New Refresh: FW590

Looks like Sony will refresh FW series very soon
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=20153&langId=-1&LBomId=8198552921665963650

What's new:
1. Windows 7
2. 500GB, 7200 RPM Hard Drive

XBrite HiColor @1600x900 is still not offered

 

Very, very disappointing. Technically, Windows 7 is available for free for the FW490 as well as Vista.

I'm not familiar with Sony refreshes / international marketing. What's the probability the US 590s will be the same specs? In particular, I was hoping for a Hi-Color 1920x1080 screen. The FullHD just doesn't look good, IMO.

 

Doesn't really seem to be much of a refresh, but then again, going from the 290-->390 series wasn't that big of a change either.

 

suppose can't ship win7 until 10/22, estimate ship date is earlier than that

 

Naw, let's take our date cue but not our content cue from the Canada Sony Style site which states FW590 in the title yet has FW490 in the blurb below it. (Remember how its first version of the FW490 site told us that the graphics would be HD3470?)

Let's look rather to the European models for signs of what is likely to come:

"The FW is the definitive widescreen experience and features Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology. The mixture of X-black LCD, true 16:9, LED screen technology, multimedia buttons and integrated webcam provides an unrivalled mobile HD entertainment experience"
https://www.sonystyle.co.uk/SonySty...00EAE10080002BC29B86&deencode=&csint=14001787

Did you catch that little "LED" that slipped in there? (You know, the letters that have gotten me "beat up on" at these forums whenever I put them together with FW in the same sentence of screen "spec"-ulations.) That's from the top of the page.

There's also: "Incredible realism Unique 16.4" screen with 16:9 aspect ratio, 1600x1900 resolution and 100% colour reproduction provides powerful images" and, when you scroll way down, you see: "Enjoy smooth pictures in high 1600x900 resolution and true-to-life images with 100% colour purity."

Yeah -- the old language used on the FW190's 1600x900 HiColor screen, and it's only being used to describe the UK FW's lower resolution screen, and not the 1920x1080 screen upgrade which is "on sale" this week.

Fasten your seat belts -- this is going to be an interesting ride!

P.S. Remember that those are simply the latest FW4 models from the UK -- the FW5 refresh sites aren't up yet. So, we do not yet know whether there will be graphics and processor changes in addition to screen changes, etc.

P.P.S. Notice also that they're offering an upgrade to the HD1080 "multiple lamp technology" screen for half price this week only AND that just one color finish is available -- the sort of things that are done as old stock is being cleared out before a refresh.

 

Japan's current FW8s (corresponding to the FW4s with the lower resolution, Japanese FW9s having the HD higher resolution screen) seem to give a choice between an LCD Rich Color (HiColor?) and an LED for the 1600x900 resolution only. Here's the ad for one of the 1600x900 models:

鮮やかさ際立つ、新液晶［クリアブラック液晶］（リッチカラー） Stand out is vibrant, new LCD [liquid crystal clear black (Color Rich) 新液晶［クリアブラック液晶］（リッチカラー）は、色再現領域（NTSC比）約100％（＊）を実現。 New LCD [liquid crystal clear black (Color Rich) is a color reproduction area (NTSC ratio) of about 100% (*) realized.
色の情報量が多いハイビジョン映像やデジタル一眼レフカメラの高画質な写真を、より繊細で色鮮やかに映しだします。 High-quality photos of high-definition video and digital SLR cameras have a high color information, starts to reflecting the more delicate and colorful.


＊ u'v'色度図による※ VAIOオーナーメードモデル/法人向けカスタマイズモデルのVGN-FW81シリーズは、［クリアブラック液晶］（リッチカラー）と［クリアブラックLE液晶］を選択可能 * U'v 'chromaticity diagram by ※ VAIO Onamedomoderu / corporate model VGN-FW81 series of customized, clear black LCD (color-rich) and [LE liquid crystal clear black] can choose
http://translate.google.com/transla...aio.sony.co.jp/vaio/products/F/feature_2.html

Perhaps someone who reads Japanese can improve on the translation. Again, this is for the current Japanese FW line which corresponds to the FW4 series in the States, but it portends the likely arrival of at least some LED screens in the next refresh.

