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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! (4/4/99)
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If you think iMac availability is bad now, just wait until the effects of the fire kick in. iMac supplies have been sketchy of late, most likely due in no small part to Apple's recent move to outsource all iMac production to LG Electronics. While the transition has reportedly been pretty smooth, we have to assume that the handover is at least partly to blame for the mere trickle of fruit-flavored goodness into the channel. Given how high the iMac's demand has risen, that trickle should be a torrent-- which is why this whole fire thing stands to throw a real damper on the whole iMac success phenomenon.
The story, according to Apple Insider, goes like this: LG's Mexico plant, which is currently responsible for the production of all iMacs destined for the U.S. retail channel, caught fire about a week ago, and while the blaze wasn't too bad and no one was hurt, the water damage resulting from putting out the fire also crippled the plant's ability to crank out iMacs. The plant was reportedly in the process of churning out a ton of Blueberry and Grape units (the most popular, and therefore the scarcest, flavors), but the fire may have "cut short" the number of iMacs from that order that actually makes it into stores.
The plant may be out of commission for "at least a month's time," during which Apple will probably have little choice but to shift the focus of their own Sacramento plant (which spends these days crafting blue-and-white G3's) in a more iMac-y direction. As a result, we can expect possible G3 shortages as well. And while we can't think of anything sadder than a melted iMac, we have to admit-- we wonder what one looks like. Perhaps some pictures will surface soon.
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SceneLink (1440)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 4/4/99 episode: April 4, 1999: Things heat up a little too much in a Mexican plant cranking out iMacs. Meanwhile, iMacs are available for order while the flight attendant brings you your little bag of pretzels, and a frantic Sunday night phone call underscores the iMac's appeal...
Other scenes from that episode: 1441: Fly High, Shop Different (4/4/99) Katie, our resident Goddess of Minutiae, has been doing a whole lot of non-AtAT-related travel for the last couple of weeks, leaving the AtAT studios a little short-staffed-- not to mention a bit lonely... 1442: But We Did See Futurama (4/4/99) Sundays around the AtAT headquarters are generally a pretty placid time, devoted to those mundane tasks that just have to get done despite not being any fun-- bill-paying, grocery shopping, all those little things that chew up time whether you like it or not...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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