Sony Vaio Duo 13 Owners Thread

I am starting to get worried, my unit never charges over 80% despite being plugged in. Anyone else having the same problem?

 

It's not a problem.You probably inadvertently activated the advanced battery settings which limit charging to 80% to preserve battery.

 

Sounds like it's Sony's battery care software doing its thing. You can disable that through the settings in Sony Care? Sorry I don't have a Sony in front of me.

 

I was really close to biting the bullet to, but then I noticed that the Canadian store doesn't have an option to build one off of the HD5000 platform... do you think its worth waiting to see if that will come to Canada? Is there much of a difference in terms of performance between the two processors and graphics cards?

 

Many thanks for your reply... In fact, prior to my post, I've already tried everything that you had mentioned, save for the uninstallation of bloatware...

Wondering if I got a lemon... By the way did u notice how long it takes to drop 1%? Thanks again!

Wow that sounds incredible! Did u notice how long it takes to drop 1%?

@all: My power button doesn't make the unit go to sleep, tho i've already set it to do so upon pressing. What else can I do? Thanks

 

IAO...which button are you using to put it to sleep? The one at the bottom front doesn't work for me I use the one at the side, the same one you use for power.

I never really watched the battery, I was really rushing to get a project done...some classmates decided to add to it that night, of course lol.

After I finished I powered it off and plugged it in, unplugged about 2 hrs later so I could head to class (yeah no sleep) turned it on in class around 8:30 am. That Saturday (8/3/13) never powered off since just let it do its thing and as I've needed it ive pushed the quick start at the bottom in front but have not charged it since. I will have to plug in soon if I use anymore tonight.

I'm suffering from a lot of pain right now so I've been using it to distract me, very random searches, typing notes, emails etc. I really haven't 'thought' much while using but I will try to pay more attention.

I have the i7 256 windows pro version. I don't know how to look at a lot of specs you guys talk about on here but I'm trying to learn. Programming is my field at school but maybe I should learn some of the engineering too. Ant course suggestions?

Thanks and ill update as I learn info.

 

Thanks very much for indulging me

Yes, I was referring to the button by the side; never knew there's also a button at the front which you could press to make it sleep.. Aren't they just the volume buttons and Assist button? But in any case my side button doesn't work...

In any case, when you are free/convenient, could you help do a test for me? As in help me time how long it takes to drop 1% on just surfing? Much appreciate it if you could help me. I wanna see if I need to return the set... Many thanks in advance!

 

Ah yes, you both are right. This is my first Sony laptop, my previous one didn't have all these fuzzy lights and whistles. I'm rather curious though, how much does the 80% charge actually affect the battery life of a laptop? Seems Sony claims 50% extra battery life, but I find hard to believe betteries would still suffer from possible effects of overcharging on premium products by 2013

 

Battery Care isn't intended to prevent overcharging. It is intended to prevent accelerated battery WEAR. Li-Ion batteries work best when they are charged and discharged mid-cycle. Older nickel metal hydride batteries work best when they are fully charged and fully discharged. Since all laptops these days use Li-Ion, the fact that many people run the battery to 0% during the day, then charge to 100% over night WILL degrade the battery over time. Additionally, keeping the laptop charged at 100% b/c it only ever sits on your desk while plugged in will also degrade the battery.

The Battery Care feature prevents either of these two issues by preventing you from charging to 100%. I say if you always use the Duo at home, then enable battery care, as it will keep your battery operating in great condition for several years. However, if you are always out and about then use your battery as usual w/o Vaio Care b/c the 20% decrease in available power probably matters more now then potentially facing a 50% decrease in battery capacity 4 years from now. After all, at that point you could always send the unit in to get its battery replaced.

Good news to all the students, teachers, and professionals who use the Duo for PDF annotation. Inking and erasing in the MS Reader app just got a significant under the hood update. Our nTrig eraser is now supported, and the app no longer corrupts ink and force closes when a lot of annotations have been made.

 

Hey guys, I'm about to bite the bullet.

I am selling my Asus Zenbook UX32VD for 1200
-i7 processor
-256gb SSD
-Nvidia geforce 620m
-10gb DDR3 ram
-13 inch1080p display (no touch)
-3.3 pounds

and buying the i5, 256gb, 8gb ram Duo 13
my biggest concern here is that non adjustable screen.
How much has it annoyed you guys so far?

 

The excellent IPS display makes the viewing angle a non issue in my opinion.

Btw does fn + f1 actually do anything for you guys?

