Official VAIO SR Series Owners Thread

ok, partly fixed my own issues. I booted Windows with the option of allowing unsigned drivers and the blu-ray drive is recognized and works fine. still no luck on the SM Bus controller

 

me again, haha.

ok, I fixed the SM bus controller thing with an update from intel's website. The blu-ray drive goes back to unrecognized on a normal boot... darn.

For anyone looking for laptop stickers (1080p, etc..) check out ebay


*edit - fixed the drive issue too by disabling the driver signing, and enabling test drivers install.

I win

 

Did anyone here upgraded their hard drive yet?

 

HI ALL!!! Glad to find a SR user thread.. I am from Singapore and am just gona get it before the end of the week.

The variant I am after is the SR26 (VGN-SR26GN) in silver

Specs are as follows :
- Vista Business (Win XP install disc supplied)
- Core 2 Duo P8400 (2.26 GHz)
- Mobile Intel PM45 Express Chipset
- 1066 MHz Processor sys bus
- 800MHz Memory Bus
- 3MB Cache Memory
- 4GB DDR2 SDRAM (promo upgrade)
- 250GB Serial ATA 5400rpm
- DVD +- RW / +- R DL/RAM drive
- ATI Radeon HD3470 (256MB dedicated video memory)
- 13.3" wide WXGA
- High speed USB 2.0 x2
- HDMI output x1
- Memory stick slot, SD mem slot
- 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Fingerprint sensor x1

It is priced at SGD2,377 (approximately U$1,590)

ANybody successfully done Windows 7 installation on the system and did not encounter any problem?
I am thinking of installing the beta version on this baby as I've read that it is more stable (generally speaking). I intend to do that but will probably need to do more search on the steps I need to take as well as precautions. (if anybody can give me a link, I will be most greatful).

Do you guys uninstall all the SONY s/ws to speed things up and to get better battery life?

Am excited about getting my hands on it soon!!!

Am currently using a ASUS W5F bought in 2005.. got rather bored with it.

 

Hi all SR190 users!

There is a new BIOS update on Sony's US esupport web site!

ftp://download.sony.com/US/pc/AIBSYS-00166696-US.EXE
"This utility updates the BIOS to version R0290Y1 and resolves the following issues:

Issues resolved that may occur when using Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system:

* Yellow exclamation point error Device Manager Exclaimation Point Error that may appear in Device Manager next to "Docking Station" after restarting the computer when it is connected to the docking station
* No display on the LCD screen when the computer is disconnected from the docking station while the display is set to CRT only mode
* The LCD brightness setting may not be retained after restarting the computer

Issues resolved that may occur when using either Windows XP or Windows Vista® operating system:

* Battery status may be incorrectly reported which may cause the computer to shut down unexpectedly"

It should fix the wrong battery life prediction problem!! (finally!!!!!!!!!!)

try it out and see if it works! (i hope it does...)


and there is also a ""No Disk" Error Patch"
ftp://download.sony.com/US/pc/SOAOTH-12345678-US.EXE
This utility resolves an issue where starting Microsoft® Works word processor, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft PowerPoint® may cause a "Windows - No Disk" error if removable media is connected to the computer.

 

I just placed an order a week ago (it's still processing right now and havent shipped out yet )
I will report back when I get it!

 

tony, do you know if the SR's hard drive is 1.5 or 3.0 Gb/s

 

the SR is SATA2
so it's 3Gb/s

 

Hi Tony!

I gave it a go and so far so good (I hope it's not a case of saying that too early).

I'll try to check if the BIOS update resolves the battery drain issue.

Thanks for the info!

 

No problem!
keep us updated!
I don't have my SR to test it on right now

 

how come sonystyle doesn't let you configure the SR with the ATI anymore? the only way to get it with the ati is the pre-built models only. WTH?!

 

I read that some of the users of SR actually convert their Vista from a 32bit installation to a 64bit one.. What is the primary purpose of doing so and the benefits of that? Hope to be enlightened regarding this. Thanks

 

thanks, is there any brand or model you could recommend that has silent hard drives.

 

You can use all 4GB of ram in a 64bit OS (instead of just 3GB in 32bit)
and 64bit is faster than 32bit

Umm I have always used Western Digital hard drives, cause they give good performance..
But if you want a quiet hdd, i would say go for a Hitachi, or go for a SSD

 

Thanks Tony for your reply. Can I check if its difficult to do? Do you know any thread that gave provide a step by step guide? Does the CD that comes with the SR contains 64bit installation?

