Consumer Alert - Buy Hard Drives Now. Prices To Rise.

[arredondo]

I bought a 1TB 7200 F3 drive from Amazon last week for $65, today it costs $108.

 

[dingleberrydorkbutt]

The sad part is that you know that the actual shortage hasn't reached any of these retailers yet. This stuff is made and shipped to warehouses well in advance. They are just raising prices because of the news of the shortage, much like how gasoline skyrocketed in many places on 9/11.

Gouging. Plain and simple.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Somebody must have had one of their SSD drives last longer than 6 months.

lol...zing!

 

[SparkyJJO]

Artificial shortages are commonplace.

There are warehouses full of diamonds. They are so plentiful, it's not even funny, but we are told that they are rare and we better get one for our girlfriends or else we don't love them, yadda yadda. Same goes for a myriad other industries.

The floods may very well be causing a shortage, but with all the lies we are told to get higher prices, I take it and everything else they tell us with a grain of salt.

Sure there are. Just like I am secretly a billionaire.

Got any proof of such claims? "I say so" does not count.

 

[kalrith]

The sad part is that you know that the actual shortage hasn't reached any of these retailers yet. This stuff is made and shipped to warehouses well in advance. They are just raising prices because of the news of the shortage, much like how gasoline skyrocketed in many places on 9/11.

Gouging. Plain and simple.

Maybe the government will get involved and demand that they stop the gouging and lower hdd prices

On a side note, SSD prices seem to be unaffected, and if anything, lower than they were a few weeks ago. So this does seem to be limited to mechanical drives.

 

[dingleberrydorkbutt]

Sure there are. Just like I am secretly a billionaire.

Got any proof of such claims? "I say so" does not count.

Here. Let me google that for you.

http://printfu.org/read/de-beersand...O7ezM_W2NbZlODU18jc0dPXoc3T1sva39ifnebJ2oqg7Q

http://freedocumentaries.org/int.php?filmID=260

http://www.ewtn.com/library/business/antdebrs.htm

http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/arian/scandals/diamonds.html

http://www.pippinbass.com/De-Beers-Diamond-Cartel.asp

http://takeback-themedia.blogspot.com/2007/01/oppenheimers-and-diamond-cartel.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/4575/

http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/chap12.htm

http://www.africanglobe.net/2011/05...imer-familys-cartel-artificial-scarcity-1994/

http://books.google.com/books/about/Glitter_greed.html?id=raO8jHBdDhYC

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond_pr.html

http://wps.aw.com/aw_carltonper_modernio_4/21/5566/1425019.cw/content/index.html

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/go...artel-they-recreate-de-beers-diamond-monopoly

This is not something "new". Read up and expand your mind. "I choose not to believe, just because" does not count

 

[jjmIII]

Here. Let me google that for you.

http://printfu.org/read/de-beersand...O7ezM_W2NbZlODU18jc0dPXoc3T1sva39ifnebJ2oqg7Q

http://freedocumentaries.org/int.php?filmID=260

http://www.ewtn.com/library/business/antdebrs.htm

http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/RDavies/arian/scandals/diamonds.html

http://www.pippinbass.com/De-Beers-Diamond-Cartel.asp

http://takeback-themedia.blogspot.com/2007/01/oppenheimers-and-diamond-cartel.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/4575/

http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/chap12.htm

http://www.africanglobe.net/2011/05...imer-familys-cartel-artificial-scarcity-1994/

http://books.google.com/books/about/Glitter_greed.html?id=raO8jHBdDhYC

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond_pr.html

http://wps.aw.com/aw_carltonper_modernio_4/21/5566/1425019.cw/content/index.html

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/go...artel-they-recreate-de-beers-diamond-monopoly

This is not something "new". Read up and expand your mind. "I choose not to believe, just because" does not count

Ok, now we just need proof on the hdd thing....more links please!

 

[dingleberrydorkbutt]

Ok, now we just need proof on the hdd thing....more links please!

Why do you need "proof" on "the hdd thing". Just google it.

 

[Skott]

I've seen news reports of gold hoarding, silver hoarding, and ivory hoarding (usually by nation govt themselves) so I wouldn't doubt there is diamonds being held off the market so as not to flood it and keep prices higher. Its a commodity and someone is always trying to control commodity pricing one way or another.

 

[DoeBoy]

Part of the reason why commodities don't necessarily deal with demand/supply like a real free market does it because the glass stegall act was killed by Clinton that prevented speculators from coming into those markets whom had no real skin in the game(need for the product/supply for the product) and when you have people that don't run real businesses creating/supplying the product there can be issues as far as prices getting out of whack. Speculation on companies in the stock market who cares, but commodities are the basis for all products.

 

[fastcuda]

It seems like the switch to ssd's would make a surplus and thus make the prices fall, anyway I did stock up on peanut butter

 

[VirtualLarry]

It doesn't seem like MSRP was increased at all at Newegg. Only that the discounts over MSRP have disappeared, so now drives are at MSRP. Wake me up if they ever go up in price over MSRP, then I'll be concerned.

Ok, now I'm concerned. Prices have gone way over MSRP. The 2TB Hitachi 5400RPM ("CoolSpin") drives I got for $80 ea a few weeks ago, are now at $130 + ship. Ouch.

