Vaio Duo 11 Owners Thread

John,

The Battery and the Case have been on special order on the Sony US site as well. It still lists as shipping after 02/15/2013.

 

I'll just give my overall experience so far with my Duo 11.

I have the Vaio Duo 11 Gunmetal, but I like Silver so much I am sending it back and getting the new one with the i7, 8GB RAM, and the 256GB SSD. I've had the Gunmetal one for 3 weeks, but they had no problem allowing me to exchange it. The tiny increase in performance with the newer i7 3537u is a plus I suppose, free increase, even if it's not noticeable. Though they did require me to place a whole new order.

I thought this was interesting and could help others in their decisions: I have a Sony card but because I didn't have enough credit on the card (since my other purchases were on there) I just told the sales person that I would have to wait to place the new order as I wanted the $75 worth of points I'd get (5x for Sony store purchases)...and they just gave me $75 off the order if I used my other card, plus I'll get points from that card now too. So win-win for me. They also gave me 15% off a couple accessories I ordered with it, since I mentioned there was a sale a couple weeks back but I'd just wait otherwise for another sale.

So I only ended up paying $1525 for the Duo and they gave me free express shipping (2-day). Since I already have an SSD in my desktop and have had a chance to try out the Duo 11 with the 256GB SSD already, it is really fast...a lot faster than the Crucial M4 in my desktop (and I ordered the M4 with faster read/write speeds, since there are a couple variations). So that surprised me. Can boot this thing in appx 10 seconds.

I love this thing so far, as others have said, build quality, display, features, everything is top notch. I have not experienced any problems with the touchscreen itself, except a few apps don't always respond well. For example Chrome won't let me tap on bookmarks, text fields, or links accurately at times and will act as though I tapped like an inch away even though the little tap spot shows where I touched. So I have to move the little nub and use the left-click button and then the tap works fine again...kind of odd but it's almost as if the touch gets stuck until I move the cursor separately. I don't have that problem in IE or many other apps, so I assume it's just the touch response within certain ones. I've calibrated the screen but it didn't solve the issue within those apps (and I made sure to re-calibrate multiple times as to not have bad touch response with the charms bar or anything else that happens sometimes when you calibrate).

The only other complaint is the keyboard can be a bit touchy with response, so I press harder or type slower and it works fine, but being use to my Corsair K90 mechanical with the cherry reds on my desktop might be a reason for that. I'll have to see if that was the first one I have, and if the new one has the same issue. Hopefully the original is just a bit touchy.

I got this over a couple other tablets (Surface Pro, Yoga, etc) because I wanted the higher spec options with the i7, 8GB RAM, and higher SSD to be a little better for games since I travel a bit. I use it for work and personal a lot, but gaming is something I do even though I have a high-end desktop I built. It really is a very capable gaming machine. I'll give some general experience I've had so far:

I personally prefer 60+ FPS in games on my desktop, but for on-the-go I try to make sure games do not dip below 30FPS, so anything I comment on can run that unless stated otherwise. I use fraps for some games to check FPS but it takes about 5 frames off performance compared to the games that allow in-game FPS displays when I've done comparisons.

BF3 is the only game that would frequently dip into 20 FPS on all low (with render tweaks) and 720p, though it would hit into the 30's and 40's as well. I've tried the new DmC, Borderlands 2, Dark Souls, Bastion, WoW, Dota 2, Sleeping Dogs, most Valve games, Far Cry 2, Deus Ex: HR, and a few others and they all can run fine with lowering settings or resolution (I don't like going below 1366x768 res but a couple looked fine at 720p to get a consistent 30+ FPS). The only ones that dipped much were DmC and Sleeping Dogs in either larger open areas with lots of debris or characters, where they'd each get into the mid-high 20's but I suppose if you're ok with running at below 1366x768 or 720p you could get better performance (I personally hate lower resolutions). Dark Souls is locked at 15FPS without the DSfix mod that you can mess with but it actually feels smooth and isn't that fast paced of a game anyways...so without the mod I just run it at max settings and it doesn't really make a difference, stays at 15FPS.

Overall I'd say it's actually a very capable gaming machine as long as you use a mouse or controller (I have a 360 wireless Windows controller), and the majority of games run and look great at 1920x1080 with a few more graphic intensive ones you'll have to lower the resolution but on this display even 1600x900 or 1366x768 look good.

