[akitayo]

HP turning to smaller touch screen suppliers . Apple secures 60% global supply, causing competitors shortages. (Reasons of Summer TouchPad launch.)

A few weeks ago we all knew there was a component supply delay .

"HP Component shortage might delay a little full orders shipments for notebooks and webOS tablets PCs to early 2Q2011.

Quote1: CMOS sensors has been ubiquitous since January as smartphone and tablet PC makers.

Quote 2: will start shipping webOS tablet PCs in the second quarter of 2011

http://forums.precentral.net/hp-touc...s-tablets.html

And we also knew Leo Apotheker said “the hardware is ready” to HP India employees.

The TouchPad hardware ready IMO was/is a batch of units for demos and internal development that stills in the way to have the webos 3.0 accurate and besides the basic apps on the launcher, actual apps that HP is giving time to developers until they resize them , according to this HP program for developers:

Making the Transition to webOS 2.0 and Beyond | Palm Developer Center Blog

However the component was not only the CMOS sensor. Now digitimes is reporting that Apple in 2010 caught the 60% of the world´s panels production for 2011.

This Apple´s strategy , to cut off the competition panels supply is in order to hold control over the capacity of major touch panel makers such as Wintek and TPK.

And with US-based RIM, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard (HP) also competing for related components, second-tier players are already out of the game, the sources noted.

However in our HP webOS TouchPad concern, HP started turning to smaller touch screen suppliers helping players such as Sintek Photronic, Egalax-empia Technology (EETI), AimCore Technology and J Touch to see increasing utilization.

Samsung Electronics and Acer are turning to those smaller suppliers, as well.

Samsung is now cooperating with Sintek in the touch screen production, to avoid shortages but causing it to other products vendors

The competition is not only for how software and hardware looks like for the consumer, but for hardware in this times, is about who place part and components orders to suppliers with calculated anticipation.

Solutions to avoid part and components shortages, just blow your mind and post on this forum.

Here the full report:

“Apple secures 60% of global touch panel capacity, causing tight supply

In order to achieve its internal goal of shipping 40 million iPad products in 2011, Apple has occupied close to 60% of the global touch panel capacity causing tight supply among Apple's competitors, according to sources from upstream component makers.

Sources from tablet PC makers also pointed out that the component shortage is causing their shipment volumes to be unable to catch up with their orders, especially for second-tier players. Touch panels are currently suffering the most serious shortage due to Apple holding control over the capacity of major touch panel makers such as Wintek and TPK, and with US-based RIM, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard (HP) also competing for related components, second-tier players are already out of the game, the sources noted.

The sources pointed out that glass capacitive touch panels are the part that the second-tier players are unable to acquire, although thin-film capacitive touch panel makers are already capable of making their products fit onto tablet PCs, since thin-film technology still has obvious differences in terms of durability and feel compared to glass technology, despite that thin-film panels will still see demand from smartphones, tablet PCs are expected to be dominated by glass panels.

Sources from iPad distributors pointed out that in 2010, Apple's order forecasts to its OEM partners were all high and the biggest problem on the supply side was not capacity, but low yields of touch panels.

In 2011, Apple's strategy of taking up most of the capacity should help the company quickly expand its sales, while reducing its competitors' shipment growth.

Several notebook brands such as Samsung Electronics, Acer and HP have all started turning to smaller touch screen suppliers helping players such as Sintek Photronic, Egalax-empia Technology (EETI), AimCore Technology and J Touch to see increasing utilization.

Samsung's recent cooperation with Sintek was also meant to secure related supplies to avoid shortages ruining the vendor's product plans.”

Apple secures 60% of global touch panel capacity, causing tight supply

[xForsaken]

hmmm this does not bode well for a low price point

[akitayo]

hmmm this does not bode well for a low price point

IMO We will have some kind of promotion bundle from HP

[ka1]

Doesn't apple control MORE than 60% of the market? In other words, the other tablet makers probably have more than enough, or Apple has too much.

[dandbj13]

The tone of the article suggests that Apple is doing something sinister by locking up the world's supply of panels just to keep competitors from getting them. The article fails to mention that Apple's biggest problem with selling the iPad last year was that they couldn't make enough of them fast enough to go around. They actually need all those panels to meet demand. It is the competitor's fault for deciding to use the iPad's exact formfactor. What did they think would happen?

All they have to do is make something that does not look the same as an iPad. Who died and made 9.7" the perfect size? There is no shortage of 7" panels, or 11" panels. Knock yourself out.

