Sony Vaio CB Official Owners' Thread

Thank you MSSXXI and Elektrobix. The gaps in the keyborad seems to be an additional problem to this laptop. I can buy the keyborad cover but prefer to type without it. Has anyone else, who did not buy a keyboard cover, noticed dust/dirt accumulating in these gaps?

thanks.

 

@MSSXXI: what joystick are u using on Street fighter 4 and virtua tenneis 4?
please let me have the link where you downloaded these games pls. thank you

 

See by yourself:



and the videos, as I said:

Super SF4 AE on TV 40 via HDMI - YouTube

Angry Birds Rio TV 40 via HDMI - YouTube

Black Ops on TV 40 via HDMI - YouTube

PS.. remember that I took 2 weeks to make my vaio at this level... so, persists

Best Regards for you all

 

wow! Nice bedsheet??! haha. thanks dude. my problem is where can i get that joystick? what is it called???

 

I would like to know more about joysticks too...Is it good to play first person shooting game like black ops,crysis etc...

I know this not the right place to ask,but can i put a graphics card on my dell studio 1435laptop?

thanks
bipin

 

In any laptop you can get dusty, I also have a skin for the keyboard and is excellent .... on any laptop I use a small brush to remove dust

 

I understand your point. However in that example HP is offering a work around for the AMD problem. It is not solving the problem at all. The problem lies with AMD cards and their switchable graphics not working with open gl. HP's solution to this is to cut out AMD's switchable graphics at the BIOS level forcing manual, dynamic switching is lost NOT fixed. That is as I said a work around and side stepping the issue. It once again further confirms that I have been saying all along that this is an AMD issue, not a Sony or HP issue. Of course Sony should be offering a similar work around, my issue is that people with very little knowledge are consistently misstating the problem and pointing the blame in the wrong direction.

 

I usually get about 3.5hrs with full brightness on my 1080p display. Might be longer I've never actually run out of power. That is browsing, working in fireworks, visual studio etc.

 

@ nasanu

You have the point, but thing is, sony locked the bios, you see? Amd can't work any of solution, when they don't know how the bios lock works, only sony knows it. How would you expect amd would responsible to clear this mess?

 

Better Business Bureau has just sent Sony a copy of my complaint. I just sent The Consumerist website a pretty long article and explanation of the issue with the CB and am currently in the process of filing a complaint with my local Attorney General's division of consumer fraud. If anyone needs help or any information on how to do these things, let me know. If you're unhappy with this laptop at all regarding the graphics, let Sony know. Don't just accept it. If your CB works, great. Enjoy it. Not all of us have working computers, hint hint to the idiot that insists that we do.

 

I haven't really been keeping up with this thread, but I was hoping someone could help--

When I right click on the desktop and click "configure switchable graphics"...nothing comes up. Has anyone else had this issue?

 

Unfortunately, these things in my country would mean much greater hassles for me than Sony. So I would rather depend on folks like you to get the matter solved with Sony.

Best of luck & we all are with you.

 

same with me... it's hard to get attention... and sony would not care, cos they have money on the house

 

AMD's switchable graphics' issues with OpenGL have been known for quite it some time. By the time this laptop line shipped after they were well documented - without proper quality controls on relatively basic functionality. And you're arguing that no fault lies with Sony?

But lastly from your backpedaling from your previous stance of continually denying an issue existed: your own lack of knowledge here is blatant - making your condescension entirely unwarranted and quite frankly, impertinent.

Best,
Cassy

 

Hold up, something is really not right here. So it was well documented according to you, yet you bought it anyway and then decided to complain about it?

And I am not back pedaling at all. A couple of applications have an issue in certain circumstances. There has only been a couple of people on here come forward with problems (discounting the hilarious 'I checked the text and my laptop is broken too despite everything working' posts). Some programs say my AMD card does not work, yet I have not had a single issue with it. There seems to be only a select few people with issues that actually effect the operation of the laptop. Considering how many have been sold and how niche the issues are, this really does not constitute a problem with the laptop.

------------------

BTW taking aim at Sony over consumer fraud is very funny. Please keep everyone updated on that front. Don't stop with filing a complaint, sue them. I remember idiots suing sony over the removal of otherOS from the PS3 firmware. It always starts out all righteous and gun-ho till the judge shows them the door and the back pedaling begins. Very entertaining stuff.

 

@nasanu

The problem is quite devastating for someone who works in graphic stuffs. The amd is not working for openGL programs. You could try WoW in OpenGL ( the default is DirectX ), use google to find how to switch from directX to OpenGL.

The same happens with photoshop, google sketchup, and everything that use OpenGL... Tried everything and still no solutions, would you not blame sony for this? Here's the thing. You bought the laptop from sony. why would you settle thing with amd? You should settle things with sony as sony who sold that product to you... It's just a logic explanation

 

Ah, so there is no backpedaling. Instead you continue to insist there's no issue when everyone else acknowledges that there is one?

