Introduction

Imagine a trade show, so utterly enormous and devoted exclusively to computer hardware, that it spills out over three convention halls into neighboring hotel suites. Manufacturers fly in from around the world to participate, erecting flashy booths and pitching their latest products. Buyers peruse the floor, journalists take note of the most exciting technologies, and black Mercedes-Benz limousines shuttle folks between convention buildings in Taipei, since walking across streets is a dangerous proposition (the drivers here are insane).

Computex 2003 was originally scheduled to take place in June. However, SARS took its unfortunate toll, and the show had to be postponed. We thought that attendance would suffer because of the deferment, but manufacturers and attendees alike are out in force. And whereas Taipei in June is akin to a sauna, the weather in September is surprisingly pleasant, save the occasional rain shower.

Computex 2003!

Booths everywhere

The first day of Computex has come and gone, and we’ve already met with several prominent motherboard manufacturers, including Gigabyte, Soltek, Biostar, and ABIT. Of course, there are several others we’ll be meeting with over the next four days, so check back for live updates from Computex 2003.

Gigabyte Technology

With one of the largest booths in Hall 2, Gigabyte kept us busy for nearly two hours. There were many new products to discuss, and representatives from the firm were genuinely interested in our opinions on the small form-factor and graphics markets. One of the most controversial topics right now is third-party allegiance to one graphics chip manufacturer or another. In the next two weeks, we should see resolution to this provocative question, as Gigabyte claims it will ship retail products to customers demanding both ATI and NVIDIA-based cards. In fact, Gigabyte’s booth features a full line of RADEON products, and a couple of inconspicuous live demos utilizing Gigabyte GeForce FX 5900 cards.

Several other manufacturers are voicing the desire to make a similar move, so once Gigabyte’s cards start emerging, you can expect the rest of the industry to follow suit. The more notable RADEON cards include an ALL-IN-WONDER 9800 Pro that Gigabyte is selling, and a 9600 Pro Ultra, which sports the same specs as ATI’s 9600 Pro, only its engine clock is set at 500MHz. The Ultra will sell for a mere $20 more than the standard 9600 Pro, too.

Gigabyte's All-IN-Wonder card

Nice cooling!

Gigabyte's GeForce card up and running