[kjb86]

That's the impression I got, and quite frankly, I wouldn't put it past Apple to do that either.

They've got their marketing down to a tee, and making it seem like there is a huge shortage drives up demand for the product, which causes awareness in the news and then the hurd starts to get a little, well, u get the point.

It's not like tablets are a huge demand, and everybody is waiting in line to get one.

It wouldn't surprise me if Apple paid suppliers to report this news, to make it look like they're better than what it actually is.

The tone of the article suggests that Apple is doing something sinister by locking up the world's supply of panels just to keep competitors from getting them. The article fails to mention that Apple's biggest problem with selling the iPad last year was that they couldn't make enough of them fast enough to go around. They actually need all those panels to meet demand. It is the competitor's fault for deciding to use the iPad's exact formfactor. What did they think would happen?

All they have to do is make something that does not look the same as an iPad. Who died and made 9.7" the perfect size? There is no shortage of 7" panels, or 11" panels. Knock yourself out.

[finngirl]

I know it's widely thought that the $3.5BB spent in securing components that Apple reported in their last quarter earnings is widely speculated to be screens, but has anyone reported that?

Who knows what it could be.

[spare]

There is no shortage of 7" panels, or 11" panels. Knock yourself out.

got a source for that?

[shadavis08]

HP phones are using gorilla glass . Does apple use gorilla glass too ??

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[cardfan]

I think HP would love to have the demand to have any supply problems.

[IGNTNUNLMTD]

HP phones are using gorilla glass . Does apple use gorilla glass too ??

No, but they claim to.

[prethadd81]

No, but they claim to.

I asked someone that actually held a pre3 and he said it was gorilla glass but they haven't announced it.

[OrionAntares#CB]

The tone of the article suggests that Apple is doing something sinister by locking up the world's supply of panels just to keep competitors from getting them. The article fails to mention that Apple's biggest problem with selling the iPad last year was that they couldn't make enough of them fast enough to go around. They actually need all those panels to meet demand. It is the competitor's fault for deciding to use the iPad's exact formfactor. What did they think would happen?

All they have to do is make something that does not look the same as an iPad. Who died and made 9.7" the perfect size? There is no shortage of 7" panels, or 11" panels. Knock yourself out.

Is that why there were plenty of them sitting on store shelves after the initial release hype died away?

As for the "don't match the size" comment, they could go 7", 9" 10", 11", 15" but that's not going to change a lack of base materials and manufacturing output. We're not talking about a standard LCD screen here we're talking about capacitive touchscreens. Base materials and capacity to manufacture larger screens could very well be an issue. The reason the Tab was 7" might actually be because that size was the limit of what the facilities used for cell phone screens could manage.

[akitayo]

I was wondering,how many production lines have Wintek ,TPK, Sintek Photronic, Egalax-empia Technology (EETI), AimCore Technology and J Touch for touch panels different sizes. IMHO maybe not enough at this time as the tablets is a brand new sector.

They will invest and join forces, make alliances and sub-contract with others to reach the world´s demand point of this time. But it will not happen until 2Q 2011 to the end of this year, when just are about to have profits.


Taiwan panel makers to turn profitable in 3Q11
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20110215PD216.html

[sorli]

Interesting and another article with similar details and reference information that may be of interest. Why Can’t Tablet Makers Just Freaking Ship? Thanks for the info, Sorli...

[hparsons]

I found it interesting in , that the demonstrator, when asked about the screen, gushed about how good it was; and then said "we can't get into the manufacturer of it". Happens around 2:35 into the video.

Maybe HP knows something the current writers don't?

[akitayo]

I found it interesting in , that the demonstrator, when asked about the screen, gushed about how good it was; and then said "we can't get into the manufacturer of it". Happens around 2:35 into the video.

Maybe HP knows something the current writers don't?

He is confirming the shortage news . And my question is :

What kind of touch panel will come finally in the HP TouchPad?

[Kupe]

No, but they claim to.

Apple's iPad uses Corning's Gorilla Glass

[spare]

Apple's iPad uses Corning's Gorilla Glass

That link doesn't say iPad uses Gorilla Glass.

[Weaser999]

It's actually kinda amusing to see Apple use the same tactics that Microsoft used decades ago. Squeeze out the little guy! Steve Jobs using the same tactics that Bill Gates used against him! The man can adapt! It's actually kinda interesting to watch Steve Jobs go from artsy fartsy innovator to shrewd business dragon.