Chips prices will go up. Buy now.

[Geek-9pm]

Yes, it will.
Chips are in short supply, and will be for some months.
This is a direct result of the tragedy that hit Japan.
One out of Five chips is made in Japan. Or was.
Here is the CNBC video.
Japan Impact: Chip Industry
And laptop batteries also.

[BC_Programmer]

You heard it here first, folks- stock up on your crisps!

[Geek-9pm]

You heard it here first, folks- stock up on your crisps!

Crisps?
Crisps are warm and fragrant desserts that are easy to make.
http://baking.about.com/od/crisps
Actually, Soy Crisps are now at a all time low.

[BC_Programmer]

Crisps?
Crisps are warm and fragrant desserts that are easy to make.
http://baking.about.com/od/crisps
Actually, Soy Crisps are now at a all time low.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_crisp

[Geek-9pm]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_crisp

Potato chips (known as chips in American, Australian, Canadian, Singapore, South African, Hawaiian English, Indian English and Jamaican English as well as most European languages; crisps in British and Irish English, chippies in New Zealand) are thin slices of potato that are deep fried.

In this topic 'chips' mean semiconductor chips. Until now.

[michaewlewis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_crisp

I was thinking more along the lines of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla_chips

[mr-bisquit]

And for what reason should I be worried?

Apparently somebody- I won't name names- has decided that this thread is somehow about open sores. It's not.

I'm going to use this quote.

Apparently, "Open Sores" operating systems do not require the latest and greatest.

Even if that were absolutely true, The point is that Sun made bad market decisions. Open Source did not break or make them.

Unfortunately, Western civilizations spending habits and tendency to  be the best will make and break them.

"Open Sores" is cost efficient when supplies are limited.

in the IT world you:
can not rest on your laurals.

And in the rest of the world, you can't expect everything to go on without error, disaster, or bad decisions.

There is a coffee shop down the road from my house and I guarantee they don't benefit from open source projects.

They will now if new equipment is going to cost more than they can afford. And what about new proprietary software? Limited equipment means the prices will go higher.


Now if you want your damned chips, you'll have to sacrifice your crisps.

Personally, I think the lot here would rather dish out more money than use something secure and efficient.

And don't give that BS about CAD, database, graphics rendering and whatnot.

[Geek-9pm]

... the lot here would rather dish out more money than use something secure and efficient.
And don't give that BS about CAD, database, graphics rendering and whatnot.

CAD, database and graphics rendering did well before the latest greatest stuff became available for the masses.  Chip prices will not stop George Lucas from making a new movie. And make money.

The loss if for those who speculate on silicon chip prices. 

Example: A vendor promises he will deliver a truckload  of wonderful silicon chips  in two months at a predetermined price. But he does not have enough in his warehouse to finish the deal, he has to go buy new silicon at prevailing prices. If his gross profit margin was 15%, he is going to take a bath. Prices in the Pacific Rim have spiked 20 percent. But normally, in the springtime, there is a slight overstock and the vendors hope to make a profit with contracts inked earlier.

Yet Potato Chips are not at risk. Not sure about corn chips.
footnote.
Somebody read the post and has expanded it into a article.
Why Are Potato Chip-Makers Smarter Than Silicon Chip-Makers?

[BC_Programmer]

I think more chips are made(factories) in Continental Asia then in Japan. Japan has a lot of chip companies but it's hardly cost-effective to purchase land for factories there.

[Geek-9pm]

Yes, one would think that a loss of 20% of supply would not have to be a big problem. But this industry is so price driven so that a 20 per cent loss of supply translates to a 20 per cent increase in price. Apparently there is no reserve to prevent this.

BTW, the makers of stuff are saying that it will have some impact in the consumer market. I already have a mobile phone. Will not affect me. Until I try try to  buy a new battery.

Mobile phone maker warns of chip shortages
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2011/03/18/50710/mobile-phone-maker-warns-of-chip-shortages.htm
footnote: Of the ten most popular articles on Electronics Weekly , the top five are related to the title of this post. No joke, the quake did shake the industry.

[BC_Programmer]

Of course, a price increase only matters to somebody if they are going to buy something.

I have no plans to buy anything that I can consider as being affected. Last piece of electronics I purchased was over a year and  a half ago now probably.