All hogwash. In reality, PC sales are still growing (not counting the iPad or other tablets). They're growing at a slower rate than previously, but they're growing.
Add in the fact that PCs come with more RAM than in the past and it's clear that RAM demand is also increasing.
What happened is the same thing that happens every 3-5 years in the memory industry (same thing happens in the chemical and many other capital intensive markets, btw). When prices are good and business is growing, everyone suddenly decides to build massive amounts of new capacity all at once. When the new capacity comes on line, the prices drop and manufacturers complain about the market (even though the market is still growing, just not as fast as supply). So they stop building new plants until demand catches up with supply and prices go up. Then the entire cycle repeats.
It happens over and over - and has nothing to do with Apple.
Most of what you are saying is 'hogwash'. Demand for RAM is increasing? LOL...do you not read what you type. The price of DDR3 DRAM a year ago was $4.70, with prices looking to plummet to possibly $1.25 this year. A shortfall in PC demand is responsible for this price drop. PC manufacturers are actually using LESS RAM than they did before, as they try to increase profitability in the low margin PC market. This of course is not to say that RAM pricing won't go through the roof in its final throws. That always happens when the end is near, as demand from the "I don't' want to change" crowd, outstrips that of supply. Same principle as a cassette tape. A pack of 2 basic tapes will run you $6 at Radio Shack. Was a time when they were $.25 each when cassette players were the norm.
Furthermore, chip makers are shifting gears and going full speed into the mobile market for the superior growth potential. Enter the iPad and Smartphone here. Mobile RAM and NAND flash memory is where its at for the future.
The desktop PC we know today will be a dinosaur once today's mobile devices reach 5th and 6th gens, and when cloud computing becomes mainstream.
It's not any one cause, it's the combination of several. iPad sales have indeed impacted PC sales, but not enough by itself to cause such losses in the DRAM market.
In addition to iPad sales, it could be argued that smartphone sales have also impacted PC sales, but to a lesser extent.
Another reason for DRAM sales losses is the world wide economic recession. I work at a large company, and we're not buying PCs or upgrading at the rate we were when times were good. Our 3-year refresh rate is being pushed out to 4 and 5 years.
Recent operating system upgrades for MacOS and Windows, and Linux as well, have not increased the RAM requirements for PCs like in years past. In some cases (not Windows) the RAM requirements have decreased slightly.
The market shifting toward more laptop sales instead of desktop sales has likely depressed DRAM sales as well, since laptops can't be upgraded with as much RAM as desktops. Netbook sales don't help either (even less RAM).
I have two new MBPs one 4 one 8 gigs there is a hell of a difference to be honest. I am upping the other to 8 asap.
I have 2GB in my old MBP and frankly it hurts. However when not involved in taxing activities it isn't that bad. The problem of course is that Macs make it extremely easy to get involved in taxing activities.
My problem is not that More RAM wouldn't help a great deal, rather it is the wisdom in investing in a machine from early 2008. My next RAM upgrade might come with a new screen, processor and SSD. 😳😳😳
i remember when people were calling the iPad and "oversized iphone" and look at it now.
Many of us took such comments as a compliment. These sorts of discussions really highlighted just how out of touch people where when it came to iPhone.
We can look at iPad now but honestly I honk Apple is just getting started with iOS and the associated hardware. I see so much potential that I'm sometimes frustrated by Apples slowness.
Quote:
Disrupting PCs, created a brand new market in which dozens of Android tablets are desperate to keep up with, selling 40 MILLION units - which is more than the entire population of Canada!
Really I thought there where more Canadians than that!
As to Android keeping up, as long as it is associated with Google it doesn't have a chance. I suspect that the powers to be realized this at Amazon thus the fork. I actually believe Amazon has more potential to compete than all of the Google followers out there.
I have 2GB in my old MBP and frankly it hurts. However when not involved in taxing activities it isn't that bad. The problem of course is that Macs make it extremely easy to get involved in taxing activities.
