Some questions about my new SZ

Hi! I just recently bought an sz360 and i love it so far. I'd say almost everything is perfect!!!! (Full review coming soon!)

However i have a couple of questions.

I did a semi-restore once I got the laptop but I'm a little confused about my hard drive. (I chose to delete the partition) IT shows that the total capacity is 111GB. It should be 120?? Im thinking it probabl kept my partition. Apart from that it also showed that I used up 11GB from the 111GB total. Seems wierd. Can some one please clear this up for me.

Also, what program is best to use to watch DVD's. Since I did a resore I don't have nay DVD software on my comp now. What do you recomment?

Finally which of the Vaio applications are vital? What is video shared library and the likes? I didn't pick to install any of them and maybe i should?


-Thanks

 

This is probably due to the different ways in which 1 GB is interpreted. It can mean either 1024MB, or 1000MB. If you have a 120 GB HD, then it would be 120x1000 MB. To find out the "real" amount of storage that you have, which appears to be 111GB, you have to do [ (120x1000)/1024 ]

 

I know for a fact at least that Sony says you should install the shared libraries if you did a clean install of XP (or a semi-restore?). About the rest, I don't know. Probably wouldn't hurt to check out the drivers page for your particular model and read the explanations of each of the original pieces of software that came with the notebook.
If you're looking for a free DVD player you might try VLC.

 

Hard drive company consider

1000 MB = 1 GB

Windows OS System consider

1024 MB = 1 GB

When you buy a 120 GB hard drive, you are actually getting 1000 x 120 = 120000 MB. Therefor, 120 (GB) * 1000 MB (Hard Drive Company Standard) / 1024 MB (Windows OS Standard) = 111 GB

As for Media Player

Video Lan Player for DVD, the best one!
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

For BitTorrent download videos, Windows Media Player Classic with XP Codec Pack can play almost everything on the internet!

 

Thank you for your input everybody!

I just noticed one more thing. It seems like the semi-restore forgot to install the application for configuring the s1 and s2 shortcuts. Which application should I install to get that??

thanks again!

 

BTW, do you feel electric current on your palm rest?

 

The shock issue was fixed with the 2nd Gen SZ (SZ-2xx), with the addition of a grounding prong the AC adapter.

 

Hmmm...I have a newer 370P/C and it does not have the third (grounding) prong. It does have a bladed prong for polarity. I have never felt tingling though.

 

my laptop does not have any electric current.

can some1 please help me with the shortcut buttons. How do i configure the. I think i have to install one of the application but i dont know which one!

 

I think their fix for what happened with the 1st Gen was the grounded plug. I believe they fixed the problem alltogether with the SZ-3xx's

 

Nope sz370s still have the same problem, just returned mine because of it.Sony just decided to ignore the problem hoping it would go away rather than spend 50 cents per laptop to fix it.Looks like sony has gone way downhill over the years, especially with all of their batteries blowing up and catching on fire.

 

That's too bad... did it happen when it was plugged in or all the time?

 

Only when it was plugged in.

 

Yesterday I was at Sony showroom here in Buenos Aires. I felt the electric current on palm rest of SZ3xx. The man next to me told me he bought two SZ series Vaio, both with same defect, and returned them.

It's unbelievable Sony still didn't fix the problem.

 

Wow! That's simply incredible! Does anyone have Howard Stringer's e-mail address? I think we should send him an e-mail all together and list all our complaints with this model. I simply can't believe Sony's blissfull ignorance.

 

Hey illka99. When can we expect your review of the SZ360? I would love to read it.

Is it not possible to purchase a 3rd party power adapter that has a ground prong for the SZ's?

 

Yes, you can buy an airplane adapter from iGo with appropriate Sony SZ plug adapter, which has a three-prong plug.

 

Heehee. Someone knows his stuff.

 

Just got my SZ38GP (Aus version) today!!

Although the power brick is big, the Australian version actually uses the 3 prong plug with ground!!

I guess Sony does listen, but might not implement it globally (or maybe they are just slow)!! It's about AU$169.00 here, but were out of stock. (It is an autoswitching brick if anyone overseas are interested in it)

For the Aussies, HT is having a sale on these. Cheaper than any you can find on StaticIce until the end of the month.

 

Awsome dodgey! Nice to see another Aussie on these forums.