 

An excellent answer, thanks a lot for it

 

hello there,

I'm planning to jump the gun on this deal too. So did you order with the 4500U? Shame we don't have option for the 4650U

 

Yes, I got the 4500U. This is plenty for my needs. You are correct that Sony Canada does not offer the 4650. Oh well still a good deal on a great machine.

Note: the 4650 performance appears to be slightly better than the 4500. Even if it were available, I don't believe it would be worth the extra $$ in my opinion.

 

Hey all I tried to do a search in the forum but using my phone didn't pull it up...what app, etc. is the best for notes n such in school?

The button in the front is on the actual screen and I keep tapping it when I grab my device. It's in the same place as the camera but at the bottom n has a symbol on it. Don't really understand its use except for being a 'quick on' button...lol.

Glad to test for you just tell me what you want and how to do it. My device is still pretty basic I've only installed a few apps and MS office so not bogged down yet.

 

I have a question about screen protectors. What are most folks using? I can only find a screen protector on Ebay that fits the 13, and the company appears to be in Hong Kong

 

Onenote is excellent if you're willing to get Office, it's offered in all versions of Office 2013. There is a free Metro version in the Win 8 Apps Store, but that one is rather spartan. The desktop version that comes with Office, though, is feature-rich and works very well with the Duo's handwriting recognition. There are also free mobile apps for OneNote on Android, iOS, and WinPhone that can sync your OneNote notebook and allow some editing options.

 

OneNote 2013. It's perfect ^^
For PDF you can try PDF Annotator.


@greatg
If you buy a customized DUO 13 you have a screen protector option.

 

I'll also vouch for OneNote 2013 desktop version, although I admit I wish the ink selection circle of the free touch version was also present rather than having to get to the ribbon menu to change it

 

Unfortunately, Sony Canada does not have this option...

 

So after waiting for the Samsung ATIV Q, which is apparently not indefinitely delayed, I'm looking to buy a Duo 13. I'll be using it with One Note and it is absolutely essential that the digitizer work flawlessly with One Note. The palm cancellation and initial delay issues some have mentioned really concerns me.

Those who have the Duo 13 and use it with One Note 2013 can you please let me know what your experience with it has been? Is the One Note experience flawless or are there lag or issues with palm input when using the stylus?

Also what about the WIFI situation? Should I expect WIFI issues with this device?

Other than these two issues, I am ready to buy!

 

Anyone in the UK suffering from wifi problems I've just received a email from Sony claiming a fix is on the way in a updated driver here is the txt

Here is the email I received from Sony uk about the wifi problems some of us are experiencing hopefully this will fix the problem

Thank you for your time and patience. According to our second level of support, a new Wireless LAN driver will be released to address and resolve this issue.

You will be notified to install that update by the VAIO update tool as soon as it becomes available.

Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email or contact us via the number below.

Yours sincerely
Tamer Zedan
Sony Customer Support
Sony Europe Limited

 

okay guys, im having A LOT of hesitation buying this laptop. I love it for everything except the screen angle. What were they thinking, it looks so steep, i don't even think the webcam can see the lower half of my face when using it on a desk...compare the steepness to the Microsoft surface or even the DUO 11.

ALSO has anyone tried gaming in tablet mode? like Civilization V for example, does it get hot because the screen is covering some fan outlets?

 

I have not had troubles with WIFI. First thing I did was going through Vaio update so I cannot tell you how much better/worse it was before the update though. The WIFI signal is on par with the rest of my devices so no complaints on my part.

About OneNote usability, I have been using it all week at work. Palm cancelation is not bad, but it seems to require the pen pointer to be near the screen to make sure it acts at it should. Normally this is not an issue, but I have observed that, on the ocassions I place my arm before getting the pen near the screen, I sometimes move the OneNote page a bit (like if you scrolled the page). It has only happened to me 2 or 3 times and it is not severe, but it can happen. It seems to work flawlessly while writting in a continous way and I might be just weird in the way I try to approach my arm to the "paper" the first time

 

I've emailed Sony Canada about the i7-4650u when they announced the Duo 13 here and they said that for now, every model of the Duo 13 were released and they don't plan to release the 4650u here. That could always change that's for sure but right now, in Canada, you can get the i7-4500u model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD for 1519.99+tx (if you don't need Windows 8 Pro) + 2.75% cashback from Redflagdeals or 3% cashback from MBNA Mastercard if you have one. That's one heck of a deal!!! I bought in July the preconfigured i7, 8GB with 128GB for 1699.99+tx!

Needless to say I plan to return my preconfigured Duo 13 (still within 30 days) to configure a new one as I really love my Duo 13. I don't mind waiting 2 weeks if I can save 180$+tx + an upgrade to 256GB!!!

