Report: Apple G5 chips scarce

Apple Computer may be facing greater difficulties than previously thought in getting hold of chips to power its high-end personal computers.

According to a report on Forbes, financial company Prudential Equity Group reported this week that the availability of G5 processors for Apple could be "worse than anticipated."

These chips are supplied by IBM and used in the PowerMac G5. They will also power the forthcoming iMac G5. Apple had previously said that 1.8GHz and 2GHz G5 chips would be in short supply in July, due to manufacturing problems at IBM, but that availability would recover in August.

"We now believe that IBM may be having difficulty meeting its revised supply commitments," said Prudential Equity Group, which reportedly fears that these additional delays could affect Apple's earnings if the launch of the iMac G5 is delayed.

Neither Apple nor IBM responded to requests for comment at the time of writing.

Graeme Wearden of ZDNet UK reported from London.

Speculation or fact?

Does the author of this story have any facts to back up the claim
they are making here? The only evidence is a quote from an
financial analyst, from another article on the same thing. If your
going to re-report a story at least try to add something new. I
could just have read the Forbes article and got the same
uninformed dribble. Why don't you go ask IBM if they are still
having problems with their chip fabrication?

[Andrew J Glina]

Details, facts, news?

Where is the actual information in this story? I am not a Apple user but even I am a bit annoyed by this story. Seems that people are just trying to cause trouble. I wouldn't be surprised if it is true as the G5 is a hard to make chip, but perhaps this story should of been delayed until there was some more facts behing it.

Andrew J Glina

You can't fool Mother Nature or the shipping department?

While I have read and believed reports of G5 shortages and long
back-order queues, apparently Apple's shipping and build-to-
order folks have not.

I ordered a dual 1.8GHz G5 on 17-Aug as a replacement for a
dead dual G4. Build time (time to shipping) was supposed to be
7-10 business days. I got shipment notification on 20-Aug (3
business days). It will be delivered today, according to FedEx
status (23-Aug).

Hmmm, I am on the road and more than a week from its delivery
point. Where I expected to have to wait at the deliver point for
the new machine to catch up with me, I now have to make
arrangements for it to be held for me.

Guess I should NOT have believed all the press stories about
shortages being worse than Apple and IBM say they are. Guess
fact checking is not really in style these days. Or maybe Fox
"News" style spinning is the norm these days. What are the
agendas of Forbes and News.com in Fox'ing this story?