Reporter's notebook: Comdex memories

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by Computerworld Staff

(IDG) -- Crowds seemed smaller than in recent years at Comdex. Organizers expected 220,000 attendees. Most show-goers put the number at 165,000. "But [the show organizers] will just . . . inflate the numbers like always," said one person in a cab queue.

Say, what?

Before Microsoft chairman Bill Gates gave his keynote speech, staffers worked the aisles, distributing press releases to the media and anyone else in the audience. One excerpt from the release stated, " 'Ninety-nine percent of the great Internet applications have yet to be written,' Gates told a sold-out crowd of more than 12,000 Comdex attendees at the MGM Grand Garden Arena." A check of the keynote transcript posted on the Microsoft site shows that Gates never said those words. And although there were no tickets left at showtime, the event wasn't sold out. Tickets were distributed for free. Microsoft posted a different, updated press release on its Web site.

Comdex 2000 Coverage     MESSAGE BOARD Comdex Fall 2000    VIDEO CNN's Rick Lockridge takes a looks at the first wireless, Web-controlled robot at Comdex Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Those happy punchcard days

The country's presidential election debacle has become public-speaking fodder for TV talk show hosts, comedians and even Bill Gates. The Microsoft chairman and chief software architect last week drew chuckles and applause from the packed house at the MGM Grand Garden Arena when he said: "It is kind of fascinating that the election really could turn on the idea of whether those little punch cards -- those tabs in the punchcards -- punch out or not. I remember back in 1965 staying up all night going through card decks making sure all those little punches punched out. So it's very nostalgic for those of us here who go back to those punchcard days."

Blinking red light district

BSD Unix supporters distributed devil's horns (the devil is the symbol for BSD, as the penguin is for Linux) to counter the loads of penguin items at the Linux Business Expo in the Sands Hotel. Each horn had a small red flashing LED.

Born to be filed

The Sunday night before the start of Comdex, traffic-choked Las Vegas Boulevard - a.k.a. The Strip - was even harder to navigate because of a pack of about 150 motorcyclists zipping through, revving their engines. Had the Hell's Angels decided to hold their convention at the same time as Comdex? No; the bikers were flying a banner - for a graphics card company, Santa Clara, Calif.-based NVidia Corp.. Their destination: the Harley-Davidson Cafe, where NVidia was tossing its preshow bash.

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We want the 'func'

Microsoft technology specialist Duane Pressley wasn't kidding when he told a Comdex session that they might need to use the "Functoid Palette" to create complex data mappings with the company's BizTalk Server, which is scheduled to ship in early 2001. We wonder whether the term functoid will survive the final naming cut.

Nothin' but Net, no, not that either

One of the odder Comdex opportunities was a chance to play one-on-one basketball with former NBA player Antoine Carr at the Wiworks.com booth. Orem, Utah-based Wiworks enlisted 39-year-old Carr because the company is building the 6-foot 9-inch Carr's new NBAFlooring.com site. Although someone managed to construct a makeshift basketball court at Comdex, Carr's site wasn't ready for action. This message was found on a visit to the site: "Site Currently Under Construction. Please Check Back soon!"

Catching that Kodak moment purr-fectly

During his keynote speech, Kodak CEO David Carp was constantly "interrupted" by a series of classic Las Vegas acts. One of them, Siegfried and Raoul, a spoof of animal trainers Siegfried and Roy, brought out Killer, "our fishious vite Bengal tiger" -- a docile gray Siamese cat.

More laundry

T-shirt collection has evolved into a sport at the event. As one fellow put it: "Dude, I've got this friend who scored eight t-shirts today."

Give 'em a color printer and they'll take a mile

At the media tent outside the Las Vegas Convention Center, Comdex sponsors hooked up a color printer for anyone needing to get hard copies. And one starving journalist saw it as an opportunity to print out color Christmas cards with holiday recipes on them, which gummed up the works for the rest of the media crowd. Fortunately, the sponsors caught wind of the nefarious free printing plot and escorted the scribe off the premises.

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'International Alley' brings the world to Comdex
(IDG.net)
Cars, dolphins, bad teeth--This is a computer show?
(PC World)
Comdex heralds a wider universe of Net apps
(IDG.net)
In-flight Internet access readied
(InfoWorld)
Non-tech companies set up shop at Comdex
(IDG.net)
Funky gadgets compete for attention at Comdex
(InfoWorld)
Home, Web-enabled home
(PC World)
Comdex: Is the PC PC again?
(The Industry Standard)

Comdex

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