My problem is not that More RAM wouldn't help a great deal, rather it is the wisdom in investing in a machine from early 2008. My next RAM upgrade might come with a new screen, processor and SSD.
Your early 2008 MBP takes 2x200-pin PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMMs with a maximum allowed of 6GB. I think you're just hurting your user experience and resale value by not investing $40 into at least 2x2GB RAM.
+1. The iPad isn't the reason for the problem. It is the global industry undergoing recession and the fact that corporations have woken up to the fact that they don't need to keep upgrading their machines every other year.
To the contrary. Any fortune 500 company that I've worked for NEVER upgrades every year. My current company is the largest coatings manufacturer globally, and I'm still working on Windows XP and Office 2007. My company gets at least 5-7 years out of their PC's before the cost of fixing them begins to exceed the benefit of having them. Then maybe they upgrade. And when they do, the computers purchased are refurbs and again, have OS's on them that are a few gens old.
Sure, global recession has to do with everything, but when Apple is selling more iPads than Dell is selling computers, there is a direct correlation between what people need in a portable device. Most people simply surf the net, listen to music, and watch movies on their PC. This is exactly what the iPad is designed for. And when MS releasees Office for the iPad very shortly, combined with cloud computing to store work, there really will be no need any longer for a desktop, or laptop for that matter, for the casual PC user, which is the bulk of the marketshare.
DRAM chips will rebound when Motherboard manufacturers routinely release boards with 128/256GB of RAM to be used for consumption, along with future Mac Pros.
Right now I see only 16-32 GB boards outside of the workstation/server market.
Give us 4 x16 slots, 8 8/16 GB RAM slots and 2 CPU slots for the Mac Pro and other Clone vendors for Windows/Linux and not charge $700-$1000 for the Motherboard.
Yeah? Good to know. I haven't priced sticks of RAM for a while. Last time I did, upgrading to 8 was very tempting. Maybe by now it is a much easier decision.
I just kicked my new 13" MBP up to 8 gigs for 30 bucks with NewEgg. Ram is stupid-cheap right now, so might as well take advantage of the fact.
Anyone involved in the DRAM business for more than a few years has experienced the boom & bust nature of the business.
The big problem is that eventually, you need to build new fabs to build future generations of chips, and a new fab is very expensive. I don't know about now but when I was last in the business (more than a decade ago), it was costing more than a billion dollars to build a new fab, so the market would go through periods of short supply, leading to much higher prices, which lead to high profits which lead to building new fabs, leading to surplus and lower prices, losses, and retrenchment until demand caught up to supply, and the cycle ran anew. The boom and bust nature had a certain positive reinforcement, as companies were reluctant to invest in a new fab while they were losing money, so there was a tendency for new fab construction to be somewhat synchronized across the industry, leading to larger booms and busts.
Really? I note that you haven't backed up anything you've claimed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmvsm
Demand for RAM is increasing?
Let's see - as already shown, PC sales are still increasing. And PCs have more RAM than they did in the past (partly fueled by the low cost). That means more RAM.
I couldn't find RAM production by volume (everyone wants to use sales by dollar - which isn't useful when there are big price swings). However, if you look at the global picture, DRAM sales (in dollars) have declined by about 25% during the past year. However, price (per unit) has dropped by 70%. Mathematically, that means that DRAM VOLUME has continued to increase.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmvsm
LOL...do you not read what you type. The price of DDR3 DRAM a year ago was $4.70, with prices looking to plummet to possibly $1.25 this year.
OK. Use your figures. DRAM has dropped from $4.70 per unit to $1.25 per unit. Yet DRAM manufacturer's revenue has only dropped by about 25%. How in the world do you rationalize those facts unless there has been an increase in volume?
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmvsm
A shortfall in PC demand is responsible for this price drop.
