Sony X Series Official Owners Thread

I haven't had much time with my X series yet. I've installed my apps & removed the bloatware and that's about it.

For web browsing & normal daily tasks it runs just as good as any other laptop. I noticed with Google Earth it chugged a little bit and I haven't had chance to do anything else on the machine. Installing & removing pre-installed bloat caused the fan to kick in, it's makes a tiny amount of noise but it's nothing to worry about.

The SSD seems quite fast, the screen is fantastic and the touchpad is small but useable. The keys don't have as much travel as they do on the Z, and the keys are smaller, but I didn't have trouble typing although using the right shift key to get the '@' symbol is a pain in the arse as the '@' key is directly above the small shift key - it will just take some getting used to.

First impressions are good. The X is best described as the Z's little brother. It does everything the Z can do, only slower. But when it comes to portability, the X is in s different league to everything else. After I have had a chance to use it for a few days I'll post some further thoughts on things like battery life, performance etc.

 

I've done a clean install of a Windows 7 Pro on the VAIO X using an ISO image from MS website and the "Windows 7 USB DVD Downlooad tool" to put it on an 4 GB USB stick.

In the BIOS you have to enable the external device boot and select USB drive as first device to boot on.

I kept the recovery partition and after the installation the F10 key used to recover the laptop at boot still works.

Installation was flawless and quick, a lot of drivers are already in Windows 7 (WLAN, LAN, ...) so I'm not sure if it's necessary to install the drivers provided by Sony. What's your point of view ?

Only problem I had is after installing the "Battery Checker Utility" from Sony Website : I got a neverending error message saying that my battery was not properly installed or not suitable for my laptop, press OK to hibernate and install the battery properly ... My battery is OK and I didn't find any way to uninstall this utility, so I had to resintall Windows 7.
When I checked if the battery was properly seated I noticed that the sticker on the laptop, under the right part of the battery was doing bubbles; don't know if it's a glue problem or a overheating problem. Do you have the same problem ?

BTW there is a firmware update for the X which improves CPU fan control.

 

I agree, case is very tight but after a few days it gets a bit of slack. Don't know if it's better to put the laptop bottom up or down in the case

 

I don't think it matters too much, either will be fine.

 

Just released today a Smart Network update

 

Mobile Broadband/Wireless WAN
The UK Vaio X comes with a free trial sim card from orange but the Wireless WAN hardware is not actually locked to that provider though. Apparently, there's no need to enter the APN settings for a [three] sim card to work - just plug 'n' play. Performance and reception appears comparable to a typical Huawei USB dongle.

GPS
GPS function is included with US and Japan Vaio X, but the UK version does not seem to have this feature. I seem to recall some threads on this forum that discuss the Vaio Z or some other models that don't include GPS in some countries, users were able to unveil the hidden hardware by changing the wireless control software - from VAIO Smart Network to SmartWi?

 

New GMA500 driver (ver. 8.14.10.2015) is out!

Get it here http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?mdl=VPCX115KX&upd_id=5183&os_id=44

 

Yes, it works fine with my T-Mobile SIM. I didn't need to do anything apart from insert the SIM into the machine.

 

Why do you need Sony to remind you whether you are using a Sony battery or an OEM battery?

msconfig can usually disable it in Vista or XP, not sure what msconfig is called in 7. But if you try to find isb*.exe in Program Files or root (C:\), you may be able to remove it completely.

 

... I thought it was a power manager utility

Thanks, but it was like the the second thing I had installed after the GMA drivers so it was quicker (and cleaner) to reinstall Windows.

 

I have ordered the Sony Vaio X which should be shipped by the end of this month. Sony Style (online) offers a 30 day trial with no restocking fee and I
will return it if it's too slow for my online stock trading.

The announced Dell Adamo XPS seems to have better specs as far as the processor is concerned although the battery seems less powerful. They delayed the sale of this machine after they allowed a few people to handle it so the final specs may be changed.

Do any of you guys have any thoughts about the XPS as compared to the X?
I'm willing to pay more money for the better computer.

Thanks,

Don

 

I was just on phone with local store today and they said the X will be in stock on Nov 15.

 

A few people have been looking for some comparison photos.
Several comparison photos have been posted on this website.
There are none of the X and Z though.

