The shortage of Intel's latest mobile processors is reportedly worsening and could last through April, causing further setbacks as PC-makers look to refresh product lines, according to distributors and analysts. It's said that, unless the dearth subsides soon, new laptop rollouts could be delayed by as much as three months.

The limited supply of Arrandale CPUs has also elevated bids to 20% over contract prices, but consumers shouldn't feel it in the wallet. "I don't think that the shortage will be so acute as to hold back the market and raise system prices significantly," said a researcher for IDC. He also noted it is mostly smaller PC vendors that are affected, as big players get dibs during times of drought.

While Acer, HP, and Asus are keeping quiet, Intel CEO Paul Otellini recently acknowledged the issue, saying the company is "slightly behind" but that it should catch up to demand over the course of the second quarter. Earlier industry rumors blamed Acer for the shortages.