get the same notebook as you, the FW35V, with identical specs (other than the screen).

Is it that the Radeon HD 3650 uses vRAM? Virtual RAM? Why does it have Hypermemory if it already has 512MB of dedicated?

Yes, shame that Sony haven't refreshed their line with the newer 4xxx GPU range. I guess they want to move older stock first.

 

look up videos on youtube, it handles games VERY well, COD4 maxed, crysis warhead on med settings,

 

i dont sonyt will upgrade the GPU in thr FW, maybe in the nexy model .

3650 512mb has 512mb dedicated but hypermemory aswell. i dont know why but a lot of laptop gpu's have, like the 8600m gt, 9600m gt


so the 512mb GDDR3 3650 runs cod4 on highest settings? it should run SC2 then

 

very nice website to check benchmarks of your gpus and cpus
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Notebook-Laptop-Reviews-and-News.48.0.html

 

May I ask you how you solved the problem? I'm having it as well.

 

I have to say that Sony's customer service ain't half bad. I've had the hard drive, 1080 LCD screen, keyboard and motherboard on FW replaced now so far and it didn't cost me a dime.

I really wished that stuff wouldn't constantly break on my laptop though.

I hope it won't break anymore now that I've basically had the entire laptop replaced except for the plastic shell and the license to Vista.

 

The intake for the fan is on the bottom right of the laptop so people should avoid putting the laptop on carpet or a blanket. It's kind of a bad design decision really. Who doesn't use his or her laptop on the bed?

 

it should be doable. but there should be a bluetooth module in there already. maybe it's just disconnected?

 

The hard drive just died on my wife's FW. I told Sony support what I tested and that the disk was reporting bad sectors. They wanted me to do a factory reinstall of the OS to see if I got an error. So I did and some error number popped up and they typed it into their database and said I had a memory issue. I thought to myself I could care less what their database said and I just wanted a new hard disk. They told me I had to send it in when I just wanted to do a hard drive swap. Their lame system is costing them money and me time. It's pretty pathetic even if the end results I get my laptop back in working condition. Quick swap of a $70 hdd would have been much cheaper for them.