Handheld and tablet PC products look set to dominate the annual
Comdex trade show, which begins in Las Vegas today (18
November).
The number of exhibitors at the IT industry's showcase event has
fallen from 1,500 last year to 1,100 this year.
Visitors can expect to see a focus on gadgets, especially handheld
devices. Open source supporters are also likely to have a strong
presence at the show.
Roger Kay, director of client computing at analyst group IDC said
he expects Tablet PCs, wireless technology and PDAs to be the major
theme of this year's Comdex, along with the synchronisation
software needed to make them work together.
Microsoft launched the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition software and a
number of manufacturers displayed Tablet PC hardware at worldwide
events on 7 November, but more product are expected to be unveiled
at Comdex.
"It will be interesting to see the formal coming-out of the
Tablets. Several non-name brand vendors are coming out of the
woodwork," said Kay.
He also predicted new wireless technology and products. "The
development of a hot spot infrastructure [such as those in
boutiques and coffee shops] will make mobile computing
interesting," Kay said.
Vendors in the wireless LAN segment will demonstrate products that
squeeze higher performance from the IEEE 802.11b specification as
well as ones that combine 802.11b with the faster 802.11a
standard.
Some will also be demonstrating or discussing implementations of
the emerging 802.11g technology, which will bring higher speed to
networks using 802.11b's 2.4GHz spectrum band.
The Wi-Fi Alliance will sponsor a pavilion on the show floor where
vendors will demonstrate wireless products and take turns giving
presentations on stage.
Wireless LAN users have several ways to boost their performance and
will have one more after 802.11b/802.11g products come out, but the
networks may not be there to support the higher speeds, said IDC
analyst Bob O'Donnell.
"In a home, where you can control everything, it's fine, but
outside of that it just falls back to [11Mbps]," O'Donnell said of
enhanced 802.11b systems.
"I think we're going to have the same issue with the 802.11g
stuff," he added. "People aren't going to rip out their 802.11b
base stations."
Despite the promise of a faster 2.4GHz technology next year,
802.11a will be relevant because it has more channels to support
more users, according to Gerry Purdy, principal analyst at
MobileTrax.
One area that may not produce much news this year is security.
Despite a keynote on security, featuring executives from leading
vendors, many of the vendors will not be exhibiting.
RSA Security, Internet Security Systems and Network Associates, for
example, will not have stands. However, Sun Microsystems and Check
Point are expected to unveil a security appliance at the show,
while VeriSign will be announcing developments in its Trusted
Commerce business initiative.
Several smaller security companies plan to take advantage of the
lack of bigger competitors and announce their own products during
the show.