Apple buys 60% of the world touch panel supplies

[diogen]

An interesting angle on challenges facing tablet manufacturers
Apple is hogging 60 percent of the world’s touch panel capacity

This isn't the first time.
Apple bought full year production of the just announced 1.8" Toshiba hard drive for its iPod classic in 2001-2002.

The advantages of having a pile of cash...

Diogen.

EDIT:
Quick googling produces this report
Greater China touch panel market

The most thriving application sectors for small- to medium-size touch panels include mobile phones and tablet devices. In terms of touch panel modules for mobile phone use, Taiwan-based manufacturers' shipments are predicted to reach 280 million in 2011; all the touch modules used by the iPad are sourced from Taiwan-based manufacturers, while Taiwan-based firms' estimated shipments of touch modules for tablet devices other than the iPad are predicted to reach 1.77 million units in 2010, rising to 10.82 million in 2011.

Six-fold increase of non-iPad tablets isn't exactly synonym of shortage...