Apple's iPad Touch Panel Supply Woes Continue, Shifts Production From TPK to Wintek

[Mad Mac Maniac]

no did no one else read "iPod Touch" at first glance?

 

[rstansby]

Exactly. But it seems like they are going to really rush this thing out. May want to wait 1-2 months until things settle down as recently released Apple products seem to be having quality problems lately. Best to wait a little bit to allow them to get all the glitches out.

I would say this is true of almost any new gadget. Hardware and software issues are resolved in the first couple months. Early adopters are guaranteed to experience certain growing pains.

 

[matticus008]

Didn't I just see the other day an article about Apple tying up a 3 million touchscreen order with Samsung? 3 suppliers sounds pretty safe.

Wintek and TPK make touch hardware. Samsung and LG make LCD panels. Someone else makes the optical glass that sits on top of it all.

 

[MacGuffin]

Hmmm....maybe the TPK batch of ipads will suck... It would be just like Apple to bring them to market anyway (he says as he looks at his defunct iBook and his twice-crippled MBP).

 

[SandynJosh]

I hope these part changes don't affect the reliability. I suppose the one good thing about europe having to wait an extra month is that all the issues will be out in the open by the time we can buy one.

Both manufacturers are building to the same spec, so I'd be surprised if one or the other may have any different characteristics. What may be going on is the high level of quality required by Apple is causing both companies to make the glass panels with a high enough yield rate to meet Apple's demand.

There are only two solutions to this problem: (1) Apple relaxes the standards to which they demand compliance. (2) the manufacturer refines their processes to produce a high-quality product that has higher yields for export.

Apple is not the kind of company to likely pursue the first solution because of their reputation for quality, and any such move could poison the potential customer's mind if their were any fall-out from lower satisfaction or reported problems.

All that said, most companies pad the selling price of a cutting-edge product to include post-sales costs, such as high warranty issues or recalls. Once they have been in production for a long enough time to establish a confidence level, they can remove the price pad. Since this cost is included in any new high tech components as well as in the assembled device, the over-all price drop can seem quite generous.

While I'd love to see that happen soon, I'd be surprised to see it until the back-to-school/Christmas sales rush.

 

[SandynJosh]

Hmmm....maybe the TPK batch of ipads will suck... It would be just like Apple to bring them to market anyway (he says as he looks at his defunct iBook and his twice-crippled MBP).

You gotta stop using your laptops to crack walnuts or play Frisbee. I've been using Apple laptops for 30 years and not had failures. I started with the old Duo 230, owned white iBooks and currently enjoy a MBP. My MBP is the only product I've even had an AppleCare contract on.

Interestingly enough, with each generation of laptop I'm owned, I've found myself using them more often then before. My MBP is like an extension of my hands.

 

[NT1440]

Did anyone see the video of Jim Kramer of CNBC years ago talking about how easy it is to manipulate parts of the stock market? One of his suggestions (yes he was actually talking about how to do such a thing) was leaking rumors from "industry insiders" of things such as delays, and his example was actually about the original iphone.

I feel like this is the same type of crap.

 

[newuser2310]

Of course companies like Apple pretend to have supply problems to increase demand.

Its standard behaviour. Those under some illusion that a company doesn't have enough units to meet demand upon release are living in a dream world.