Sorry for my qns if they are silly... Thanks.

 

is there a free upgrade for 64 bit from 32 bit? i currently have the home premium.

 

Most laptops in 2009, but all sony's as far as i know, do not come with any disks. (you must make your own back-up discs) If there is an included Cd, it's most likely just a Windows XP downgrade disk that comes for free if you buy Vista business. To install a 64-bit Vista, you will have to get your own copy.. and download the 64-bit drivers off sony's support page.

 

Hi all and thank you for the wonderful forum. I may be picking up a pre-spec SR290 this weekend.

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 Cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium

Model Features: 3GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive and ATI graphics with 256MB vRAM


I would greatly appreciate any advice you may have for new users. For instance, I am planning to do a semi clean install
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=146033. Are there anything else I should consider doing?

Any specific programs I should remove or install? I would like to remove as much of the bloatware as possible.

Thank you in advance!

 

Thanks tbp27... I reckon that from the back up I've created, that would be my quick fix to the original factory settings? How many DVD -r or +r do I require?

Regarding Vista business 64bit OS platform and drivers, those need to be downloaded from the MS site and burned onto a DVD then used during 'boot from cd/dvd drive mode'? Or do I need to get it from MS directly?

 

I am not an owner of an Vaio SR but rather a soon to be owner of some Vaio of some sorts. Haha. I called Sony the other day. Tried to get some clarification on why I can't CTO the SR to with a T9600 and a 256 ATI Graphics card. He stated that within the next 3 or 4 weeks Sony will be rolling out a new SR model. Most likely a SR390 instead of the current SR290.

Currently Sony has the FW rolled out with a T9800 and 512 graphics. Although they probably will not make 512 mb of graphics available in the little SR model. I would love to see the T9800 available through a SR CTO.

I am leaning on two different models:

FW-390CTO
T9800 processor
512 mb of graphics
blu ray read/write drive
minimal hard drive (I will upgrade this myself to save money)
minimal ram (I will upgrade this myself to save money)

OR

SR...(new model they will roll out with soon)
T9800 processor (I hope, if not then a T9600)
256 mb of graphics
blu ray read/write drive
minimal hard drive (I will upgrade this myself to save money)
minimal ram (I wil upgrade this myself to save money)

So I am still teetering on these two models. Both are outstanding units. My real deciding factor I guess is weight. Obviously the SR is going to win that battle. However, for the money the FW with those specs will come out cheaper than a SR because of the premium you pay for portability.

Now that I wrote a complete breakdown. I have not ever owned a laptop. Considering that. I am a pretty fit young guy, is a 6.7 lb FW going to be that much big of a difference compared to a 4.14 SR? This laptop will be used for a mix of school and home use. Using a backpack style laptop case for transporting. Let me know. Thanks guys.

 

SR, the weight difference is huge, you won't want to carry 6.7lbs around especially if you're carrying it to school. i like to hold my laptop and walk around while reading an article or something, mine is about 5 lbs and i think it's a little heavy

think of the FW as a desktop replacement that can still be moved without much hassle when needed. the FW is an excellent laptop, but i dont think it's what you're looking for

 

Anyone have more info on this new SR model? I just ordered a CTO SR290 but would sure like to know more about this new SR before I decide whether to keep it.

 

Probably processor upgrades like the P8700, P9600 and maybe 4000 series ATI graphics.

 

there are lot of programs to uninstall and services to turn off. after going thru it thorougly i was down to 54 running processes - which is said to be just bout 9 or 10 above a clean install.

go thru the blackviper vista tweaks as well as the Vista tweak thread on the Notebookforums site itself.

 

Just call Sony up and ask one of the sales reps about it. Thats what I did. Don't mention that you have already made a purchase of course.

 

it's ridiculous. i also entered the site to make a purchase but i couldnt configure a model with ati GP and the current configs dont have a HDMI output. only the model 290NTB have a HDMI output but it's out of stock. i think sony doesnt want to sell notebook and this makes me to switch studio xps 13.

 

Does anybody know how to clean the keyboard without damaging the keys with harsh cleaners? Oil spots are so hard to remove..

 

Any idea on what the new SR series will bring?

