Intel Mobile Chips in Short Supply? Update on MacBook.

IDG News reports on comments by Taiwan's Asustek Computer that Intel was unable to keep up with the high demand on mobile CPUs. Laptop sales are expected to hit record highs this year, and so is demand on Intel's mobile CPUs.

"The biggest shortage in notebook components is in CPUs, Intel CPUs. Intel isn't meeting demand," said Jerry Shen, president of Asustek, answering questions at an investors conference in Beitou, Taiwan.

Aside from their own computer sales, Asustek performs contract-based sales, including production of Apple's MacBook computer in the past. Whether or not this may affect future MacBook supplies remains entirely speculative. Asustek, however, reassured investors that it did not expect this shortage to affect its sales.

In a separate note, despite our belief that an upgraded MacBook was scheduled for arrival as early as today (or "within the next week"), this was not the case. New information reveals that this specific expectation was based on faulty information, and should be disregarded.

This, however, does not negate the existing rumors that the MacBook was expected in the "first half of November" and MacBooks could still see updates imminently.