Comdex Show to Feature PC Alternatives/Idei is expected to demonstrate the PS2
By Therese Poletti
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Next week, when the computer industry makes its annual
pilgrimage to Las Vegas for Comdex, the industry's biggest trade show, much of the buzz will
be on gadgets and software that are alternatives to the standard personal computer.
Ironically, after U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson decided last week that Microsoft
Corp (Nasdaq:MSFT - news). used its monopoly power to harm consumers and crush
competitors, there will be more alternatives to PCs running Windows than ever on display.
Bill Gates, the software juggernaut's chairman and chief executive, is giving the kickoff keynote
address on Sunday night. Analysts expect Gates to talk about Microsoft's much-anticipated
Windows 2000 operating system -- due next February -- his vision of the industry, and perhaps
some references to the recent ruling.
While many of the over 200,000 attendees at Comdex will likely be discussing Microsoft's legal
woes, they also will be checking out demos of the long-delayed Windows 2000. And this year,
they will have the opportunity to see the alternative Linux operating system, which is being
featured at an adjacent Linux Business Expo, a major coup for the renegade software.
'This is going to set a record for alternatives to Microsoft,' said Rob Enderle, an analyst with
Giga Information Group in Santa Clara, Calif.
Sun Microsystems Inc (Nasdaq:SUNW - news)., a developer of servers, workstations and
software for networked computing, plans to tout its recent acquisition of Star Office, a free
suite of office applications, that competes with Microsoft's Office.
Sun Chairman and Chief Executive Scott McNealy will give a keynote address on Wednesday,
and Sun will give away copies of Star Office at the show. Sun, which doesn't typically exhibit at
Comdex, will demo its new Sun Ray, a book-sized appliance for accessing the Internet and
corporate networks.
Playstation 2 And Other Devices
Another novel addition will be Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news)., and a keynote address on
Monday by Nobuyuki Idei, Sony's president and co-chief executive. Idei is expected to talk
about his vision of a networked home and demonstrate the new Playstation 2, which is not due
in the United States until next year's holiday season. Filmmaker George Lucas, Sun chief
scientist Bill Joy and others will participate in Idei's keynote.
The Playstation 2 video game console is expected to have connectivity ports for Internet access,
a player for digital video disks and hard disk drive for data storage. It is already instilling fear
into Microsoft, which is reportedly developing its own home video game system code-named
the X-Box.
But video game consoles are not the only threat to home PCs. National Semiconductor Corp
(NYSE:NSM - news)., which earlier this year exited the PC processor business due to intense
competition, is hosting an Information Appliance Pavilion where 15 companies will be showing
devices based on its new Geode chip, such as AOL's TV set-top box for accessing the Net,
AOL TV.
One pavilion will show products using Blue Tooth wireless technology that allows incompatible
devices like pagers or cell phones from firms like Motorola Inc (NYSE:MOT - news). and
Ericsson to communicate with notebook computers. 'Blue Tooth is about having all of your
devices become a meta-device, where one is accessing data from another,' said Tom
Henderson, a principal at ExtremeLabs, an Indianapolis consulting firm. 'The products are just
starting to roll out.'
One of the most popular handheld devices will have its own booth, 3Com Corp.'s PalmPilot.
And Nokia is demonstrating cell phones that can access the Internet that will be available in the
United States in the first half of 2000.
PCs NOT DEAD YET
PCs, though, are not standing still and have been evolving into many new designs and
functions, and some companies have morphed their own products into appliances. This week,
Compaq unveiled a sleek silver and black device for accessing the Net, priced at $499, called
the iPaq, for corporate customers.
'I don't know if they have heard the first shot of the digital appliance revolution,' said John
Dodge, editor of PC Week. 'The PC isn't dead. I think the discussion of whether the PC is
dead, is dead. The PC will be with us a long time.'
While the PC keeps evolving, Corel Corp (Nasdaq:CORL - news). is hoping that it can inspire
further change with a user-friendly version of Linux for the PC desktop. Linux has made big
inroads into the network server market, but for consumers, it is too difficult for most computer
users who are used to Windows.
Corel will launch its distribution of Linux, called Corel Linux, with an improved user interface
and instant messaging software called Jabber. Developed as an open source project, Jabber is
now supported by Webb Interactive Services.
Finally, the most celebrated programmer in the open source community, Linus Torvalds, the
Finnish programmer who created the core of Linux, the Linux kernel, will give a keynote
address Monday night, in another huge validation of Linux.
It is rumored that Torvalds may take the wraps off his current employer, Transmeta Corp., one
of the most secretive start-up companies in Silicon Valley. Transmeta is believed to be
developing a processor to compete with Intel.
Transmeta is headed up by David Ditzel, a former Sun chip designer, and Microsoft co-founder
Paul Allen is one of its investors. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company, founded about four
years ago, is so secretive its Web site simply says 'This web page is not here yet!...but it is
Y2K compliant.' |