 

[Elixer]

Ok, now I'm concerned. Prices have gone way over MSRP. The 2TB Hitachi 5400RPM ("CoolSpin") drives I got for $80 ea a few weeks ago, are now at $130 + ship. Ouch.

Why wouldn't they go higher than MSRP ?
If all the big OEMs are buying everything they can get, and there is no more HDs being made, then you can bet prices are going to skyrocket.

What makes this worse, if you did buy a HD before the price hike, and it fails, better hope they got a supply of HDs in reserve.

I just had a samsung HE103SJ fail on me, and only 2 days of use. Grumble.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Ok, now I'm concerned. Prices have gone way over MSRP. The 2TB Hitachi 5400RPM ("CoolSpin") drives I got for $80 ea a few weeks ago, are now at $130 + ship. Ouch.

I'd say ouch even at $80! I've been taking it for granted that I can pickup those drives for $55-$60 AR (small rebate, usually $10 with a limit of 5).

Somebody must have had one of their SSD drives last longer than 6 months.

Maybe I'm always lucky with OCZ, but I have a bunch of stuff from them (StealthXstream PSUs, DDR2, DDR3, two Vertex 2s, etc.) that seem to work perfectly fine.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Here. Let me google that for you.

When someone states a fact that isn't common knowledge, they should be the one to provide proof. I thought you'd know that, especially given the outlandish claims people make all the time.

Part of the reason why commodities don't necessarily deal with demand/supply like a real free market does it because the glass stegall act was killed by Clinton that prevented speculators from coming into those markets whom had no real skin in the game(need for the product/supply for the product) and when you have people that don't run real businesses creating/supplying the product there can be issues as far as prices getting out of whack. Speculation on companies in the stock market who cares, but commodities are the basis for all products.

Yeah, I think Clinton (and any others involved) were retarded for doing that. Thanks a ton Bill, we appreciate it

 

[MagickMan]

Picked up an open box (no box) WD Elements 3TB drive at BB. Paid $85+tax, works perfectly. There might be more at other stores.

 

[marvdmartian]

Just posted this thread (didn't want it to get lost back here) for a Seagate Green 1.5Tb hdd @ Newegg, for $68, shipped.

 

[Lordhumungus]

I know this is sort of off topic, but it seems like this would be a perfect time for SSD manufacturers to really step up the price for size battle and make a big push towards putting mechanical drives out of the picture.

In the meantime, my WHS server is very sad and running out of space. Damn Blu-ray rips.

 

[ElFenix]

It seems like the switch to ssd's would make a surplus and thus make the prices fall, anyway I did stock up on peanut butter

tangent: i saw powdered peanut butter in the grocery store today

 

[ImpulsE69]

The CEO of the storage company I used to work for (and still work with regularly) said they will not be affected by this. This HD issue is overblown.

 

[conehead433]

I failed to see the hot deal in this thread. Do we need to be alerted about the price fluctuations of every little thing. Food will be higher next week so we should all go out and buy a lot to save some money.

 

[Jeff7]

I know this is sort of off topic, but it seems like this would be a perfect time for SSD manufacturers to really step up the price for size battle and make a big push towards putting mechanical drives out of the picture.

In the meantime, my WHS server is very sad and running out of space. Damn Blu-ray rips.

SSD is still quite a bit higher than the cost of mechanical drives for price/GB.
An SSD is going to be somewhere around $1.10-$1.40/GB, maybe more for something like an Intel drive.
A 3TB mechanical drive is currently $0.063/GB, though that appears to be due to the spindle shortage. Just a month ago, I got some 2TB drives for $0.04/GB.

I'm thinking that it's going to be several years at least before SSDs get competitive with mechanical drives on a per/GB basis. Mechanical drive tech isn't stagnant either, so that won't help with the price battle.
For awhile at least, it looks like the value of an SSD is going to be from its speed and physical durability.

 

[Lordhumungus]

SSD is still quite a bit higher than the cost of mechanical drives for price/GB.
An SSD is going to be somewhere around $1.10-$1.40/GB, maybe more for something like an Intel drive.
A 3TB mechanical drive is currently $0.063/GB, though that appears to be due to the spindle shortage. Just a month ago, I got some 2TB drives for $0.04/GB.

I'm thinking that it's going to be several years at least before SSDs get competitive with mechanical drives on a per/GB basis. Mechanical drive tech isn't stagnant either, so that won't help with the price battle.
For awhile at least, it looks like the value of an SSD is going to be from its speed and physical durability.

I agree completely that mechanical drives still have much to offer in terms of value for quantity of storage, but my point still stands that SSD manufacturers should jump on this opportunity to gain as much market share as possible. They don't really need to be 100% competitive on a $/GB basis, but if they can make arguments for the drives being more reliable, faster, physically smaller, more power efficient, and priced reasonably higher, I think they can do some serious damage in the marketplace. I also doubt that there will be many more times in the near future that mechanical HDD prices will quite literally double in price overnight and if they play their cards right they can definitely use this to their advantage.

I guess I'm making an argument for the potential in this situation, but most likely you are right about how it will actually turn out. In the end I don't care, I just need more TBs!

 

[nyker96]

funny my old drive broke just before the flooding incident and bought a 1.5tb for 50, i guess the timing was perfect for me this time.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

funny my old drive broke just before the flooding incident and bought a 1.5tb for 50, i guess the timing was perfect for me this time.

Fortunately for you and unlike the poor bastards in Thailand, when it rained, it didn't pour.