“‘Samsung Electronics has informed Taiwan module makers that it will halve its NAND flash memory to them in September, and Micron Technology has also told some of its downstream customers that no NAND flash chips are available, claimed the sources,’ the report said. ‘Toshiba and Hynix Semiconductor are also giving priority to Apple, and are offering limited supply to the spot market, the sources added,'” Marsal reports.
“The average price for a 16GB chip was $4.48, up 7.2 percent in the first half of September,” Marsal reports. “32GB also rose 4.3 percent to $6.80… If true, the latest report from DigiTimes could suggest that competitors, like the Zune HD, have been unable to offer the capacity of the iPod touch because memory suppliers simply will not provide enough product to anyone other than Apple.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Pfft. Zune. Surely, Samsung and Micron could dust off and ship Microsoft the handful of 64GB parts that happen to fall off the conveyor belt onto the floor before they’re packed for Apple. 5-second rule! Microsoft can’t need more than a couple thousand such chips, most of which are destined to sit on warehouse shelves until the end of time or retailers demand that Microsoft take them back, whichever comes first.
Ridiculous. Microsoft would be very lucky to sell enough Zune HD’s so that they actually had a problem with acquiring sufficient supply of flash chips.
Do you realize that Zune spelled backwards is D-O-R-K-S?
@Buster,
No. It spells, well, something different.
I can imagine the intercom message at Toshiba’s factory:
“Attention, employees! Due to an unexpected order from Microsoft, the late shift will have to work an extra five minutes today. This is just a one-time thing and we do not anticipate a repeat any time soon.”
wat a fkn markup!!!!!!!
32gb of usb stick or compact flash is in the $100-200 range and theyre sayin $8 each?
I explain to people that technology is at a way higher level then actually seen – but restraints – such as pricing – keep the curve down. It doesn’t seem to be financially impossible to have 320gb Nand hard drives in netbooks or lappys (10 32gb chips run in series) but the actually markup would make it impossibly expensive. Why is that? I guess it’s like soda. Mickey Dees knows you can get 2 liters of soda for $0.99 at the market, but charges you $2 for 32oz, AND makes it using syrup and seltzer so their cost is negligible. Jeans too actually. $5 Hong Kong jeans go to Macy’s – with ‘DKNY’ or ‘True Religion’ stamped on them – and sell for $75 to $400 dollars. As consumers, we get jacked in so many ways it’s unbelievable. I’m all for dealing directly with China, and cutting out the middle man with his outrageous cut, prices aren’t dropping like they should be – because no ones paying attention.
Actually maclover, you can get 32 GB usb flash drives direct from hong kong for $27.00 (with free shipping) – I’ve been buying loads of electronics and computer parts via ebay from sellers in china / hong kong, and why not? Comes in the mail, right to the door, and fairly quickly too. Why should we pay a markup for shipping and packaging and paying some idiots wages in Best Buy, for exactly the same item?
It’s amazing that you fanboys are so willing to bend over and take one up the backside. Without competition from other companies, (MS included), Steve will implore more communist tactics and have you all serving the Reich.
Unbelievable that anyone pro/con Apple or Microsoft can be as narrow minded and retarded as you all. No wonder MS users think Apple users are all stupid fanboys – the comments in this post prove it. (Typed on a mac running firefox).