hard drive prices going up

[scottish]

So if you're planning on getting a HDD buy it fast

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/9493b8ce-f...#axzz1bJSNfKuY

Western Digital, the world’s second-largest maker of computer hard drives by sales, earlier this week suspended its operations in Thailand after rising water penetrated the flood defences of the Bang Pa-in industrial park, inundating its factory there and submerging some equipment. Its other Thailand factory at the Navanakorn industrial park was also threatened by the deluge.

Seagate, has also been affected by the flooding, but not to the same extent as Western Digital.

[Chippiewill]

I doubt any significant price changes will occur, they still have to compete with other companies.

[scottish]

Theres been about a 10% rise already.

Some HDDs gone up by £10+ (2TB)

[Chippiewill]

They look basically the same price they were a couple of months ago?

[GommeInc]

They look basically the same price they were a couple of months ago?

The prices won't go up immediately. It's likely it will take a few weeks when fears begin to grow about supplies. It might take them ages to get the factory up and working, unless they can off-set their manufacturing operations to other countries, but it depends how rich they are. It's amazing important components like HDDs are being developed and produced in a limited number of places, completing destroying the supply line if something small happens like a flood in one area. Perhaps they may consider creating new operations in key areas across the globe incase it happens again?

First memory becomes pricey after one of the manufacturers goes bankrupt, and now HDDs are being affected. Whatever next?

[scottish]

You must not pay much attention :p

For example

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB I bought it a month ago for £45 now its £60.

Staff on another website;

I am watching the price of drives increase by as much as 10% an hour. Its not a good time at all for those wanting storage

As pre warned, Mechanical storage is going up in price at an alarming rate.

This is unlikely to change before 2012 with price increases potentially going to increase by even more.

These are dark times on the storage front at the moment with deals none existant for some time to come

You may indeed be able to buy drives much cheaper elsewhere but they WILL run out of stock very quickly so my advice is that you buy where you can as you will not see affordable storage at all as current stocks deplete.

Prices increase massively yesterday:

This is mainly due to the thai flooding but I am sure that the two remaining HDD vendors will have something to do with the price increase..

This is a picture of Western Digitals factories:



not good!

etc.

[Jin]

We will live as mentioned I reckon stocks are in the plenty. Fingers crossed it will be Maxtor next time.

[scottish]

Is maxtor even a large manufacturer?

I've rarely seen them, most drives I see are Samsung, Seagate and WD. (excluding ssd ofc)

Oh and the occasional Hitachi.

Companies are panic buying by the looks of it and price has rose alot.

and nvm Maxtor is Seagate now.

[xxMATTGxx]

Yeah I'm pretty sure Seagate took over Maxtor sometime ago. I'm sure we will be fine either way, these things happen.

[Chippiewill]

Hopefully this will help facilitate a shift towards SSDs if it is major.