View from the Labs
An unprecedented demand for computers inevitably leads to shortages, but – to quote a wise book – don’t panic!
You know you’re having an exciting conversation when the topic turns to concrete. “You just can’t get hold of it,” moaned a friend. “Or roof tiles. Had to wait weeks.” I muttered sympathetically and tried to turn the conversation to another topic. Any other topic.
I steered clear of the most apt one, though, which is the endemic supply-chain problems faced by the IT industry. I invited several British PC makers into this group test, but three of them cited shortages – and difficulty in predicting future supplies – as their reason for saying no.
The reasons are obvious. On the QT, those companies told me they are busier than ever before. Some of them have twice, three times as many PCs to make each month than is normal, and at the same time they are fighting tooth and nail to get hold of processors and graphics cards. By comparison, hen’s teeth seem readily available.
We’re seeing exactly the same problems for the big multinationals, but in a different way. Demand is so high, and supply so short, that only Acer had review systems that fell into my generous criteria for this group test – essentially anything up to £1,500 in price that would still be available to buy in July.
The problem for these companies is different to that facing British PC builders. Reading between the lines, all the stock the multinationals have is out in the market. Not only is there no need for them to send machines into the likes of PC Pro for review, because they’re flying off the shelves without any publicity, but the stocks of review systems are effectively nil: every unit is on sale.
In a blow to the PC Pro cash reserves, that meant I had to go out and buy the Dell Inspiron and HP Omen myself.
Whilst I understand the manufacturers’ stance, it doesn’t help you, the prospective buyer. The only “reviews” I see of many computers are listed as part of a promotion, where the company in question has supplied a free PC to a blogger/influencer in return for publicity. And whilst there will never be anything explicit that says the review must be positive, what are the chances of that person receiving another PC if they write something damning?
Nor do I think that people should just go out and buy anything. Demand may be hot at the moment but you might be better served by waiting for three months; a PC isn’t exactly forever, but people tend to cling onto them for years.
The key word is patience. To take the longer view. If you’re buying from a British manufacturer, which tends to build bespoke systems, cut them a little more slack on delivery times than usual. And if you like the HP Omen, for instance, don’t pay more for a higher spec just because the exact one you want isn’t available: sometimes it’s prudent to wait.
“The key word is patience. If you’re buying from a British manufacturer, cut them a little more slack on delivery times than usual”