News
Toshiba can’t keep up with iPod shuffle demand
By LC Angell
Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Monday, February 21, 2005
News Category: iPod shuffle
Toshiba corporate vice president Masashi Muromachi said Monday that his company is having trouble producing enough flash memory chips for Apple’s iPod. “When it comes to the supply-demand balance we are currently unable to satisfy all customer demands,” Muromachi said, noting in particular the launch of the iPod shuffle. “Demand created by this new device is so vast that our current capacity can in no way meet [Apple’s] needs,” he said.
Muromachi said Toshiba plans to boost spending on semiconductors by 13 percent this year in an effort to expand output of flash chips. He also said the company would move forward the production schedule at a new flash memory plant owned jointly with SanDisk.
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1
This makes it sound like the Shuffle is solely responsible for the shortage.
There has been very strong demand and supply shortages for NAND flash for some time now.
Posted by JPack on February 21, 2005 at 11:41 AM (PDT)
2
Some iPod Shuffles have bad chipsets, causing an unwanted noise at the beginning and end of each song track. It appears that Toshiba is making some bad chipsets for the Shuffle. How come we’re not seeing any reports on that!
Posted by Michael Kelly in Chicago, IL on February 22, 2005 at 3:52 AM (PDT)
3
those reports are probably few and far between. Even if 10,000 units were bad, thats only a very, very small percentage. We’re talking iPod volume here.
Posted by apple juice in USA on February 22, 2005 at 5:14 AM (PDT)
4
It’s funny everytime a popular device comes out then shortly there-after the typical “we are running out of this part” or “we can’t keep up with demand”.
Heard it from Sony a few years ago on the PS2, then so on.
Posted by milk3pod in chicago, il on February 22, 2005 at 2:00 PM (PDT)