Replace a Key on a Sony Vaio Laptop

The shift key popped off the keyboard on my laptop. Don't ask. It's a Sony Vaio VPCS111FM with a chiclet-style keyboard.

Putting it back on wasn't hard, it just took a little while to figure out.

After the key came off, I had a hole in the keyboard that looked like this.

And the key and a U-shaped pin that came flying off when the key went.

The underside of the key has two tiny clamps at the top: one for holding the pin and one for attaching the key to a bracket on the keyboard.  The top set of brackets is for the pin.

The pin just snaps into the upper set of clamps.

On the keyboard, theres are two upside-down-U-shaped brackets that you have to slide the legs of the pin into.

There's also a plastic bracket that I've lifted up with a screwdriver here.  It has two pins sticking out from the top that snap into the bracket clamps on the key.

You have to slide the legs of the pin into the brackets on the side, then snap the bracket clamps on the key onto the pins sticking out from the bracket.

I slid the pin into the holes, then slid the top of the key down into the hole in the keyboard so that the bracket clamps were just behind the pins on the bracket.  Then I used a small screwdriver to push the pins into the clamps until they clicked.  It's a very quiet click.

The picture shows how I had it positioned.  Didn't have enough hands to snap a picture while using the screwdriver to push the bracket pins into the clamps.  It's pretty straightforward though.  Just move the key and the bracket so the pins are right between the arms of the clamp, then push the pin in.

After that, just lower the bottom of the key and push down so that the bottom snaps into place.  Should be good until the next time you drop your computer.

Get at the guts

Here's a great resource if you have a Sony laptop. A company called Northwood Systems is posting teardown guides.  So far they have guides for VGN series laptops, but they're promising more models in the future.

What's inside a Sony Vaio VPCS111FM

I've got Ubuntu up and running on my new VAIO VPCS111FM (love those Sony model numbers).  It's time to start tweaking and for that, I need to know what parts are inside the box.

Here's the short list (from lshw):

Sony VAIO VPCS111FM

After crushing my Sony VAIO SZ750N, and making it worse by trying to install the wrong replacement LCD screen, I broke down and bought a new laptop.

I got the VPCS111FM. I think it's a scaled down version of the new Z Series, which is apparently the replacement for the SZ Series.

I checked out the new Z Series laptops They're tempting. Thin and light with clear, bright screens and lots of features. They also range from $1,900 to more than $4,000.

The VPCS111FM is a Best Buy-only model that is a lot like the Z Series, but without the dual graphics cards and some other features. It's also just over $1,000. There are some similar thin and light laptops made by ASUS, Toshiba and HP, but they're all missing some features I wanted, like a built-in DVD drive, Bluetooth or a big hard drive. The cost of upgrading them, when it was possible, put them in about the same range, so I went with the Sony.

I hesitated a bit, mostly because Sony always uses some proprietary hardware and doesn't seem to cooperate much with Linux developers. It took we a while to get everything on the SZ750N working with Ubuntu, and then some fiddling to keep it working as I upgraded Ubuntu versions.

People were already making progress on the VPCS111FM, so I figured everything would work out.

I haven't installed Ubuntu yet, so I've only used it with the pre-installed Windows 7. It seems odd that Microsoft has moved past Vista and onto Windows 7 and computer companies are still offering a free downgrade to Windows XP. That's got to be driving somebody in Redmond crazy.

Windows 7, by the way, seems OK. Nothing to tempt we away from Linux, but seems to work fine. My only real complaint is that using the trackpad is awkward. I get used to Linux and whenever I use a computer with Windows I find it irritating that I can't easily switch from moving the cursor to moving the window just my moving my finger to the right side of the pad.

On to the hardware.

The keyboard is nice. Not great when compared to some of the others I tried, like the ones on HP and ASUS laptops, but a lot better than the one on the SZ. That one just felt flimsy and cheap.

It was also loud, which was a problem when I took notes in meetings. Got some dirty looks, and even a comment once, when I forgot to type softly.

This keyboard is the new "chiclet" type. The keys poke through holes in a metal frame. The frame separates them so there's a space between each key, rather than just a slope. I think it's easier to type. I'm less likely to hit two keys at once.

The case is metal. It's a silvery color and shiny. Personally I preferred the flat black on the SZ because it was less conspicuous, but this one is fine really.

The trackpad is metal as are the two button just below it. It feels fine and works well.

The case has substantial rubber bumpers on both the base and the screen bezel. They stick out a good amount and seem to be stuck on well.

That's not something I would ordinarily notice, but on the SZ they were so small that the keys made an impression on the LCD when you closed the lid. The impression became more pronounced over time, especially after the bumpers started falling off.

The heat exhaust is on the left side of the laptop, rather than on the bottom. That's a nice feature. It keeps the heat off your lap, if you use the computer the way the name suggests you would. It also lets the heat escape even if you set the laptop on a soft surface.

(Specs after the jump)

Replacing the LCD on a Sony VGN-T150

I have a Sony VAIO VGN-T150 that I inherited from my wife when she broke the screen. I replaced the screen and used the computer for a couple of years. Then I broke the screen or, more specifically, United Airlines did.

Now that I'm replacing it again, I thought I'd post some helpful information. Even if you don't find it helpful, I will the next time I need it.