Mac largely unfazed by hard drive shortages, Apple says
updated 07:05 pm EST, Tue January 24, 2012
Part costs may rise in coming months
Last year's flooding of hard drive factories in Thailand had no material effect on cost or supply for Apple's first fiscal quarter, according to CEO Tim Cook. Speaking during a post-results Q&A, Cook added that the company expects no supply problems during the current quarter, although it does anticipate paying more for drives. That problem has been factored into guidance, Cook said.
Analysts have previously hinted that the company appears to be weathering the situation better than some other computer makers. This is believed to be related to the company's increasing dependence on flash memory and SSDs, rather than conventional hard drives. Specifically iOS devices now make up the bulk of Apple sales, and SSDs are the only storage option available on the MacBook Air.
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 1999
Apple has always billed...
Double the retail for their drive while keeping the original option (you don't get the upgraded drive and the factory-spec drive at the same time, so it was all padded up in the first place.