From as far back as 2009, the prices for RAM have been not-so-steadily heading into the clouds. A little research turns up plenty of PC gamers and computer builders complaining about the price increases and they all specualte as to why. But memory prices are at a low right now, meaning that this is the time to start looking at the needs of your company.

Lance Pandrock, Field Sales Account Manager for Kingston Technology, a major leading player in the memory market, provided some great insight into the memory market. "The market is weak and prices are soft for memory right now," notes Pandrock. "Now is the time to look at your projects and purchase while prices are low."

Pandrock explained some reasons why now is the time to look at memory upgrades before prices begin to rise:

     :: Shortage and supply disruption of critical components due to the March 22, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan

     :: Rising labor and supply costs in China where many components are built and assembled

     :: Precious metal component pieces used in computer components rising steeply

     :: Weakness in the desktop and laptop segments because of tablet technology

     :: Lower production rates as demand decreases

What Does This Mean?

As disruptions become more frequent, costs begin to rise for components, and demand decreases. Manufacturing cutbacks will surely follow meaning desktop and laptop memory is going to be harder to come by in the future. This is all reinforced by the low numbers HP and Cisco have posted, hurting their stocks.

PCs will have a place in the market for the foreseeable future since tablets require interaction with them for updates and syncing. And for most conusmers and businesses, the power a desktop PC provides will always have a place in the work environment.

The Rise of the Tablet

The increasing popularity of tablet technology coupled with the recent string of natural disasters and disruptions around the globe may mean this will be the end of cheap computer parts. "Most tablets don't have an option for removable memory, like the Apple iPad," explains Pandrock.

Since the release of Apple's iPad tablet, which has proven to be a wild success, it has spurred interest in tablet technology over that of netbooks and laptops. Trends in the market are showing that as tablets gain traction in the market, they'll begin to replace laptops as the go-to devices for portability. Additionally, major players like HP are betting big on the tablet market. The HP TouchPad is slated for release in June 2011.

Memory is Not Alone

All signs are pointing to memory not being the only computer components looking forward to a price hike. Motherboards and hard drives should also see their prices rise for some of the same reasons listed above. Many of these computer parts are made with the same components and come from the same locations around the world, meaning they're not going to be exempt from price hikes.

Pandrock leaves us with one final bit of advice on the topic: "Look into your memory needs now while prices are low."

Contact Wasatch Software here or call 801-983-3671 to find out how you can take advantage of low prices on computer memory upgrades while they last!