Laptops (and Electronics) Are Out of Stock Everywhere: Why You Can’t Find Any and What To Do About It

Have you noticed recently that your suppliers are telling you that laptops are out of stock or hard to get in quantity? Manufactures of laptops and other computers, as well as many other types of electronics and just about everything else that contains a microchip are facing unprecedented backlogs and shortages. This blog post will explore some of the reasons why this is happening and how Hartford Technology Rentals can help.

Why are Laptops Out of Stock Everywhere [Updated July 2021]

Why are so many laptops out of stock? Much like the world we live in today, the answer is interconnected. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, production of the microchips and most everything else produced in China came to a sudden stop as the country locked down. This was the first of many dominos to fall in the global supply chain. Factories closed and the typical six weeks of inventory of laptops from manufacturers like Lenovo and HP was suddenly subject to a huge increase in demand with reduced production to fill the surge in need.  Simultaneously, in Taiwan, a significant drought is crippling manufacturing of the computer chips and components essential in laptops, video cards and most other items like automobiles and CPU’s. Both high end and low end chips are experiencing drastic shortages that are not expected to ease until well in to 2022.  According to the BBC, “At the Baoshan No. 2 Reservoir in Hsinchu County, one of the primary water sources for Taiwan’s $100bn semiconductor industry, the water level is at the lowest it’s ever been – only 7% full.” Since production of microchips is water intensive this is rapidly becoming a global concern.

While manufacturing was experiencing critical delays, problems also rippled through the global supply chain on the distribution side. The pandemic had an incredible impact on labor, which translates to ongoing issues with moving products around the world. Shipping delays are being experienced globally at nearly every port on the planet. With longer delays to load and unload ships, more vessels are forced to anchor outside the ports and wait for an opportunity to dock. There is also a shortage of over 50,000 truck drivers who move product across the country. And then there is a shortage of labor to stock warehouses and storefronts where the final steps in the fulfillment process are handled. Each one of these issues in and of itself would be concerning, but when you combine them you have a situation where the massive backlogs are not going to ease anytime soon.

Increased Laptop Demand

Laptops Are Critical To Remote Workers – With much of the workforce transitioning from in office to remote work at the start of the pandemic, the need for laptops experienced an unprecedented increase in demand.  This fundamental shift has contributed greatly to the increase in laptops that are more powerful and have better graphics capabilities. The laptop became the most essential tool to facilitate remote working during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Laptops Are Key To Studying and Virtual Learning – For many students, especially college students, laptops had already been the preferred computing platform.  But suddenly elementary and high school students were forced to learn from home and needed a connected device to virtually attend classes. The pandemic necessitated a move to virtual learning that immediately put additional pressure on the available supply of laptops, Chromebooks and other devices. This demand is only expected to increase as the push is now underway to get a laptop or Chromebook in the hands of every student in the country.

Laptops Help Us Stay Entertained At Home – Of course one of the most popular uses of laptops for people of all ages is for entertainment purposes.  Whether it’s watching sports or other entertainment like the various streaming services, playing video games, social media or communicating with family and friends, laptops have become a ubiquitous feature in most homes. During the pandemic, with everyone stuck and home and most forms of entertainment outside in the real world cancelled, the laptop became one of the primary portals to the world for much of society. This also greatly increased demand on an ever diminishing supply.

Laptop Supply Chain Disruptions

So what real world effects do the chip and component shortages have for you and your business? One of the items in shortest supply is graphic cards. This shortage means content creation can be delayed. Productions that rely on heavy graphics such as film, video editing, animation and gaming have been forced to used older, less reliable and dependable hardware. Just like graphics cards, the CPUs that process much of the data from all computers are in very short supply.

The supply chain disruptions are not limited to just laptops. According to CNBC, “semiconductor chips have spread from computers and cars to toothbrushes and tumble dryers.” Any item that has a microchip is experiencing delays in production due to the supply chain issues. Those production delays mean reduced inventory and increasing prices across the board. And the reality is that the situation is not going to change until well in to 2022.

Don’t Wait: Rent The Laptop Brands You Need Until They Are Back In Stock

While laptop issues persist, bridge the gap with laptop rentals from Hartford. We carry a wide range of business-level laptops from Apple, Dell, HP Lenovo and in large quantities.  We also offer flexible rental terms from 1 day to 12 months.  Need help with the rollout?  We can image the laptops to your specifications and ship directly to your users.  On top of that all rentals include technical support.

Laptop Brands	Rental Terms Available	Rental Pricing
Apple Laptop Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $64
Dell Laptop Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $38
HP Laptop Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $38
Lenovo Laptop Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $38
Gaming Laptop Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $99

 

What Other Out Of Stock Electronics Can Be Rented

Laptops are not the only items that are in short supply and Hartford has availability on some of the most sought after technology like one of the most popular items we carry is the Meeting Owl Pro.

Device Models	Rental Terms Available	Rental Pricing
Meeting Owl Pro Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $79
MSI Gaming PC Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $114
Tablet Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $34
HoloLens 2 Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $238
HTC Vive Focus 3 Rentals	Daily / Weekly / Monthly	Starting at $90

As meetings and conferences come back companies are scouring the country looking for the best prices on Audio/Visual Gear to run their meetings.  From projectors and touchscreen monitors to the latest in microphones and mixers we’ve got the gear that you need at the best prices in the country. We also have the technicians to help you select exactly what you need to be seen and heard like never before.

Another very popular item are mixed reality and virtual reality. Whether you want the state of the art Microsoft HoloLens 2 or the latest VR headset from Pico or HTC, we can help.
In short, we have an astounding variety of laptops, desktops, peripherals and AV gear to help you meet any technical need that you have during these global shortages.

To talk to a highly trained sales rep or technician you can reach us via phone at 888-520-5667 or send us a request via our website at www.hartfordrents.com.