Does anyone at all have the EC "17.3?

After doing much searching, I come to realize that almost no one here has the 17.3" EC series laptop. It makes it a little difficult to get opinions about the computer and what not.

I've went ahead and ordered the CTO of this EC last week and it is scheduled to be here hopefully Monday next week. I'm not sure what to expect at this point but I'm hoping I will be happy with its performance.

So who else has an EC around here???

 

How much did It cost you? Just wondering.

I have seen a few 17.3 EC's around, but rarely last time I saw one was couple of weeks ago. If I see a Sony laptop its generally a vaio being held by some business man hahaha.

It sounds like a pretty good computer, wondering why you got the i5 in a 17 inch laptop. Unless of course your interested in lugging that behemoth around.

 

I have an order, just like you. If anybody has the EC, please tell me:
- in the BIOS settings (or through device manager) can you see any unused SATA port? OK, it misses the connector but I'm wondering if it's missing more. If there's no connector/cable but the motherboard/bios is the same, then I'm OK soldering a different cable in place;
- does the back look exactly like on http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sony-Vaio-VPC-EC1M1E-Notebook.29668.0.html (pictures on the right, bottom)? I've called the tech support and everybody at Sony but they only tell me that upgrading memory or the HDD isn't possible and will void my warranty, so I don't know what to believe (maybe the newer ECs don't have those SODIMM slots).

I've ordered my EC with only 2GB and a 500GB @5400 HDD because my plans were:
- to put 8GB ($105 online, 350 with 100 cut in cart on sonystyle);
- move the 500GB HDD in the 2nd bay and put an 120GB SSD in the 1st (cause they don't have such option, and don't know what crappy SSD they sell).

So nobody played with the 2nd bay?

(depending on what I hear here, I may cancel the order. If I'll get it, I'll definitely post my experience about mounting an SSD in it, next to the default HDD)

 

LOL, well I'm not so worried about its size. I need all that real-estate for programming and watching movies on a bigger screen. I am already farsighted so getting a smaller laptop is out of the question.

As you, I've only seeing the EC 17" in one store out of all the other retail stores but it was a watered down version on specifications.

The I5 was all that was available so I chose the the highest option. I'm not sure crazy about an I7 right now.

Lots of good questions. I have a feeling that the connector is already on the board but you'll need to find the cables for the 2nd bay. But I'm not sure. It wouldn't make sense not to have a connector for the 2nd SATA bay already soldered into the motherboard.

As you, I also plan on a SSD and use the 320GB HD in the 2nd bay. I won't have to mess with the RAM for a while since I got 4GB.

 

Same case here, also programming, was looking for max resolution on max matte display. As the EC in the EU doesn't have the matte option, my single choice was the F. But it's 16.4" so I was a little bit concerned about the resulting PPI (1080p on 16.4" makes 134PPI and I'm used with 116). Then I found the premium option on the EC in the US, and this is what I'm buying, 1080p on 17.3" makes for 127PPI, easier for my eyes.

i5-580m instead of i7-740qm... it's like faster dual-core instead of slower quad-core (cause one scales to 3.33 while the other goes to 2.93). On single-threaded benchmarks, the dual-core tend to be faster, the quad gets faster on specific heavily-threaded works, but they're pretty similar in real-life tests (like PCMark Vantage), and really the same considering my computing profile (no modern games, no rendering, no encoding, many but idle processes, short but demanding low-threaded works).

I'm getting i5-580m, 8GB, Corsair Force 120GB SSD + 500GB@5400 HDD, DVD, premium 1920p on ATI 5650 w/ 1GB, Win7pro for $1369. This means:
- the EC ordered with only 2GB for $1049 ($50 less if 7 home instead of pro, $20 more for 4GB);
- 8GB for $105 online;
- Corsair Force 120GB for $215 online (or OCZ Vertex II or any other SandForce).

Yeah, they won't have 2 different motherboards for the EC, right? I'll investigate (when I'll get the laptop) the possibilities to:
- order the missing cable/connector as repair part from some Sony repair shop;
- make a replica myself (in the end, the SATA connector on the drive is standard, only the connector on the board will make problems).

 

So far everyone who bought an EC but only specced it with one HDD found that the second bay did not have a connector, so unless they have changed this I wouldnt get your hopes up about your EC's arriving with a second useable bay.

 

But is there anybody with an EC with 2 drives? If so, please post a picture of the open bays.

It's sure it doesn't come with the 2nd connector, easy to see in the review, bottom right ( http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sony-Vaio-VPC-EC1M1E-Notebook.29668.0.html).

I've checked the pictures and I think there's no secondary connector on the MB, both drives get connected through the same MB connector which carries pins for 2 SATAs and power (total 15 pins). If so:
- for 1 drive: the cable (transparent one) goes to that PCB which holds the SATA/power combination cable for one drive, like in the pictures;
- for 2 drives: same cable splits and goes with proper tracks to 2 identical PCBs;
- for 2 drives: same cable goes to one longer PCB (covering both drives) which holds 2 SATA/power connectors.