Awesome.

-Cassy

 

ok guys..stop fighting

I think we need to wait until I get my vaio CB (within few days, I hope)and see if there are any problems with the graphics

 

I'm trying to develop a face recognition software, but the camera is taking very dark photos making it useless, is there a way to solve this?

 

my vaio is running for 48 hours now, im downloading the harry potter movies.. do you guys thinks it's bad for the laptop?? it's not so hot though.. just fine...

 

in my experience, laptop is used for a mobile function... 48 hours is a bit too much...

 

whaaaaaaaat??!!!! Gosh! it's not heating up though.. no other applications are running except the downloader, the fan is quiet, screen is off most of the time..

i thought it's ok as long as the computer is not overheating..

 

Leaving your computer on for 48 hours while plugged in won't make a difference. But please be careful with what you download.

Best,
Cassy

 

let's see, it may be not interfering now, but, while having it 48 hours, you basically force the hard drive... i think mobile hard drive is a bit weak on the power on hours... remember 55 degree is the max when the hard drive could operating efficiently... more than that, you could expect hard drive failure and you can't trust temp program on hard drive, because it's platter... the inside could be much hotter than the outside

 

thanks cassy, and accel... okay i'll have my vaio rest now..

 

by the way, cassy... are you leaving this forum when you got your replacement? we will miss you

 

when you got yours and tested it, inform us... if you got the same as us, just return it and get DV 6 / 7... much better.

 

Virtua Tennis 4 ony detects the Intel graphics, is that normal? it's running ok though..

 

see if it running on AMD using GPU-Z, if it running on AMD then, it's normal

 

You are not 'forcing the hard drive'. If your computer is on and not doing anything for a while the HDD will be at idle. If you have the correct power settings the HDD will totally power down. Also there is no reason not to trust temperature sensors unless they are defective, I am guessing you have no evidence of that.

Leaving the laptop permanently on (which mine is) may reduce the life of the battery, the only real detrimental effect. You can counter this by running down the battery every few weeks. You need not worry about heat for several reasons. The first of which is that I very much doubt the laptop will be under load for most of the time it is on, if the laptop is not under load then heat generation will be minimal. Secondly one of the main reasons why electric devices are damaged by heat is due to heat cycles. Powering on the laptop, heating it up and then letting it cool is much worse than having it heat up and stay that way. I am not going to go into all the technical details of thermal expansion etc, just don't worry too much about having the laptop on. Something that is going to fail likely will no matter what you do. My dell ran for over 2 years on 24/7. It still works perfectly.

 

since when downloading is being idle? it means you write data on your hard drives and append them... it writes or data on temporary folder... so don't argue if you don't know even that

 

okay, i see it, Virtua Tennis 4 has some readings on AMD GPU , it means it uses the AMD.
hmmm, so... windows 7 is just showing the intel graphics is being used where in actual, it's the AMD... whew, this laptop is really weird...

 

So he is downloading data of infinite size? It will never stop? Even if that is true I very much doubt that the speed of his internet connection will match the speed of his HDD. The HDD will just be doing either small writes or reads every now and then. Most of the time it will just be waiting on the net connection.

Personally I am always uploading something. Yet when I am away from my PC the fan does not usually run, at least not to any extent that I can tell it is running. My dell which had a 7200RPM HDD (just about the hottest running thing you can stick into a laptop) ran for over two years on power uploading torrents. I am sure it could go on for many more years too. Your 48hrs claim is totally baseless and I bet you simply made it up.

 

And you have just hit the nail on the head of the only major problem this laptop has. People come on here and read about the huge issues with the graphics card and get scared. They check their laptop, read incorrect text and then go on to claim that their graphics card does not work correctly also.

Basically if the laptop is working then it is working. You said VT4 was working, you did not have a problem to investigate in the first place.

 

@nasanu

really?

@larry

Could you make a screenshot of gpu-Z while you play angrybirds ? See if this proof shut up this incompetent user... As I told him many times, amd is just not working on openGL programs.

 

If he is playing angrybirds, then what is the problem? I can see it now..

I thought I was enjoying this game, but when I checked another program it told me the wrong chip was processing the graphics. Now I realise that my laptop is broken and thus I can't play.