 

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (English Version) with Service Pack 1 / Genuine Windows Vista® Business (English Version) with Service Pack 1


Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40 GHz)*1*2
Intel® WiFi Link 5100
Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset
Hard Disk Drive
320 GB*5 (Serial ATA, 7200 rpm)

Graphics Accelerator
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3470
Dedicated Video Memory
256 MB

Bundled Battery
VGP-BPS13A/B Lithium-ion battery: up to 3 hours of use

 

Btw, does anybody know how to turn off the display screen using a shortcut?

 

Thank you! With the upcoming release, I wonder if Sony will reduce the current SR prices further to move inventory?

 

no new graphics card, the FW refresh didn't get a new card, so why would the SR get one.

 

Has any one been able to enable VT on the SR?

I have the SR 290, I want to be able to run OSX in VMware to try it out.

BTW, is any one using Hackintosh with the sony vaio SR?

Thanks!
Roman

 

Hi. I got around to testing if the BIOS update fixes the battery drain issue. Sadly, it didn't.

 

That's the SR290JTH model. That's currently up.

Well, I do know that they need to desperately fix there CTO options on the SR290. You can't get a blu ray player or a ATI 3470.

RAM and Hard drive I could care less about. I can do that myself. Even the processor I can do myself. But the player and graphics cards are definitely not. Unless I can find a blu ray drive for the SR290 on ebay or something. Which I highly doubt.

I know for sure though that the new CTO options will have the ATI 256 mb card on it. As far as everything else goes. Who knows. 3 or 4 weeks and we shall all know.

 

The CTO option worked well for me b/c I don't need BluRay and I prefer the Intel graphics (no gaming and want longer battery life). And like you, I will upgrade the HDD and RAM myself.

The CTO I ordered shipped a few days ago even though the estimated shipping time still said 2/3/08.

Also, I talked to a sales rep about the new SR 300-series - he was a little evasive but basically said it is a refresh and there will be faster processor options. Didn't sound like much else would be changed.

 

Just spoke to the Sony people again.

SR390 is tentatively scheduled for release on Feb. 8th. Although he did say it also could be the 5th or the 15th depending if things go smoothly or if they have some hiccups.

 

Cool. Did they give you any more clues about new features?

 

Nope no specs yet. They all claim that they are all in the dark on this one. I did go to the Sony store in the mall. Talked with them a bit. The retail guy told me that they have a Sony Backstage tech person that can see all the specs of all the laptops both current and in the near future.

Maybe if I get sometime this weekend I'll see if I can have a chat with him.

 

i just use battery care function, cap at 80% and have not experienced any leak whatsoever.

I like this option because it will hopefully make my battery last longer in the long run and it seems to "fix" the battery leak issue. I probably loose nearly 1 hour of life though by doing this..since I have the extended battery...seems like every 6 percent or so is roughly 45 Min on vaio max batt with wifi off, screen half bright.

 

Does anyone know what cause battery drain? Is it the laptop itself or the bios

 

Anyone have the sr290 with the ati graphics card? If you do and you go to http://forum.boxee.tv, is the header bright lime green or a duller green?

I think the color issue I have for the sr290 is due to the ati graphics card. Went to the Sony store and the sr290 had the same problem, but the Z with nvidia was showing a nice bright green. I wonder if Sony can do anything about this.

 

Maybe playing with the saturation setting in the ATI control center would help some.

Gary

 

I would say its a duller green

 

I am looking for a notebook that should be used as a modest Digital Audio Workstation. The Vaio SR looks good. I was wondering if anybody could help me out by running dpclat and reporting the results.

The tool can be found here:
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

 

How do I adjust saturation? Maybe I'm missing something, but can only see saturation in the AVIVO options.

Edit: Nevermind. I think I found it. It helps a little, but messes with some of the other colors. I'll have to keep playing with it.

 

Under ATI Cpntrol Center go to Notebook Panel Properties and find Avivo Color section. There, you can deal with Saturation and Hue without changing settings for video playback in the other section you mentioned.

Gary

 

Hi, i'd like to know few things about the vaio sr 21m/S but i think that the battery life is basically the same so how long can the sr last without wifi and with the lowest brightness (basicaaly the stamina mode)
can we play to GTA IV with this computer?? does the laptop gets really warm!!

thanks a lot

 

Check this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=295866

hope that helps... by the way, there's a post there by Navarro on GTA IV.

 

Is there or will there be an SR update anytime soon?