CES Comments

I've been reading several reviews regarding the 2008 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas and it's interesting to read people's perspectives on the value of the exhibits and whether or not they thought it was worthwhile to attend the show. Some felt letdown regarding this year's CES because they were not able to identify any real "breakthrough" type products. Apparently, in their mind, if there is nothing that stands out in comparison to what was available the previous year, than why bother going. Technology has made so many advances of late, it is understandable why someone attending CES might think this. However, many developments in technology come in incremental stages, not all at once, so it is probably unrealistic to expect every new product offering to be completely different, or drastically improved, from the previous year. Sometimes that is the case, but not for every product.

My approach to the show has been to look for niche products that might fulfill a need that I have within my own array of techno gadgets that make up my home/mobile "electronic environment" - for lack of a better term. For instance, this year there was a major focus by many companies on wireless i.e. Blue tooth and Wi Fi products. Some of the products were not really all that different from previous offerings, but now you no longer need cables to do your connections. That capability may not register to some reviewers as being exceptionally innovative when it comes to technological breakthroughs, but in reality it makes a huge difference.

The same can be said for HD TVs and the progression that is taking place with various brands. The picture quality isn't so much a factor any more - they all look pretty good - but the pricing for large screens has dropped significantly and you can get a lot more for your money than in previous years. CES gives you a chance to compare multiple brand offerings and determine how to get the most for your money. Perhaps that is not as exciting as seeing the unveiling of the latest greatest, most expensive, early adopter rendition of a particular device, but in the long run, for the budget minded consumer, it is of more value. Besides, early adopters often get burnt on the pricing of a new product, along with the possibility of having a first generation product that has glitches, or is missing features that won't show up until a few months later - when the really good, cheaper, updated version, arrives.

Anyway, that is my take on the value of attending CES. I guess it all depends on you perspective? One thing I can concur with, in regards to the number of people attending the exhibits, it can make getting around the exhibits difficult. The crowds are huge and the facilities are really spread out and not easily within walking distance. If you are not into crowds, and shuttle buses, you will most likely not enjoy CES. You can park, but it will cost you quite a bit and it may take some time to find an open parking garage. There are just huge numbers of people in Vegas at that time. And it's not just at CES. Take a look at the video clip that I took at the entrance to the MGM Grand "Ka" Cirque show. The MGM Grand is actually at the other end of the strip from where CES is held. Still, you see a lot of CES badged people walking around all parts of the strip during CES. From one end to the other. Like I said - it's very crowded and that just goes with attending CES. Check out the clip below to see what I'm saying:

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=KaTheatreattheMGMGrand.flv