Chinese local notebook vendors indicated that they had faced tight-supply of Intel Pentium M processor, the main component of Centrino-branded notebook. The companies suspect that Intel cannot fulfill all the demand because the company has not started the mass production of the mentioned chips yet, though, Intel denies such information.

A report over Chinese news-paper IT How-Why claims that Samsung Electronics, Acer and ASUSTeK all said that they were not able to deliver enough Centrino notebooks into the Chinese market since the demand was too high, while the initial shipments only counted for hundreds of units. Reportedly, Samsung Electronics and Acer sold 500 and 200 pieces of their Sens X10 and TravelMate 800 respectively and were not able to provide more notebooks for their customers.

It worth to point out that leading notebook vendors, such as HP, Dell, IBM and so on have not complained about short-supply of Centrino components so far.

Since Intel launched a very broad television, print, online and outdoor advertising campaign, I can hardly believe that the Pentium M processor is not yet in mass-production. Furthermore, Intel announced in its Fourth Quarter Business Overview that the company began shipments of the Pentium M processor already in December 2002 (see January 11, 2003 news-story). It was even stressed that Intel Pentium M processors were sold in mass quantities and the revenue was included in the quarterly financial report, hence, Pentium M production has been going for nearly four months already. It looks like the problem lies in unexpectedly high demand for Centrino notebooks from various PC vendors all around the world. Since Intel (as well as all the other companies) supplies the large clients with the products first, smaller Asian companies may experience short-supply even further while Intel ramps up production of Centrino components.