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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
I have installed Windows 7 on my Sony VAIO FW490 for a few weeks already, and I am loving every minute of it. I have to admit that I have a very high expectation for Windows 7, after reading all about it on the web during its beta and RC releases. I am happy to report that the final retail version of Windows 7 did not disappoint. The OS is quick to response, the visuals are attractive, the Aero features (Aero peek and Aero Snap in particular) are quite useful, and the new taskbar is a godsend. Gone are those annoying UAC warnings and confusing security settings. It reminds me of the good old days of Windows XP; everything just works. There are, of course, still some minor problems that I hope Microsoft could fix. For example, the inability to minimize Windows Media Players to the right side of the taskbar, and the inability to overwrite an existing theme (currently, you have to save a new theme and delete the old one every time you make changes) can be somewhat frustrating.
Anyway, I am not writing a full review on Windows 7, at least not for now. Today, I just want to share my experience on installing Windows 7 on the FW490. Overall, the installation process is rather straightforward; you only need to decide how you want your hard disk partitioned. The entire process took about 30 minutes and involved two restarts. If you can install a software on Windows Vista, you should be able to install Windows 7 on this machine without reading this post. Think of this simple guide as an entertainment, instead of an instructional material.
To begin, you will need:
1) A copy of Windows 7 - You can download a copy of Windows 7 from MSDN or MSDN-AA library after August 6, 2009 or wait until October 22, 2009 for the retail version. If you system has 4Gb or more memory, it is recommended that you get the 64bit version. Here I will use the Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit version.
2) Your Sony VAIO FW490 with a fully-charged battery (it is always best to have a full battery whenever you are doing something that could potentially mess up the system).
3) A copy of the Ricoh® MS Memory Card Reader/Writer Driver (64bit) and Alps® Pointing Device Driver (64bit) from Sony eSupport
4) An external hard drive, a flash drive, or some blank DVDs for backing up your old documents.
Let's begin!
Step 1) Backup all your important documents! Since we will be doing a clean installation, all the files on your hard disk will be erased! Remember to backup your desktop and bookmarks in addition to My Documents, My Pictures, My Music, etc.
Step 2) Turn off your laptop, insert the Windows 7 Installation DVD, and turn the laptop on again. After a few second, you should see a text saying "Press any key to boot from CD/DVD..." or something like that. If you do NOT see that, chances are you have changed the boot sequence in the BIOS before. To change it back to the factory setting, restart your computer and hit F2 to enter the BIOS setting page, navigate to the third tab to change the boot sequence.
Step 3) Hit any key to boot from DVD, you should see the beautiful Windows 7 animated logo and the installation page 40-50 seconds later. Simply choose your installation language (English by default) and hit "Next". Afterward, you will see a giant "Install Now" button, hit the button.
Step 4) Read the End-User License Agreement, if you have the time, then check the appropriate box. The next step is critical! You MUST choose the "Custom Installation". It is absolutely essential that you do this, because this is the only way you can install a fresh copy of Windows 7 on your laptop. It is always a good idea to do a fresh install of the OS (as opposed to an in-place upgrade) as your system will perform better with a fresh install.
Step 5) Next, you will be asked to select a partition onto which Windows 7 will be installed. At this point, you can also change, create, and delete partitions in your hard drive. The VAIO FW490 has two partitions by default. The first one, about 10.4GB in size, is the Recovery partition, which holds an image of the Windows Vista installation located on the second partition. If you happen to ruin your Windows Vista, you can use the image in the Recovery partition to restore your laptop to factory condition. Since Windows 7 is clearly much better than Windows Vista, I highly doubt that anyone will want to go back to Vista. I recommend deleting both partitions and create new partitions yourself.
The image on top shows the original Recovery partition and the Vista partition on the Sony VAIO FW490. The image at the bottom shows my partition setting. I created a 148GB partition (Partition 2) for Windows 7, and two 75GB partitions for data and backup purposes. Notice there is a 100MB System Reserved partition; this is created automatically by the Windows 7 installation wizard. Do NOT attempt to delete or change the System Reserved partition.
Step 6) When you are satisfied with your partitioning, hit Next one last time, then sit back, relax, and watch Windows 7 install itself on your machine. The process is surprisingly fast (about 20 minutes; in contrast, installing Adobe Studio CS3 takes an hour). During the process, your computer will restart twice. When it does, simply do NOTHING. Do NOT hit any key or eject the DVD. Wait until you are asked to choose a username and password, then follow the instructions to finish configuring your Windows 7.
Step 7) Finally, you will be greeted with the Windows 7 welcome screen and you will get to play around with all the awesome new features of Windows 7. When that initial rush of excitement has subsided, remember to install the MS Memory Card Reader/Writer Driver (which is the Unknown Device listed in the Device Manager, and the Alps Pointing Device Driver that you downloaded earlier. This will enable the touchpad's scrolling function.
