The chip shortage keeps getting worse – why can't we just make more?

Re:The chip shortage keeps getting worse – why can't we just... by roenxi on Sunday September 05, 2021 @01:25AM (#28421843)

It isn't a solution, it is a rejection of the problem. There isn't such a thing as a 'chip shortage', because that implies some natural number of chips that should exist.

That number isn't a constant, it is a function of supply and demand. Therefore there is no such thing as a chip shortage. We'd maybe like prices to be higher or lower depending on our perspective.

> What happens when the good in question is food?

If there are 10 mouths and 9 meals then there is a food shortage. But that is a biological observation, not an economic one.

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Re:The chip shortage keeps getting worse – why can't we just... by josephcsible on Sunday September 05, 2021 @01:28AM (#28421854)

> That number isn't a constant, it is a function of supply and demand. Therefore there is no such thing as a chip shortage.

It does take some time for prices to adjust, and if the supply and/or demand curves shift very quickly, there absolutely can be a temporary shortage. I think that's what we're going through now.

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Re:The chip shortage keeps getting worse – why can't we just... by roenxi on Sunday September 05, 2021 @01:32AM (#28421869)

We've been seeing 'shortages' since 2016; I remember there being a lot of trouble sourcing a good GPU. This is probably some deeper problem than a short term issue.

It isn't like COVID is a surprise any more, it has been with us for nearly 2 years.

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