Posts Tagged ‘Backstage’

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Backstage Quick Tip #2: 5 Ways to Maximize Battery Life

By: | Posted: 6/11/2010

Editors Note: Backstage Technicians are here to help and in this ongoing series, they’ll offer me their favorite tips and provide answers to some of the most common service related questions they hear at both the call center and in Sony Style Stores.

Battery life is important, especially for those long flights or extended study sessions at the library. Even though battery technology and OS power management have come a long way, you always seem to need just a little more when the battery finally decides its had enough and powers down.  Because of that, I reached out to Backstage Technicians to get their top 5 tips for squeezing every ounce out of that battery.  Here are the most popular responses:

1. Adjust Your VAIO Power Plan

This is the first and easiest step. You can choose 1 of the 3 preset power options or customize your own to quickly adjust a broad range of power settings with one click.

  1. Left-click on the power icon in the bottom right of your screen
  2. Select Power Saver

2. Put Your VAIO to Sleep

Even if you’ll only be away for a moment, putting your VAIO to sleep can save precious battery life. Your LCD and hard drive are two of the biggest consumers of power and when you step away they continue to draw power to keep the LCD lit and hard drive spinning.

  1. Click the Start button
  2. Select the power icon in the lower right corner

3. Adjust Your LCD Brightness

While the VAIO Power Plan can automatically adjust your LCD brightness, you can make further adjustments with this easy keyboard shortcut to save even more power.

  1. Press and hold the Fn key on the bottom left of your keyboard while selecting the F5 key simultaneously
  2. Repeat step A until you reach the desired dimness – the dimmer, the more power you’ll save

4. Turn Off Unused Ports

Even when not in use, your USB, iLINK, Ethernet, Optical Drive and other inputs consume power to maintain a standby state – ready to automatically detect a device as soon as it’s inserted. However, if you’re on a long flight just watching movies and know you’re not going to be using any of these ports, turn them off! Here’s how:

  1. From the Control Panel, click Hardware and Sound
  2. Click Power Options
  3. Click Choose When to Turn Off the Display in the left hand margin
  4. Click Change Advanced Power Settings
  5. In the “Running On Batteries” row set the i.LINK, built-in CD/DVD or any other input you’d like to Disable or Off.

*Don’t forget to turn these back on should you need them later.

5. Switch from External to Internal Graphics*

An external graphics card consumes a lot more power than internal integrated graphics. If you’re just browsing the internet, hammering through e-mails or taking notes in class, you don’t need the graphics performance of an external, dedicated graphics card. Sound intimidating though? Switching between the two graphic performance options is as easy as flipping a switch and here’s how:

  1. Flip the hardware switch from Speed to Stamina

*Available on select models only

Buy a Large Capacity Battery

Still need more or just don’t feel like tinkering with these settings? Pick up a Large Capacity Battery from any SonyStyle store or online. On average, you’ll increase your battery life by approximately 1.5x when compared to a Standard Capacity Battery.

Of course, that’s just the tip of the ice berg. I want to hear your battery tips as well. Share them with the rest of the community and post your tips in the comment section below.

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Backstage Quick Tip #42: Windows Shortcuts

By: | Posted: 5/19/2010

Editors Note:  Backstage is here to help and in this ongoing series, they’ll offer me their favorite tips and provide answers to some of the most common service related questions they hear at both the call center and in Sony Style Stores.


Take a moment and glance down at your task bar.  How many application windows do you have open?  Looking at mine, there’s multiple open windows for Outlook, Chrome, Word, Photoshop – in fact, there’s more open than I care to count.  And I have to admit, with so many open all at once, I tend to lose track of where things are and I often find myself clicking through each window just to find a stat, quote or photo or even just get to my desktop.

Sound familiar?

Then it struck me.  I use shortcuts everyday to quickly copy (CTRL+C) and paste (CTRL+V) items but are there other navigation shortcuts that are just as quick and easy to use? Luckily, I discovered there are.

