SMS wrote:
> Tinman wrote:
>
>> I don't blame Apple as CES is now mostly a bunch of vaporware that
>> never sees the light of day.
>
> Absolutely false. There's very little of that at CES. It's almost
> entirely new product announcements for what's going to be shipped
> later in the same year.
>

Bullshit. Up until a year ago I attended CES regularly, and know very well
of what I speak. You either don't attend, or skip 90% of the exibits. The
fact is many of the products shown at CES never make it to production; heck
some aren't even meant to, at least in their current form (like this year's
auto-driving car).

And then there's the stuff that is already on the market--which consists of
50%+ of the products at CES. I don't count those since those are already on
the market.

DataPlay was "Best of Show" in the blank media category at CES 2001. Never
hit the streets. Doubt anyone even remembers it anymore. Back in the '90s
there were HiDef TVs shown each year that never made it out to the general
public. Last year Wireless HDMI and Dash Express GPS were big hits. Neither
made it out last year. Ditto for Sling Catcher. Other products may limp into
production only to go nowhere (e.g., Mira/Smart Display).

But enough about my opinion. Here's what Rachel Rosmarin, from Forbes, wrote
last year about CES:
"More than 2,700 exhibitors descend on Las Vegas Monday, each ready to show
off their latest and greatest tricks at the annual Consumer Electronics
Show.

But good luck finding many of the gizmos and gadgets on store shelves:
Though CES is supposed to give gearheads a peek at the future, it is often
better at displaying "vaporware" - would-be innovations that never
materialize.

Some of this is par for the course: Much like the auto show that's running
concurrently in Detroit, CES is meant to have a fantasy element to it -
stuff that ought to be but isn't yet and may never be. The real sin is in
showing off what are supposed to be real products to retailers and press,
then not delivering."

Guess she didn't have the sense to run that article by SMS.



--
Mike