CES 2004

Question: Why CES, why now, and what does this mean for the future of Comdex?

The last 12 months have seen a strange set of circumstances that have had a profound affect on international computer trade shows. First we had Computex postponed due to the very scary outbreak of SARS. Although Computex went off without a hitch three months later, many computer manufacturers were left feeling unfulfilled by the attendance even though the show was opened to the public earlier than usual (public access is usually reserved for the last day of the show). Just 2 short months later, Comdex launched in Las Vegas and for the third year in a row the attendance was far less than exhilarating. Add to this mix another year of dismal computer sales and you have lots of manufacturers wondering where to promote their new products.

Some of the best displays at the show were for the Car Audiophiles.

Electric Blue H2 on monstrous rubber

Hyundai Tiburon airbrushed like there's no tomorrow

Computer sales have been in the doldrums for over 3 years. With the exception of a few manufacturers, this has had a huge impact on the bottom line of most companies that sell computer hardware. As the PC industry continues to mature and the competition between rivals becomes more intense, all the players are being forced to look for new and better ways to sell their products. Like many other industries, those in the PC arena use trade shows to showcase their new products in an effort to raise the maximum attention from the press and insiders.

My dream ride!

Viper's yellow / carbon fiber dash

Front of the Dodge Viper

The US represents one of, if not the largest computer marketplace in the world. With the popularity of Comdex waning, many in the industry started looking to CES as an alternative location to showcase their latest products to the US market. This interest grew when CES announced they had partnered with CyberXGaming to host one of the largest gaming events in US history, not to mention the inevitable and ever hyped convergence of the PC and consumer electronics.

So what really happened this year at CES, and what does the future hold for CES stealing what remains of Comdex’s thunder?

From my perspective, the event was a dud. Sure there were 100,000+ people in attendance. Sure there was a big (and I use this word lightly) computer gaming tournament. The bottom line is that CES only admits those in the consumer electronics trade and consumer electronics are inherently different than PC’s. There are lots of things you can do on a PC that are exactly the same as you can do on a piece of dedicated hardware, but most consumers wouldn’t have the first clue how to do them. Let’s face it; most consumer electronics are designed for Joe consumer and therefore must be idiot proof.