The Gadgets Page

Over the next week or so, we’ll be showing you the cool things we saw at the Consumer Electronics Show two weeks ago.

CES was quiet this year. Less people attending and less companies exhibiting. CES tried to hide that by making the aisles WIDE and spacing out the exhibitors. We noticed, though. When it’s possible to see all the booths at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Hilton and the Sands all in one day, it’s hard NOT to notice.

I found the lack of crowds disturbing, but helpful. Since there were a lot less people, I was actually able to see products at the booths. I could walk up to an exhibitor and find out what they were selling without anyone pushing me around. I was even able to see things at the Microsoft booth, which is usually so crowded that I can’t even bear to walk in there.

What was good for me, however, wasn’t good for the exhibitors. There was a slight air of desperation among some of the companies. The big guys like Intel and Motorola weren’t even phased by the slack in the crowds, but the smaller businesses and OEM manufacturers from China and Taiwan had an air of panic mixed with boredom. Every keynote mentioned the slower economy.

I’ve seen this market spike and valley many times now. I wanted to reach out and give the entire industry a big bear hug and reassure them. I wanted to tell them to hold on. The companies that can ride these valleys are the ones that get to be the monoliths during the good times.

Hold on there, my friends.