Apple iPad may delay transition to SSD, say hard drive makers
The appearance of Apple's iPad may create tight supply of NAND flash and delay the transition to solid-state drives (SSD) in PCs, according to sources from hard drive makers. — Apple, which has enjoyed success with its iPods and iPhones …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s portable-device flash buying had already been linked to supply pressure: a reported large Apple NAND order in 2009 was said to tighten the market, following reports that Hynix and Samsung had prioritized NAND output for Apple. Days before the iPad’s April 3 release, separate coverage also pointed to tight launch inventory.
Against that backdrop, hard-drive-maker sources are treating the iPad as another large claimant on NAND capacity. The supply and PC-SSD effects remain unconfirmed, but the report matters because it frames Apple’s device volumes as a constraint on storage-component allocation beyond Apple’s own products.
First-order effects
- If the hard-drive makers’ sources are correct, Apple’s iPad ramp will tighten NAND availability for PC SSD suppliers while Apple competes for the same component pool.
Second-order effects
- PC makers and SSD vendors would face a slower or more costly shift from hard drives to flash storage, giving hard-drive makers a temporary demand reprieve.
Third-order effects
- Repeated reports of Apple-linked NAND pressure point to a supply chain in which high-volume device buyers can shape component allocation and the pace of adoption in adjacent PC markets.
The trend: Consumer-device makers with concentrated flash demand are becoming an important variable in how quickly PCs can move from hard drives to SSDs.