If anyone has specific questions about some games I will try to answer. Being a picky person myself, and having a 2560x1440 Catleap monitor at 120hz that I run 100+FPS on almost all games, it was an adjustment...but that is just to give an idea of how capable the Vaio Duo is if you're considering it for gaming. If you are willing to take the time to get most of the games settings running at where you want, it is going to run 90% of PC games just fine, and even the higher end one's if you can live with low settings, low res, and drops in framerate (I personally can't stand that, so I just pass up stuff like BF3).

 

Thanks for your reply. The intel one is indeed 2.5" SATA. But the Mushkin is mSATA - mPCIe as far as I could understand. Please correct me if I'm wrong. This would be compatible with the duo 11, right? If so, which one in your opinion would be better? Thanks again.

 

If you do the search with P/N you posted, it gives you both are 2.5".
I went to Mushkin site and they only have 240GB for mSATA.

 

Sony is now offering 512GB for Duo, but I couldn't find this drive on the internet.
I don't know what it could be.

 

Yes even I checked on their website and they do not have it listed, but its brand new, released just about 10 days back. its all over the news. I have no idea why they don't have it on their page. And you are right that the model number I had mentioned earlier was for the 2.5" chronos drive. I have corrected it now, and it is the atlas mSATA.

Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Atlas Series MKNSSDAT480GB mSATA 480GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

The new 512gb model is again toshiba, but I couldn't find the model number. But that duo model is like $2300 top spec. Going my way I get top spec with top capacity for the cost of the 256gb model. Saves me more than $550. :thumbsup:

 

Won't changing out the hard drive so soon also void your warranty?? I like to upgrade components of my computers, but typically do so just to prevent them from reaching end of life status... so upgrades happen when the machine is cheap/disposable and parts like a SSD of 2x to 4x capacity are also a lot cheaper. Do you really need the 512GB? Why not get the 256GB and upgrade in a year if you find yourself running out of space? That seems like a better gamble then taking the risk of something going wrong with a brand new model of laptop and suddenly you need to replace say a ~$700 LCD panel out of pocket because of some random manufacturer defect and warranty won't cover it even though your upgrade was unrelated.

 

Also, if you really need space an SD card would be a decent option if it's just for media, documents, or such. So I'd recommend the 256GB SSD and then just use the SD card (could have more than one) or even an external USB 3.0 HDD. Seems like the best option if you need some extra space and the SD card doesn't add anything extra to carry around.

 

thanks for the advice friends, I really appreciate it. you all have absolutely valid points. And the truth is, I've gone over all of them before coming to my decision.

I had originally though of getting the 256gb model along with a 128gb sd card ($120). But I really do need the larger capacity disk, for work as well as personal requirements. I need multiple heavy-duty softwares running smoothly with ample hard disk space, I'v got a HUGE multimedia library along with work documents and files. And I already have a 2TB WD passport drive, full of backups etc., but that can't really be used on the move.

Also, being in India and ordering from the USA, the warranty will be void before it even reaches me anyway (no international warranty). And the SSD swapping is a pretty straightforward 5 minute process, (just need to backup the original SSD beforehand for recovery options onto the new one) with absolutely minimal to zero damage risk, provided you know what you are doing, which I do.

Hence, I have come to the conclusion that I have come to. Never the less, thanks a lot guys. I really do appreciate it. :thumbsup:

And, can someone please tell me for sure that the Mushkin Atlas mSATA 480gb would infact be compatible with the duo 11.

 

After having the Duo for a month the pen suddenly stoped working. If I don't use the pen for a few minutes it is not recognized when I put it up to the screen again. The stange thing is that if I unscrew the pen's battery cap and put it back again, the pen is recognized again.
Anybody having the same problem or a solutiong?
/Voz

 

Hi Mate,

good to kno u r in india, how did u order from US, wud u mind sharing the online buying source with international shipping option to Delhi. I m also looking for 512SSD option - but price diff is huge with 256SSD, only difference i noticed was Win8 Pro in 512SSD model

 

I'm ordering direct from sony website bro, but using "myus.com" to get it to India. What you do is sign up with myus.com ($27), they give you a US address in your name, you shop online at any store in the US and ship to that address, and these guys forward it to you simply at the calculated shipping cost (details are at their website). Comes to less than $100. If you know someone in the States who can receive and mail it to you direct, the cheapest option is USPS - $68. So the charges via myus.com are quite alright, they send it via dhl or fedex and you get it in like 4-6 days. USPS takes about 7-12 days. Both ways are tried and tested.

