Many manufacturers and consumers have been hit by the ongoing shortage of semiconductors that coincided with the coronavirus pandemic. We're all hoping it doesn't last much longer, but Micheal Dell has some bad news, he believes the shortages will last for years to come.
As founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, Michael Dell is both one of the most important customers of the semiconductor industry and one of the best placed to comment on the supply chain. As Reuters reports, when Dell recently spoke to German newspaper Handelsblatt he said, "The shortage will probably continue for a few years ... Even if chip factories are built all over the world it takes time."
What it may surprise many to hear is, it isn't the new components that are a biggest problem, it's the older components and the cheaper ones proving the hardest to source. "We are talking, in particular, about components that are in the one-dollar range and are used practically everywhere," he said. "But even newer technologies are not easy to come by."
That makes sense, as while we all talk about the processor, memory, and storage options on desktop PCs and laptops, each one also contains hundreds of small, cheap components as well, and they are all essential to shipping a working product. So look after that PC you're currently relying on, it may need to be your workhorse for a few more years yet.