Hard disk shortage

Robin Deatherage · November 09, 2011, 10:40:54 AM

I just saw this article. Any comments or thoughts? http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57320282-64/hard-disk-shortage-will-get-worse-piper-jaffray/

Bloody Jack Kidd · November 09, 2011, 11:15:58 AM

A drive I paid $60 for a few weeks ago is now $160...

Robin Deatherage · November 09, 2011, 11:27:09 AM

Yikes. So when do things like this become price gouging or just simple economics of supply and demand?

Anyone planning to buy a computer for Christmas?

Bloody Jack Kidd · November 09, 2011, 11:49:35 AM

it's supply / demand presently, with the possible exhaustion of HD inventories early in 2012, this could be a big issue. Cloud providers and large data centers (google, microsoft, facebook) are adding storage all the time - this could get ugly.

Jim Jensen · November 09, 2011, 12:54:07 PM

OfficeMax has a sign on the door announcing that due to the flooding there, they are limiting HD purchases to 1.

KenH · November 11, 2011, 09:05:48 PM

Just had to relace a drive in a work station, checking Tiger direct & Newegg, prices about double what they were a short time ago.... Yea, this could get ugly.

Bloody Jack Kidd · November 12, 2011, 07:30:10 AM

I was looking through the Dell site for "spare" drives - precious few drives listed.

Jim Jensen · November 14, 2011, 08:58:13 AM

I had completely forgotten that a computer at home seems to have a dead/dying HD in it. Not used often, but is the newest retired unit from the office and the alternative is stinky short on RAM. Great timing. Instead I think its time to upgrade a station and rotate a different one out of the office than replace the HD. Yes, that seems the more expensive route, but it is time to keep up the rotation in the office.

Gene Foraker · November 14, 2011, 11:08:54 AM

My guess is that around the end of January will see the price go down and supply of HDs go back up. Simple enough to wait for 2 mo.

Jon Robinson · November 14, 2011, 01:53:17 PM

Happens all the time. Just wait a few more months and prices will be back to normal. Simple supply & demand.

Jeff Golas · December 01, 2011, 04:31:56 PM

I was questioning this even a few days ago, as to how the flooding could still be affecting them this many months in...apparently...it still is.

Like others though, I think there is a line between gouging and supply/demand, not to mention the holidays.

Mark · December 01, 2011, 04:36:56 PM

Funny, as I just got an email from Western Digital: "Holiday Gifts for Everyone on Your List - Free Shipping at the WD Store!" http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/7b60e40665f241d98c71f1a8d1df0917.htm

Jim Jensen · December 15, 2011, 01:18:46 PM

I don't know if it's the hard drives issue or something else, but Dell has now twice delayed my order. It's now scheduled for about a 5 week order time to delivery. It was supposed to be here a few days ago originally but now it's scheduled to come while I planned to take the week off.

When I talked to the "escalation dept" all they could tell was there is a shortage of a part, but no idea what part. I was hoping to get in installed and any other related changes during the slower time, guess that's not going to happen.

Mark · December 15, 2011, 02:04:17 PM

Probably hard drive related. I know of a large Dell order that is 30+ days out and they specifically mentioned that it was due to the hard drives selected. Apparently, they have quite a bit of 73GB drives, but the 146 or whatever drives are not available.

Don't know if it's really "quite a bit" but it was the difference of the order shipping out in the usual time frame versus the 30+ day wait.

Bloody Jack Kidd · December 15, 2011, 02:23:40 PM

my WD Black Ed. 500GB is behaving badly - and only a few months old.