News Bits: Apple Parts Shortages, Order Starbucks from your laptop, Intel in the OLPC

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Apple feels shortage of computer parts, delays

Several Apple products are facing component shortages and delays. The most notable include the iMac and MacBook Pro. The new Bluetooth keyboard is not supposed to start shipping until the end of September, several weeks away.

The MacBook Pro is seeing the biggest delays; most likely the system's LED screen is causing the delay. A very limited supply of the notebooks is expected in September. There are no shortages of the 17-inch MacBook Pro.

The iMac delays have improved since last month, when some orders were delayed up to two weeks.

Finally, supply of the new iPod Nanos is expected to be short in September.

Read More (Notes.ThinkSecret.com)

Order Starbucks from your laptop

Even though there are a lot of Starbucks coffee shops, there always seems to be a line inside. Now that line can be avoided. In Starbucks located in the U.K., customers can log on to the in-store Wi-Fi and order a drink from their computer. Shortly after placing the order someone will bring it to you. Nifty!

Read More (Gizmodo.com)

Asustek Eee PC to bring down ASP of mobile devices

The average selling prices (ASPs) of notebook computers and other portable devices like UMPCs will come down with the introduction of the Asus Eee PC into the notebook market according to a DigiTimes report. Asustek expects the Eee PC to begin to make an impact in the consumer notebook market in the second half of next year. The introduction of the device is expected to have a large impact on the entire notebook industry. It could be dangerous for the UMPC market as their ASPs have stayed high.



Intel looking to put processors inside OLPC

Talks are currently being held to discuss putting an Intel processor inside the OLPC. The OLPC currently runs on a 433MHz AMD Geode processor, which is quite slow by mainstream standards. However, it is very power efficient and does not cost much.

The OLPC will go into production at the end of September or early October. No decision has been made on whether or not OLPC will use Intel processors. Using Intel processors will require a redesign. Intel plans to use modified versions of the Celeron M processor, the A100 and the A110. The &quot;Silverthorne&quot; processor will be built on a 45nm process and is dual-core. The chip is extremely small so production costs should be low, but it is not known yet whether or not the chip will be cheap enough.

A switch to Intel chips would not mean the discontinuation of the use of AMD chips. The OLPC wants to offer systems with different processors.

Read More (PCWorld.com)


Direct2Dell Inspiron product delays blog reaches 1000+ comments

The Direct2Dell blog post concerning Inspiron notebook delays has now received over one thousand comments. It seems that many customers are using the blog as a place to vent. Some of the comments are quite entertaining. Click to go.

Forum Discussion

 

And you don't have to leave your laptop sitting there unguarded for people to steal. Problem is, if you're drinking all that coffee you'll need to get up to go to the bathroom at some point, so I guess you'll have to chain it down or have a stranger that looks trustworthy keep an eye for you.

 

Is Starbucks wireless free to use... or do you have to pay for it? If it's free, well, I can see a potential abuse of the system from "wardrivers". Random people ordering cups of expensive coffee while not even in the store.

I guess it depends on what safeguards they have.

 

Pretty interesting...in the past two months I've seen so many threads in the Apple forum about members who just can't wait for Dell to ship their new notebooks, so they decided to get a Mac. Looks like the huge crowds that moved to ordering the Macs are now crowding up Apple's supply line .

"Time to move to HP!"

 

Starbucks is one place where I wouldn't want my laptop out in any situation. Not even taking into account the ease of theft, the risk of someone walking by and knocking over your drink is fairly high too.

 

Or someone "hijacking" your notebook.

I was talking to Matt through IM the other day (Matt, another forum member, the exact username "Matt"), and he was at Starbucks. He went to get a coffee, left his notebook on and someone used his notebook and IMed me "F--- you!" .

 

LOL !!!!

-Jabriiiz

 

hah! i sooo bet that was him

 

Really? I think it was you!

 

Doh...you caught me

 

I really like the Starbucks idea. I think their coffee is too expensive and I just don't care for the coffee shop environment (a 17inch laptop does that to you) so it's not something for me. But being able to order online right there without having to stand in line is pretty neat. It's like the table-side service the local Hardees here has.

And for the parts shortages, if I were a Dell or Apple customer I'd be angry too. I've seen a lot of posts on the Dell site from people who ordered their systems back in July and have a shipping date in October! Now that's just inexcusable. Somebody screwed up big time. I know I'd definitely want some sort of compensation although I'd probably just cancel my order and buy from someone else.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Intel muscle their way into the OLPC project... They'll try to get as much money as they can for their CPU's, but I wouldn't at all be shocked to see them sold at a loss just to get Intel's name out there.

 

My sentiments exactly

 

haha poor matt!!
winows + L goes a long way
LOL

any ways i like the starbucks idea now hope it starts here in dubai
probably would but im sure itll take time

seems like these shortage of parts isnt only a dell thing then

 

Yeah, I know, I can't believe I didn't think to lock it...

« Smacks foreheard »

 

Haha, nice Matt. Interesting way to order coffee at Starbucks, but its too expensive for a poor college student like me.

 

I think I can go on a vacation from the money I do not spend at Starbucks.

 

If you order(starbucks) from your lappy how do they deliver it to the right person?

 

Its funny that this thread is only about the starbucks part.

 

LOL thats one og the most important parts of the story
and oh yea guess the saying is true then.......laptops and coffee go hand in hand

maybe they may se some sort of visual identification...or jus iimple ol table numbers and respond to the orders accordingly

 

Makes sense - most people I know won't mind going laptopless if necessary (assuming they get compensated for it of course) - but a morning without coffee!? They'd go insane.

 

Life and coffee go hand and hand.

 

I wish I could rep you down for that Matt, coffee is gross!

 

LOL! What do you drink in its place?!

 

i used to love tea once in a while .....but after i discovered starbucks thats a completley different thing

to each his own caleb!!! different tastes i guess

rock on matt!! well said

 

Do they sell other things besides coffee to drink? I've never gone there and even decaff makes me edgy.

 

Teas and other stuff, yeah.

The Caramel Frappucino is as close to perfection as you can get. It's so freakin' good. Whenever I'm going between Asia/Europe and through the states I absolutely posivitely MUST get one!

It is amazing.

 

dont forget the shakes aboslutely awsum!!!

LOL awsum how the topics changed into what it has
about the menu in starbucks
yet its intresting