Absolutely wrong. As shown earlier (you love to just ignore the facts, don't you?), PC sales globally are expected to increase this year by a modest 4%. They also increased last year - and the year before. PC volumes are growing, albeit slowly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmvsm
PC manufacturers are actually using LESS RAM than they did before, as they try to increase profitability in the low margin PC market.
Really? When was the last time you bought a PC? Even a very cheap PC today includes 4 GB of RAM standard. A year ago, 2 GB was common.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayle
Anyone involved in the DRAM business for more than a few years has experienced the boom & bust nature of the business.
The big problem is that eventually, you need to build new fabs to build future generations of chips, and a new fab is very expensive. I don't know about now but when I was last in the business (more than a decade ago), it was costing more than a billion dollars to build a new fab, so the market would go through periods of short supply, leading to much higher prices, which lead to high profits which lead to building new fabs, leading to surplus and lower prices, losses, and retrenchment until demand caught up to supply, and the cycle ran anew. The boom and bust nature had a certain positive reinforcement, as companies were reluctant to invest in a new fab while they were losing money, so there was a tendency for new fab construction to be somewhat synchronized across the industry, leading to larger booms and busts.
I have 2GB in my old MBP and frankly it hurts. However when not involved in taxing activities it isn't that bad. The problem of course is that Macs make it extremely easy to get involved in taxing activities.
My problem is not that More RAM wouldn't help a great deal, rather it is the wisdom in investing in a machine from early 2008. My next RAM upgrade might come with a new screen, processor and SSD. 😳😳😳
I think you are being a little cheap
Best thing I ever did was put 4G in my white MacBook, and the second best was putting this MBP to 6G. At the end of the day, it costs peanuts to do. And apparently it'll cost less peanuts in the future.
And more ran does help a great deal! Trust me! A 4G chip is maybe $30?
Comments
All hogwash. In reality, PC sales are still growing (not counting the iPad or other tablets). They're growing at a slower rate than previously, but they're growing.
Add in the fact that PCs come with more RAM than in the past and it's clear that RAM demand is also increasing.
What happened is the same thing that happens every 3-5 years in the memory industry (same thing happens in the chemical and many other capital intensive markets, btw). When prices are good and business is growing, everyone suddenly decides to build massive amounts of new capacity all at once. When the new capacity comes on line, the prices drop and manufacturers complain about the market (even though the market is still growing, just not as fast as supply). So they stop building new plants until demand catches up with supply and prices go up. Then the entire cycle repeats.
It happens over and over - and has nothing to do with Apple.
Most of what you are saying is 'hogwash'. Demand for RAM is increasing? LOL...do you not read what you type. The price of DDR3 DRAM a year ago was $4.70, with prices looking to plummet to possibly $1.25 this year. A shortfall in PC demand is responsible for this price drop. PC manufacturers are actually using LESS RAM than they did before, as they try to increase profitability in the low margin PC market. This of course is not to say that RAM pricing won't go through the roof in its final throws. That always happens when the end is near, as demand from the "I don't' want to change" crowd, outstrips that of supply. Same principle as a cassette tape. A pack of 2 basic tapes will run you $6 at Radio Shack. Was a time when they were $.25 each when cassette players were the norm.
Furthermore, chip makers are shifting gears and going full speed into the mobile market for the superior growth potential. Enter the iPad and Smartphone here. Mobile RAM and NAND flash memory is where its at for the future.
The desktop PC we know today will be a dinosaur once today's mobile devices reach 5th and 6th gens, and when cloud computing becomes mainstream.
In addition to iPad sales, it could be argued that smartphone sales have also impacted PC sales, but to a lesser extent.
Another reason for DRAM sales losses is the world wide economic recession. I work at a large company, and we're not buying PCs or upgrading at the rate we were when times were good. Our 3-year refresh rate is being pushed out to 4 and 5 years.
Recent operating system upgrades for MacOS and Windows, and Linux as well, have not increased the RAM requirements for PCs like in years past. In some cases (not Windows) the RAM requirements have decreased slightly.
