Cyber Monday, the Black Friday for Geeks

I can't believe it's been a whole month since my last update. MY FW490 is still running strong. I have read online that some people have been experiencing problems with the power plug on the left hinge, but mine is still perfect (thank god). Just finished playing Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2 and I can confirm that the FW490 handles the game beautifully at medium-to-high resolution. The new VAIO FW590 is out, but as far as I can tell, it's basically identical to the FW490, except it comes preloaded with Windows 7.

Since it's Cyber Monday today, I thought I will share some coupons and bargains with my fellow VAIO FW owners (and owner-to-be).

Coupons:

Save $250 on Sony VAIO FW Series Laptop (VGNFW550F/B) - Only $829.99 + Free Shipping. Coupon Code: BLACKFRIDAYFW250 (expires 11/30/09 10:59pm)

Rebates:

Receive a $50 rebate by mail with the purchase of a VGN-FW550F/B

Download rebate form here

Cashback:

Goto bing.com, type in "bestbuy Sony lcd", hit the Bestbuy link to get 10% cashback. Bestbuy is selling the VGN-FW510F/B for $649.99 - $10% cashback = $584.99! (cashback expires 11/30/09 11:59pm)

And now from my personal vault, I am offering a wide selection of Windows 7 at deeply discounted price. These are 100% genuine, authentic, and fully licensed copy of Windows 7. All license keys are 100% brand new and come with Proof of License / Certificate of Authenticity. You will be able to legally activate, validate, and register your Windows 7 and receive latest updates from Microsoft Windows Update.

Windows 7 Home Premium OEM - I obtained this from the Sony Windows 7 Upgrade program. They accidentally sent me an extra copy (apparently happened to lots of people); therefore, I am passing the giving to you. The same version is selling for $104.99 at Newegg.com, but I am only asking for $29.99.

Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade - This is for Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade. You will need to have an activated Windows Vista Ultimate in your C:\ in order to perform the upgrade (or you can try following the instruction here to install Windows 7 on a blank hard disk. The same version is selling for $199.99 at Newegg.com, but I am only asking for $99.99.

Windows 7 Ultimate Retail - This is the most complete version of Windows 7 available. It is the full retail version, not OEM or upgrade. The same version is selling for $291.99 at Newegg.com, but I am only asking for $149.99.

Windows 7 Ultimate Special Edition - Finally, this is the special edition of Windows 7 Ultimate that comes with the Windows 7 Launch Party Kit. It is identical to the Retail version, except it has Mr. Steve Ballmer's signature on the cover. This is a collector's item and it's priceless (well, let's make it $199.99, still a hundred dollar less than the retail version on Newegg.com).

If you are interested, just click on the following "Buy Now" button. Once I have received payment notice from Paypal, I will send out the items via USPS Priority Mail. You will receive a tracking number within two business days. Your purchase is covered by Paypal Buyer Protection.

Versions

Home Premium OEM $29.99 Ultimate Upgrade $99.99 Ultimate Retail $149.99 Ultimate Special Edition $199.99

Please Mr. Postman, where is my yellow envelope?

Sony (or actually Mentor Media, the third-party company responsible for fulfilling the Windows 7 Upgrade Program) has finally decided to ship out the Windows 7 Upgrade Package to their customers. The whole process was somewhat confusing. I submitted by upgrade request through Sony on October 9, 2009. I filled in the online application, got an email instruction to send in a "proof-of-purchase". I emailed them a copy of the order confirmation, but nothing happened. No additional email confirmation or response of any kind until October 16, 2009, when I received another email stating that the "proof-of-purchase" had been verified. After that it's more waiting, until yesterday when a big yellow envelope suddenly appeared in my mailbox. I quickly torn it apart to reveal the Windows 7 Upgrade Disk from Sony.

The installation process was pretty much identical to that described in my previous post. I actually did not use the Windows 7 media from Sony, but used the one I got from MSDN instead. The good news is, the CDKEY works perfectly on the MSDN version (also the retail version). It allowed me to activate my Windows 7 online without any problems. Sony has already released some Windows 7 drivers for the FW490, so I recommend downloading them from Sony eSupport directly.

If you are still waiting for your yellow envelope, don't be frustrated, it's coming!

I am Virtually Here

It's a good day to be a Sony VAIO FW490 owner. Sony has finally listened to its customers' request and re-enable hardware virtualization on many Sony VAIO laptop. If you haven't been following the story, here is the brief summary: the Intel Centrino 2 platform on your FW490 is supposed to support hardware virtualization, but for some bizarre reasons known only to God, Sony decided to disable this function on their machines. Most people couldn't care less about this obscure function, but with the arrival of Windows 7, this becomes quite relevant because virtualization allows one to take advantage of the Windows XP mode. A lot people have been complaining to Sony (someone even started a petition). Surprisingly, folks at Sony has actually heard this complain and released a BIOS update. Color me impressed Sony!