Here are just a few that use the Windows key that the Backstage Team passed on to me.  They’re easy and I’ve been using most of them since writing this post.  Some you may know and some you may not and if you do know of others, please be sure to share them by commenting below.


The following Windows Logo Key shortcuts were added with Windows 7:


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Netbook or Notebook: Which Is Best for You?

By: | Posted: 3/09/2010

Netbooks have gained widespread attention because of their low price and portability, but how do you know if buying one is right for you?  When it comes to netbooks and notebooks, although the names may sound the same, they imply very different types of computers.  And before you do anything, it’s important to understand the fundamental differences between the two.

To help you determine which PC will best suit your needs – netbook or notebook – I reached out to VAIO Product Manager Brian Nowlin (pictured right) to ask some of the most common questions we hear.  You can find his answers in the interview below.

What’s the fundamental difference between a netbook and a notebook?

Sometimes referred to as a mini-notebook, netbooks are built for general computing functions, such as e-mail and internet access.  Unlike notebooks, netbooks tend to have a limited choice in operating systems and compatible software.  The more powerful operating systems and applications require more memory and CPU performance than netbooks can typically provide.  Alternatively, a notebook can have nearly as much computing power as a desktop computer, with similar CPUs, memory and storage capacity and can handle just about any software you throw at it.

What software can I use?

It really depends on the applications you use and how you use them.  While netbooks are perfect for basic computer tasks, if you use applications that edit photos and videos, create graphics, design websites or conduct complex financial analysis, a notebook is the better choice.  For example, editing photos in Photoshop or performing advanced functions within the Microsoft Office Suite – such as watching videos within a PowerPoint presentation or running multifaceted calculations in Excel – can tax a netbook.  However, most notebooks have more powerful CPUS, more memory and larger hard drives to accommodate these heavy workloads.

What type of hardware can I expect?

Netbooks are built to browse the Internet, send and receive e-mail and perform other “light” functions, so they usually include Intel® Atom™-based processors, which are designed for low-power computers.  Today’s netbooks are typically built with 1.6-1.7 GHz processors, with 1GB or 2GB of memory and up to 250GB of storage space.  They typically come without a built-in optical drive (i.e. CD/DVD drive).

On the other hand, some notebooks contain quad-core CPUs that are capable of managing power-hungry applications.  Notebooks can also have up to 8GB of memory and hard drives ranging up to 640GB or more.  As a result, a notebook’s performance is generally much greater than a netbook.

What other hardware might I need to purchase?

Most notebooks include an integrated CD/DVD and/or Blu-ray Disc™ drive.  If you’re purchasing a netbook, however, you may want to consider an external optical drive to install purchased software and transfer files.  With both a notebook and a netbook, you may also want to consider an external hard drive to backup all of your critical files.

How long will the battery last?

Because netbooks are made specifically for light mobile usage, they typically have a longer battery life; generally around 6 hours or up to 10 hours with an extended battery.

Notebooks usually have 4 to 5 hours of battery life, though this depends on the make and model, usage (for example, video playback is energy –intensive) and the battery configuration.  However, some manufacturers have developed notebook technology that offers as much as 8 hours of battery life – so make sure to do your research.

What type of screen size and quality can I expect?

Netbook screens are between 7 and 10 inches (diagonal), while notebooks have a screen size starting around 13 inches (diagonal).  The screen resolution and image clarity tends to be superior in notebooks – important for those where details are essential, even in sunny outdoors conditions

What about price?

Netbooks typically cost between $250 and $600.  Notebooks start around $500, through they increase in price as features are added.


In the end, it’s important to note that both netbook and notebook technologies are continually evolving.   The best way to ensure a good experience is to carefully vet choices based on how you plan to use the computer now and well into the future.  Before choosing a computer, remember to check the minimum hardware requirements of the applications you use or plan to use and be sure the PC you’re considering meets those requirements.  Also remember that if you’re accustomed to keeping multiple application windows open and running at the same time, you may be disappointed in the performance from a netbook.  On the other hand, if you’re looking for an inexpensive secondary PC to travel with and keep you connected the choice is obvious.

