Official VAIO FW Series Owners Thread

Thanks but I expected too much from Sony. I got a call today saying that my laptop is ready to be picked up and the "technician" said there's nothing wrong with it. I don't see how there's nothing wrong with a screen defect, I mean none of my other LCD screens in the house have this problem. Either way, I'll go pick up my laptop later on today and talk with this so-called "technician". There's no way I'm leaving my laptop the way it is.

EDIT: The lady from the tech center called again saying that she talked with the supervisor and agreed to replace the screen, so it's gonna be a little bit longer until I go pick it up.

 

My FW390 is connected to my HDTV via HDMI. Everytime I turn on the laptop, it defaults to 1920 x 1080 on my HDTV screen. This makes the text too small so I always manually change the resolution to 1280 x 720. However, whenever I turn on my laptop again, it automatically reverts back to 1920 x 1080. Is there any way to get the laptop to memorize that whenever it is connected to my TV it should display in 1280 x 720?

 

In Catalyst Control Center, isn't there a force resolution option?

 

Thanks, but that didn't work. It still reverts to 1920 x 1080.

 

Do Vaio's still have virtualization disabled? Why on earth would Sony do this, especially now that we know Windows 7 will use it for XP mode.

 

My FW390CTO arrived on Friday. I took 1 weeks to get it. The shipping to canada only took two day and I selected the standard shipping method.

I ripped the clean Vista installation from the hidden partition and did a clean install. Everything works great including the FN keys with OSD.

The price is Canada is more expensive. But I upgraded the RAM and harddrive myself so that kept the cost low.

The FullHD screen is amazing. Not a big deal but mine also came with three free Bluray movies - Hitch, Surfs up, Casino Royale.

FW390 CTO - P8600 2.4 Ghz | 4 GB ram | ATI 3650 512MB | Titanium Grey | 320 GB 7200rpm | Full-HD | Vista 64bit

 

It's wonderful. I'm looking forward to get my one in 2-3 days. Do you have Vista clean iinstall instruction?

 

how are the speakers on the fw390? compared to hp dv5t altec lansing? or hp hdx 16t with subwoofer? are they good?

 

Good question, some of the reviews for the FW 100 series noted that the speakers were anemic, are they any better with the 300 series?

 

Wouldn't they be the same...since their the same series (FW)...??? Mine suppose to come today...its already here in my city (since yesterday afternoon) but still UPS is deciding to ship it on Monday....I hate UPS...lol

 

Well i would expect minor upgrades with each refresh...Like how they went from a Radeon 2600 to a 3600, ect.

 

Check out this thread - what I used - works well.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=292475

 

I actually used this one. The suggested method is different. It worked for me just fine.

 

I can't compare them to the HP or others. The speakers are not bad. Not the best but not bad.

 

That is great. Could you do me 1 favour before you do the clean install? Could you check to see if Adobe Photoshop Elements is preinstalled on your machine. I could not find it on the recovery partition. Thanks

 

Hi there,
I own a fw11s with 4gb ram. Does anybody know if it is possible to install 2x4gb ram, although the specification says 4gb ram max.

 

@ bobaboba: I believe this is possible, although I have not tried it myself.

 

Hey everyone, just wanted to link to a handy On Screen Display (OSD) application for everyone who has installed win XP on their machine, and has lost the sony OSD but still has volume button functionality.

http://matt.malensek.net/software/documentation/3RVX.html

This works great for me, and alos is highly and easily skinnable, so you can make it look however you want...even the same as the original sony OSD.

 

has to be possible, the FW ships with 8 gigs of ram if you order it with 8 of ram.

 

On the 200 and 300 series, yes, but with the 100 series they only shipped with 4gb. You may want to check if the chipset supports it, or the easiest way to find out would be to contact Sony.

 

hi
does anybody know about display on fw36gj/b?
it is 16.4" wide (clear bright LCD "rich colour') Full HD: 1920 * 1080.
my problem is about lamps. is it dual lamp or single lamp?

thanks.

 

The full hd are dual lamps

 

Yes, I'll check it for you. My laptop is late and I'll hope to get it tomorrow.

 

Actually don't worry about it. I checked Sony's website and the Adobe software is an add-on.

 

thanx alot

 

My Vaio FW27J have a small problem with keyboard. Whenever I type the following character, it's duplicate
^ ~ ' "

For example : I type ^ it will become ^^, or I type ~ it will become ~~

Does anyone know how to fix it problem !!!!

 

Can anyone post pictures of Fw ?
Simple Reviews ....
=P

 

The Sony Computer Outlet is running a sale until May 30th: 10% off all items.

