Windows Vista RC1 installed on your Vaio SZ series

Here’s my experience attempting to run Windows Vista RC1 on my Vaio SZ230P/B.

Installing via upgrade was a big disappointment. Many Vaio applications and drivers were broken and just cluttering up my system.

Installing via new installation worked much better and left my system running very fast and free from unwanted clutter. But many if the Vaio application I have grown fond of either will not install at all or simply do not work once installed.

If you insist on being an early adopter of this new OS, I recommend you install it as a dual boot system so you can explore it’s new and appealing feature while keeping your fully functional Windows AX OS intact for all your critical daily computing needs.

Just one man’s opinion. At this early stage of Vista’s deployment you are never going the get all the current Vaio applications, drivers and hardware to function.

On a lighter note, the new install approach gives you the Vista OS with most of the functionality you need to surf the web, watch video and listen to music etc. The system will run very fast and seems to be quite stable as well. Vista has a lot of eye candy and over all is very appealing.

Once Sony provides the required level of support, compatible applications and driver for all the OEM installed hardware, I will by all means replace XP with Vista.

Lets here your experiences and opinions.

 

I'm running Build 5600 and don't miss any of the Sony stuff... most of it is crap/useless-to-me anyways, and as long as Video, Wireless, and Bluetooth all work, i don't see any big deal...... but that's just my opinion......

And i hope i am just pointing out that adopting a brand new OS and not expecting everything to work or install is purely common sense.....

For my "critical daily needs", which consist of:
- Web Browser
- Visual Studio 2005
- SQL Management Studio and SQL2005 Developer
- Support for my docking station so i can use the 19" monitor

I'm all straight ... can't wait until the OS goes final in just a few more months

 

Lack of brightness controls means I keep removing it after each build

 

I put RC1 on the other day, then took it off....

It works fine and installs okay, but as expected the vaio utils like wireless switch and keyboard shortcuts don't work. Also, the fingerprint scanner is detected but I can't use Protector Suite (I guess that's a pretty integral part of the OS so understandably it doesn't work!). So for the meanwhile, its XP for me!

 

I've been running RC1 on my SZ160 for a week now without going back to XP once. It really runs like a champ, boots in seconds without all the bloatware and is rock stable. I find with the integrated Intel graphics I can adjust the brightness by first setting it in XP and then rebooting but I can't do the same with the Nvidia 7400. I'm using Trend Micros PC-cillan beta antivirus and I'm running all of the apps I use on a daily basis, Office 2007 (I downloaded the beta), Photoshop, iTunes etc..

 

Question for those of you who have installed RC1 - are you doing dual boot or a full upgrade/install without XP on another partition? THanks in advance.

 

I have installed vista RC1. As I know, dual boot means you can install windows xp and vista in two different partitions and boot up either vista or windows xp. it's not that you can install windows xp and vista in the same partition.

 

THanks - I understand that my assumption is that most are doing dual boot/partitions rather than just replacing XP on a single partition?

 

I wouldn't completely replace XP with a beta OS. I created a new partition with Partition Magic.

 

Which Sony applications have you gotten to work and which don't? I've just done a fresh install on a second partition. I was using build 5472 but very infrequently because applications like Creative Suite 2 don't work. I ran it bare without any of Sony applications.

I'd like to figure out how to get RC1 to recognize the EDGE modem. I got it to recognize it with an update to the driver but couldn't get the Cingular Communication Manager application to install in build 5472. Now, with RC1, I was able to get Cingular Communication Manager to install but now I can't get the driver to update with the driver from the Sony Recovery DVD.

If I can get the the EDGE modem to work, I'd use Vista more than my current usage of almost never. I would still have to switch back to XP to run Creative Suite 2.

 

I just installed Office 2007 beta 2 Tech Refresh. If any of you are using the Office 2007 beta 2 either on XP or Vista I highly recommend you upgrade to the new Tech Refresh. It's way better and way nicer than beta 2 with MANY updates and the GUI is much nicer with a new silver theme. All in all it's great.
On a second note I've been running Vista RC1 for the past couple of weeks and haven't gone back to XP once.

 

waht about the camera? I can't get it working.. .

 

Me neither but then again, I'm running the 64-bit edition of Vista. I'm also waiting for Sony to send me my copy of Vista as part of the free upgrade program for people who bought Sony laptops in the few months before Vista was released to the public. Unfortunately, the free copy will be the 32-bit version so I don't expect any 64-bit drivers to come along with it. In addition, Sony has a Vista "does not work" page up that outlines software that doesn't work.

If you're on the 32-bit edition, you may have lucked out since there are drivers posted on:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGNSZ370PC&UpdateType=Migration