Don't worry about performance of the Duo 13 in tablet mode. It's only the speakers that you cover, not the fan! I can't say for games, But I use my Duo 13 for photos processing and monitored the CPU usage in tablet mode and Laptop while on batteries or plugged in and I saw absolutly no difference, CPU stays a 100% (turbo boost to 2.7Ghz) continuously without any problem in the 4 possible configuration! This things is very well engineered and it even doesn't get that hot and the fan is really not that noisy.

 

That's all very well, but I don't know about anyone else, but here in the UK, when I try to use the vaio update, it says my duo is not recognised.

 

Actually, I believe those two grilles that are covered in tablet mode are vents and not speakers. The speakers are located on the underside of the device on those beveled edges on the right and left.

I agree that using the Duo 13 in tablet mode doesn't decrease performance though, as long as you have the correct profile selected. It would seem that the main cooling vent is the one that blows out the back and does NOT get covered in tablet or laptop model.

EDIT: Aryanenzo is correct, those are not the speakers on the side, the speakers are on the underside of the front.

 

this is where my concern comes from. Its essentially blocking the intakes. Are the vents on the sides also intakes as well? that would make alot more sense.

 

Like I said, those "vents" on the sides are the stereo speakers. It's actually not that problematic for the intakes to be covered up, so long as there is some space for air to get sucked in, and even in tablet mode there is. It would be more troubling if the primary exhaust was covered up, but it sits next to the ports on the back of the Duo, so it never is.

EDIT: Aryanenzo is correct, those are not the speakers on the side, the speakers are on the underside of the front.

 

Yes I'm from the UK and I get the same error, a friend who also has a duo13 also suffers the same problem.On Sony support forum there claiming its a server error and to try it in less busier times

 

the speakers are on the front end of the device where there is a grill mesh and vol buttons.

 

I stand corrected. I just tested a video and you are right.

Upon close examination, I noticed that what I previously thought to be the speakers appear to have some kind of filter underneath the grille. This same filter is present under the grilles that would be covered up in tablet mode, so it may be safe to assume that these serve a similar purpose, which I'm assuming is related to cooling.

 

same for me (Belgium)...this doesn't work... server error my |@#|

 

The Duo 13 Red Edition is now available in the US with the 4650 chip. It's a loaded model with W8 Pro, 8GB Ram, and 512GB SSD for $3K. If I could get it with 256 SSD, I'd consider buying it for $2.5K.

I'm waiting for Sept/Oct, hoping Sony refreshes the Duo 11 ... maybe in red if I'm lucky.


fourth gen Intel® Core™ i7-4650U (1.70GHz / 3.30GHz)
Windows 8 Pro 64-bit
Features: 13.3" Full HD IPS touch display, 8GB RAM, 512GB (512GB x1) SSD, Intel® HD Graphics 5000, digitizer stylus, WWAN, HDMI® out, USB 3.0, NFC

 

I'm undecided what to do. Need the Duo in 2 month but want to buy it now, other question is the WIFI issue that keeps me from buying it. Also a pricedrop would be nice but dont know if I can expect it in about 2 month. What do you guys think?

 

I'm in the same situation as you. I was waiting for the Samsung Q and it was just canceled for now. I did see the Duo 13 once come down to $1025 on Amazon but only for a very short time. Amazon periodically offers discounts on the black version but not the silver white version I want...

Anyone know of any special discounts or coupon codes for the Duo 13? I'm also a bit hesitant about the WIFI issue.

See attachment for discounted Duo 13 that was available for a short time:

 

I want to buy it at the Sony Online Store. I get the student discount and can customize it. I'm not sure if they drop the prices there. Do they? Someone seen price dropping at the online store?

Wow, saw it at the german online store. Yesterday the 256GB SSD was only 80€ off, now the upgrade is totally free.
So it would be now 1.650€ for
4500U
8GB RAM
256GB SSD
Win8
screen protector
4g/LTE

edit// ordered it. Im realy curious about the backlight(screen), backlight keyboard and Wifi :s.

 

Hi,

I am currently staying in SG, as many had mention the price for Duo 13 in SG are severely overpriced (US$1000 diff )

Does any one know if I can order online from US?

If yes, is there any different in the warranty service compare to purchase in SG? ,and
will there be any problem with the power supply adopter, as it is US model?

Thank in advance for any reply!

 

Oh just need you to time on your watch or system time to see how much time passes to get the battery down by 1% by just simply surfing (no other apps/programs running) eg. how long it takes for battery to drop from 100% to 99% while just doing surfing internet. TIA!

