HDDs and Thailand

[sinsi]

Most of the hard drive factories are apparently in Thailand which is under a few feet of water.
Just checking the prices over the last 2-3 weeks, WD Black 2TB was $159, now $285. Most of the 500GB/1TB drives have almost doubled.
Even Hitachi (Japanese but I guess they make them in Thailand) are $102, up from $55.
Leading into Christmas it's not looking good for cheap computers...or repairs (which is my main job).
In the last few months I have been buying them as I needed to rather than stocking up. Oh well :(

On a brighter note some DDR3 can be had for $12 for 2GB, even $55 for an 8GB kit.

[Bill Cravener]

Here in the States we must have stockpiles cause places like TigerDirect are selling 2 TB's for $140 US and 1 TB's for $110 US. These prices have been constant much of the year so far, but that could change real quickly.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7192141&CatId=4357

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=61389&CatId=2459

2GB DDR3 is going for $15.00 US.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6572442&CatId=4534

[Bill Cravener]

Well those floods in Thailand are effecting our auto industry if nothing else.

"DETROIT — Parts shortages from three months of catastrophic flooding in Thailand have forced Honda to cut U.S. and Canadian factory production by 50 percent for the second time this year, the automaker said Monday."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/parts-shortage-due-to-thai-floods-drive-honda-to-cut-us-canadian-factory-output-by-50-pct/2011/10/31/gIQAqMLPZM_story.html

[clive]

Tiger has an in store limit of one drive per customer. I haven't tracked the prices.

16GB of DDR3 is closer to $100 (4x 4GB 1600MHz XMP). Like sinsi's pricing the 8GB kits have been floating in the $49-$55 USD range in the last week or so. With some even better ones on mail in rebate, if you're a gambler.

Update : One of my colleagues was at the store over lunch today, the "one drive per customer" signs had apparently gone, but prices were up $20 or so since last Friday.

[sinsi]

I was hoping that SSD prices might fall, now would be a good time to get aggressive about market share, but no real change...yet.

Also, I have glossed over the fact that 500 people have died so far in these floods, a bit more of a downside than a scarcity of hard drives  :(