Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Wed, 26 May 1999 16:50:58 -0400
From:      Evan Tsoukalas <evan@falcon.sourcee.com>
To:        Ping Mai <ping@stepnet.com>, freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: sony vaio laptop
Message-ID:  <19990526165057.D21989@falcon.sourcee.com>
In-Reply-To: <199905261849.LAA11382@goa.stepnet.com>; from Ping Mai on Wed, May 26, 1999 at 11:49:31AM -0700
References:  <199905261849.LAA11382@goa.stepnet.com>

next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Wed, May 26, 1999 at 11:49:31AM -0700, Ping Mai wrote:
> I am looking to buy a sony vaio pcg-505 laptop.  Can anyone recommend
> this one?  Is there any problem getting it to work with freebsd and
> x11?
> 
> thx,
> ping
> 
> 
I have a pcg-505ts running a -CURRENT SNAP from 032799 (off the toolkit cd set).
Except for the minor hoops you need to jump through to set it up (you can't use 
the cd.  You have to do a network install), the laptop is easier than some 
servers I have setup.  I was able to get it running with a minimal of headaches,
and without any FreeBSD patching.

With the gracious help of a couple people who subscribe to this list, the
following things work:

1) X-windows.  I use windowmaker, but I have heard that the latest version of
   xfree86 supports it.  The mouse works without a problem.
2) The sound card.  I use Luigi's pcm plug n' play stuff in the kernel.
3) The modem.  It is not a winmodem; it works with standard ppp.  It is also
   pretty reliable and faster than I expected.  I haven't however, managed to 
   get the speaker on the modem to work.  That does not cause too many problems,
   because there is an activity light built right into the space above the 
   keyboard.
4) The battery monitoring portion of power management.  I think that Warner 
   has gotten all of apm to work on his Sony.  He subscribes to the list.
5) The ethernet pccard NIC.  I use a 3Com 3c589d, and used the zp driver in the    kernel.  I have found that some later SNAP bootdisks (May and beyond) are
   missing the zp driver in the initial kernel config, which is why I used the
   March 27th SNAP.
6) Applixware v4.4.1

During my various stages of install, I found that the standard battery lasts
approx 2hrs and 45mins, while the extended battery lasts almost six hrs.

IMHO, the VAIO is a slick piece of equipment.
-- 
Regards,

Evan Tsoukalas
Systems Administrator
Source Electronics Corporation
evan@sourcee.com


To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
with "unsubscribe freebsd-mobile" in the body of the message




Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?19990526165057.D21989>