I'm buying through the education portal at sony.com (I know someone at NYU) which further gets me 10% discount from sony. There's a customizable model in which I topped up everything, only the SSD at 128gb, comes to $1567 with extended battery & screen protector. The price difference between just the SSD changeup from sony is 128gb > 256gb = $170; 256gb > 512gb = $650; 128gb > 512gb = $870 (without applying any discounts). My way, 128gb > 480gb = $360

BTW I also live in Delhi (Vasant Kunj), though am in Pune right now.

 

So did u mean shipping cost to Delhi is $100+$27 for membership and incase i have some one to arrange to send - it will cost approx $70, i wasnt sure about the Duty, i guess it will be 0 in case my brother send it from NYC @ 0 value. thanks for the tips, didnt quite get the 10% discount tricks though (can i also avail that).

did u get your shipment yet

 

am I the only one with wifi problems? I cant use this vaio with G or N signal when it drops connection frequently

 

Have you tried the latest Intel wifi drivers (15.5.7.(52))?

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...-N+6235&ProdId=3502&LineId=1784&FamilyId=1783

Another thing which works with some people is to enable FIPS on the advanced settings of your wifi network on your laptop.

- Click on your wifi icon on the right side of the taskbar
- Right click on your wifi network ssid
- Select View Connection Properties
- Select advanced settings
- Enable FIPS

 

Check your advanced power settings. Ensure wifi is set to maximum performance for both plugged in and battery.

 

Hi everybody!

I got my duo some time ago already, and now I am noticing a weird thing: if you are in a reeeeaally quiet place, do you notice a different "buzzing" (close to enter key) depending on brightness? When brightness is maximum the buzzing fades away, but buzzing exists at any lower level of brightness.

Thanks for your help!

 

That is almost certainly the circuitry that drives the backlight. The backlight brightness is controlled by turning the light on and off very rapidly. At full bright, the backlight is on all the time. At half brightness, the backlight cycles on and off multiple times per second so that it is off an aggregate of 50% of the time, etc. The buzzing you hear is the circuitry that controls the on/off cycle. This is normal and fairly common on notebooks.

 

Great, thanks for your answer irablumberg. I had some doubts since this is the second vaio i have (i exchanged the 4GB RAM one to 8GB RAM), and I don't remember such an effect on the one i had, so it would be great if the answer was more specific to duo 11..Do you have such a noise on yours?

 

I don't hear noise on my machine, but then my hearing is not what it used to be (too many rock concerts ;-). Also, the noise we are discussing can vary quite widely even between different units of the same machine. As long as your backlight does not flicker, particularly at lower settings, you should be OK. If the noise gets very loud, like you can hear it clearly while using the machine in a normal posture, not with your ear close to the system, then it may indicate a potential future failure of the backlight control circuitry. However, a small amount of noise is not usually a cause for worry.

 

Hi,
I recently purchased a Sony Vaio Duo 11 Ultrabook / Windows 8 tablet hybrid. For my work I need to use this device with Ubuntu Linux Operating system. Most devices are fully supported by linux kernel and ubuntu, but I have some trouble with the touchscreen. While ubuntu and Unity desktop environment support multitouch, and while N-Trig that is the manufacturer of the touch device mentions linux as a supported OS on its web page, I get some errors and an errorneous behaviour with it. I have described the issue at this bug report on ubuntu's bug tracker (launchpad).

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-evdev/+bug/1121379

I have also contacted Sony and N-Trig that manufactures the multitouch device. If you have a Sony Vaio Duo 11 and you would like to be able to run ubuntu on it please visit the bug's page at launchpad and press the "affects me too" button. This will rise bug's "heat" and thus increase the possibilitty to be noticed by ubuntu developers and be fixed.

