Notebook makers hesitant over 2014 orders

Notebook brand vendors are having trouble finishing their 2013 request for quotation (RFQ) processes as early as in previous years due to conservative attitudes about the notebook industry's future, according to sources from ODMs. In previous years, notebook brand vendors were able to fully complete their RFQ processes shortly after Computex, but so far, only a few brand vendors have finished ordering some of their notebook models, the sources noted.

With the delays, the sources are concerned that their production and R&D plans will also need to be postponed, affecting their upstream component suppliers' shipment schedules. Acer and Dell have both delayed their RFQ processes, while most other notebook brand vendors still have not yet sent out any major requests for notebook quotations.