Sony X Series Official Owners Thread

Let me know if your impressions are the same as mine. I've been using it for a few days at home, daily, and I'm not yet sure if I'd replace my (currently getting fixed) Z with it.

As for the 1080p video playback, I'd recommend taking a look at the instructions posted at the Pocketables forum here. You need the Cyberlink codecs (from PowerDVD) set to "DXVA" hardware acceleration. Flash hi-res video seems popular in the States through Hulu and the like, but here in Japan (or at least in the Tokyo metro area), 1-seg is much more common. Even the VAIO P is available with a tuner (though they don't currently have that option on the X).

 

H.264 encoded video is absolutely smooth at 720 and 1080p, and uses 30-40% CPU. However, I haven't figured how to get subtitles working yet using the acceleration. Actually, lower quality MPEGs and Quicktime files are tougher on the machine than HD H.264 content.

 

dimension6 Thanks for linking us to those photos. Very Nice and Cool X. Are the keys about the same as the Z? Since you have both, any chance you can do a side by side photo of both of them next to each other? If I decide on this, I'd be using it strictly for Web, Word, Powerpoint, Email. Were you the one that said, "switching applications was a pain"?

I'm going to SonyStyle next weekend to check it out. I like the design. I hope the next Z borrows some of the design features of the X. I just can't figure why Sony made the bottom portion of the X brown and not went all black? I guess there's a reason for everything.

Thanks again for the photos.

 

As soon as I get the Z back, I'll take a side-by-side photo. The Z looks huge compared to the X. Actually, my Bluetooth mouse makes the X look tiny! If you're planning to use it for web browsing, Word, Powerpoint, and email, then I'd say this machine is for you. Adobe CS4 even runs at a usable speed (Photoshop loading time is around 13-14 seconds). I'm glad Sony has only made this available with an SSD. Actually, this might be the first laptop that's totally designed around an integrated SSD.

Switching applications is fine memory and CPU-wise, but the redraw of the application on the screen is a bit laggy (a second or so from the minimized state). I assume this is the case with any Atom/GMA 500 netbook, but it's perhaps more pronounced with the higher resolution of this screen.

Does anyone know if this uses the exact same screen as the TT? It looks awfully similar (which is a good thing).

 

how? i tryd to play x264 media with CCCP and totally slowmotion...

 

You need to extract the Cyberlink PowerDVD drivers and use those, as described in the instructions at the Pocketables forum.

 

@dimension

I remember that you said that you had a P as well...could you describe how more big is the X? A picture if you still have the P, would be great.

From your pics, it seems that the footprint of the X is quite big, how the Z seems huge compared to it?

 

dimension do you have a link to this forum can't found it!

 

http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=2278

 

@dimension : did your Vaio X came with the dummy plastic SD and MS card in the slots like on the P ? Mine didn't ...

 

It's GREAT to hear that Photoshop runs... I'm curious - if you had Outlook '07 running, and launched Photoshop and InDesign - does it get bogged down or are you able to switch between applications without having to wait 10-15 seconds at a time? I generally have three apps running, with the occasional Word/Excel, so I'm very curious...

 

From a footprint standpoint, the X is roughly the width and depth of a regular netbook. It's just extremely thin (many TIMES thinner than the Z!) and lightweight.

No dummy cards here either. I guess Sony was trying to save weight

Since I have Web Premium, I tried opening Photoshop and Dreamweaver at the same time as Outlook 2010 (technical preview from Microsoft Connect) and Firefox. There was certainly no lag of 10-15 seconds switching from them; only the usual second or two to redraw the window from a minimized state. I think the 2GB of memory and SSD help with application switching. The X won't be fast if you're loading it down with huge graphic files, but it's nice to know that it can perform most tasks decently in CS4.

I'm pretty sure that Sony's decision to use the Atom instead of the ULV comes from technical constraints rather than cost constraints. I guess they tried it with a ULV and decided that the reduction in battery life and increase in heat weren't worth it. I myself would have rather had a slightly larger machine with a ULV (the TT is too large), but the Atom is suitable for many people.

One thing I'd like to reiterate is the recommendation to use Windows 7 Basic theme if you're testing this machine out. Aero is almost unusable on the GMA 500.

I noticed Sony is offering this with WiMax (probably the Intel 5150 or 5350 chips). This would be a good upgrade, as they've been ramping up the WiMax infrastructure recently here in Japan. Also, the Intel chips would finally offer access to the 5Ghz wireless A/N band. I'm disappointed that I can't currently connect the X to the 5Ghz radio in my Cisco 1252 AP (I haven't gotten over 1MB\sec with the Atheros chipset currently in the system).

 

Its out in Canada. Looks to be the base model only. I like how misleading one line is, "17 hrs...not bad for a system just 1.6lbs (standard battery) blah blah blah...LOL"

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/se...Id=1007050&navigationPath=32009n100299n100724

If I couldn't get my Z to run W7 flawlessly this was one of my option. But since it did and with some tweaks and some light workload, I can easily get 9-10 hrs on my Z, the X doesn't look as interesting anymore. If only they have a 64bit version, otherwise it feels like a step back.