That's why I'm asking around:
- is there any 2nd connector empty on the motherboard (looks like not)?
- does the EC (ordered with one drive) show any available SATA port in the BIOS/device manager, like having space to mount another HDD? That's very important.

Anybody owns an EC with 2 drives? Please post a picture of the open bays.

 

I'm still waiting on my EC! It says estimated ship date 12/10, but it's the 14th now and no real updates. Has anyone every received a tracking number for their order?

 

I've ordered on 12/03/2010 with free expedited delivery (2 days), the estimated delivery date was 12/14, got an order number, order status was "Processing" (your vaio is being built) until 12/12 when it changed to "Completed" (Payment processed).
--in "" is the status on the brief page, in () is the status displayed on order detail--

Today is 14 (their estimate) and no laptop, on the phone they said it arrived today in the US and today/tomorrow Fedex will take it for delivery (then it will take those 2 days, expedited delivery).

Update: 12/15, the order status changed to "Completed" (Order Completed, Shipped date: 12/15, Fedex: xxxxxxxx144).

So yes, I finally got a tracking number.

 

OK, it wasn't delivered on 12/14 as they estimated... It was just shipped on 12/15, I've got a FedEx tracking number, then it took 2 days (free expedited delivery), arrived on 12/17.
I don't have it yet (Sony delivered it to a friend of mine, he's now delivering it to me in the EU) but I'll post impressions when I'll have it.

 

Keep us posted! I just got mine several days ago so I've been playing with it since. I am using it as I speak (type).

 

Hey there!

I just got an EC Vaio..

I love it, but i still think my 15" HP Elitebook has a far, far better display. It has a HD screen as well, same resolution I mean but the viewing angle is much much better. I get annoyed at how even a small change in my head position is enough to bring out the colour difference on my Vaio.

On the HP, it is simply awesome..

 

Was finally delivered in the US on 12/18 but I had to wait for another delivery (to EU) and I finally got it here half hour ago.
Unfortunately it's with a glossy screen and I've ordered it with the "premium" one, I'll have to return it.
From what I know (and they told me over the phone), the premium screen is matte, right?

 

I believe it has the glossy screen either way.

So far I've had this laptop about 2 weeks. My biggest disappointments are the battery life and touchpad. It is too sensitive and there's no way to adjust that like you can on a Synaptics touchpad. Not sure if I still want to keep this or not. There aren't a lot of other laptops out there with high res screens and ATI video.

 

Before ordering, I've checked with pre-sales and tech support guys and they confirmed the Premium display is matte (they call it anti-reflective) as on F or any other VAIO which has that screen option.
On almost all Sony sites (try the UK one, for example), when you customize a laptop you have "which VAIO display is best for me" link next to the Display selection.
In that grid they specify the Premium has "Low Reflection", "High Colour Saturation", "Extreme Brightness" and "Adobe RGB". Check the UK one, see https://shop.sony.co.uk/shop/ipc/di...000000009_EC3&cCharGroupName=$BASE_GROUP)/.do
for example. No, they don't have the Premium option on EC, that's why I've ordered my EC from States.

I've ordered, got the glossy one.
Today I discussed over the phone with 5 people: 2 pre-sales, 2 after-sales (returns), one tech support. All confirmed that the Premium screen on EC should be anti-reflective.

Then I discussed with another tech guy on that online Java chat. He searched through his documentation but, in the end, he told me he doesn't have that information (how stupid).

Then I posted the question in that online support about returns, and got back an email saying that the screen should have (copy/paste): ""anti-reflective coating that lessens glare and light reflection" which clearly defines a matte screen".

Now they don't have any specs on the EC page, and the current definition of their Premium is different than the definition from Dec. 3 (when I ordered). Then they've had 1600x900 led, FullHD led, and FullHD premium (the 2 options from Europe plus the Premium screen). Now there's only the premium, nothing else.

If this glossy is the premium screen, then it's terribly low quality for such a +$100 upgrade (from standard FullHD). On the other hand, it doesn't look like being the led-backlit either, it has terrible bleeding, black is some light gray.

So nobody from Sony said to me the Premium is glossy... Then why am I still asking around? Well, because the Sony pre-sales or support people don't really know what they're selling, and they tend to say "yes" to any question if that generates a sale.

 

Can't believe this... Even now, when it's clear they don't have any matte screen anymore, the so-called Product Specialists tell me (over the phone) that the premium screen on EC should be matte. Until now, everybody I discussed with at Sony said the Premium screen on EC should me matte except one tech support guy. He didn't said it's glossy but that he can't find any info about EC in their documentation.