Step 8) Check the Device Manager (Control Panel > System and Security > System), all the hardware should function normally (no exclamation point anywhere). The volume control and playback control on top of the keyboard should function probably. The mute button (Fn+F2) should also work. The brightness control and the application launcher buttons do NOT work. You may choose to also install the Sony® Shared Library and the Sony® Notebook Utilities to enable these functions, but I rather skip them because I prefer to keep the system as light as possible.
I have also prepared two video clips demonstrating the installation process. Enjoy!
Please let me apologize for not updating this blog for a while. I have been rather busy with work, and life in general, lately. The laptop is still running strong, and it has been helping me a lot these days.
The good news is I have already installed Windows 7 Ultimate on this machine. First impression is absolutely wonderful. The installation process was quick and painless, and the OS itself is a charm. It's like Windows Vista WITHOUT all the crazy annoying glitches. Everything just works! I am going to talk a little bit more about the Windows 7 installation process in the next few days. In the meantime, I have two screen shots, one of Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit and one of Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit, for your amusement. Take a look at the system memory usage!
Windows Vista (Taken immediately after second boot, with all the stock software and factory settings)
Windows 7 (Taken after a clean install of the OS and antivirus)
A reader asked about the power adapter, so here you go...
I was at the Sony Style store the other day and I was curious to know how my beloved FW490 compare with all the other Sony VAIOs in the store. In retrospect, I really should have paid the Sony Style store a visit BEFORE I bought this laptop, even though it would probably have done very little to change my decision.
The difference between the XBRITE-FullHD and the XBRITE-Eco LCD screen (both are CCFL-backlit NOT LED-backlit, by the way) can only be appreciated in person. The FullHD screen is definitely brighter and sharper, and the higher resolution is perfect for viewing multiple windows (say Gmail, Hulu, and Microsoft Word) at the same time. 16.4" is, in my opinion, the sweet spot for the 1080p resolution. The 18.4" VAIO AW is, in comparison, too large to be considered a portable computer.
What comes as a real surprise is when I compare between the black and the chocolate brown machines, I noticed that they have different texture! The lid in the black one has a more sand paper like texture, while that in the brown one is completely smooth (though not glossy). It's hard to say which finish is superior, as the black one seems to provide a better grip, while the brown one feels better to touch. I just what to point this subtle detail out to other potential FW buyers.
I finally have the opportunity to play with my new-found-love over the past couple days, and I find myself falling in love with this beauty more and more every day. First, let it be known that this Sony VAIO FW490 is an incredibly well-built machine. The non-glossy chassis looks and feels extremely sturdy and classy; most importantly it does not attract fingerprint or dust. It is relatively thin and very light in weight for a 16" laptop; it is definitely stylish and convenient enough to be carried around in a small backpack or in the Sony FW carrying case.
Open up the lid, you will find a gorgeous 16.4" FullHD display with very crisp and bright images. Even though the screen is the glossy-type, I can still use the laptop comfortably in a brightly-lit room or even outdoor under the shade. Sony does a very good job in minimizing the amount of glare reflected off the display. Compared to the HP dv5 and Toshiba X205 I had before, this Sony FW490 really has the best display I have ever seen.
The keyboard is large and comfortable for everyday use and the touchpad is also spacious enough. The touchpad does support vertical/horizontal scrolling, although the scrolling areas are not labeled on the touchpad. The palm rest area remains cool after 2 hours of gaming, which is a welcoming surprise. Overall, the laptop runs relatively cool, the fan only kicks in when the laptop is under load. During a typical web-surfing and document editing session, I don't even notice the fan at all.
Of course, this is by no means the perfect laptop; there are some noticeable, albeit manageable, flaws. First, I wish Sony can put one USB port on the left side of the laptop. Having all three USB ports lined up side-by-side can be problematic at times, especially if one of the USB device is too bulky. Second, the caps lock light is too small and is positioned far away from the button itself; I prefer to see the caps lock button light up brightly when the caps lock function is on. Finally, backlit keyboard would be a nice addition.
I am going to install Windows 7 on this laptop soon and I will do a full review after that. In the meantime, please enjoy a short clip that I made during the first and second boots. I hope it can give you a taste of the speed of this laptop.
It's finally here. The moment I have been waiting for eagerly for the past month has finally arrived. It feels almost surreal, yet wonderfully pleasant. I was going to rip the box apart the moment I grabbed it from the Fedex delivery guy, but I somehow managed to squeeze a bit of patience out of myself and waited until I setup all the video equipment to do a proper unboxing video.
Enough said. Now feast your eyes on the new Sony VAIO FW490!
Sony is an international technology conglomerate; therefore, doing business with Sony means one has to deal with its frustrating customer service department as one does with all other mega-corporations.
I ordered my Sony VAIO FW490, plus two accessories and extended service plan as part of the campus bundle discount program, on SonyStyle.com in early August. Everything went through smoothly; the sales agent even offered me free upgrade to express shipping. I received the two accessories two days later and I was rather pleased with the order, so far. For the following week, I would anxiously check the order status 5 times a day until I finally got tired of seeing the word "Processing".
