ASUS swapping Eee PC batteries after review uproar

Consumers who bought ASUS' Eee PC 900 in Hong Kong are accusing the company of misleading them. Review copies of the highly anticipated mini-laptop featured a higher-spec battery which is not yet available to the public and ASUS claims it shipped by mistake. The company is now giving a free battery upgrade to buyers who purchased the Eee PC 900 on its launch date.

The complaints came from several consumers that purchased the Eee PC 900 on launch-day, who then found it did not perform as they were led to believe. The review units sent to the media reportedly carried 4-cell, 5800mAh batteries – nearly a third more capacity than the laptops that actually made it into the hands of consumers, rated at 4400mAh. ASUS' response was that the higher-capacity battery will make its debut in later models of the Eee PC 900.

To correct its mistake, ASUS said it is investigating a battery replacement program, on which it will soon reveal additional details.

The Eee PC 900 is due to launch in North America on May 12. [via DigiTimes]

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Other story tags: ASUS, battery, batteries, asustek