I'm sure my ITC power brick is bigger:


I'm planning to get a SZ38GP next month after I finish the HSC in a few weeks. Just to clarify, the standard power adapter that is supplied with the laptop is 3 pronged?

And HT I assume you mean Harris Technology?

 

Yeah, your brick is definitely bigger. I was hoping that for such a "small" notebook, the brick would be smaller. However it isn't.

This is a pic, comparing the Sony SZ brick with my Asus W3V brick and a ruler.


This is the plug of the Sony brick.


Yeah Harris Technology. I was very surprised. I showed Sony Central the price and after a few discussions, they matched the price for me, but that, it's not the first thing I bought from them.

Note that the HT price is only until the end of October. It goes back to the normal price next month

Apologies for the fuzzy pics. They are from a phone cam

 

Good on ya for matching the price.

And thanks for the pics!

 

I just bought the SZ360P and felt pulsating electric shocks emanating from the metal armrests. I subsequently searched this problem and discovered that this is actually a known problem with the SZ. My machine does not come with a three prong power supply in Canada. How could Sony have ignored this well known problem? It appears that Sony did nothing to rectify this problem in the new models!!!!

I'm extremely disappointed and intend to return this otherwise great laptop.

 

"There is no such known issue."

"Sure, I will forward your valuable feedback to the concerned department for initiating the necessary action."

This is what Sony Support Center (US) told me during the live chat when I mentioned this electric current problem of SZ series.

Obviously either they don't know or don't care about the issue.

 

In point of fact they are correct.

It is complete and utter nonsense to say that the SZ transmits an actual electric current through the palm rest, other than the current that exists everywhere in the environment [static etc.]. From a safety and operational point of view the SZ is safely insulated and grounded.

First, some of you here must have been only children and never have played the old game of rubbing your feet on the floor [particularly in cold or dry weather] and touching your brother or sisters hair, or giving a little shock to your parents wrist.

People, the palm rest is metal, and under the right conditions there might be some static electricity transfer but that is from you to the laptop, not the other way around.

Other than simple static what you are feeling is simply a 60Hz buzz or "noise" coming from the ungrounded AC outlet through Sony's less-than perfectly isolated power bar and amplified by the thin metal of the palm rest.

Because individuals have differing levels of galvanic/skin sensitivities some people will be bothered by this 'buzz' more than others.

The effect of this buzz is exacerbated further by buildings that have poor AC service. Crappy old wiring and service terminals in older houses and apartments/offices will just amplify the 60 Hz buzzing.

If it bothers you that much just go out and buy a Kensington or iGo, both of which have better insulation/isolation properties, have a greater diversity of uses, and are smaller and lighter to boot.

 

You call this static electric??

 

Thanks for the link but I am not in the market for a new LG cell phone.

How many amps ya readin' there?

The SZ does have a few real problems. IMHO this isn't one of them.

If it really bothers you then file a complaint with the FCC. See if they will open an investigation...Seriously, I am not being facetious.

 

Hmm I actually need some help but I don't want to start a new topic

How to you remove the slot for the Memory Card Adapter included in the SZ series?

Do you just pull it out?

Thank You in Advance

 

Both card slot inserts [PCMCIA and Express] are spring-loaded; push the cover in and it will pop out so you can then put your card in...

 

Pardon me, but it appears that you absolutely have no technical understanding of electrical circuits and don't know what you are talking about. This is not a children's game of rubbing feet as you allege!

The electric current that is felt upon contact with the metalic armrest area is not static electricity! This current is most probably due to improper grounding.

If this is "the current that exists everywhere in the environment [static etc.]" as you allege, then how come it is no longer reproduced once the brick is disconnected? Could you provide and explanation? The current is flowing from the laptop to ground through your body (not the reverse as you allege), that is why you feel it.

Your further explanation that this is a combination of simple static AND 60Hz frequency is once again absolutely nonesensical!!!! Could you explain why there is a 60Hz signal on the metal housing????

You then go on to blame my building's "poor AC service" (whatever that means?). Once again this explanation is absolutely jibberish since even if whatever you are saying could be true, I am running this unit from an isolated power bar, so pls tell me how could my "poor AC service" cause a 60Hz signal on the housing.

Do you work for Sony?

 

The SZ has some real problems. This isn't one of them.

File a complaint with the FCC.

