14 DAY TRIAL // Asustek's Eee PCs have sold extremely well mostly due to their small price, actually, world's smallest price for a 12-inch sub-notebook. Well, of course that the cheapest laptop in the class would be functionally limited and would feature low-end hardware for basic computing only.
The GPL violation Asustek has been accused of lately revealed some other unfair habits of the manufacturer, such as the warranty sticker sealing the memory access panel. According to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, this practice is regarded as an "unacceptable tie-in" and translates as an infringement of the consumers' rights. Users' approach to this restriction was different: some of them simply torn apart the yellow sticker and gained access to the memory dock, while the others would rather refrain from it and enjoy the two-year limited warranty.
Once the Asustek's practices have been revealed in the media, the company hasted to correct the "misunderstanding". The company's website holds clarification regarding the terms and conditions of providing warranty service:
"ASUS Computer International ("ASUS") recently received feedback from one of its valued customers with questions concerning the purpose of a seal stating "Warranty Void If Removed" over the access door to the single SODIMM slot on some models of the ASUS Eee PC. ASUS wishes to assure its customers that merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the ASUS Limited Warranty.
...ASUS will honor all other terms of its Limited Warranty and that it will not refuse warranty service simply because a customer has either broken a warranty seal, installed non-ASUS components or software, or because the customer's unit has been opened or serviced by a non-ASUS-approved service facility or by the user."
Eee PC sales have gone pretty well this year and Asus is committed to selling even more Eee PC units in the year to come, and has boldly estimated a 3.8 million figure. Well, if they want to stick to it they must show that the company works in favor of their customers and not against them.