 

Hi, i am in Singapore, too. And I also tried to order from the US. Standard sony policy is such that international warranty service is provided for the first year, for which product registration is required, while for the second year, it offers local (in-US, if you purchased it in the US) service only. But I guess you can always extend your international warranty by spending a little more. Not so sure about the power adaptor, though.

I ended up canceling my order from sony.com, because the wait has been too much for me to bear... I tried to order a customized version. After about one month, they couldn't even give me an expected date of shipping.

So I canceled it, and went to JB to get the base model yesterday for exactly S$2000. If you simply look at the price, 2000 for the base model is not cheap compared to the offer at, say Amazon.com. But I am not so sure if this is still true after counting in the exchange rate, the shipping fee and the tax. Furthermore, sony stores in Malaysia offers a bunch of useful stuffs (one year subscription of Office 365, a bag, the official sleeve and a set of head phone), none of which is offered on Amazon.com

The differences between the SG version and the Malaysian one are that, in the Malaysion version, LTE port is not offered, and the app for drawing is not included. Both mean very little to me.

So if you can be satisfied with the base model, which is the only one offered in Malaysia, and can live with the above differences, I suggest you to go take a look in Malaysia.

 

Already bought a duo 13 (black) in Saudi where I work (typing on it now) i7 4500 spec HD 4400 256gb 3G unlocked, absolutely love it, so much so presently visiting my wife in Philly and could not help ordering the admittedly overpriced red edition which I have been drooling over since I saw the YouTube clip about a month ago. Its already shipped should be in my hands by Tuesday which is good because that's the day I head back

 

From searching the threads, it seems like there isn't an unlock method for the US AT&T Huawei LTE modem yet.
Has anyone tried the Huawei tools such as "Huawei Unlocker" or "Huawei Code Tool"?

There's also the free, online tool here: A-ZGSM.COM - ONLINE UNLOCK CODE CALCULATOR
I'm looking at importing an US Duo 13 since Canada doesn't have the i7-4650 or the LTE modem options.

 

Sorry I just seen this...will do tomorrow and let you know what happens.

 

I'm new to this thread, but any comments on real-world battery life? I think I read a review where it said I can expect up to 9.5 hours at 50% screen brightness?

Is it possible to re-install Windows 8 to eliminate all of the bloatware? I'm worried that some important apps and drivers will be unavailable if I were to go down that route.

I forgot to ask if a screen protector is available for the Duo 13?

 

^
Yes, there is a Sony made screen protector for the Duo 13.

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

Having had my Duo 13 for 24 hours, these are my first impressions:

Wifi: Not good, but usable. Definitely better than the description in some posts. Maybe I am a little luckier...

Keyboard: Surprisingly good. The key-travel is indeed shallow, but that is compensated by the forceful feedback. The key sizes seems to be good as well. I have absolutely no complaint whatsoever.

Trackpad: Not good. It's reasonably fine if you just use it as a mouse, but for multi-touch gestures such as zooming, scrolling, app-switching and bringing out charm, its lack of space is obvious.

Screen angle: A bit annoying that it can't be changed. But I expected as much. Am thinking of buying a stand with variable angle to make up for that when in tablet mode.

Windows 8: Excellent OS! It is clearly designed for touch-optimized machines. I am pleasantly surprised. After a few hours of practice, Windows 8 turned out to be so comfortable to use. After so many years (about 6) with Mac, it's time to get back to Windows. Way to go Microsoft!

Onenote performance: Excellent. Palm rest works very well. Inking speed is so fast that I see no lack at all.

It's funny to discover that chrome for Windows 8 does not support pinch and zoom, yet. I am hoping it will get fixed soon.

The only thing I might regret in the future is that I got the i5 version. I would recommend getting i7 simply for the purpose of future proof. But so far everything seems fine. Very happy with it.

 

any feedback guys

 

Has anyone installed a fresh copy of Windows from scratch with the Duo 13? I see the Sony support Web site lists drivers and applications for the Duo 13 so you can install what you like. I generally like to do a clean install install of Windows whenever I buy a new computer but I wanted to make sure this has been dune with the Duo 13 and you do not loose anything critical by going this route.

The Duo 13 is shipped with Artrage Studio. I see nowhere on the Sony support site to download this. So if you do a clean install of the Duo 13 where would you get this? Any other applications not included in the Sony support Web site?

 

May I ask how the backlight keyboard is? Good lightning or at some points brighter than others? Picture would be nice