Now if you are a VAIO FW490 CTO owner like me, you will need to overcome one minor problem before you can enjoy the new update (yeah, if only life was perfect). The BIOS update file downloaded directly from Sony doesn't work on the CTO model. You will need to extract the actual update program (using a Universal Extractor) from the executable file and apply the update manually. If you don't want to go through the trouble, you can also download it from me here.

Run the program and click "Update". Your computer may appear unresponsive for a while (about 30-50 seconds) and the fan will be spinning at full speed. Once the process is completed, you will be asked to restart the system. Hit F2 to enter the BIOS setup page and navigate to the Advanced tab, you should see the new virtualization option.

Are You Ready to Parrrtty...

It's finally here! The official Windows 7 launch day! Having been using Windows 7 for almost two months, I can attest to all those rumors about how awesome Windows 7 is. It is clean, pretty, fast, and just a joy to use. It works perfectly on my Sony VAIO FW490. If you are still debating whether to upgrade to Windows 7, then head out to your local computer store and experience it yourself!

To celebrate this very special day for Microsoft, I will be throwing a little Windows 7 launch party this evening. Yes, it's true. I am a Windows 7 launch party host. In case you don't know, Microsoft was nice enough to send out these cool Windows 7 launch party kits to people who are willing to host a Windows 7 launch party. The kit contains some posters, coupons, balloons, napkins, a Windows 7 puzzle, a deck of Windows 7 playing card, ten reusable shopping bags, and... wait for it... a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. The registration is now closed, but if you want to get your hands on these goodies, look no further. I will be posting these items for sale here.

Here is a little sneak peek. See anything you like, just leave a comment.

By the way, there is still time to buy a genuine, legal, fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Ultimate at a significantly discounted price. Check out this post here.

Direction: Just Add Water

The unthinkable has happened! I drowned my beloved Sony VAIO FW490! I was working on some documents yesterday and my glass of water got entangled with the power cord. (It may sound weird in words but that's really what happened.) The next thing I know, I was staring at a huge pool of water all over my keyboard, next I heard some unsettling popping sound followed by an even more disturbing hissing noise. Within ten seconds, the laptop shut down.

So there you have it, the longest and most shocking ten seconds of my life (at least in the past 3 months). This is what happens when you pour water over your Sony VAIO FW490, in case you wonder. I will keep you guys posted.

P.S. I still have a couple copies of Windows 7 Ultimate left. Hurry up if you want to get yours at a significantly reduced price here.

[Update] After over 24 hours, I decided to put on a hazmat suit and hit the power button very carefully. Luckily, there was no explosion. As a matter of fact, everything seems to be working fine. The keyboard, the screen, the microphone, the speaker, and the touchpad all function properly, so are the USB ports, the card reader, and the bluetooth. I can still connect to the internet and I just finished several rounds of Call of Duty 4. I am going to test it for a few more days before I declare this incidence over.

Kill the Middleman

I have had it with eBay! After spending all the time and effort writing the description, taking pictures, painstaking verifying all the information on the listing, and answering questions from potential bidders, I was quite frustrated to see my Windows 7 listing removed by eBay for the THIRD time. How can "limited selling history" be a reason to justify removing my listing? How am I suppose to gain enough selling history if all of my listings are removed?

Anyway, I was trying to create a safe and fair environment to all my fellow readers when I posted the Windows 7 on eBay. Unfortunately, given the situation, I feel that eBay can no longer offer such an environment to my readers. I hate to see one of you bid on the item and only to find out a few hours later that the listing is removed again. I have decided to kill the middleman, and handle this matter myself. Therefore, if you are interested in obtaining a full retail copy of Windows 7 Ultimate edition, please read this carefully.

You will be getting a 100% genuine, authentic, and fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Ultimate in a factory sealed DVD package with a brand new, never-been-used product key inside the sealed package. I will also throw in some extra goodies, including the Windows 7 sticker, Optimized Datacenter Evaluation Kit trial software, and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Simply click on the following "Buy Now" button. Once I have received a confirmation from Paypal, I will send you a USPS Express Mail tracking number within 1-2 business days. I am asking for USD$100.00 (shipping included), which is what my eBay listings were going for before they were removed by eBay. Remember, the same version is currently selling for USD$319.99 at Microsoft. As soon as all of my copies of Windows 7 Ultimate are gone, I will remove the button immediately.