The market shifting toward more laptop sales instead of desktop sales has likely depressed DRAM sales as well, since laptops can't be upgraded with as much RAM as desktops. Netbook sales don't help either (even less RAM).
There could be other factors as well.
I'll bet Samsung isn't the biggest chip maker in the world 5 years from now.
How much are you willing to bet?
I have two new MBPs one 4 one 8 gigs there is a hell of a difference to be honest. I am upping the other to 8 asap.
I have 2GB in my old MBP and frankly it hurts. However when not involved in taxing activities it isn't that bad. The problem of course is that Macs make it extremely easy to get involved in taxing activities.
My problem is not that More RAM wouldn't help a great deal, rather it is the wisdom in investing in a machine from early 2008. My next RAM upgrade might come with a new screen, processor and SSD. 😳😳😳
i remember when people were calling the iPad and "oversized iphone" and look at it now.
Many of us took such comments as a compliment. These sorts of discussions really highlighted just how out of touch people where when it came to iPhone.
We can look at iPad now but honestly I honk Apple is just getting started with iOS and the associated hardware. I see so much potential that I'm sometimes frustrated by Apples slowness.
Disrupting PCs, created a brand new market in which dozens of Android tablets are desperate to keep up with, selling 40 MILLION units - which is more than the entire population of Canada!
Really I thought there where more Canadians than that!
As to Android keeping up, as long as it is associated with Google it doesn't have a chance. I suspect that the powers to be realized this at Amazon thus the fork. I actually believe Amazon has more potential to compete than all of the Google followers out there.
I have 2GB in my old MBP and frankly it hurts. However when not involved in taxing activities it isn't that bad. The problem of course is that Macs make it extremely easy to get involved in taxing activities.
My problem is not that More RAM wouldn't help a great deal, rather it is the wisdom in investing in a machine from early 2008. My next RAM upgrade might come with a new screen, processor and SSD.
Your early 2008 MBP takes 2x200-pin PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMMs with a maximum allowed of 6GB. I think you're just hurting your user experience and resale value by not investing $40 into at least 2x2GB RAM.
+1. The iPad isn't the reason for the problem. It is the global industry undergoing recession and the fact that corporations have woken up to the fact that they don't need to keep upgrading their machines every other year.
To the contrary. Any fortune 500 company that I've worked for NEVER upgrades every year. My current company is the largest coatings manufacturer globally, and I'm still working on Windows XP and Office 2007. My company gets at least 5-7 years out of their PC's before the cost of fixing them begins to exceed the benefit of having them. Then maybe they upgrade. And when they do, the computers purchased are refurbs and again, have OS's on them that are a few gens old.
Sure, global recession has to do with everything, but when Apple is selling more iPads than Dell is selling computers, there is a direct correlation between what people need in a portable device. Most people simply surf the net, listen to music, and watch movies on their PC. This is exactly what the iPad is designed for. And when MS releasees Office for the iPad very shortly, combined with cloud computing to store work, there really will be no need any longer for a desktop, or laptop for that matter, for the casual PC user, which is the bulk of the marketshare.
The best upgrade anyone can do is not more RAM but an SSD.
Right now I see only 16-32 GB boards outside of the workstation/server market.
Give us 4 x16 slots, 8 8/16 GB RAM slots and 2 CPU slots for the Mac Pro and other Clone vendors for Windows/Linux and not charge $700-$1000 for the Motherboard.
Yeah? Good to know. I haven't priced sticks of RAM for a while. Last time I did, upgrading to 8 was very tempting. Maybe by now it is a much easier decision.
I just kicked my new 13" MBP up to 8 gigs for 30 bucks with NewEgg. Ram is stupid-cheap right now, so might as well take advantage of the fact.
You haven't met my wife then
I have and it didn't cost me a dime... Zing!
