Sony FW refresh

Hello!
Now that new windows 7 and new intel processor came to market, do you think Sony will upgrade VAIO FW? I really like it, but want to take it in white + I really hope NEW video card arrives + DDR3 RAM is available. I'm not hard core gamer, but still want to play from time to time.
Do you think it will happen - i.e. model refresh? Any time soon?
Thank you

 

Considering many of us are getting the shaft for another month with Dell, I'm also interested in the answer. I love the FW, but I would like to grab the new i7 as well.

From what I can tell, Sony updates their laptops quite often (compaired to many other manufacturers)...but just how often?

 

i hope not! I just ordered one?

 

I just keep a tally of all the times it's been asked about Sony refreshes and i7 CPUs. It's been said countless times, Sony just updated all their line-ups for Windows 7. In the FW's case, it's the FW5xx series which just came out like a week ago. Considering Sony's track record, there will NOT be any i7 CPUs in Vaio laptops until early next year earliest (until the next refresh of i7 CPUs come out). It is known that Sony likes to use CPUs that use less power and don't produce that much heat and let's face it, the current i7 CPUs don't fit that bill.

 

Thanks Wolf. I was hoping for pre-holiday release since the latest change was really only a software change...but you have an extremely valid point concerning Sony's trend toward cooler and less power hungry CPUs.

 

This isn't really rocket science: The FW1 series came out in June 2008, right? And the FW5's in October 2009. So that's the frequency: approximately one a quarter.

My guess is that the reason this refresh was so similar is that the next one won't be. In other words, this refresh was basically a tinkering with nothing dramatically new added just to get ready for the holiday season but to not take energies away from the next refresh effort. So, I suspect the model is being revamped as we speak for the next serious refresh -- but that might not be until spring for the graduation market.

And I also suspect Sony is reading all of these forums and that the reconceptualized FW won't have hinge problems, etc. Also I'm not sure it's fair to say that Sony always uses CPUs that use less power (since most of the FW refreshes always had one available from the top of the Centrino 2 range), but it is true that Sonys don't generally have the heat problems of many other manufacturers. That's in part because Sony studies its markets and knows what the performance needs generally are; their engineers know which components provide seemingly illusory advantages (like DDR3 vs. DDR2) and they balance the combination accordingly, providing better screens than most of the competition with the savings.

Sony knows which models sell the most (FW and AW) and it also has other niche models -- indeed, it has created and is advertising some models for niches right now. Sony isn't about to destroy its FW series -- I sincerely doubt that there's any worry there. But Sony isn't going to jump on any bandwagons until it's sure that the result will be positive for a seamless unit. Sony will likely let other manufacturers "take the hit" from the problems of a new processor platform. That's part of what makes a Sony a Sony -- it's not going to risk its reputation unnecessarily just because Intel asks for a salute.

Just more "spec"-ulations, as the saying goes....

 

Derrida, what would you say about the Z?

 

Sorry -- I tend to want normal-sized keyboards, so I haven't kept up on the Z series.

 

In my experience with Sony on many products I would beg to differ. They dont read forums. They probably dont even know that forums exist. And they dont care. The new product will be what it will be, because like a cosmetics company Sony will basically put out what they want and use marketing to drive it through. Then 6 weeks later, new product and new victims.

 

Sony don't tend to adopt new tech first. Dell will always be first to market with something. Sony wait & design their laptops around hardware. Dell often design the hardware and throw anything inside it.

 

Hi guys, I need a little bit of help. I've been holding off on an upgrade on my aging Sony FE for a while now due to the fact a) it did the job and b)I knew the i7s were going to hit the laptops.

I'm now in a position when I need to go back to doing some serious work and need a new machine. I do travel enough for wieght to be a conisderation. I do presentations all the time so the screen is important and I sepdna lot of time typing so a reasonable keyboard is a consideration.

I usually have a habbit of buying a machine pretty near the top of the tree processor wise and then working it through at least 2.5 years before cinsidering a replacement. I find it works cheaper than running to the store for an upgrade every year.

So, here's the question. Sony are doing the FW51 series which is coming in GBP1390 for a 2.8Ghz Dual core/RAM/ 1080DP HD Screen/ 1GB ATI/ 500GB HDD/ BLURAY writer.

or

I could get a Dell Studio XPS with Core i7 -720Q/4GB RAM/1080DP HDD/ 1GB ATI/ 500GB HDD/ DVD Combo.

I don't want to have to buy a machine in less than two years, and performance wise I don't want to watch my machine get left in the dust after spending a hefty wad of money...

What do you guys think?

 

Well, actually, one of the Sony reps used to post in the NBR forums, giving his email address, etc. (True, that didn't last long, but it happened.)

As for the hardware strategies of Sony vs. Dell: With the exception of perhaps the Latitude series (and any other business models where Dell guarantees backward compatibility for three years or whatever), Dell indeed seems to throw anything inside the hardware. This means that testing of the interaction of the components is probably less than in Sony machines. Sony doesn't appear to jump on bandwagons until it knows that the melody is in tune....

