Asus sez Eee PC warranty still valid if you break seals

Ever noticed that "Warranty Void If Removed" label over the access door to the single SODIMM slot in your Eee PC? Apparently, Asus wants you to just ignore those four little words. In a warranty update posted to the firm's website, it plainly states that "merely breaking or removing this kind of seal will not void the Asus Limited Warranty," and while it recommends that customers use company-approved service facilities, it wants to ensure that buyers "are free to make appropriate hardware and software modifications and upgrades, regardless of whether the service is performed by an approved facility, a non-approved service provider, or by the customers themselves." Going forward, it seems that Asus will be using a label that simply informs users that it won't be held responsible for any damages that may occur as a result of any tinkering, but yes, you can indeed feel free to piddle around till your heart's content knowing Asus still has your back.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Saffy @ Dec 10th 2007 7:29AM]

It's nice when a company retroactively gives approval for something you did about 45 seconds after receiving their product. Had my 2GIG RAM upgrade days before anyone actually had the black EEE in stock. With that quick upgrade, XP sings on this thing. It's my new commuter laptop. Get to the office, plug in the bigger monitor and keyboard, and it's now a decent office PC.

-Saffy

[Alex @ Dec 10th 2007 7:37AM]

That's great news

[Isaac @ Dec 10th 2007 7:40AM]

I wish other companies would be as good as asus. You know who you are.

[mattclarkie @ Dec 10th 2007 8:11AM]

This is why I love Asus, or whatever the new name is going to be (glibglob computers or something).

Good products, good prices, and decent customer service.

Why should my RAM upgrade void the warranty if the DVD drive breaks. It is just common sense really, but that is something missing in the Business World.

Good on you Asus.

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 10th 2007 10:39AM]

"or whatever the new name is going to be"

Whoa... what?

[JAmerican @ Dec 10th 2007 12:18PM]

Cough M$'s Xbox 360. Some people just want to swap cases on their 360 to make it look better. But doing so makes your warranty void.

Also in terms of the Halo 360. I talked to Major about the 120GB HDD and he said he had someone on the inside swap the drive for him. I then said that would void the HDD warranty and he shrugged it off due to he said it wouldn't affect the 360 warranty. I found that answer somewhat discomforting.

[John @ Dec 10th 2007 7:48AM]

Yeah, Apple

[thef1re @ Dec 10th 2007 7:51AM]

thanks Cpt. Obvious

[ToniCipriani @ Dec 10th 2007 8:46AM]

Apple? Yeah right. Try replacing a hard drive on an iBook. They're always in the mindset that users should have no access to anything, and it's only lately they've started to lighten up and make the machines a little accessible. It was a headache trying to get machines fixed back then.

[MattyG @ Dec 10th 2007 9:20AM]

funny i can replace my hard drive in my macbook ok, just as easy as upgrading the ram go cry a river elsewhere

[daniel @ Dec 10th 2007 10:19AM]

@toni
While I have never had an iBook, it is really easy to replace a hard drive in a Macbook, and I don't think you void any warranties(but I'm not sure).

[Alexander @ Dec 10th 2007 11:22AM]

The iToiletSeat was the WORST design in laptop history. Horrible. Required the removal of over 14 screws, and 6 plastic bezels in order to get at the HD.

The CDRom, which was arguably the thing that broke the most (the rails, at least) required more screws and more bezels to remove.

[matt @ Dec 10th 2007 8:48PM]

actually, I have a MBP that I recently put a 300GB drive in. about 3 months after the upgrade, the CCFLs died in the display. I sent it into Apple, and they called to confirm that it was my computer because the serials matched but the specs didn't (I also upped to 3GB RAM). I kindly said that it was my computer and I performed the upgrades myself, and they said they would update the profile accordingly and that the computer would be back to me shortly. The computer arrived 2 days later with a repair bill for $0.00 as expected.
Though I've only been an Apple user since the last gen of the PowerBooks, I have to say that I've always been satisfied with their service.

Apple haters: bring it. Go ahead and rate me down for telling a story about something Apple did right.

[Reader @ Dec 10th 2007 7:49AM]

I'm sure this brings some benefits to Asus, but on the large part it seems to be mostly altruistic. Woot for Asus.

[Reader @ Dec 10th 2007 7:51AM]

Also using the word "sez" just seems extremely lazy, it can't save you more than an entire 1-3 tenths of a second. And it made me read the title twice because I thought sez was an acronym at first :P

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 10th 2007 10:18AM]

Wow, they've finally figured out how to beat Congress at spending. With one flick of a finger, they can waste millions of man hours (and not even their own) by causing people to re-read things. Think of the energy costs to light the offices all over the globe for that one little word and the time it takes for someone to mis-interpret it.

Engadget isn't in favor of going globally green. They like to waste energy!!

[kr @ Dec 10th 2007 8:18AM]

This is awesome to hear now that I know I am getting a black eee for christmas!

[Jamie Marsden @ Dec 10th 2007 9:30AM]

It isn't altruism - its pretty much required by antitrust law - they will have been speaking to their lawyers.

[Michael @ Dec 10th 2007 10:29AM]

I love Asus. My computer died a few months back, and I was able to RMA the Asus motherboard. They said they couldn't fix it, so they sent me another one. Asus apparantly has a 3 year warranty on their motherboards, how awesome is that?

Great to see an electronics company stand behind its products so confidently. Their motto sounds kind of silly in English, probably sounds better in the original language (Taiwanese I believe), but is appropriate nonetheless : "Rock Solid. Heart-Touching"

[coolbee8 @ Dec 10th 2007 12:00PM]

what a suprise...

[S @ Dec 10th 2007 12:25PM]

Woohoo... Now do something to guarantee no dead pixels, the one thing that's keeping me from getting one or two of these beauties...

[Julian Bond @ Dec 10th 2007 12:26PM]

Now how about they make the Flash user upgradable and put the 2nd internal Mini-PCIe connector back in? And drop the price (after the holidays) back to closer to the original. Oh and put in a higher res camera.

Oh never mind. I'll get my coat.

[Aaron @ Dec 10th 2007 6:54PM]

@andir3.0: Probably a reference to this - http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/02/asus-to-split-oem-business-look-out-hp-dell/