The big problem is that eventually, you need to build new fabs to build future generations of chips, and a new fab is very expensive. I don't know about now but when I was last in the business (more than a decade ago), it was costing more than a billion dollars to build a new fab, so the market would go through periods of short supply, leading to much higher prices, which lead to high profits which lead to building new fabs, leading to surplus and lower prices, losses, and retrenchment until demand caught up to supply, and the cycle ran anew. The boom and bust nature had a certain positive reinforcement, as companies were reluctant to invest in a new fab while they were losing money, so there was a tendency for new fab construction to be somewhat synchronized across the industry, leading to larger booms and busts.
Most of what you are saying is 'hogwash'.
Really? I note that you haven't backed up anything you've claimed.
Demand for RAM is increasing?
Let's see - as already shown, PC sales are still increasing. And PCs have more RAM than they did in the past (partly fueled by the low cost). That means more RAM.
I couldn't find RAM production by volume (everyone wants to use sales by dollar - which isn't useful when there are big price swings). However, if you look at the global picture, DRAM sales (in dollars) have declined by about 25% during the past year. However, price (per unit) has dropped by 70%. Mathematically, that means that DRAM VOLUME has continued to increase.
LOL...do you not read what you type. The price of DDR3 DRAM a year ago was $4.70, with prices looking to plummet to possibly $1.25 this year.
OK. Use your figures. DRAM has dropped from $4.70 per unit to $1.25 per unit. Yet DRAM manufacturer's revenue has only dropped by about 25%. How in the world do you rationalize those facts unless there has been an increase in volume?
A shortfall in PC demand is responsible for this price drop.
Absolutely wrong. As shown earlier (you love to just ignore the facts, don't you?), PC sales globally are expected to increase this year by a modest 4%. They also increased last year - and the year before. PC volumes are growing, albeit slowly.
PC manufacturers are actually using LESS RAM than they did before, as they try to increase profitability in the low margin PC market.
Really? When was the last time you bought a PC? Even a very cheap PC today includes 4 GB of RAM standard. A year ago, 2 GB was common.
Anyone involved in the DRAM business for more than a few years has experienced the boom & bust nature of the business.
The big problem is that eventually, you need to build new fabs to build future generations of chips, and a new fab is very expensive. I don't know about now but when I was last in the business (more than a decade ago), it was costing more than a billion dollars to build a new fab, so the market would go through periods of short supply, leading to much higher prices, which lead to high profits which lead to building new fabs, leading to surplus and lower prices, losses, and retrenchment until demand caught up to supply, and the cycle ran anew. The boom and bust nature had a certain positive reinforcement, as companies were reluctant to invest in a new fab while they were losing money, so there was a tendency for new fab construction to be somewhat synchronized across the industry, leading to larger booms and busts.
Exactly. That's what I've been trying to say.
And I paid 24 groats for my abacus back in 1423...
How many groats to a ducat?
Meh - you can never have enough RAM IMNSHO.
Or, as they say in Naw'lins... "Too much is never enough"
How many groats to a ducat?
And what the fruck is a groat?
And what the fruck is a groat?
Any of various medieval European coins, in particular an English silver coin worth four old pence, issued between 1351 and 1662.
Any of various medieval European coins, in particular an English silver coin worth four old pence, issued between 1351 and 1662.
Damn, I knew I shoulda puta
I'll bet Samsung isn't the biggest chip maker in the world 5 years from now.
Your underestimation of Samsung is laughable.
I have 2GB in my old MBP and frankly it hurts. However when not involved in taxing activities it isn't that bad. The problem of course is that Macs make it extremely easy to get involved in taxing activities.
My problem is not that More RAM wouldn't help a great deal, rather it is the wisdom in investing in a machine from early 2008. My next RAM upgrade might come with a new screen, processor and SSD. 😳😳😳
I think you are being a little cheap
Best thing I ever did was put 4G in my white MacBook, and the second best was putting this MBP to 6G. At the end of the day, it costs peanuts to do. And apparently it'll cost less peanuts in the future.
And more ran does help a great deal! Trust me! A 4G chip is maybe $30?