“At ASUS, we realize great products must be balanced with great principles.”
Yeah, right.
Realizing that the vast majority of Eee PC buyers aren’t aware that their CPUs have been cut to two-thirds speed, I decided this was something I couldn’t just let go.
Recap: For those that haven’t followed the situation, retailers are advertising the Eee PC as having a 900 or 800 MHz CPU. In reality, the Eee PC has a down-clocked CPU that runs at a maximum of 630 MHz… due to the device overheating at higher speeds.
So, before mounting a war on ASUS… I decided to call their 24/7 tech support. Yes, I knew well going in that this would be mostly for comedic value… I didn’t expect ASUS to admit that they were downclocking the Eee PC 700 series.
After about 12 minutes of talking and hold time, the representative I had reached realized the severity of the matter, Or, at least, I thought he had. He then transferred me to “someone”.
After several minutes of nothing but a ringing phone… someone aware of the situation finally answered. The top-tier support agent stated that ASUS does not advertise the speed of the CPU in the Eee PC 700 series. He also added that he was aware of the BestBuy.com Product Page, which clearly states that the CPU runs at 900 MHz. ASUS is working with Best Buy to have the product page modified. The rep added that “it hasn’t been an easy process to get fixed.”
For reference, you can find the offending Best Buy product page (clearly showing the 900 MHz CPU speed), here: Asus Eee PC with Intel Celeron M Processor – Galaxy Black
So, wanting to return my Eee PC to Best Buy (sans 15% restocking fee), they created a case number. Now, I have to go to Best Buy, have them call Eee PC tech support, access my case number, and have the support technician confirm to Best Buy that the BestBuy.com product page is in error.
This is, of course, insane. Best Buy should have the product page online corrected, and send a memo to all stores to wave any restocking fee on the Eee PC. Further, ASUS should have protocol to return any Eee PC units that are beyond the 14-day return period (since, many units sold obviously are).
And, this needs to happen, now. I’ve already forwarded this on to a couple of class action attorneys who are expressing a lot of interest…
Update: Some folks have let me know that Best Buy is not alone in this. Amazon.com touts the Eee PC as having an 800 MHz processor.
On a more positive note, Best Buy did return my Eee PC without charging a restocking fee. They did note however, that if I had been one day later, I would have been stuck fighting upstream with their corporate office. I was on the 14th day of my 14-day return period.
Update 2: Despite initially promising to fix the offending product pages, now ASUS and the retailers are keeping quiet. Read more to get the full update.
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Digg This: http://digg.com/gadgets/Eee_PC_s_Dirty_Little_Secret
You must be a little stupid, the EeePC does have a 900 MHz processor, it is set to 630MHz as a thermal/battery saver setting. It is fairly simple to change the setting to 900MHz if you want (well it would be fairly simple to anyone with some brain power).
If they advertised it as a 630MHz processor it would be false advertising, as it obviously isn’t.
What next, you want to sue them for hurt feelings now as well?
There is no way to bypass that “power saving” setting without voiding the warranty. That’s according to ASUS. Calling me stupid, and posting incorrect info, is a bad combination. Perhaps you missed where ASUS confirmed everything I’ve written in this post.
(Note: I disagree that the 630 MHz CPU restriction is meant to save power at all. I suspect ASUS encountered overheating and CPU burnout issues with long-term use. Hence, the downclocking).
Advertising the system as having a 630 MHz CPU would be correct, because that is the maximum speed the system can run without having the warranty voided… and that is according to ASUS. ASUS says they do not advertise a processor speed, but they provided Best Buy the specifications rating the system as being 900 MHz. Not “900 MHz CPU downclocked to 630 MHz”.
Clearly, advertising the system with only the billing of a 900 MHz CPU is false. If I sell you a car, write “speeds up to 200 MPH” on it, and then it stops going faster at 150 MPH, you would be able to sue me… it’s that simple.
well it’s a 900Mhz CPU downclocked to 630Mhz…
There are no heat issues but Asus had problems with a BIOS that is supporting the 100Mhz FSB.
You can’t overheat a cpu that is running at it’s normal speed, so your Eee win run at 900 Mhz without any problems….
The 701 surf is using the 800Mhz Celeron-M.. so it should be downclocked to around 570 Mhz
Yes, you can overheat a CPU when running at the full speed… if the computer surrounding it does not manage heat properly. That’s very possible considering the Eee PC’s small footprint, and may explain the downclocking. It may also explain why ASUS is willing to void the warranty if you chose to clock the CPU back up to full speed.
Intel does not attach clock speeds with their marketing. The surf models may be using CPUs originally rated at 800 MHz, but it’s the same situation… you void the warranty if you clock the CPU back up to the speed rated by Intel, according to ASUS.
[...] & Internet, Retail Despite initial promises of fixing the typos in their specifications, Amazon.com, Best Buy, and Eee PC maker ASUS now refuse to respond to any form of [...]
i use it @ 900mhz a lot and just dont give a sht about warranty, it was so cheap. (4g w xp) and I live in a country which is not amongst the richest in europe. ok, i was surprised when i see that it runs only at 630mhz, but i was surprised too when i see the xp installing, i just expect the linux OS for the price. actually i find it so cheap that I plan to mod it as seen on youtube (integrate hsdpa modem).
my only complaint is the battery time. the factory battery (4400mh) runs only 2 hrs at 630mhz. so i need a bigger battery wich cost a relatively lot
i forgot to mention that i mistakenly put the machine at 900mhz in his bag for an hour with full on.
(i had turned off the lid switch before in xp)
when i realized it was extremely hot, the fan was running at 100% but everything worked.
Just imagine how long that PC would last if you left it on in an “extremely hot state” 24 hours a day.
Like I said, the Eee PC will overheat eventually if running at full speed. It will die within the warranty period probably, certainly within three years (the average time of an extended warranty).
ASUS is trying to cover up an overheat problem, and they’re letting retailers use false advertising to do it.