Here is the information from the original eBay listing:

Windows 7 Ultimate - Enjoy maximum performance improvements, full Aero desktop features, Windows XP Mode, network backup and restore capability, BitLocker data security, and 35 language options with the most feature-rich edition of Windows 7.

100% Genuine - Protect your system with this 100% genuine, authentic, and fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. You will be able to legally activate, validate, and register your Windows 7 and receive latest updates from Microsoft Windows Update.

100% Brand New - Receive brand new, sealed, hologram DVD and Product Key. The Product Key is located inside the sealed package, and has never been distributed or used. Guaranteed to pass activation and validation.

32/64 bit Support - Activate either the 32bit or 64bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate with the supplied Product Key. The supplied DVD contains the 32bit version only, but the Product Key is valid on both version.

Full Version - Perform either a clean, fresh install or an in-place upgrade with this full version. No Windows Vista or Windows XP required for a fresh install. This is NOT the Upgrade or the OEM version, but the full version distributed directly by Microsoft. The same version is currently selling for USD$319.99 at Microsoft.com.

Extras - Enjoy the bonus Windows 7 sticker, Optimized Datacenter Evaluation Kit trial software, and Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Fast Shipping Worldwide - Get your brand new 100% genuine Windows 7 Ultimate before the Official Launch! You will receive your tracking number within 2 business days. You may also choose to have the Product Key email to you and start enjoying Windows 7 immediately after payment.

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

As the Windows 7 official launch date draws near, many companies are holding off their new products and promotions until after October 22, 2009. I have been thinking about getting another thin-and-light laptop as a companion to my Sony VAIO FW490, but it seems like there just aren't any good deals out there.

Fortunately, I came across this USD$150 off coupon for a Sony VAIO VGN-FW490 yesterday. The coupon code is FW490CTO150 and it is supposed to expire on October 12 or after 200 uses. This is definitely a rare, but attractive, deal; it's better than the deal I got when I purchased mine in August. If you are thinking about buying a VAIO FW490, act now!

By the way, if you want to get a copy of the full retail version Windows 7 Ultimate, you may want to check out my listing on eBay. The same version is currently selling for USD$319.99 at Microsoft.com, but you can get it through my eBay listing for a fraction of the price.

[Update] eBay is giving me a hard time by removing my listing repeatedly; their explanation is that I had "limited selling history". I admit I have never sold anything on eBay before, I got to start somewhere, right? Anyway, I will think of a good way to post the Windows 7 Ultimate up again on the internet. Please check back later.

Everything is Better with Bluetooth

Here is a nice surprise that I discovered yesterday. Those of you who have read my Windows 7 Installation Guide would know that you only need to install the Sony® Firmware Extension Parser Device Driver after installing Windows 7 in order to the get all the hardware working properly. If you want to use the vertical scrolling function of the touchpad, you may choose to install the Alps® Pointing Device Driver as well. It turns out, you may also like to install the Broadcom® Bluetooth® Driver.

First, let's make it clear that the stock Windows 7 bluetooth driver works just fine. I can pair my LG Vu cellphone and my iMac to the Sony VAIO FW490; I can send and receive files without any problem. My only complaint was that I have to right-click on the bluetooth tray icon and hit the "Receive a File" button, every time I plan to receive a file from another device. And since my stupid LG phone can't send multiple files at the same time, that means I have to do the whole right-click-left-click sequence repeatedly.

After installing the Broadcom Driver, I no longer have to right-click on the bluetooth tray icon anymore. When I try to send a file from my cellphone, Windows 7 will popup a dialog prompting me to accept or reject the file. I can even choose to automatically accept files from the device for the next several minutes to hours. I can also browse files located on my cellphone directly.

In addition to file transfer, the Broadcom Driver supports several interesting functions as well. You can make phone call from the Windows 7 Control Panel (not sure why anyone wants to do that). You can stream music from your cellphone to your computer. You can use your laptop's microphone and speaker as a speaker phone. Here is the most important part, you can connect to the internet via your cellphone! Yes, bluetooth tethering works! Again, I am using the LG Vu on the AT&T network with the Unlimited mobile Web service. While the speed is definitely not as good as WiFi, it is certainly more than acceptable. Now, I can have internet access almost anywhere in the world using my Sony VAIO FW490 and my LG Vu. The downside is that there are 2 more processes running under the hood now.

If you have managed to get bluetooth tethering to work using a different cellphone and/or network, please let me know and I will post that result on this entry as well. Thanks a lot and have fun!

Get Your Windows 7 Face On!

