Apple may be shifting contracts for manufacturing some iMacs from Quanta Computer in Taiwan to Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. as a result of Quanta’s failure to acquire some key components from Hon Hai, according to an AsiaBizTech article.
Hon Hai, Taiwan’s largest independent manufacturing company, has purportedly been contracted to supply components for the iMac models with cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, and developed some patented parts for iMacs. Hon Hai hasn’t delivered the components to Quanta, which was contracted to make iMac computers in 2001, though the reason for the non-delivery isn’t know, AsiaBizTech reports.
The result: Quanta, the world’s largest laptop maker (which has long manufactured Apple’s PowerBook systems), can’t maintain an even rate of production. Neither company has confirmed the reports. Another possible result: Hon Hai Precision will produce iMac desktop CRT monitors for Apple, upping the company’s unit production for Apple from 600,000 units in 2001 to over a million this year, AsiaBizTech says.
Quanta Computer had earlier won major original equipment manufacturing (OEM) orders from Apple for desktop 15-inch LCD monitors, as Apple computer decided to assign all OEM orders for the production of its new generation iMac desktop computers equipped with 15-inch LCD monitors to Quanta Computer, AsiaBizTech reports. Total production was around 600,000 units a year.