Sony X Series Official Owners Thread

andricop, have you sorted out your WWAN by installing either the "SmartWi Connection Utility" or "VAIO Smart Network" yet? If you chose the former, please tell us UK users if the GPS function now appears, as if by magic.

By the way, just received my X and I'm busy playing with it!

 

hi.. can you confirm that this model has WWAN? Also, is it unlocked?

Where can I buy it in Singapore? I'll be going there next week..

appreciate your help..

thanks!

 

Well, that's what's stated in the catalogue: Wireless WAN (HSDPA/HSUPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS).

You can get it at any of the Sony stores. However, I'm not sure whether it'd be out next week. Cos supposedly currently there's only the X113 and X115 available. The X118 is supposed to be available 'later this month'.

 

oh.. i see.. I thought you bought one already X113 and X115 are the available models right now in the Sony Style SG website. The X118 w/ WWAN is only available in Sony Style HK website.

If I may ask, where'd you got the catalogue?

thanks!

 

Got it from one of the Sony stores. It has the VAIO L as well, which also ain't available in the stores yet.

 

As a potential X owner, can you guys answer few of my questions?

1) what are your real-life battery life for both batteries?

2) what is the boot times from I/O button to full functionality (and are those figures based on a clean / semi-clean / dirty install?)

2b) how about wake up from sleep and hibernate times?

like my Z if I plan to sleep/wake-up with the lid action and auto-hibernate during sleep after a certain time...I can go through a day with the Z, but if the X is close to the advertised battery life, I can easily go through days on a single charge with the same auto-sleep/hibernate setup just using it as a bring-it-everywhere-web-surfer

thanks in advance!

 

is there a way to get the 256 SSD in the US? was hoping sonystyle would eventually offer it. right now the specs are just too low for me, especially if i can't even upgrade the RAM to 4G.

 

I have the 1.86Ghz 128GB SSD model with L battery. Running Aero at the moment. Not clean install; removed all the junk manually instead and just running Microsoft Security Essentials.

1) I haven't run it down completely because it's constantly on / off all day, coming in and out of sleep mode, but I'm getting at least 5 1/2 hours out of it. Mid brightness, WiFi occasionally, WAN occasionally

2) From pressing the Power button to a usable desktop I clocked the boot time at 1 min 3 sec. "Usable" to me means network connected, desktop gadgets loaded and no hourglass.

2b) Hibernate: 30 sec to go into hibernate, 23 sec to come out.
Sleep: 2 or 3 seconds to go into sleep, literally less than a second to come out of sleep.

I don't use hibernate on the X as I find the battery doesn't deplete much whilst in sleep. It's more practical for me that the X wakes immediately from sleep instead.

Really happy with the X; it travels exceptionally well!

 

I took my SIM card out my X to put into another machine, since I put it back in my X, the machine is no longer detecting WWAN's. Can anyone help?

 

Yeah...thats usual...turn off the X remove the power cable, put the sim in then start it. Its not plug play and usually gets scr...d up when you put it in while running and then restart...

 

Thanks, I tried that. Had to reinstall VAIO Smart Networking to get it running again. How bizarre...

 

Thats really weird...

 

How well does 3g broadband work? I will be using verizon.

thanks,

Don

 

hi steve.. sorry off topic.. just want to know where did you bought your X w/ 2ghz, 256ssd and WWAN? how much?

thanks!

 

such model is on sale in Europe. but you will not like the price if you come from elsewhere

 

Full boot, Windows 7 clean install + my progs : 1min35sec
Hibernate : 55 sec
Sleep : less than 5 sec

 

So, I have installed the Gobi 2000 drivers and SmartWi utility from Sony's US support site on my European X on which was already installed SmartNetwork.

The SmartWi window looks strange, buttons are not properly displayed but the GPS button appears.



After having switched to on the GPS installed on COM3 and is visible in the display manager.



I tried to make it work in AutoRoute 2010 (= european version of Streets and Trips) but the software keep saying that no satellite can be found.





Uninstalling Smartnetwork is worse, when you switch the GPS button in SmartWi to on, it switches back to off in a few seconds.

Perhaps the GPS antenna is not connected on the Gobi 2000 module ? (no, I will not open my X to check )

 

I have done a Win 7 clean install on my X and everything worked flawlessly BUT I do not have any WWAN connection utility anymore ...
There is nothing on Sony support page, I have tried to install the Globetrotter utility from the P (which has the same Gobi module AFAIK) but it doesn't work.

Can soemeone please tell me what was the default connection utility installed by Sony on the european X ?

Or even better if soemeone can tell me where I can download the software

Thanks for your help and time !

