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More on COMDEX 2001
by O. T. Stoll - January 23, 2002 at 20:48:28:
COMDEX was smaller this year than last. The estimated attendance has been reduced from 200,000 to 150,000. That is still no small number. There were thirteen Pavillions. A pavilion is usually a group of companies of the same interest that share location on the exhibit floor. Each company has a small booth or table to exhibit their products. Each year Microsoft has a large pavilion to house the Microsoft Partners. This year it was one-half the size of the one last year. Still, it was about the size of a football field. The "Microsoft Partners" included AMD and Corel that had large exhibits of their own in the past. Four other pavilions that got a good turnout were, Bluetooth, (Bluetooth wireless technology); RDVDC, (Recordable DVD Council); IBM Business Partner, (first time I have seen IBM at COMDEX in quite a while); and, BrassRing Career Event, (They have been gone too and had 65 companies hiring technology professionals).The COMDEX show area was smaller this year and was packed with attendees. There were approximately 1500 exhibiters with some having two or more locations. Alphabetically, the list start with $2.95 guys and ends with Zoran Corp.
The mini-shows, Showstoppers and ImageScape, had their one day shows for the Media, Press and other invitees.
Showstoppers had over forty exhibitors including Intel, Compaq, Jasc Software, Laplink, Ontrack Data, Roxio, Seagate Technology and too many others to list here.
Jasc Software introduced their new software including Paint Shop Pro 7 and, (the show software that impressed me the most), Namo WebEditor 5. Namo looked liked the software, that many of us who don't want to learn html, could use to make our web pages. They had so many options you could make your site like no other.
At another table at Showstopper, Stardock, demonstrated their WindowBlinds 3. This software extends the Windows GUI to accept thousands of different looks and feels. Looked like a great program. www.stardock.com
Roxio previewed DVD recording software, which allows you to capture, and manage your data.
Wizcom Technologies was also at ShowStoppers. They introduced their handheld pen scanners with a new plug-in module for mobile phones and PDAs that enables you to scan printed text, linear and 2D barcodes and small images.
Over at COMDEX, the exhibits were heavy on the hardware and light on software. There were a large group of Koran exhibitors showing off some really sophisticated hardware. One item, Virtual Ring reality 3d game machine by BestSoft, I found to be very interesting. The ring is actually a square on the floor with a pole in each corner extending up about three feet. The Home version is designed for PlayStation 1 and 2. The ring replaces joysticks and keyboards and lets you really get into the action. You stand in the ring moving the body the way you want your action figure to move. Don't throw your joysticks away be- cause a few minutes in the ring will tire you out. The home version of the ring wholesales, FOB Korea, for forty dollars.
Taiwan had over forty-six exhibitors. One of the useful items, from Taiwan, is a PDA keyboard. The keyboard folds together to make a neat little package and can be used on PALM OS and WINDOW CE. The cost is twenty dollars.
A number of the latest and greatest PDA's was shown at the show. Handspring's TREO has a build in wireless phone and keyboard was quite a hit. I was a little disappointed that it does not have a place for all those modules you bought for your visor. Microsoft also showed off a new PDA, their Tablet PC and the Xbox.
To improve the graphics for the PDA and computer graphics cards, Nvidia Corp. introduced their new 3-D graphic chip, smaller than a matchbook. Demonstrations were amazing and tests with rival chips indicated the Nvidia chip beat the others in all categories.
You are on your vacation and want a digital camera and picture printing capability without having to have a computer and a big printer? Try the SiPix SP1300, 1.3 Mega Pixel Digital Camera and the companion PocketColor 200. The PocketColor 200 is battery powered, weighs 10.5 ounces and plugs into the camera. The printing method is thermal color transfer, USB interface, prints in 95 seconds. The camera cost is $149.00 and the printer is $99.00. I don't know the price of the paper but I think it is expensive. A single pack of 20 sheets is shipped with a color cartridge. The camera system is touted for insurance adjusters, real estate agents and construction workers who need to make a print at the job site.
Logicube Inc., the leader in hard-drive and CDR duplication systems, had this to say about their new Forensic SF-5000. "Engineered to the world's top law enforcement agency's exacting standards, the new SF-5000 is the fastest, most reliable and compact, forensic data capturing system. The system's unidirectional, non-tampering drive-capture ensures exact, bit-for-bit duplication and verification. The SF-5000 is a "data analysis" weapon for law enforcement field investigators, and laboratories. Investigators may copy directly through the parallel port or use the optional CloneCard for access to laptops through the PC Card (PCMCIA) slot." The demonstration was very impressive.
Hauppauge Computer Works doesn't just "make run of the mill" TV tuner cards for pci slots for your computer. This year, they demonstrated tuners for HD-High definition TVs, radio tuners for Dolby stereo and FM radio, for USB ports as well as pci boards.
TechSmith introduced their latest release of SnagIt and Camasia. SnagIt is one of my favorite programs and I use it often to copy a section of the screen either to the printer or to file. It is a very useful program. Camtasia allows you to add screen recording to Windows applications for training and technical support.
The word count says I had better stop now and tell you more next month.
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