I hope all of you have enjoyed my Windows 7 Installation video guide and have been successfully running Windows 7 on your Sony VAIO FW490. For those of you who don't have access to Windows 7 just yet, I have good news for you.

I recently returned from a Windows 7 launch event organized by Microsoft. It was surprisingly informative and was a great opportunity to meet with Windows software developers. Most importantly, I have received a copy of full version Windows 7 Ultimate from Microsoft. I am happy to announce that I will be "giving" this copy to one lucky reader. Between traveling expenses and lodging expenses, I estimate that I spent about USD$150-200 on this trip. I would, therefore, expect the person receiving this copy of Windows 7 to share part of that cost.

If anyone is interested in obtaining a copy of Full Version Windows 7 Ultimate in a factory sealed DVD for USD$99, just leave a comment with your contact information here (please see update). Your comment will NOT be revealed and I will NOT use your information for any purposes other than contacting you regarding this matter. You will be receiving a DVD containing the 32bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate, and a brand new Product Key that has never been distributed or used. The Product Key works on both 32bit and 64bit Windows 7 and is guaranteed to pass activation and validation. This is NOT the Upgrade or the OEM version, but the full version distributed directly by Microsoft to Developers and IT Professionals. The same version is currently selling for USD$319.99 at MicrosoftStore.com. I will ship worldwide!

[Update] Turns out a lot of you are interested in obtaining my copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. I never knew this blog is so popular. Thank you very much for your support! I have decided to put the item up on eBay, so I don't have to choose who's getting the item and all of you can enjoy the Buyer's Protection from eBay. So please head on to eBay and bid generously. Remember, this is a full version of Windows 7 Ultimate that's worth USD$319.99.

[Update] eBay is giving me a hard time by removing my listing repeatedly; their explanation is that I had "limited selling history". I admit I have never sold anything on eBay before, I got to start somewhere, right? Anyway, I will think of a good way to post the Windows 7 Ultimate up again on the internet. Please check back later.

Live Free or Die (or wait for a free upgrade)

As much as I love the new Windows 7 Ultimate on my Sony VAIO FW490, I have to admit that the USD$319.99 price tag is a bit too rich for my blood. According to MicrosoftStore.com, the full retail version of Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate are USD$199.99, USD$299.99, and USD$319.99, respectively. Here are some tips to help you get a LEGAL copy of Windows 7, without the need to sell your kidney.

1) If you own a copy of Windows Vista, you can obviously go for the upgrade version. The upgrade version of Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate are USD$119.99, USD$199.99, and USD$219.99, respectively. You CAN still do a clean install of Windows 7 using the upgrade disk; you just need to have your Windows Vista CDKEY handy.

2) Get the OEM version of Windows 7 from places like Newegg.com. The OEM prices for Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate are USD$109.99, USD$139.99, and USD$$189.99, respectively (before the pre-order discount, which ends October 20, 2009; so act now to save another $10-$15). Here is the catch: the OEM license does not allow transferring the operating system from one PC to another (the product key is tied to a single machine). Furthermore, an OEM copy doesn't come with any support and only allows performing a clean installation.

3) If you are a college student or faculty, you can purchase Windows 7 Home Premium at a discounted price of USD$29.99 here or here.

4) If you are working in the IT field or if you are a computer science or engineering student, you may be able to get a copy of Windows 7 for free through MSDN or MSDNAA. Of course, if you know what MSDN and MSDNAA stand for, you probably already know about this. If you have never heard of MSDN or MSDNAA, then you probably can ignore this as well.

5) Attend to or participate in the various Microsoft events, like the Windows 7 Launch Party or the New Efficiency Technical Briefing. Microsoft hosts events like these regularly, and would often give out product keys to attendees. So keep your eyes open!

6) For those proud owners of the Sony VAIO FW490, who purchased their machines after June 26, 2009, simply register your laptop at SonyStyle and you can receive a copy of Windows 7 for free when it comes out on October 22, 2009.

7) If you are eager to give Windows 7 a try, or just can't wait to get rid of Windows Vista before October 22, you can always download a copy from MSDN or other sources (keywords: en_windows_7_ultimate_x64_dvd_x15-65922.iso, en_windows_7_professional_x64_dvd_x15-65805.iso, en_windows_7_home_premium_x64_dvd_x15-65733.iso). Install Windows 7 as normal, but do NOT put in any CDKEY. You can then use the product LEGALLY for 30 days. You can even extend the trial period up to 120 days using a simple commend (slmgr.vbs –rearm). During the trial period, your Windows 7 is fully functional, and there is NO annoying pop-ups or intrusive activation reminders.


Hope this helps.