 

What I mean is that unlike say an Apple or Lenovo, Sony isnt really trying to get repeat business. They simply put out a product, listen very little to buyers, refresh said product slightly several times often in a meaningless manner and market the hell out of it.

Net result is that a few people will get a decent product and be satisfied but many will feel enthused and ready to repeat.

But Sony they focused on really delighting customers s, they would save themselves a lot of advertising and marketing money down the drain. This is where the world is going and Sony is just far behind.

 

Was just looking at a song FW 510 which looks promising with a T6600 C2D, ati 4650 1gb (not sure if if its ddr2,ddr3 or gddr3, maybe someone can clarify that for me), 4 gb of ram and 500 gb hard drive. All for only $999 Canadian! Seems like a smoking hot deal to me but its also kinda fishy why such a great laptop by sony is so cheap. Even if they were released on oct 22.

Was looking for a new laptop and was looking at gaming laptops but came across this sony at the local best buy which isn't bad at all for a top mid range laptop. Haven't seen any reviews on it yet so I'm reluctant to even think about purchasing one yet.

 

As one about to make a decision between an fully loaded Dell XPS-16 (I7) or FW590 I wonder what waiting 1 more month from Dell might get me?

Does the DDR3 (XPS-16) vs DDR2 (FW590) make the Dell a better choice?

 

If you search the forums, I or someone else posted a link to a page that analyzes in detail the perceptible differences between DDR2 and DDR3 performance. The result was: not really perceptible with some things canceling each other out. If Sony's DDR2s were at the lower speeds (a trick that Dell used to use to save money, BTW), one might hesitate, but they're not.

Have you actually seen the screens in question? That's where Sony has usually outclassed its competition. Most Dells I have seen have a bluish-tinge on every white, i.e., no color trueness. But I haven't seen the new XPS models you're considering. I just have had so much trouble getting past those screen issues (and hardware issues, and customer support follow-up issues, etc.), that I can't imagine getting a Dell when a Sony generally weighs less, operates with less heat, and well, gives us the best keyboards on the planet.

Just my "spec"-ulations. Let us know how it all turns out for you.

 

Hmmm. I'm not sure this really hits the mark, although it's clear that not everything said above is false, either. Part of the problem is that there are many Sonys. Reading the forums shows that the return policies vary from country to country, the types of screens available, the OS choices, etc. so it's hard to pin down just what a "Sony" model is, except for the very basic features of its models.

I don't think that Sony "doesn't care" about repeat business; heck, it's the first question on any of their questionnaires -- would we recommend their products? So, not caring isn't what it's all about at all. Like any marketer in a time of economic downturn, Sony needs to maximize profit (and Sony has had some difficulties in that area, if you read around a bit -- even did a major structural reorganization of the top global brass).

So, when I said that Sony waits to see if the melody is in tune, I mean that Sony doesn't change for the sake of change alone -- especially if it would be in the position of taking the "hit" for a defective or performing-with-major-side-effects (like heat) part it introduced in a model. It "takes it all in" for a while and then, almost unpredictably, makes a stochastic leap -- usually to the head of the line.

 

Sounds very grand but in reality the only reason I am looking at Sony is if I score a reasonable price for a laptop with 1080p resolution on a good quality LCD. The rest is marketing.

 

I'm also curious about this model. I think the low price is likely cause the processor is on the slow side. Usually futureshop/best buy lower prices by spec'ng laptops with ty processors, and thats where most of the price hike comes from. I've heard the video card is GDDR3, but i want confirmation on that too.

 

debating on whether to jump the gun and pick this system up now or wait a few months to see if they come up with a model refresh...

 

Well, if the display is your priority, Sony is the right choice from what I've seen.

But I disagree about the rest being marketing. Take the FW keyboard -- yeah, people think it's an imitation of the MacBook Pro but actually -- SONY invented it: http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/sony_vaio_X505.htm

In fact, tech friends told me a few years ago that when they opened up Macs, many of the parts were labeled Sony.

In any event, the FW is also lighter than most of the competition and runs cooler than just about everything else of comparable screen size.

Good luck!

 

Thank you for your answers and discussion. I guess I'll wait a little bit - want to take on new intel processor + new GPU. Still thinking of that model but still checking on another - SR. Z is too expensive, but I still вщ not know - what I need - desktop replacement or portable... But I guess - I'll wait for both being refreshed.
Hope after New Year, Sony will finally make good and final refresh on current laptops and I will be very happy

 

I'll be waiting as well.. I'm hoping Sony refreshes this model soon!

 

I think I'm waiting for a refresh on the FW as well. If the current model had a better GPU I'd be instantly sold on it, but I guess it's only a matter of time until a new model comes through the pipeline. Hopefully sooner than later though.

 

the current model already has the 4650 on it as GPU, sony won't be upgrading that anytime soon. The previous GPU was 3650, so the next GPU would be 5650, which wont be on laptops until summer of 2010 (possibly Jul-Aug), since that is when the 4650 was placed in laptops.

