Best Buy puts brakes on Pentium 4

The retailer has chosen not to sell Pentium 4 PCs from Hewlett-Packard Co. in stores, due to the bug with Pentium 4 that cropped up last week. Intel discovered the bug after some PC makers had already shipped PCs containing the chip to retailers -- as was the case with Hewlett-Packard and Best Buy. Intel updated the BIOS and it made it the responsibility of the PC makers or the retailers to install the fix in every Pentium 4 PC.

Instead of performing the required BIOS upgrade in its stores, Best Buy decided to send its entire Pentium 4 Pavilion inventory back to HP (hwp) to perform the fix.

"We are not selling Pentium 4 off of the shelf at this time, due to the (BIOS) issue. However, we are still offering the chip," said Best Buy spokesman Jim McManus.

Retailers such as Best Buy are sometimes reluctant to display products that they can't sell.

Due to advertising deadlines, Best Buy did list the Pentium 4 Pavilion system in its Sunday flier, dated Nov. 26. While some consumers may have missed it, the company was able to add a correction stating that customers will receive a rain check for the PC, since it is not in stock at stores. The rain check will allow customers to purchase the Pentium 4 Pavilion with the same configuration and price as the one advertised. Customers can pick up a rain check from Best Buy by Dec. 2, McManus said.

Some Best Buy salesmen incorrectly told potential customers Wednesday that Best Buy had pulled the PCs due to a "recall" of Pentium 4 chips by Intel Corp. A salesman at an East Coast Best Buy store, for example, said the PCs were not available on store shelves and could give no date as to when they will be made available.

However, Best Buy is still offering the Pentium 4 Pavilion. Customers can order the PC directly from HP through kiosks located in Best Buy stores.

McManus did not say when the Pentium 4 PCs would return to store shelves.

Intel (intc) representatives reiterated that the company has not issued a recall on the Pentium 4 chip.

"Pentium 4 is selling and shipping both through the direct and retail channels" said spokesman George Alfs.

Company officials at HP late Wednesday said the company had previously shipped a small number of Pentium 4 PCs, fewer than 1,000, to Best Buy before receiving an alert from Intel about the Pentium 4 bug.

HP plans to resume shipments to Best Buy and directly to customers within a couple of weeks. Therefore, HP officials said, customers and Best Buy stores should have Pentium 4 Pavilion PCs before Christmas.

Intel's Alfs said the other retailers, such as Comp USA and Circuit City, have been selling Pentium 4 systems since Nov. 20.