Then one night, I received an email from Sony stating that my laptop order is canceled! Canceled?!? I immediately called customer service and a guy with thick Indian accent informed me that they have trouble charging my credit card. I assured him that I have sufficient funds on my card and that all my other online purchases went through just fine, but he insisted that I contact my credit card company to next morning. So I did, thinking that I would be receiving my laptop soon after I sorted out this little misunderstanding. When I contacted Sony again the next day, after confirming with the credit card company that my account was fine, I was shocked to find out that I could not simply reopen the laptop order. My original order is gone, removed from the system as if it has never existed. Now, I have to place a new order for the laptop.
In order to receive the campus bundle discount, one must order the laptop, the accessories and the service plan at the same time. Since I have already received the two accessories, I wasn't going to order two more. To make the long story short, I had to spend over 4 hours talking to three customer service agents and two sales agent over the phone to sort this mess out. And those Indian customer service representatives are not helpful at all. No matter what I said to them, they would simply recite the same scripted answer. Luckily I convinced an American sales agent to do a tele-conference with the customer service agent and myself; at one point, even the sales agent was getting frustrated by the lame response from the Indian customer service guy.
In the end, they agreed to let me place a new laptop order at the campus bundle discounted price, but I would have to pay the full retail price first and wait for a refund later. In addition, I would have to wait an extra week before they could ship the laptop.
If you read the return and cancellation policy on SonyStyle.com, you would appreciate the insanity of this incidence.
Sony Style is unable to cancel most orders after it is placed. Please see the following to better understand what situation applies to your order.
In-Stock Items: Sony Style endeavors to ship our customer’s orders as quickly as possible. This means that we do not ‘hold’ an order for an In-Stock product for 24-hours as is the practice of some online shopping sites. For In-Stock products, it is not possible to modify or cancel an order once an order has been placed*.
*Please note that engraved products are considered In-Stock items and therefore cannot be cancelled.
Apparently, a customer cannot cancel an order once it has been placed, but it is perfectly okay for Sony to cancel an order hastily without even attempting to resolve any problem with the customer. What is the point of requiring customers to provide phone numbers and emails if you are not going to use it? So many sales agents have put in so much effort to close a deal, shouldn't the company work with the customer to complete the order instead of canceling it for no good reason?
Ordering online should be a quick and simple experience; why would Sony turn it into hours of phone call and two complicated orders/refunds.
I am in the market for a new laptop, again. Having gone through over a dozen entry-level laptops from HP, Toshiba, Sony, IBM, Compaq and Dell, I decided it was time to get a proper performance-level machine.
My requirement is rather straightforward, or so I thought - Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, discrete GPU capable of light gaming, and a 15"+ 1600x1080 screen in a sleek looking chassis. It turns out, very few manufacturers make laptops with 1600x1080 LCD screen. After months of research, I shortlisted my choices to the HP HDX16t, the Dell Studio XPS 16, and of course the Sony VAIO FW490. The Lenovo Y650 was one of my favorites as well, it's a shame Lenovo doesn't offer any 1080 pixel screen.
My experience with HP laptops has been quite pleasant. Most of their machines, even the sub-$USD500 ones, are very well-built, and the HP HDX16t is a very, very sturdy-looking and substantial machine. It offers all the standard features in addition to a backlit keyboard. The Dell Studio XPS 16 is a very impressive laptop; it clearly stands out from all the other cheap and flimsy Dell notebooks. I am sure the 16" RGB-LED backlit LCD screen alone is enough to make my friends envious. Topping that off with a powerful ATi Mobility 4670 GPU, a backlit keyboard, DDR3 RAM, and optional 256GB SSD, it was definitely the most powerful laptop in the market that the time.
I was ready to pound the gavel and order the Dell, until I visited a nearby Best Buy, where they displayed the Studio XPS 16, alongside the Sony VAIO FW490. I must say, Dell's built-quality still has plenty of room for improvement; compared to HP and Sony, the Dell, despite its impressive specs, still looks like a piece of cheap plastic. Most importantly, the Studio XPS 16 runs hot! I have read on forums plenty of discussions on whether this machine overheats or not as well as proposed solutions to deal with the heat, like cooling pads, thermal compounds, and undervolting. The bottom line is, the Studio XPS 16 runs hot.
I normally wouldn't give Sony a second thought; I believe most Sony products are overpriced gadgets for the over-privileged kids. Nevertheless, the VAIO FW490 really does look very attractive. It offers all the features that I want in a slim and sleek package. It doesn't look as gigantic as the HP HDX16t but it feels just as well built. It has a powerful ATi Mobility 4650 GPU (essentially a lower-clocked version of 4670), yet it still runs at a very comfortable temperature. To my biggest surprise, it is not expensive at all! Sony was running a campus bundle sale, a special upgrade discount, and an educational discount program. In the end, the Sony is actually the most inexpensive laptop on my list.
And so, I ordered the Sony VAIO FW490 online, and this is where the story begins...
Want to promote your website and products with us? Simply leave your website, product, and contact information in a comment, and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