 

I've got a presentation tomorrow and it turns out the venue where I'm presenting only has a projector with a VGA connector, not an HDMI port. Thanks to the Duo 11, that doesn't cause me any problems whatsoever. Can't say that about many other tablets or convertible tablets on the market

 

I had the same problem until I installed the latest driver from N-Trig web:

Downloads & Drivers - N-trig

 

Hi,

I also got the Sony Vaio Duo and I am happy with the performance of the device, but the issues below are preventing me to have a overal positive experiece:

1. Keyboard. I find really hard to type without errors as most of the time it doesn't register key touches as expected. Without an external keyboard connected to it, the device almost useless for me.
2. Mouse. The optical trackpad is also very difficult to use as it is extremely sensitive: chances are that just by releasing the finger from it to click on a link will generate a tinny movement in the cursor so I end up missing the link. Very annoying.

Is anybody else having these problems? Could this unit be defective?

For me it is hardly to believe that a product build on Japan by Sony will be released with these usablity flags.

 

Hi all, after many system restore to determine bloatware software i could uninstall, i just bought 2 Sony external USB3 2.5" hard drive and since i had no problem to connect these drives on my older vaio Z (USB2) but when i connect the two drives on AC power the DUO can only one drive at once....
Can somedy replicate the problem? if i connect one usb hard drive and one USB stick i can use both. Looks like the DUO can t deliver enough power through its USB port.
External drive Sony HD-EG65 shows 5v DC and 0.9A, any idea?

 

The points you developed are indeed the Cons of many review you can see arround. The keyboard isn t as usable Sony promised and i agree the trackpoint is only for cursor position, if you need to click you should use the two click area at the bottom. Overall the build quality is as expected made in Japan and high quality material. I bought mine directly in Tokyo and very satisfied

 

Ok great, thanks for your answer irablumberg, even though it gets me a bit more paranoid since you don't hear anything.

I know I probably shouldn't worry, but since I noticed that noise I can't stop paying attention to it, I drives me crazy every time I use my duo 11 in a quiet room (which means often)..and since I paid this machine over 1400€, I expect it to be perfect when it comes to hardware.

There are a lot of owners here, can some of you do the test and feedback?

 

can u share the link, if its a online store with Intl shipping option

 

As others have said, there are many reviews with the same complaints.

On the other hand I have gotten used to the keyboard and my typing accuracy is perhaps just a bit below normal, but does not present a problem.

As for the track stick, I have found that turning down the speed of the cursor movement by 10 to 20% makes a huge difference. It goes from being too sensitive and too easily move accidentally to just right and easy to control. Definitely try adjusting this before you give up.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the device and it definitely works well in limited space like on an airplane. For longer periods of desktop use though I would certainly get an external mouse, monitor and keyboard.

 

Have you tried using a powered USB3 hub? If power really is the problem, this should solve it. It will also make things simpler for you since you will only need to connect one plug to communicate with both drives.

 

I guess it depends on what your issue is with the mouse. I found the mouse unusable because I could not make it across the screen in a swipe with the default settings, so slowing the mouse down was the last thing on my mind. If it takes me more then 1second to reach any UI element with the mouse I get frustrated. I turned the speed up to what looks like 90% and acceleration is at ~60%. I also removed the option to tap to click b/c its ridiculously inaccurate. After a brief adjustment period, where I learned to get used to accurate control, I can now use the opticial trackpoint for a full work day as if it were a regular mouse without any laments or issues.... its very comfortable.

 

Thanks for the comments. You right, the workmanship level in the Duo 11 is one of the best in the PC industry I reckon. Maybe I need more time to adjust to the Duo keyboard.

 

No volunteers for the test? Come on guys, I only have a few days left to the limit date of returning the product, and I want to be sure my machine has a problem (or not) before doing so.

I tried going to a store to check but there was too much ambient noise.

Thanks for your help.

 

I find the optical touchpoint fine to use although my work laptops are Lenovos so I'm already used to trackpoints, it did take some time initially to get used to those admittedly. I still don't like the keyboard though which I've given plenty of time to get used to but I cannot type at any sort of speed because the key response is so intermittent, sometimes I get a response sometimes not so I have to type slowly to catch the missing characters. I would have thought it was a fault but I've seen plenty others with the same issue so it's clearly just a bad keyboard design which is frustrating as there's no reason for it, I use a desktop keyboard the same size and can type full speed on it as I can the old TX 11in machine.