You can do a triage by "notebooks" and "type of deal" on the site and choose "clearance" if you want items that are new rather than refurbished. There are several FWs of all the incarnations, 100, 200, and 300 appearing there.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...0151&langId=-1&N=4294966348&searchType=outlet

In addition, this site tells you how to get a Sony Visa card for an automatic $100 off and another $200 off on subsequent purchases: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...1&categoryId=8198552921644556901&N=4294966370

Enjoy!

 

That's FW190, FW290, and FW390, although the 390's, of course, are rarer. The 290's and 390's in the clearance are customized systems. It is my understanding that "customized" or "configure to order -CTO" were assembled for persons who did not complete their order and are therefore new (with sometimes unusual configurations). Refurbished are, of course, refurbished.

Happy hunting!

 

Clarification I forgot to mention that the 10% is calculated in the cart and not on the SonyStyle Outlet site itself.

Apologies for the multiple posts.

 

About Sony Outlet posted prices:

They basically seem to reflect the deals that were in place when the system was originally configured. This means that by shopping around in the Outlet you may actually find a computer that is much more powerfully configured for much less money.

It takes time going through all of the "details" on each of your preferred model, but in the end it can be worth hundreds of dollars to read each set of configurations specs thoroughly. I suggest the "grid" view for easier shopping on a page.

Don't forget about the 10% education discount (or any other employer, etc. discount code) on top of the Outlet sale's 10%.

OK, I think this really is my last posting on the SONY Outlet sale!

 

hi
do you know about "RICH COLOUR" in this model?
(FW36gj/b 16.4" wide Clear Bright LCD [rich colour] Full HD 1920*1080) is it hi colour or eco?
thanx.

 

Basically, from what I have been able to tell from all of the Websites at the USA SonyStyle site, the XBrite-Eco screen on the FW series is at the 1600x900 resolution; the XBRITE-FullHD (said a Sony Sales rep) is the new name for the former Hi-Color (which is now withdrawn as a screen type because it was a dual-lamp at the 1600x900 resolution). It is at 1920x1080 that one gets the full high def picture ratio, ergo "FullHD". The higher resolution screen has the dual lamps (FullHD) and the lower resolution screen has one lamp (Eco).

But it is nearly impossible to get Sony to commit to all of that in print in one place. This is the best compilation from Sony I have been able to locate to date: http://backstage101.learningcenter.sony.us/tutorials/transcript.jsp?courseId=91114

Outside of the US, I have noticed that the metaphorically chosen terms are different. But, for reading reviews at foreign sites like the German www.notebookcheck.com, it seems that the higher resolution is the dual lamp no matter what it is called. "Rich Colour" sounds a lot like "Hi-Color" which, at that resolution, is the FullHD.

 

Hi all-
My daughter is off to college this September and we been looking for a lap top for her. We went to BB and her roadtests of the various laptops she chose a Sony CS line. After research it looked like the Z series was a better laptop. Then we went to the Sonystyle store and saw the FW. Its a little big for classroom but she (we) were blown away by the graphics. Has anyone made a choice between the z690 and the fw390?

 

FW vs. Z -- you are talking apples and oranges. For starters, the FW series is far more economical but bare bones compared to the options on the Z series. FW is an entertainment computer which is, as the Germans called it, an "all-rounder"; the Z is smaller, lighter by half and aimed at the business market.

Here are all the details on the specs available on each:

https://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/...setStore/pdf/VGN-Z690CTO_spec_sheet_FINAL.pdf

http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/S...etStore/pdf/VGN-FW390CTO_Spec_Sheet_FINAL.pdf

 

Hi, guys!
I got my new Sony FW-390CTO and reinstalled the Vista HP64. I enjoy my new laptop . If you have some questions, you are welcome!

 

Photos of your new toy ! = )

 

thank you derrida.
i found that it is 16.4" wide Clear Bright LCD [rich colour] TFT Full HD 1920*1080 display.
I hope that it will be hicolour

 

If your resolution is 1920x1080 - it's the full HD (hi-color) - great screen by the way. Have it on my 285. Vibrant colors, great viewing angles, lots of screen real estate. Text size is a personal choice, some say small, but I like it.

 

The FW series is more aligned to a desktop replacement - altho portable (I travel with mine for business) doubt I'd want to drag to daily to classes. Now if she plans to take notes and leave it primarily at her desk, yes nice capabilities etc built into this machine.

 

I have an FW I got for my second year of university and I take it to all my classes. I use it for everything: notes, projects, studying, games, movies, etc. It's not that big or heavy as people claim.