You need to scroll down to the end
http://kunkoku.livedoor.biz/

Some other benchmarks and X stuff have been posted here
http://kunkoku.livedoor.biz/archives/51739343.html
http://kunkoku.livedoor.biz/archives/51740538.html

 

If people want comparison photos of the X & Z then I can do that this evening when I get home...

 

Yeah please! I have a Z21 at home...so want to see how it looks compared to it!

Anyone installed XP on this machine? The performance should be better but Im concerned about battery life...

Thanks

 

It's running Windows 7 very efficiently. I really hope no one bins Win7 for XP! That would be nuts!

 

Vaio Z & Vaio X side-by-side:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44355285@N07/sets/72157622615925173/

Pictures were taken in a hurry so no complaints

 

You can't compare the X and the Adamo XPS in my opinion. The XPS has 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low voltage processor, GS45 integrated graphics, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and include dongles for VGA/HDMI.
Btw, great idea guys to create a Lounge Forum for Owners!

 

A store other than SonyStyle? Can I ask where?

Thanks for sharing your pics. I like that prem. carbon you chose. How do you like it with the brown-colored base on the side? Do they go well. I read someone post that the brown base looks really cheap - it cheapens the look of the X. Is that true?

 

I think it looks fine with the brown base. You hardly notice the base in all honesty, only once you pick the machine up.

 

I have got mine also now .... initial thoughts .... its in a different league of portability .. love it ... fits in the pocket of my folio!

Running fine on the ATOM ... bit slow when installing apps etc but after that perfectly acceptable and fan not been on yet and if has not noticable in comparision with my Z21.

Like Steve78 I wnet for the premium carbon ... all I would say is that it is very shiny and is the one that in certain photos looks like glossy black ... and is a fingerprint magnet !

The inside is matt black and also a fingerprint magnet?! In comparison with the Z this is a disappointment.

Windows 7 running well ... and running 2 19 inch monitors in addition to normal screen.

Keyboard shorter travel (which I quite like), smaller (which takes getting used to but fine now) and trackp ad slightly offset to one side (which also takes time ... but mine usually connected to an external mouse).

Only other gripe I have is really mostly unrelated in that I have 3 targus & kensington universal chargers which I am guessing wont work with the X as they are far more than 10.5V ....

Generally REALLY pleased apart from the nightmare it will be to keep clean.

 

It's SonyStyle store in Portland, OR

 

To all the Vaio X owners.

My machine is scheduled to be shipped after November 20. My main use will be for trading stocks. After your experience with the X do you think it is powerful and quick enough to perform this function without problems. I know I might be better off with the Z but the weight of the X turns me on.

thanks,

Don

 

I am not yet an X owner, but if you mainly use X for trading stocks, I can say it's definitely OK for you. As I know so far, almost stock trading are based on the internet. If that applies to you, you will et no problem with X.

 

Definitely not a problem for online stock trading. I dare say that the X is built for such application

Its only bottleneck is the GMA500 graphic, which does not help much in graphic acceleration, at least with the current drivers. On the contrary, it works perfectly well in accelerating 1080p H.264 videos.

You will love the X!

 

I understand the Sony designers had to keep both the trackpad and keyboard area small, due to how the battery is integrated into the body. But I do wish they'd bucked the chiclet-style trend and actually used bigger individual keys, like on the older TX series.

Still, that hasn't put me off ordering a VPCX11S1E/B (1.86 CPU, 128 SSD) and I can't wait to get my hands on the sleek carbon fibre and aluminium chassis!

 

Was too worried about the brown base till I saw the actual thing yesterday. The brown doesn't stand out as bad as I thought it might.

 

Well I've been using my Vaio X11S1E/B (1.86Ghz, 128GB SSD) for two days now and I'm very happy with it. Warning: extensive review ahead!

The main thing that strikes you about the X is not just the size but the incredible weight, it feels like the battery is missing. Judging by the build and engineering it is definitely a premium product. You honestly do not notice it in a bag and this is the killer feature for me. The AC adapter is also the smallest I've owned, so is easy enough to carry around.

The cover on the non-premium model doesn't seem to attract much in the way of fingerprints, but the palmrest area gets smudgy very easily. But since the finish is dark and matt it's hard to really notice except in bright light. The lid seems adequately sturdy to me. The brown / red base of the unit is quite attractive IMO and adds to the sense of luxury.

