Sony delays NEX-7, Alpha A65 cameras over Thailand floods
updated 05:55 pm EDT, Thu October 20, 2011
Troubled waters also impact hard drive production
Sony has warned that it has delayed indefinitely the introduction of two of its latest cameras as a result of recent flooding in Thailand. The company has been forced to shut down two of its three production units in the country, including those that had been preparing to roll out the new NEX-7 and Alpha A65 cameras. A worldwide shortage of hard drives as well is expected in the aftermath of the flooding.
The NEX-7 is Sony's latest mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. It incorporates a 24.3-megapixel sensor and a 1024x768 OLED-based eyepiece. Sony had planned to begin shipping this flagship DSLR camera in November. The similarly featured Alpha A65 targeted hobbyist DSLR market, and was scheduled to begin shipping this month.
Sony is not the only manufacturer impacted by the flooding. Three of the world's largest makers of hard drives, Western Digital, Seagate, and Toshiba produce many of their storage devices in Thailand. All three have suspended production and have warned of supply chain shortages and delays. WD, which manufactures 60 percent of their drives in the country, will be most affected.
The hard drive shortage will collaterally impact computer makers. Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, said he was "virtually certain there will be an overall industry shortage of disk drives." [via BBC]