 

hi i have the sony vaio FW21L i've had it a few months now and i must say its a great laptop.

just a few questions, one does anyone know if this model has the eco screen or the full hd screen? as ive been reading the threads and i was quite curious.

also does anyone know of any tricks to tweak the hd3470 card, or get the best proformance out of it. it runs my favroite games like fallout 3 and cod 4 well but i would like to be able to see them in better quality if possible until something like the asus xg station external gpu materialises itself in the shops

any help would be appreciated

thanks lewis

 

Thanks for the replys. I'm going to let her decide. I did like the size of the Z, but it did seem more for business applications. When I customize the FW with the high end options, it gets just as pricy as the Z. Is the high end chip set and 4gb ram make a substancial performance difference?

 

http://www.laptop-pc.org.uk/category/sony-laptops/page/4/

Scroll down at the review site above and the dual-lamp technology is confirmed for this model. Dual-lamp = Hi-Colour if 1600x900 and FullHD if 1920x1080.

 

so i have the non eco screen? if so im pretty chuffed with that thanks for the link

 

The 4gb RAM will help running Vista (and it is actually going to be available in full, as the FW comes with Vista 64-bit). You might be better off configuring a CTO with the least possible amount of RAM (2x1GB) and getting a quality 2x2GB set like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231156

It is very easy to replace the RAM - you just need a screwdriver and 2 minutes.

You can do the same for the hard drive - configure with the smallest possible (160 GB) and upgrade to something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136280

HDD installation is also very easy, but you will need to reinstall Windows from the recovery disks.

Getting the ATI Radeon video and the FullHD screen is a must - this is what makes the FW special. A Blu-Ray read drive (BD-ROM) would complete the entertainment capabilities of the laptop.

Choosing the processor is a little bit more complicated.

I would stay away from the T6400 - only 2GHz with only 2MB cache - it would instantly become the bottleneck of the machine.

For every day computing the best value for money is the P8600 - substantial speed increase and 3MB cache plus energy efficiency for only $100 more.

If you will do computer intensive tasks - video editing etc., then you would need to jump to the two T-series processors with 6MB cache - much more powerful, but also more demanding on the battery.

Overall the most balanced configuration is the pre-configured FW-373J, which will have everything you need:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834117857

Actually if you don't mind open-box items this would be a great deal:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834117857R

 

Sony expects you may be wanting to upgrade your hard drive and it gives you instructions for the FW at http://www.docs.sony.com/release/994657100_VGNFWseries_HDD_CRU.pdf

However, they don't offer similar instructions for memory, but they do for optical drives. (cf. support site for the 2 series http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=VGNFW290&LOC=3). Of course, they have a conflict of interest in wanting you to purchase memory from them....

 

You are correct, even the Users Guide "warns" the reader that upgrading the memory is a risky task and should be done in a Sony Authorized Service Center. They are implying the risk of electro-static damage when handling the memory modules, but it is transparent that they try to get the customer to come back to them for overpriced services.

The current FWs ship with the mediocre Qimonda memory with pathetic timings (6-6-6-18). It is understandable that Sony wanted to get the cheapest memory for their OEM offering - after all they just reported a $1-billion losses - but using memory from a company in bankruptcy raises some questions.

The above instructions for replacing the HDD and ODD are actually for customers who have a failed drive within the warranty period and opt to get a replacement in the mail, which they will install themselves.

 

Actually, I fear that that review may be in error. Unfortunately, none of the official Sony spec sheets are clear on this. And I have found other reviews of FWs in general where the reviewer simply assumed dual-lamp technology.

The American 2 series of the FW is called the FW290 and the official spec sheet does not show any HiColor available at the 1600x900 resolution, as it was for the FW190 series: http://www.docs.sony.com/release/SPECS/VGNFW290CTO_mksp.pdf

And with the lower-end T5800 processor of the FW21L (as opposed to the P8600 of the FW21M), if your model has a 1600x900 resolution screen, assume it is the equivalent of the XBRITE-ECO and not the XBRITE-FullHD. Unfortunately, European models all seem to use X-Black for both types of screen, signaling that a dual-lamp version is available but not clearly indicating which is on which retail configuration ( http://vaio.sony.co.uk/view/ShowPro...&category=VN+FW+Series&assetid=1218032875460).

So, again, if your screen resolution is 1600x900, it's an Eco single-lamp. Sony probably realized that advertizing 16:9 on a screen that wasn't full HD was problematic and so decided to consolidate its dual-lamp screens to the higher true full hi-def resolution.

Sorry....

 

Concur - I travel with mine frequently - Much lighter than the old 15" HP I had. Still - it is larger notebook and may not fits everyone's definition of "portable". Mine is business oriented - wish I could use all the time at the office...