 

With the L battery I get more or less 4h30-5 hours with WLAN always on and brigthness @80%

 

I bought it from Sony Style UK for £1799.

Amazon are selling it for £50 less now:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-11-1-i...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1257954128&sr=8-1

 

Did you uninstall the "Vaio Smart Network" first? You shouldn't have both that and "SmartWi Connection Utility" running at the same time.

You asked what is the default connection utility installed by Sony on the european X - I'm sure it's the "Vaio Smart Network" that controls wireless lan, bluetooth and wireless wan/mobile broadband. On the Vaio Z thread, they mention a "Sony 3G Connection Manager" but I don't think we have that on the Vaio X, right?

The GPS function is actually incorporated into the WWAN Gobi chip - there is no separate antenna as such, so if your WWAN isn't working (and switched on) then the GPS will not work either.

On the US support page, it mentions you must install the drivers/software in the correct order. The "Sony Shared Library", "Gobi 2000" and "VZAccess Manager Utility" must be installed before "SmartWi".

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?mdl=VPCX111KXB&upd_id=4901&os_id=44

It's not only Steve78 who's having a few probs with the WWAN. I've only had my machine for a couple of days and it's failed to detect the WWAN connection/SIM card on several occasions. I've just updated the the flaky ""Vaio Smart Network" so I hope it's gonna be better behaved from now on.

 

so what you saying..that EU models also have GPS, it just needs to be correctly configurated via drivers?

 

I think the Amazon version will be the standard "matt black" though. Yours is the custom built Premium Carbon one, which costs more.

 

That's what we're trying to find out! It does look it's very similar to the Vaio Z situation. Here's the Vaio Z GPS thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=303456

andricop, I noticed your WWAN title on "SmartWi" says "wanVerizonHeader" whereas a Vaio Z user's configuration says "Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband" Could that be a problem also? Is that a different VZAccess Manager?

 

ok, i hope you manage to find out usefull information...

thou i see no reason why sony would block GPS if there is hardware support, that is only an extra feature and would add value to the notebook. unless there are some problems with regulations, because EU is quite fancy on them and thats maybe why sony decided to "block" GPS for EU...

 

Yeah, it could be some daft Euro legislation that has caused the GPS function to be disabled. Or it could be - I'm totally guessing - a duty/tax decision. I remember when Sony (and perhaps a few other Japanese manufacturers) sold camcorders in the UK with the line-in recording function disabled due to the fact that they would've been classed as 'VCRs' if the fuction was present, attracting a much higher import duty rate.

 

Vanilla, I tried again : uninstalled Smart Network and the EU Gobi drivers, installed everything as described on the US Sony support site (Sony Shared Library, Gobi drivers, SmartWi and VZAccess Manager). Got the same result : SmartWi window with strange menu name ("wanVerizonHeader" instead of "Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband", ...), GPS button is there, I can enable it but it always says "acquiring" and MS AutoRoute can't find any satellite either.
Perhaps someone else can try with the Sony install of Win 7 (I have done a clean install) ?

 

Thanks for your answer vanilla.
How do you connect to your carrier ? Vaio Smart Network allows you to switch the WWAN module on and off but does not connect your laptop to your carrier, right ? On the Vaio P there was the Option Globetotter software to "dial" my carrier.

 

i thought all X series are made of carbon fiber casing? what's the deal with "matte black" and "premium carbon"?

thanks

 

Yep...all X are made of carbon fiber, regardless. "Premium Carbon" refers to the "Carbon" look on its top cover. It's glossy and just an appearance, nothing more.

 

now i know... the glossy ones I saw are the premium carbon which is an ultimate fingerprint magnet

 

Has anyone found an alternative universal power adapter to the standard Sony one? ...I want an extra one for the office and home .... Sony want £140 for the adapter each - more than most netbooks alone !

 

Hum, 140 £ seems a lot .. Sonystyle is selling it for 80 £ in France.

 

I bought a spare power adapter from Sony Style for £99. An outrageous price, but there's no cheaper alternatives.

I went for the standard delivery rather than paying £15 for the "Express delivery" and it arrived next day! So if the item shows as being in stock, don't waste the £15!!!!!!!

 

What link did you use to pay £99? I ordered one this morning on Sonytyle and it cost £129?

 

Hope this works:

https://www.sonystyle.co.uk/SonySty...04E7370E10000002BC29B8F&z_accStore=z_accStore

If it doesn't just browse the Sony Style Accessory Store, search for items for VPC-X and look for VGPAC10V5.CEL / 10.5V AC adaptor for VAIO X Series, VGP-AC10V5

 

Just read this article about Windows 7 causing netbooks to have worse battery life. I don't suppose anyone considered downgrading to Windows XP, right?

