Toshiba (China) Co. Ltd. has announced that 47 of its laptop models sold on China's mainland have software glitches which cause three types of Japanese-made PC cards to burn after insertion.
The PC cards are inserted into laptop computers to boost data storage capacity or add functions.
Toshiba on Thursday published a list of the defective models on its Chinese-language Website and asked customers to upgrade their software system.
The move followed its announcement in Japan last week that 72 of its models have software defects that impair the laptops' capability to recognize the power configuration of the wireless-modem PC cards. As a result, the laptops supply the 16-bit type of 3.3-voltage cards with 5-voltage power causing them to burn. In China, the defective models are in the Satellite, Portege, Tecra and Libretto series, the company said.
Both Toshiba and Digital China, its sole mainland distributor, said the number of the laptops involved was not available. Last year, Toshiba sold 80,000 laptops in China, making it one of China's top three laptop suppliers.
"The affected wireless modem cards still are not available on the mainland," said Yu Junhua, a Toshiba spokesman.
Customers can download its upgrade program from www.toshiba.com.cn or contact Digital China for assistance.
(Eastday 07/30/2001)