I can see where this fits in. It is clearly not intended as a primary unit. I cant see it being very functional. Its more like a suit and tie, not worn for function, but it sure looks slick.

 

I agree it does look slick, especially the lid and keyboard area. I just don't like the brown base. I can't wait to see it at the SonyStore this weekend. How much smaller are those keys compared to the Z? Or are they the same?

 

The keys are definitely smaller than the ones on the Z, and they are more flush.

 

Well I got to play with the X series notebook at the Sony Style store in Millenia Mall in Orlando, Florida. I must say, it was a sick little notebook and I am definitely glad I pre-ordered it. I used a black one with the 2.0ghz processor and the 64 ssd and it preformed well enough for my needs which aren't many in a computer, basically, microsoft office, internet, and itunes. It ran all those functions well imo.

 

Do you have the option enabled to animate windows restore and min ?

if so could you switch it off and report if this causes the screen to instantly redraw... thanks..

computer>properties>Advanced system Settings>Performance>settings>[Animate windows when minimizing and Maximizing]

 

I forgot about that...it's been awhile since I've had a computer with a slow enough GPU to require switching these things off! Switching windows definitely becomes faster without the (unnecessary) animation, though the actual windows still take a bit of time to redraw. Things like scrolling in Firefox are also sometimes affected by the slow redraw. This doesn't hinder usability much, though.

 

To the VAIO X owners : which case are you using to carry it ? The leather case is not yet available in France.
Thanks

 

I have ordered the VGP-CKX1 leather carrying case directly from Sony Style UK. It will be delivered before the laptop hehe.

 

So far, I'm just putting it in my briefcase with the included thin cloth sleeve. I might order the leather case along with the X battery when it's out, but I'd like to see it before buying it. I have the leather case for the Z, and it actually adds a bit of weight to the setup (although probably protects it well).

 

Cool thanks for that mate I'll have a look when I am back in Dubai tommorow again at the X118 (2GHz)...

dont forget to install ADBLOCKER and NOScript in Firefox as they make sure that no flash (unless you want it to be) is displayed thus freeing up clock cycles and protect the Battery time ..

 

The Sony Vaio X seems like the perfect notebook for me but I have some reservations about the atom processor. I will use the computer primarily for trading stocks online. I will have open a number of sites with streaming stock quotes and I want to be able to trade off these sites quickly. Do you forsee any problems?

I currently use a lenovo X61 which is okay for trading although it sometimes is slow surfing the net. Videos from sites like youtube are awful constantly stopping and starting. It has a built in verizon video card. It uses a core2duo L7700 processor at 1.80Ghz and has 3 gigabytes of ram.

Do you think the Vaio X will meet my needs and at least be up to the performance of the X61? I love the weight of the Vaio.


Thanks for your help,
Don

 

don482, No I don't think the X will cope too well with what you want to do.

Take a look at the Vaio Z series, it's a portable powerhouse that will easily cope with what you want to do.

 

How to accesse the Vaio X BIOS ?
Tried Esc, F2, F12 but no luck ...

Thanks !

 

don482 I agree, as posted above, the Z is the perfect laptop for what your doing.

 

So based on the Vaio X key layout and how they're flushed in , typing would be like typing on a MBAir. The problem with that, for me, is typing on a MBAir was uncomfortable. It felt like typing on a hard stiff surface.

 

You guys are making me very sad. That Vaio X is so light that I woud carry it anywhere. How would you compare the Vaio Z to the MacBook Pro? That certainly is a beautiful machine. As far as the Z is concerned; would you prefer the 128gb SSD or the 320gb HDD?

thanks,

Don

 

SSD for sure, no doubt about it, unless you really really need the extra space and cannot carry external HDD with you

 

Thank you very much for your great feedback dimension6!

I have also now a question, it may not be important for everyone, but the noise of fan was in combination with the batterie problem was one of the main reason why i gave my Z11 back.

How is the noise of the fan at the X?

 

I'd definitely make sure you have an SSD in that computer. It's the single best upgrade you can make to a laptop currently in my opinion. The RAID 0 SSD in the Z is very good and is reliable, but if you could also just order it with a regular HDD and buy the excellent Intel G2 80GB or 160GB SSD. It just received a new firmware upgrade that seriously upgrades the drive in multiple ways. Changing the disk on the Z is not a trivial task, but there are good instructions on this site.

The fan is completely off for light web browsing and Office documents. However, once there is a medium load on the system, the fan starts and it is quite loud (small fan=loud). If you're planning to use the X lightly, you should be fine, but if you're going to be running lots of applications, you won't be happy with the fan noise I'd say.

 

I find the fan on my Z is quite noisy and is often on even when I am just web browsing. It's very annoying when I am in quiet places, that's one of the reasons I have ordered the X. I am hoping the X will be the perfect travel companion! I only plan to use the X for web & MS Office so hopefully the fan won't kick in often...

