Intel & Compaq may make a joint announcement on Monday at the TechX NY show.
"Even though Intel has no product launches scheduled, there is the mysterious matter of a planned joint announcement from Intel and Compaq. According to Compaq representatives, the new product is a wireless device aimed at small businesses that's a hybrid between the PC maker's Deskpro desktop and its Armada laptop.
Although the companies remain tight-lipped about the details of that announcement, it is clear that DVDs are hot again in the peripheral space. This year, exhibitors will be pushing DVD burners and recorders"
iwsun4.infoworld.com
June 22, 2001 07:36 AM
TechXNY to focus on handheld apps, wireless
By Scarlet Pruitt
PC EXPO: THE exhibition that was once the perennial showcase for PC makers, in recent years has become a hodgepodge of nifty new gadgets and accessories, a wireless wonderland representing the splintering of the technology industry itself. And this year, the show's misnomer has become so marked, even the name has been changed.
The 2001 PC Expo will actually be the exhibition portion of the larger TechXNY (Technology Exchange Week New York). The show, running from June 26 to June 28 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in the Big Apple, will feature everything from the tried and true exhibits and product launches to an IT innovation conference and women in technology awards.
"We are not and haven't been a PC event for a long time," said PC Expo and TechXNY Show Director Christina Condos.
According to Condos, this year's show will focus on wireless technology, security, women in technology, and storage. And although the some 50,000 attendees who are expected to scurry the exhibition floors will see a lot of what they saw last year -- handhelds and mobile devices -- this year all eyes will be on the applications that these gadgets have to offer.
"Applications are what are going to define [the handheld] market," said Handspring spokesman Brian Jaquet. "People are looking for functionality and vendors will be jockeying for positions."
In that vein, although Handspring is not planning to announce any new products at the show, the company will be showing off applications for the company's recently released devices, with a focus on corporate applications.
"Enterprise [products and applications] come to a forefront [for vendors] in slowing economic time, when consumer spending slows down," Jaquet noted.
Meanwhile, the chief executive officer of rival handheld maker Palm, Carl Yankowski, will deliver a keynote address Tuesday.
Handhelds aside, Sony Electronics is planning to unveil new PCs at PC Expo. Sony will be launching two laptops and two desktops. The new PCs, as well as the other Sony products featured at the event, such as its pen tablet PC and handheld devices, will all be sporting serious multimedia features.
"This year we are focusing on the look and sound of Sony," said company spokeswoman Gretchen Griswold.
Toshiba will also unveil some new laptops in its Satellite product line, the Satellite Pro 4600 and the Satellite Pro 3005. The 4600, aimed at small and medium-size businesses, is being touted as a machine that features support for a variety of Internet and network connections, while the 3005 is thinner and lighter than previous Satellite products.
Although Intel spokesman Bill Kircos admits that there is "no earth-shattering pieces of news coming out of the show" from his company, Intel will use demos to flex the muscles of its Pentium 4 processors -- released last November -- to convince corporate users that it is time for an upgrade.
Even though Intel has no product launches scheduled, there is the mysterious matter of a planned joint announcement from Intel and Compaq. According to Compaq representatives, the new product is a wireless device aimed at small businesses that's a hybrid between the PC maker's Deskpro desktop and its Armada laptop.
Although the companies remain tight-lipped about the details of that announcement, it is clear that DVDs are hot again in the peripheral space. This year, exhibitors will be pushing DVD burners and recorders.
Panasonic is launching a DVD burner at the show that will be available to customers by mid-July and priced around $599. The company said that its device is DVD-RAM/R, meaning that it can be played anywhere.
There are some notable exceptions to the deluge of products and applications due to flood the show formerly known as PC Expo.
Apart from showing off its recently released Office XP software and playing with wireless wares, Microsoft said it had nothing big planned for the show.
Dell has again opted out of PC Expo. A company representative said this week that, "In addition to the considerable expense, the size of the show and the wide variety of exhibitors diminish the value of the booth." Instead, the company will be holding private meetings with clients and press, the representative said.
No-shows aside, with more than 500 exhibitors fighting for attention, this year's event looks set to produce some interesting developments.
"We are still the press event on the East Coast, and a great place for exhibitors to get a chance to show off new products," said show organizer Condos.
More information about the show can be found at www.pcexpo.com/flash.html |