 

Another great Sony rip off .... after much exploring I found that in the Sony style customer store ... £129 ..... Sony Style business tore £99 !

Now only porblem is I already ordered so I must now fight with Sony again !

 

Not even considering the downgrade. My battery is meant to last 8 hours (real life gives between 5-6), that's more than acceptable.

 

Zut Alors! (pardon my French) I thought this GPS business was gonna be a piece of gâteau after reading the success stories of those Vaio Z guys. I bet we're just missing one vital detail or have installed something ever so slightly wrong. Never mind, I'll probably give it a go eventually, when I have time to download (or purchase) the 2 gig Autoroute 2010 trial.

Once the WWAN is switched on in Vaio Smart Network, you click the Windows 7 Wireless Network Connection icon (looks like a staircase/ascending bar graph) which brings up a connections box:



Click your Mobile Broadband provider, in this case 'voda UK', then, ta da! the Connect button appears. We didn't have to enter any username, APN details for Vodafone, T-Mobile or [three] in the UK. Did you ever get your WWAN to work, like before you did a fresh install?

 

Is there a car charger for the sony x?

thanks,

Don

 

There aint too many paw marks on my matt black lid but oh, you're gonna have fun trying to keep the aluminium palm rest area clean too...

 

I have the 2GHz, 128GB model (Signature Collection). Couple of observations:

- Very impressive build quality, feels like the premium product that it is.

- Aero mode in Windows 7 is notciably weak and seems to drag the overall performance. So you are pretty much stuck with Basic themes.

- Ubuntu 9.10 runs suprisingly well, including compiz/desktop effects. It requires kernel upgrade for the GMA 500 drivers though. Suspend and Hibernate are broken unfortunately. Overall feels faster than Windows 7 Aero but not nearly as stable.

- The keyboard feels great (coming from a Thinkpad user) but could be tiresome for extended typing sessions. The layout is a bit awkward but similar to other Vaio series. The touchpad is smooth, fast and acurate. Mmultitouch gestures work well too (although limited). The small size doesn't bother me and it is meant for thumb use.

- Battery life is the biggest plus in my opinion, with the extended battery. Haven't run exact benchmarks but you can definitely expect more than 10 hours of real use.

- The screen is decent with near perfect color saturation and good brightness (indoors and outdoors). However, viewing angles are relatively weak and you still need to tilt sometimes to get the perfect angle. Not a major issue considering the relative screen size.

- The CPU has hyperthreading but feels weaker than normal, definitely in the netbook class. Graphics are still weaker than some netbooks, e.g. Gateway LT3103u.

 

Hmm.... anyone run XP mode? Laggy?

 

Yes WWAN worked with the Sony installed Windows 7.
When I click on the connect button in Smart Network I do have the connections box that opens but no Mobile Broadband provider in the list. I think I will have to create a connection in Win 7 but don't know how yet.
Can you please check if you have a connection for WWAN in your "Network Connections" window :



and how is it configured

Thanks !

 

Yes, I have a "Mobile Broadband Connection" listed.

 

Hi folks,

I know the Atom and SU-series CPUs are in different classes, but for those of you who went from a TT to the X, is there a real noticeable difference? Or has the Atom come so far that it's pretty much the same...? I saw a couple of posts about this, but was just hoping to get some opinions from the X owners.

Thanks!

 

Sony don't sell a car charger but you should be able to use a power inverter. This converts the car's DC output to AC, so that you can use the existing Sony mains adaptor to power the laptop.


http://us.kensington.com/html/10359.html

 

After using the x for a few days I am very pleased My only gripe is the standard battery. Since I do stock trading the 3G broadband is always on and I only get about 2 hours battery life. I'm sure the extended battery will be much better although it will add weight. I figured on close to 4 hours with the standard battery. What is your experience?

I bought a converter at radio shack so I now have a car charger.

I ordered 2 extra power adapters and power cords from Sony. Deaing with the phone representatives from Sony is certainly frustrating. A 10 minute transaction took 1 1/2 hours. Most of the people at the Sony Style stores are not much better.


Don

 

2 hours sounds about right for the 2-cell battery, considering you're using the 3G Broadband a lot. Over here in Blighty, we get the 4-cell [L] battery as standard and I'd say the battery life is about 4 hours or so if the wireless and 3G Broadband were used extensively. If wireless and 3G are only used occasionally, then it's around 5 - 6 hours.


2050mAh VGP-BPS19




[L] 4100mAh VGP-BPL19




[X] 8200mAh VGP-BPX19