The keyboard is smaller than my SZ but is easy to get used to, key travel is perfectly acceptible. The trackpad is a little small but again it's just a matter of getting used to it. The screen is far better than that on any netbooks I've ever used.

The X is very very quiet compared to my elderly SZ; the fan never kicks in except you're doing something hectic and even when it does you don't really notice it. In terms of heat, it never gets so warm that you can't have it on your lap; CoreTemp never indicates a CPU temperature of more than 50 degress C and that's only when you're installing / removing software etc. Temperatures during web browsing are typically around 36 - 40 degrees.

There was quite a bit of junkware installed but after a bit of tweaking everything is running sweet now. The X runs the Basic Theme as standard which is a good move as the drivers for the GMA500 are not up to scratch for Aero right now; when I turned it on things got sluggish and there were graphical artefacts on windows. Will have to see how the drivers develop.

HD video, DivX etc all works fine out of the box; for MKV you install Haali media splitter and it works perfectly in Windows Media Player. I suspect there is only a single mono speaker on the X (on the underneath) so there is little or no bass response. It's also a little quiet; fine for watching a movie somewhere quiet but you'll want headphones otherwise.

For those obsessed with Youtube playback performance; ordinary Youtube videos playback fine but I've experienced no problems with fullscreen playback, unlike what others have reported. HD Youtube video is not watchable, fullscreen or otherwise; here's to hoping that the Flash 10.1 update will actually support the GMA500 and not just the nvidia ION (they share the same underlying chip that accelerates the GPU). For web browsing I use adblocking software so that keeps Flash Ads away from the CPU and improves the experience.

Network performance is fine so far on my G wireless network and I get similar speeds on my SZ when transferring files. I will be updating to an N router in the coming months so I'll be hoping for a performance increase. There are only 2 wireless networks in my area so this presumably helps with the performance.

I popped my mobile broadband sim in to the X and that works as well as expected; reception and speeds were good and the configuration utility was easy enough to use.

SSD performance is comparable to the HDD on my SZ; neither blazing fast but not unusually slow either. Bootup times are comparable to my SZ which I considered to be quite fast anyway; sleep and resume is also quite fast. The great advantage to the SSD for me is the lack of nose and heat, and the fact that I don't have to worry about knocks or bumps.

The battery life is excellent, I would rate it at about 6 solid hours of browsing / working with Wifi on. I was travelling all day Friday with the X and I didn't need my charger. There also doesn't seem to be any battery drain issues whilst in sleep mode, unlike my SZ which has always lost about 8% battery for every hour asleep. I've recently spotted the extended battery on SonyStyle for 200 sterling, which seems excessive, even for Sony; I'm not going to need it however as the bundled battery does an excellent job.

All in all this is a great laptop / netbook, even at 1.86Ghz. I can see myself using this the vast majority of the time for my ordinary computing (web browsing, document handling, email, reading); for anything extensive (converting / remuxing video, heavy-duty photoshopping, DVD burning etc) I'll revert to the SZ (which now looks like a behemoth sitting in the corner). Nice one Sony, you developed an excellent way to part me from my money!

 

Hello,

i've been using my new X for two days now and i agree with jdbrooks experience.

But i'm not sure if i stay with the x or buy a z. Graphic card seems to be too weak. Is there a possibility that the GMA 500 improves noteably with new drivers and new flash player?

It's a great piece of computer and looks much better than the Z.

 

I dont know if you noticed the differences between the 64 and 128 & 256gb SSD - check out the CrystalDiskMark 2.2 here: http://kunkoku.livedoor.biz/archives/51739343.html (link has been posted here previously...) Its a BIG difference! What do you think? Maybe upgrading a machine that has a 128 gb drive would make sense - no bottleneck with Pata...

 

My online order is estimated shipped on Monday.
One strange thing is sonystyle stores do not have any 128gb ssd even though they all have some of 64gb instock now. I have asked two different stores and theyanswered the same. They dont know when I have 128gb ssd in stock.

 

I've been doing a lot of googling on the topic of the GMA 500 GPU, and the general consensus seems to be that the current crop of drivers, whilst quite improved since the platform was first introduced, still need more development. More and more netbooks and small laptops are being launched that use the GMA 500 with an Atom processor, so we're all assuming that intel will continue to improve performance (Direct X, aero etc) and vendors, such as Adobe, will take advantage of the features of the platform (accelerating flash video).

