back to article Little Timmy might not get that notebook this Christmas: HP warns of CPU, panel shortages in run-up to holiday quarter

The scarcity of PC components – specifically CPUs and screen panels – are threatening to limit availability in the run-up to the Christmas holiday quarter as orders for notebooks keep coming thick and fast, HP execs have warned. The problem first showed up almost two years ago when Intel stumbled in efforts to switch fabs to …

  1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    Never mind HP

    by next year, Apple will be using their own Silicon and there will be more supply from Intel for you and Dell and Lenovo.

    Apple's move away from Intel could do other makers a favour... until such time as Intel finally gets their act together.

    1. DS999 Silver badge

      Re: Never mind HP

      Apple's transition will take time, it will probably take 12-24 months before they have switched over all models. Apple is also a pretty small percent of overall PC sales (mid to high single digits IIRC) so we're talking maybe freeing up 1% of capacity per quarter.

      The big effect for Apple will be 5G, and switching to Qualcomm modems. Intel uses a lot more wafers producing modems for Apple than producing CPUs going into Macs.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Never mind HP

        I might be wrong, but didn't Apple buy Intel's 5G division, so they wouldn't have to use Qualcomm modems?

        1. DS999 Silver badge

          Re: Never mind HP

          Yes but they made a deal with Qualcomm that included supplying modems because Intel wasn't going to have a viable 5G modem ready in time (i.e. now, for the 2020 model iPhone)

          It will take them some time before they're ready with their own - who knows how far behind Intel was with their effort and how much disruption the handover will cause. Apple was rumored to be working on designing their own before acquiring Intel, so they might even be looking at combining work from the two projects.

          So I'd guess it will be 2-3 years before we see an Apple designed modem in an iPhone, though they might put one in the watch (only needs LTE) or the lower end iPad sooner than that as a learning experience before they put it in their most important product.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Never mind HP

      Apple may be using their own CPUs but they will be manufactured in TSMC's 7nm fabs where, it appears, Apple get all the capacity they need and everyone else shares what's left - so may be Intel will have more x86 CPU's to sell to PC manufacturers .... but if you want a GPU you might be out of luck. At least Huawei/HiSilicon's share of TSMC capacity will be going free!

      1. DS999 Silver badge

        Re: Never mind HP

        Actually they will be using TSMC's 5nm process. The iPhone 12 will be the first shipping product using that process.

        Apple pays TSMC in advance to get first access to a new process.

  2. IGotOut Silver badge

    No loss...

    ....it will stop little timmy get a useless piece of junk such as the HP Stream.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Giving Little Timmy an HP for Xmas....

    ...is tantamount to child abuse.

  4. ivan5

    Maybe HP and the other manufacturers will eventually realise that AMD also make top level notebook processors that leave the Intel units for dead.

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