 

lol, either Unpluggednonthefly is a complete and total fanboy or he is about the most ignorant person I have ever heard of when it comes to electronics.Then again maybe he has huge amounts of money in sony stock, shh nobody tell him about all the sony battery problems.

 

Agreed.

Someone tell him it's okay to acknowledge a brand's faults and still have brand loyalty.

 

You, like the two posters above you, seem to have some serious reading comprehension problems.

If you look just three posts up you will see in fact that I stated that the SZ does have some very real problems but the "electric shock" issue is not one of them.

Additionally if you had bothered to read any of my other posts you would see that I have been sharply critical of [1] the SZ keyboard [2] the Cingular/Edge antenna [3] the SZ software/driver issues and [4] the lousy Sony customer service.

In fact I have posted here at least twice before that the SZ is the first major Sony product I have ever purchased and that I purchased the SZ in spite of the fact that I don't particularly like Sony as a brand.

So, in the future, instead of looking like a complete jackass perhaps you will refrain from falsely ascribing words or motivations to another person when you have no idea just what that person's opinions actually are.

 

That's a fair assessment, but you also seem to be pretty quick to assume that it's utter nonsense and people are ignorant and don't know the difference between what an electrical current feels like versus static shock (which we've all experienced by doing something like taking a fresh pair of socks out of a drier) or "buzz" just because you haven't experienced it yourself. That despite the fact that this phenomenon has been documented through tests and photos in this very forum.
Your theories concerning this "buzz" all sound very plausible, but I can't recall ever hearing such complaints from users of other notebooks (i.e. some Asus models) which have metal palmrests, unless it is simply due to the fact that the Sony has inferior build quality and insulation which is in and of itself still a defect.

 

I skimmed 2-3 of your post along with people's reaction's to them and judged you accordingly.

I sound like a complete jackass? As mach said, "you also seem to be pretty quick to assume that it's utter nonsense and people are ignorant and don't know the difference between what an electrical current feels like versus static shock"

I was mostly intending to call you out on that issue since you typed 7 paragraphs blaming other things for the issue to simply dismiss it altogether once rebuttals and evidence were posted. You doing that screamed Sony fanboy to me. I think my reading comprehension is in good order. =)

You also decided to be a jackass and paraphrase his rebuttal as "Blah,Blah,Blah." Anyway, I don't see how I was suppose to have known 80% reasons why I was wrong for judging you. Because, unless I'm supposed to be stalking your posts, which I definitely am not and have no desire to do, there was no way for me to infer these things from what you wrote.

 

I was simply stating my opinion.

Anyone who chooses to do so can disagree with that opinion and make one's own argument. But when one resorts to ad hominem rants against the individual rather than the argument it is a clear sign that said person has simply run out of ideas.

As for the SZ let me say that [1] I have no loyalty to Sony or any other brand and [2] I am fortunate to not be restrained by economics.

When someone else makes a better notebook for my needs [and not some pie-in-the-sky vaporware] then the SZ goes into the closet I will buy that new product.

As for right now, even with its very real problems [and the keyboard for example is a really annoying problem in my opinion] the SZ is the best product on the market that meets my need regardless of price – and yes, I still do not believe that the "electric shock" issue is a real problem. Mind you, I have never said that there isn't a "tingling sensation", just that it isn't a problem.

 

Let's all just give each other a hug . Call it quits. And buy a grounded 3 prong power adapter to solve the problem.

 

Fair enough. I can (and do) respect that. But I still can't say that just because it's not a problem for me (I haven't experienced the sensation myself, either) that it's not a problem for other people. If it bugs them, then it's a problem IMO. It's all comes down to their perception I suppose. I love my SZ as well, even after having to send it in for warranty repair. Their are very few notebooks that can touch it feature-wise.

Sounds good to me.

 

That's it! Resolving problems like men. Disagreeing with one another but respecting were the other is coming from and getting on with life. Instead of endless bickering =).

So what's the next issue to talk about? Hahaha.

 

LOL, in all honesty I'm not really fond of conflict, but I do feel compelled to state my opinion sometimes just as fly said, and I try to state it as civilly as I can. I agree that plain old arguing and name calling is counterproductive and just goes around in circles.

Next issue? Hm, let's see. How about "What's the best flavor ever made by Ben & Jerry's?" Guess that would really belong in OT, though, wouldn't it?

 

Yeah. Heehee. Better stay with Sony stuff.

Look at this link. A person's vaio adaptor started melting!

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=612064