14 DAY TRIAL // Recent reports emerging in China unveiled that an Asustek Eee PC ultra-mobile PC burst into flames due to an uncertified battery pack. The incident seems to have been triggered by the use of a third-party battery designed for the tiny Eee PC. Despite the fact that the notebook user was not injured, it caused substantial damage to the unit.
Last month, a few high capacity batteries for the Eee PC started selling on the eBay online store. According to their technical sheet, the batteries are able to deliver 10,400 mAh, which is twice the capacity of a standard Eee PC battery. The "third-party" batteries were manufactured in China by several companies, including Cameron Sino and Mugen, and were supposed to deliver twice (5.5 hours of continuous usage) the autonomy of a regular Eee PC battery pack.
Moreover, the new power pills have sold great, as they come with price tags of between $60 and $100, while Asustek plans to sell its genuine 6-cell 7800mAh battery packs at prices of about $99.
Tech website Digitimes claims that the high-capacity battery overheated during the charge process, and triggered an explosion, as the Lithium-Ion compound inside it gets unstable beyond a certain thermal value.
Although the Eee PC was covered by warranty, Asustek refused to service the device and claimed that any damage inflicted by a third party accessory that has not been certified by the company would result in the annulment of the warranty.
On the other hand, the battery manufacturer washed its hands off the damage and said that it was impossible that its product had malfunctioned. It also claimed that its battery products for the Eee PC series were in high demand and other battery manufacturers started the rumor to take it out of business.
Asustek advises its customers who need extra battery time to wait until the company releases its overpriced 6-cell battery pack.