Gartner sez: NAND flash memory shortage imminent
Gartner analysts just released a study confirming (presumably with their usual 70% probability) what we and the Koreans already knew: NAND flash memory chips are in high demand and short supply. Showing up in everything from MP3 players, USB flash drives, digital cams, cellphones, and more recently, UMPCs, Laptops, and hard drives, it's no wonder Gartner is claiming that by Q4 2006 the market will see a 5.8% shortage of NAND flash chips leveling off to 2.6% at the start of 2007. They caution, however, that the pending shortage will worsen if Apple and Samsung's collusionpartnership results in new, high-capacity 16GB or 32GB NAND-based iPod, which Gartner says "could launch" by the end of the year. Uh, Someone might want to consider a restraining order against Creative'sSim Wong Hoo before then.