In other words, while the Atom CPU is weak, there is real potential in the GMA 500 GPU, but the software needs to catch up. We're still early adopters at this stage. We'll wait and see.

 

Hmm... probably will have to do some research on what bloatware there is and how to fully remove all of it if I do get this.

 

256 GB SSD
2 GHZ
Large battery

WiFI is very fast. Large battery doesnt add on too much weight. Keyboard very good. I use mainly for surfing and email. Very light. Excellent for travelling. Bought in HK for <2000USD.

 

The model with 2GHz and 128GB SSD and large battery costs SGD2499 here.

 

Cleanest way is to burn the Recovery Discs, clean install Windows 7 and install only the necessary drivers and sony utilities. I did that

 

Well, that'd have to be provided I have the Windows 7 installation discs.

 

You can obtain Windows 7 by *ahem* any means, and use your own legal CD-Key from the bottom of your X for activation.

 

singapore is a rip off. cheaper to fly and buy in HK..no GST and its in USD...i bought mine from wanchai computer centre..loaded with Win 7 english

 

1) WWAN connexion software
After doing a clean install of Windows 7 I didn't find how to connect with the WWAN module; tried to install Everywair software that is originaly installed on the X but didn't find where to download it (Option and Globetrotter software won't work).
Any idea how where to download Everywair ?

2) GPS on european model of Vaio X
The X uses a Qualcomm Gobi 2000 module wich is WWAN and GPS. The X is sold in Asia and America with GPS but not in Europe.
I doubt that the hardware is different.
Did anyone find a way to activate/enable the GPS on the european X ?

Thanks for your time and help

 

The prices in Hong Kong do seem quite good, but I notice the lower spec models don't have WWAN/Mobile Broadband though.

Was yours a special edition model with an upgraded 256GB SSD? The normal models listed only have either a 64GB or 128GB SSD installed.

How do you like the VGP-BPX19 extended battery? The weight of the Vaio X body is about 530g and the VGP-BPX19 is about 525g, so the combined weight is just over 1KG - pretty impressive for such a long battery life. But the whole thing does look a bit bulky though...The actual implementation reminds me of those old skool Walkman, Discman and Minidisc players that were the smallest in the whole world but you had to bolt on a - relatively - massive battery case unit in order to use ordinary AA batteries!

That was what I was trying to ask earlier. From what I gather, people with a Vaio Z bought in a country where the GPS function is not listed in the spec sheet (like the UK), were able to install the "SmartWi Connection Utility" instead of the "VAIO Smart Network" software and get the GPS to magically appear and function. Perhaps you could try and let us know if that works!

 

Huh!? Fly and buy? Well, after including the air ticket (and any other costs) I'd think it'd probably be about the same.

Well, the lower spec models in Singapore do not have WWAN too. Only the model SGD2499 model (with 2GHz and 128GB RAM).

 

I suppose you meant 128GB SSD eh 128GB RAM will be super awesome!

Bought mine in HK too...took advantage of the favourable foreign exchange rate

 

Oops. Ya. I mean 128GB SSD (and 2GB RAM)

Will, if for I were to be going Hong Kong for a holiday (which unfortunately I ain't, not for the near future at least) then it'd make sense to get it there. Else to just fly over just to get it. Eh... not sure if it'd be worth it. And well, if to fly anywhere to buy, think it be cheapest to get from Japan, right?

 

Yep, probably cheaper in Japan. But the advantage of getting an official Sony laptop from Hong Kong rather than Japan, is that the HK version will usually have an English operating system. A language pack is installed on top so that users can select a Chinese or English user interface. Plus if you're from the UK, Singapore or Malaysia, you won't need to change the power cord - HK uses the same 3 pin plugs.

 

You are contradicting yourself , X in which continent has GPS ?

 

But can the WWAN from a X bought in Hong Kong be used in Singapore? I'd suppose the ones from Japan can't since in the Conics page it states 'NOTE: WWAN unlock is not yet possible, but is being worked on now.'

 

Oh... just saw the news about Intel supposedly officially announcing the Pine Trail platform in late December (with a raft of netbooks based around the new Pineview chips hitting the CES show floor in January). Wonder whether the X will have a refresh soon and if so, perhaps maybe shouldn't be getting it right now...

 

The module on the X is the same on all the continents but GPS is disabled in Europe and it seems that it is enabled in America and Asia.

 

At least the WWAN module is unlocked in France ...