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VAIO Quick Tip: Locating Your VAIO PC’s Model Number

By: | Posted: 10/30/2009

I’ve been reading a lot of chatter on the blog and forum lately about whether a customer’s specific model is either:

  • Supported and upgradeable to Windows 7
  • Eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7 if recently purchased

One part of discovering information on either of these topics is locating your specific model number.  From what I’ve put together, it seems as though some customers may be incorrectly referencing a number on the bottom of the notebook as their model number.  I believe this has been creating some confusion when the assumed model number gets entered into a site like sony.com/windows7 and comes back as non-supported.  To help in the matter, this Quick Tip will offer you the facts about where and how to determine your exact model number.

To begin, VAIO PC model numbers always begin with the prefix “VGN-”, “VGC-” or “VPC”.  The PCG number on the bottom of most notebooks is not your model number; rather, it’s a reference number to an internal hardware component.

An example of a specific VAIO model number is:  VGN-Z610Y/B or VPCCW1SGX/U (newer models only)

That being said, you can always find the exact model number of your PC, starting with the prefixes above, in the lower right hand corner of your LCD bezel.  Click the photo above to zoom in and see a model number’s exact location (yes, that’s my slightly dusty work PC).

I hope you find this helpful!

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VAIO Quick Tip: Keeping Things Fast

By: | Posted: 9/24/2009

Editors Note:  In this ongoing series, from time to time our Sony Style Backstage Agents will offer you a behind the scenes look at their experiences as well as provide easy to follow technical advice.

My name’s Josh – I’m a Backstage Agent at our Sony Style store at The Woodlands Mall here in Woodlands, Texas.  If you’re not already familiar, think of Backstage as your personal, in-store help desk.  Because of this, we speak with a lot of customers each and every day.  We’re here to answer questions, solve technical issues and even assist customers with learning how to use their VAIO to its fullest potential.

One of the questions I get most often from customers is how to keep their PC running smoothly and quickly.  In fact, a customer came in yesterday with this exact issue.  She felt her PC wasn’t running as quickly as it used to and she came to Backstage looking for help.  I told her she came to the right place and we got her VAIO running like new within the same day.

After it was all said and done and I thanked her for stopping in, I got to thinking – I bet our readers would appreciate a look at some of the simple things we do behind the desk to keep VAIOs running healthy and strong.  Some of these tips you may already know but some you may not – either way, I hope you find them helpful!

  • Defrag, Defrag, Defrag. Did you know that when saving a file, the operating system often breaks the file into separate bits and places it in fragmented sections throughout the hard drive?  This is called fragmentation and it makes your hard disk do extra work that can slow down event he fastest computer over time.  This Disk Defragmenter tool rearranges fragmented data so your hard disk can work more efficiently.  While the defragmenter runs periodically in Vista, it’s always a good idea to run it manually when things feel slow.
  • Remove Unnecessary Files/Programs.  Temporary internet files, cookies, system caches, thumbnails etc. can all very quickly build up and easily slow things down.  You should clean these files up from time to time.
  • Prevent Programs from Launching at Startup. As you add software to your notebook, some applications set themselves to automatically launch at startup.  This can increase the amount of time it takes your PC to boot up.
These are just a few of the things you can do to keep your VAIO running smooth and fast.  If you prefer to have us do it for you, either stop by a local SonyStyle store and talk to the Backstage Agent or else contact our Backstage Remote team and they’ll help tackle any issue or question you may have remotely, over your Internet connection – all from the comfort of your home.
In the meantime, if you have any other PC tricks you’ve discovered to be helpful, share them with the rest of the community by posting it in our comment section below.  We love hearing what our customers have to say.

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