 

Japanese models have always came with a choice of HiColor @1600x900. They have done it for a long time. It is just the US version that came with crappy ECO Screen @1600x900. If you want richer color, you have to opt 1920x1080. I've never been a fan of 1920 with a 16.4". Not even with enlarging the font by changing the DPI setting.

FYI: I do have FW190 with HiColor @1600x900 but mine came with low end Mobility Radeon HD 3470. Screen is perfect, GPU isn't. FW2-5 screens aren't perfect, GPUs are. Unfortunately, I can't get the best of both worlds, not with the US versions.

 

An LED screen seems like an obvious addition, notebooks offered by other companys in the price range that the FW is in already offer LED screens and a part of Sony's prestige is high quality displays. That is pretty hard to back up when you still using non-led backlighting.

 

I think it's too early to be sure that the FW5 screens are going to disappoint. With "LED" and the reappearance of the FW190-HiColor-like advertizing on the UK's FW site (for the 1600x900 screen), together with the general Sony Europe "sale" on the dual-lamp 1920x1080 screen (never advertized in the U.S. as or like HiColor, BTW), October may well bring some surprises for both FW5 series resolutions in the U.S. market.

 

Contrary to popular belief a LED backlit doesn't mean anything for image quality.

Sony has opted for high quality dual lamp Full HD CCFL back lit screen that beat many WLED backlit screens when it comes to contrast, brightness or gamut.

[LE liquid crystal clear black] does not mean LED backlit.

That was because you were saying current FW models in US had LED backlit screens, among other things.

Now there is a small chance that FW5 may get LED screens, we'll just have to wait and see.

I'll join you in your speculations and I'll say Sony will keep the same screens as used in the FW4 line. Like you, I don't have any proof.

 

If you go to the specs page of the current Japanese FW models you get three choices, an LCD liquid crystal clear black Rich Color (1600x900), an LCD LE liquid crystal clear black (no Rich Color), and an LCD liquid crystal clear black Rich Color (1920x1080) -- the FW73, 83, and 93 respectively. Go figure: http://translate.google.com/transla...aio.sony.co.jp/vaio/products/F/feature_2.html

I do agree that WLEDs are not necessarily better than CCFLS, but, for what it's worth, the Japanese LE is the middle model, not the lowest. And since uneven FW CCFL backlighting has driven a few forum members rather crazy, well, an LED wouldn't have that problem.

As for LED technology on the current FW4 series -- yup, it's there in the UK, as I posted above: https://www.sonystyle.co.uk/SonySty...00EAE10080002BC29B86&deencode=&csint=14001787

All that cited, I still have no idea what the American market will have for the October refresh -- but I would not be surprised to find an LED screen somewhere in the line-up.

P.S. That Canadian FW590 site now seems to have added 128GB Solid State drive with RAID technology....

 

No it's not, it's just a mistake, like I told you before.

There isn't any FW4 with LED backlit display. I know you would love it if it would be there, but there isn't.

 

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...y+FW+LED+technology&cd=28&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

For fun, while the link to this cached Philippines site lasts.... ;-)

 

Sure the Philippines have a LED screen in their FW, but the rest of the world gets CCFL

 

http://www.sony.com.my/product/vgn-fw47gy
still available, rich colour..

sometimes, i dont get what the sony lcd specificication means. its not clear liek LED backlight , unless you guys refer to Rich Colour Full HD = LED backlight...

 

The thing is, Sony's has subsidiaries in each country that can do their own marketing. So one country may call it CCFL, some make the mistake of calling it LED. Some countries come up with phrases like 100% Color true or Rich Color, other countries don't. It doesn't mean they use different panels, it means they use different marketing.

We've seen examples in the past of Sony Hong Kong claiming the TT uses an 8 bit panel. Does this mean they have some kind of mysterious screen? No all TTs use the same screen. We've also seen Sony UK claiming very different battery life for the Z than US, while they were using exactly the same batteries.

The same can be said for the 100% gamut on Sony Z. Some countries use it, some don't.

Let's face it, Sony's marketing is incongruent. For anyone who doesn't understand that, it can lead to a lot of confusion.

 

What was posted about LED screens in the FW4 models in the UK on Sony websites looks like an error. I do agree this would not be the first time at all that Sony have made these type of errors.

 

Ok let's keep this thread on topic about the FW590 refresh from now on.

Speculating about screen differences of the FW series can be done here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=397678