Will the Vaio FS Series get a better GPU anytime soon?

Hi everybody.
I'm new to the Forum and have already spent hours and hours with reading through every single subforum.
Some weeks ago I have decided to buy a Notebook because its very helpful for school (I'm visiting a technical school) for making protocols and CAD.

After spending days to read into the subject I have decided that I wanted a Sony Vaio FS.
The main reason for this decision was that it has the best screen I have ever seen on a notebook because its the only "glare-screen" that has nearly no reflections so you can also use it when the sun shines very bright thanks to the enormeous brightness of the screen.
This is a very important aspect for me because the sun gets into every corner of the laboratories in our school and with a "normal" screen (because of the low brightness/contrast) or a "glare-screen" (because of the reflections) of any other manufacturer I couldnt see anything.

So at this aspect the Vaio FS couldnt be beaten by any other notebook.
But also the CPU, the memory and everything else seemed perfect since I read, that the GeForce Go 6400 has not even half of the power of the Go 6600.

Since I will mostly use it for CAD designing (ProEngineer, etc.) I need lots of 3D power!


Now I have decided to wait until the CES in early January if Sony maybe brings out a Vaio FS with at least a GF Go 6600/RadX700 or maybe a new Series with similar specs like the FS but with better graphics card.

But as you may think I just don't want to wait that long and as there are many ppl here that seem to know everything about notebooks maybe you can tell me, if i can count on this or if I shouln't waste my time waiting and just buy from another manufacturer and resign on the "mirror screen" of their LCD?

The competitors of the Sony would have been the FSC Amilo 1439/37G; Amilo 1667G; Acer Aspire 5024; Asus A6Va-Q026H and the Hp Compaq V4000T.

I hope you get the statement of this long and maybe very confusing text because my english is not the best

[edit] I already tried to contact the Sony Support but didn't get any answer yet (since 2 weeks). But I don't even know who is the right contact for this kind of questions.

 

Noone here who can help me?
Could at least anyone tell me what support I should write to have the best chance to get an answer to this question?

 

http://smb.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?vaioFlag=true&jspStoreDir=SMB&mpe_id=10157&catalogId=10001&productId=27677&evtype=CpgnClick&intv_id=14501&langId=-1&storeId=10054&ddkey=ClickInfo

sony bx ati x700, not out yet but will be soon

 

I know that the BX Series will have a X700 but they are much more expensive compared to the FS and as I know they just have XBrite Eco, which is also a good Display, but not as good as the "normal" one.

I just want to know if the FS will get an(y) upgrade in the near future (lets say february 2006) or if the FS790whatever is the best FS notebook I will ever get?
If so, I would buy a FS with GF6400 now and don't wait if there may come out one with a better graphics card. (but if it would I would be quite pissed, as you can imagine)

 

Other than the possibility of it using the GeForce Go 7300 in the next product refresh, I really don't know.

 

I don't really think they would put a GF7xxx Series card in it.
IF they revise the FS they will most likely put a GF6600 or (if we are lucky, but I doubt it) a GF6800 in it.

Yesterday I read through over 30 pages of the board (from January 2005 to now) to find out when the 6xx and 7xx series were released (I think they are equal to the 2xx and 3xx series here in europe) so that I could conclude when the (hypothetical) 8xx series would be released!

The approximate dates I have found were:
FS5xx series: January (1st month)
FS6xx series: May (5th month)
FS7xx series: september (9th month)

Are these dates correct? If so we could expect a refresh of the FS series in January 2006 which would be perfect to be introduced at the CES (pressconference of Sony there is at 05.01.2006 I think)

thanks for reading

ps.: if anyone who read it takes at least any interest in what I've wrote it would be nice if you answer, that I don't have the feeling it was totaly unnecessarily.

 

Sorry, but I think I'd have to disagree with you. If you look closely at the specs of the FS series since launch, not once did they release a single FS notebook with a mid-end graphics solution (forget high-end). Besides, the AX/BX series already has pretty high-end graphics. Why would Sony want to release two series of notebooks that are exactly the same specs-wise? Just doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

It does not really make sense but you have to keep in mind that the BX and the FS differ in many other ways as the BX is a "business" notebook (which of course doesn't keep anyone from using it for private stuff ) and the FS is designed for the mainstream market.

Well whatever. Let's just hope they will actually bring out a revision for the FS at all and if so they will hopefully put a strong GPU in it. (tough the GF6600 with 128MB dedicated mem. would be just nice for me)

btw. why have you quoted my message?

 

They only changed the FS from the 6200 to the 6400 about 6 weeks ago...don't hold your breath.

 

The FS series isn't going anywhere right now. In fact, the whole lineup will probably stay put for awhile.

 

Hm, where do you know this from?
It would be really sad if they won't refurbish the FS anymore..

 

Because I was replying to it?

 

OK let's not get hostile...no offense to anyone.

Well, the FS is a pretty thin notebook - adding a Go6600 might result in heat issues, or maybe they just did it to keep cost down. Sony was never a strong gaming notebook...most people buy them for multimedia.

Chaz

 

Well, let's just hope the best. I have decided that I will wait till the CES (because thats the date we can most likely expect an annoucement) and if there won't come out any enhancement then I'll buy it with the 6400 because when you once see the XBlack Gen2 Screen you can't buy any other (especially when you need a light/non reflective screen like I do)

btw. I also thought it may be a heat issue.
I see the FS as the mainstream notebook of the Vaio series and I just wouldn't understand why Sony would limit its power because of money reasons (I would willingly spend 200$ more to get a much better graphics solution and with it a pretty enhanced overall performance)

 

What is the Gen2 screen? Is that what the FS has now?

 

Yes. As I know there are two generations of the XBrite/XBlack screen.
The first generation doesn't have a nonreflective coating I think but the Gen2 has. (lights seem to be purple when they reflect in the screen)