 

this is where you're wrong..

it's not i can't play, if it is something intel can render perfectly it's no problem. i have DoTA that run on openGL and perfectly run on intel. i haven't complained about it. but if WoW intel can't even render it perfectly in OpenGL. it gives me crap graphics. if you really want a proof, okay, i'll get you a proof... the D3D and OpenGL version World of Warcraft, just wait a minute when i extract and give you the screen shot...

the same exe... just different renderer... Direct X ( default in the first one ) and OpenGL in the second... do you see now? what's working and what's not?

in openGL i felt lags all over... that means AMD is not working or do you need the DX pict of WoW and the OpenGL on login screen? i could provide that as well

you'll see how crap intel in OpenGL

for your information i used the stock drivers for consistency, no hotfix or whatever

and for that reason AMD don't work on many OpenGL programs... see what i'm talking about? anything that use OpenGL can't use the AMD, and many OpenGL application involved in high Graphic acceleration mode.. and when it uses intel, it is liek crap, lags all over, even some advanced option is not functional

 

Lol, if anyone didn't think that "nasanu" was an idiot before, I'm sure they do now. He just said that the hard drive is idle when downloading. Lol, really? It's implied that the user was using 1 hard drive, therefore an open download is constantly writing to the disk, keeping it from being idle/not spinning. Got to love the ignorant.

 

Hi All,

OK relax guys, here my situation:
I'm downloading a torrent of Harry Potter movies (around 19GB), and i'm on 93% complete right now. i only have one hard drive (main) at 5400rpm. my vaio is running for almost 50hrs straight now. No other application is running, just the downloader, the computer is not really hot, the fan is quiet, and as i check the 'task manager', the CPU process is 5% - 11%. is it OK or not?
i set the LCD screen to turn off evry 2 minutes of being idle. but im aware that my HDD is continously spinning because of the download.
From what i know, prolong use of the laptop is ok as long as it doesn't heat up too much? however, i worried a little so i let my vaio rest for a while and continue downloading later haha

 

As for Angry Birds "RIO", the game only works on Intel Graphics, because when i set it to "High performance" OpenGL renderer error is popping up!
I have another version of Angry Birds (not RIO) and it works on AMD gpu

 

And for the Virtua Tennis 4, i set it to "High performance."
When i launch the game it will ask me if i want to config the controller (joystick) and there is also a dropdown of the Graphics card to use, but only Intel graphics is there, then i press OK and the game starts. i run the GPU-Z by the way, it gives readings on AMD graphics.
I'll post a screenshot later. kinda busy right now.

 

Only thing you really have to worry about is wearing your battery down, leaving it on and plugged in for an extended amount of time. But honestly, that's negligible for a two day period. I'd recommend against it for an extended period of time (>1 week) if you don't need to, but that's still more so to err on the side of caution. You could probably run your laptop continuously for the next year and not have any issues with it (though leaving it plugged in for that long will definitely murder the battery's capacity). But if you're constantly writing to the hard drive the chances of that failing go up and up with each and every passing write cycle. The mechanical parts of the hard drive will just eventually give out, increased usage will make this happen faster.

That said, given your usage, you should be fine. Though, it might be advisable to remove the battery (preferably when it's at ~50%) to keep it from overly wearing down

Just try not to get sued by the MPAA.

Best,
Cassy

 

Yes sir. thank you so much

 

Hi guys,

I am still waiting for my vaio cb which is a full HD. But I just read that the text/browsing looks small on this screen cause it is full HD?! while on the normal resolution the text looks bigger. I like the bigger text, is there a way to solve this issue?

I know there is a magnifying tool (down right side of iexplorer) but this makes the whole page huge and you need to scroll both down/up and right/left while reading, will this be the same with Full HD screen?

if I knew this before, i would have selected the normal resolution with normal text size!!! I hope i i will not regret this upgrade!!

 

Well, on browsers you can always press control and move the scroll wheel in and out to zoom in or out. As you said though, this often makes the whole page huge. Fortunately, in most browsers, you can click view ---> zoom ---> zoom text only, which prevents it from increasing the size of pictures/other elements of webpages.

You can also change the default size of windows text in appearance settings.

If it really ends up bugging you though, you can always change your display settings to the lower resolution.

Best,
Cassy

 

thank you Cassy for your quick reply.

It is really helpful to know about the zooming text only. Anyway, I should wait for my vaio and test this.

thanks again.

 

Windows 7 has a native text size increase feature. You can also zoom in on Firefox and Chrome (Don't know about IE, horrible browser and I don't think anyone has used it since 2003). Full HD is better than normal 720 resolution 1000 times over.

 

When you get your Bachelor of IT then come back and argue. And try not to use strawman arguments. I'll try to explain it simply to you:

Lets say the HDD can write at 40MB/s. Lets say you are downloading at 1MB/s. That is 2.5% of the HDD capacity. What you download will be written to memory then every now and then written to the HDD in chunks. Most of the time the HDD is just waiting for enough data to perform another write.

Get it?

 

thank you Yazzinit. May you please let me know how to increase text size on windows 7?

Also, is it possible to increase the size of shortcuts on windows 7, including the lower panel (toolbar)at the bottom of the screen ?

thank you all again.

 

Control Panel>Display. There are options to change the text size. I'm not sure about the shortcuts on the toolbar, they're plenty big as it is.