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The Best-Laid Plans (9/21/99)
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Technology's cool and all, but every once in a while Mother Nature steps in to remind us who rules the roost. The massive earthquake that hit Taiwan carries a heavy human toll: over 1700 confirmed dead so far, more than 4000 injured, over 100,000 homeless, and several thousand people still believed trapped in the rubble. Significant aftershocks are hindering rescue efforts, and a CNN article reports that rescue teams are finding "more bodies than survivors." (The AtAT staff has family in Taiwan, and we haven't heard any news yet, so please keep your fingers crossed for us.) (Update: We've since managed to establish contact with our family and verify that everyone's all right. Thanks to all who expressed concern.)
Given the level of human misery the quake has brought, it seems crass to consider its effects on Apple and other high-tech companies who rely on Taiwanese-made components, but it is a business that touches our everyday lives, and should be examined. CNET has an overall look at what the disruption means for the industry; most plants suffered no more than power outages, but they can only run for a few days on their fuel-powered generators. Taiwan appears to remain in the grip of a nation-wide power outage, which could introduce delays in production ranging from "a few days" to "a week to a month." A large portion of chips in the middle of the manufacturing process will have to be written off, and machines will have to be checked for damage, recalibrated, etc. It's still a bit too early to tell just what the long-term effects are likely to be, but right now it doesn't look good.
As for Apple, you probably know that the iBook is manufactured by a Taiwan firm called Alpha Top. The first batch of iBooks recently shipped to customers and dealers, but those units won't come close to fulfilling the 160,000 pre-orders taken for the product. The Powerbook Zone notes that apparently there was no severe damage to Alpha Top's manufacturing plant, but of course the sustained power outage-- not to mention the country coming to terms with a national tragedy-- is sure to affect the production of more iBooks. At this point, though, our concern rests primarily with the people of Taiwan, and our thoughts are with them as they pull through this ordeal.
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SceneLink (1796)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 9/21/99 episode: September 21, 1999: So just why did Apple put so much emphasis on the G4 shortage? It wouldn't have anything to do with stock price manipulation, would it? Meanwhile, "Redmond Justice" heads back on the air with a clip show, and the Taiwan quake means a lot more than iBook delays...
Other scenes from that episode: 1794: Mountains, Molehills, Etc. (9/21/99) Apple announced an earnings warning due to a lack of G4 processors to use in its new professional desktop Macs, and suddenly the stars went out, the heavens fell, and the world imploded. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but Apple's stock dropped ten points in a single day-- and while that still places its value at a level higher than it was just a few short weeks ago, a ten-point drop is never something to scoff at... 1795: More Courtroom Fun (9/21/99) It was a return to the good old days as "Redmond Justice" headed back into the courtroom for closing arguments. In fact, it was sort of a "clip show," highlighting all those precious moments from past episodes near and dear to our hearts.....
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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