John

 

I finally pulled the trigger and ordered the new refreshed Duo. I will be picking it up on Sunday.

Do you guys recommend using a screen protector?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

 

There's a slight buzzing noise on mine when I bring the keyboard up to my ear.

John

 

Ahh! Finally an answer! I was getting desperate!

Does the buzzing noise you hear depend on brightness (fades at 100%, brightness)? (with the machine plugged, not on battery in which case the noise is always there..)

 

Has anyone noticed that the wifi disconnect problem has gotten MUCH worse this week, or is it just me? I've rebooted four times in the past hour. Until about a week ago, I was having a wifi disconnect maybe once per month.

 

No and I've been using the Duo 11 much more than usual as I was away on holiday and only had it with me but it never disconnected once while on wireless. I think some of the suggestions near the start of this thread about other devices interfering as the only times I find the wifi does occasionally misbehave is when there's another wifi device nearby that isn't normally around (such as a machine I'm fixing for someone else).

John

 

Johnmcl7 can you complete your answer please (concerning the dependence on brightness)? Thanks. (My last return day is on monday.. :s)

 

Sorry, it's a little fiddly to test as you need to be somewhere quite and ideally with variable light levels to test the different parts. I'm pretty sure my machine is identical to yours with the buzzing, if it's on mains it disappears completely at 100% brightness while on battery you can hear it at each brightness level but sort of changes pitch. I'm running the stock Intel graphics driver on mine which seems to muck up the brightness levels to minimum brightness switches off the screen which causes the buzzing to stop both on battery and mains.

I can't quantify the noise though, on one hand I think you're the only one that has mentioned it in this thread which suggests yours may be louder or more distinctive but then on the other hand my machine is definitely doing the same thing. I do tend to notice little buzzing noises (some chargers I have are quite bad for it) but it's not something that I'd noticed on the Duo 11 until you'd mentioned it and even now when testing I can't hear it when using the machine normally plus when I have my ear right above the keyboard the buzzing isn't much louder than some of the other electronic noises the machine is making.

John

 

Great, thanks for your answer

I agree with the détails you gave (change of pitch, small noise etc). The only thing that shocked me is that near the enter key it makes more noise than the fan, which is generally supposed to be the most noisy part.. I guess I'll ask for an exchange just to be sure, otherwise I'll always have doubts about if it's working right or not!

 

I seem to be reading mixed information about the ram can anyone help? Im curious to know if the ram is 1333mhz or 1600mhz and if the ram can be upgraded.

 

Yes, if you plan on using the stylus quite a bit. I do not really recommend the Sony screen protector unless you are a fan of very matte screens. the Sony screen protector does offer great protection against reflections, but it reduces the clarity and brightness of the screen quite a bit. With the protector, you'd have no idea just how amazing the screen actually s.

 

Honestly either both of your machines are defective, or my ears are defective. I can only hear the buzzing if my ear is within 4 inches of the keyboard, and it is much quieter then the fan (which is itself pretty quiet). I can hear the fan from a foot away unlike the buzzing.

 

Thank you for your reply.
I honestly would prefer not using a screen protector but just how scratch resistant is the screen?
Do you use a screen protector on yours? If not, do you have any scratches on the screen?

TIA!

 

This is something which I also don't get. Firstly, only in the US the RAM is listed as 1333Mhz in the specs but on the overall specs of the machine it lists the RAM as 1600Mhz.

Here the RAM is listed as 1600Mhz:
VAIO Duo 11 Ultrabook Laptop | Windows 8 Touchscreen Ultrabook Computer | Sony Store USA

Here the RAM is listed as 1333Mhz:
Sony VAIO Tablet Laptop | VAIO Duo 11 Touch Ultrabook | SVD11225CXB | Sony USA

 

I'm not sure if you're including me when you say both, as I've said I can only hear the buzzing with my ear right down to the keyboard and not in normal use.

John

 

I agree, you can hear something only within 4 inches, but I find it quite annoying since I use the laptop in bed a lot, and I don't know if it is normal since I don't remember hearing the same thing on my old 4GB version..

 

Hey guys, how do you find the fixed angle of the screen? Any troubles?