 

The fan on the X is actually a bit louder than that of the Z (or at least the pitch is higher). However, it's usually off for most of the time I'm using it.

 

go to this page for a vaio X promo bundle that adds a $199 external dvd burner for $99. this was just introduced this week at sonystyle: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...atalogId=10551&langId=-1&cmsId=VGPUDRW1_promo

 

Did someone tested the Sony VGP-CKTT1 case which seems to be designed for the Vaio TT but it's also listed on the japanese Vaio X accessory page
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/vaio/products/X11/acc.html
The X being slimmer then the TT I was wondering if the case was not too large.
Thanks

 

andricop, I've ordered VGP-CKX1 which is a leather case specifically designed for the X.

 

I have a spare AC Adapter for my Z series (VGP-AC19V26), will this work ok with the X?

 

I have an external DVD burner question : I tried to burn the Restore disk with a DELL external USB DVD drive but the system sees the drive but can't burn a DVD.
It works when I use this LaCie USB drive but with the 2 USB cable attached (Y cable with mini USB on the drive and 2 USB attached to the Vaio X).
Is this a problem with the DELL drive (on the DELL drive the USB cable is attached to the drive so you can't use a Y cable or power it with an AC adapter) or with the VAIO X which USB port doesn't have enough power ? or all external DVD burner need more power the a single USB port to burn DVDs ?
Thanks

 

I am pretty sure it won't work, the AC needs to have 10.5V, the one you mentioned looks like is a 19V, so don't even attempt connecting it...you will have an expensive dead paper weight.

 

I don't think so, the Z adapter has 19,5 V output and the X adapter has 10,5 V output

 

Is the screen completely matte ?

How well is the screen viewable in the direct sun and not direct sun outdoor conditions ?

Any numbers on the brightness ?

 

Yes ! I like it a lot, far better then the glossy P screen.

 

You can find an answer here

 

It says that case is for stowing away the X with the X-size 20-hour battery attached. I wonder how close the fit is...

I have both right here and it's confirmed not possible. The plugs are different, unfortunately. I expected this, but was a bit disappointed since Sony charges a fortune for extra AC adapters. I try to avoid purchasing any on eBay because they are almost all (99% I'd guess) poor quality generic fakes from China. Japanese companies tend to have pretty tight control over their Chinese production facilities and contractors (the genuine Sony adapters are also made in China), so I'm pretty sure the genuine adapters can't be purchased for much less. For anyone interested, the model number of the Japanese X adapter is VGP-AC10V4, and I think it's different from that of the VAIO P.

It provides enough power for my USB DVD drive, but I left the drive plugged in while I was recording just to be sure. Burning a DVD-DL disc at first failed, so I made three regular DVDs, which worked and verified fine.

I want to mention a negative of the X that I noticed now that I've been using it as my main machine (now that I took the Z into Sony HQ for repair!). This thing smudges like absolute crazy. Right now, the palmrest looks like smudged wet paint, and I wish the at least the palmrest had a different, more smear-resistant finish.

 

Thanks for confirming that. That's going to cost me about £100 for a spare one! If the X series didn't cost me enough, I've spent £100 on a Sony X series leather case & £55 on an external drive (so I can install a few apps). I also plan to upgrade the warranty if the UK model doesn’t include 3 years….

 

Ok I've made enquiries with the UK Sonystyle store to see if they ship custom laptops to Republic of Ireland. Will hopefully hear something positive back on that.

I found this post and similar entries recently, I'm hoping it means that Flash 10.1 GPU acceleration for the Intel GMA500 will indeed be available in future (not just for nvidia ION). I think this will make a serious difference in the performance of the X, not just for watching HD youtube video, Hulu etc but also for general web browsing where there's loads of flash content. The only time my Vaio SZ starts to get seriously noisy and bogged down is on flash-intensive sites such as Engadget; if that content was hardware accelerated it would take a load off the CPU.

Anyway here's hoping.

 

Would you also kindly post the selection of login screens that go with that wallpaper? Much appreciated.

 

I received an e-mail a few days ago saying that my laptop will be dispatched on 28th October, I called them this afternoon asking for an update as I hadn't received it and they told me that it hadn't been manufactured yet.

I told Sony that I had received an e-mail saying that it had been manufactured, then a further e-mail confirming it was on it's way to their logistics centre:

I was put on hold while the lady I was speaking to spoke to her manager, she then tells me that the order is on hold because the machine has not been released in the UK yet (I've seen them for sale!). As I ordered on 18th October, she said that if it is not dispatched to me within the next couple of weeks the order will be cancelled!!!!

I became a little frustrated, I explained that if it has not been released, then why was the laptop advertised for sale on the Sony Style UK website, why was my order from the Sony Style UK website accepted and why was a £1800 payment taken from me etc etc etc.

I have NEVER experienced anything like this!

 

I guess Ready - to - Ship according to sony means ready to accept preorders . lol .

 

Have exactly the same issue ... mines apparently been built but they wont despatch !!!