I doubt sony will be refreshing their FW line anytime this year. They will likely refresh early 2010.

 

Early 2010 is quite soon It's just - I do not want to buy it now and then, in 2 month realise, that it's already out of date. Really want to get hands on new i7, hope ram is ddr3 like on other sony products + new gpu. Do I live in dreamland?
Do not really want to go with other companies - have god HP at the moment, can't say I love it. Apple is definately out, Alienware is expensive, Acer and Asus out... Was thinking about Envy 15 in' - love the keyboard and looks, but read some bad reviews... So, waiting for Sony refresh...

 

I'm thinking February at the earliest -- leaving time in January to clear out older inventory from the Outlet, etc..

Just "spec"-ulating, of course.....:GEEK:

 

Asus G series laptops are fairly high spec'd and up to date. Though I've never owned an Asus before so I don't know much about them. Envy 15 looks good, but a lot of the reviews point to the crappy touchpad. As well, since its so expensive, it makes getting it almost useless, since you could get a Mac for that same price or another high-end laptop with better specs.

 

hey guys, so I am planning to buy sony vaio FW590 this thanksgiving.

Is using core 2 duo enough for doing daily activities such as browsing, watching, gaming (not heavy), email, college stuff (word, excel, power point), maybe some easy video editing with ulead.


Do you guys think it's enough or should I get core i7??

I will use this laptop for 4 years, is core 2 duo is good enough?? should I wait with touchscreen, i7, usb 3.0??

Sorry for the dumb question, I don't really know about computers.., thus i will need your recommendation or guidance!!



Thank you so much

 

you all are really giving the i7 too much credit. What kind of work are you planning on doing on the laptop?
early reviews on the i7 is hot and battery consuming at minimal realtime performance gains. My FW has a 2.8 core duo. I cant see anyone needing much more than that unless they are doing heavy programming work or HD video encoding.

 

I am planning to use for light gaming since I have ps3, store music, light photo or video editing, browsing. College work (word, excel, power point). I won't use it for programming, so core 2 duo should be enough for doing daily activity right?

thanks for your reply!

 

The Core 2 duo will be more than enough for your needs.

 

I saw a deal where the Sony FW 510f (2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB DDR2 800MHz Memory and 500GB Serial ATA 5400RPM Hard Drive,ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 - 512 MB dedicated ) was being sold for $650 or so.

My primary purposes are:

1. Gaming
2. Programming ( Visual studio, Flash design, Dream Weaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, MS SQL server, PHP/MySql etc., to list a few - wont be using all of them simultaneously though)
3. Movies / Songs
4. Document editing (I know this sounds silly, but still)

Will the current laptop be enough to satisfy all of these? I felt the graphic card was a really good bargain for the price.

Please let me know if I can get a better deal (Say within $750) which can satisfy all the above requirement.
Thanks.

 

Its cheap but T6600 is not exactly a powerhouse and has small cache. For $1000 direct from Sonystyle you can get the P8700 for more clock speed, bigger cache AND less power consumption, plus a blu ray reader. Its worth the extra.

 

SONY has not used Core i7 for their laptops while HP and DELL have some, anyone knows why?

 

Too hot. Sony uses P series in the FW, which should tell you their focus.

 

The FW510F is a great laptop! I grabbed one from Best Buy for $649 and now they've disappeared off the website. Not sure if it was a pricing error or what...Newegg has this machine for $899.

I play Dragon Age at native res (1600 by 900) at nearly full detail and it's butter.

By the way, screen is incredible on this thing. Machine is super light...and has been been able to handle everything I can throw at it without breaking a sweat. The 4650 in this thing is much better than I expected.

Highly recommended!

 

Sony's waiting for the next Intel platform chipset release, and not just the processors. Early 2010.

I think they'll have something exciting for us all then. Especially in this screen size, seeing that the FW is now on it's 5th refresh, they have got to do something, and I think we'll like it. Then again, someone will always find an area to complain about! It's how it works around here!

 

I wish SONY would replace DDR2 with DDR3 for this FW series because DDR3 consumes less power than DDR2 although its acceleration on P CPU is not notable.

 

i bought the sony fw510 from best buy for 649usd. Looks like a steal, cause the graphic card ati 4650 supports all games in medium resolution. Just finished prototype on full settings. Assassins creed runs in full settings too. Loving this laptop.

 

FYI, which chipset and processors is Sony waiting for? And if Sony will use RGB LED for laptop monitors? I have seen Dell Studio XPS 16 with RGB LED monitor and I have to say that it's so bright and clear.

Hope Sony will satisfy us in the next FW refresh.

 

Did you see the Fifa World cup 2010 draw?

There was the movie of history of world cups and in it the boy take out his Sony Vaio laptop, which I never had seen before. I think it is a FW successor because of th similar design, some chrome on the hinge, black colour around the screen (like MBP) and lit keyboard.

Sony is also sponsor of World Cup, so it would make sense to show it there?
Couldn't find any picture though.