Focus - CES and Bill Gates.

Last years’ Consumer Electronic Show brought a bevy of new gadgets - some
really changed the way we use electronics. This year, CES is starting up and so
far it looks like we might have another winner. Like last week, I
polled the Techpodcasts panel to get their thoughts of what they expect from the 
show.

It’s also could be the last Key Note of Bill Gates as he is set to
"Reprioritize" his life. That in itself is major news. Like him or hate him, as
well as Microsoft, Bill Gates is a pioneer and took us to levels we never
expected.

Gates career started when he created a Basic emulator for the Altair 8800,
which morphed into BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction). From
there Microsoft was born and in the right time-frame, too. With computers being
developed and breaking into homes and offices, they needed something to handle
the commands and processes the user would input. IBM and Microsoft joined forces
and created QDOS, which later became PC-DOS for IBM and MSDOS for Microsoft.

Gates biggest jump was when Microsoft put together Windows - A Graphical User
Interface (GUI) for the common user. Then, in 1995, the jump to 32 bit operating
systems commenced as Windows95 was released. Even though NT was already in use,
1996 solidified Microsofts’ stance in business as they put together a
server/desktop Operating System in Windows NT.

During this time, Microsoft worked on many other programs - like MSOffice -  and
even acquired other companies to expand their technology.  Of course, today
we have XP, Vista, Office 2007 and many other programs for business and for
pleasure.

But this is not about Bill. It’s about CES. A show that actually spans longer
than even Microsoft. Starting in 1967, the show had gone through many changes.
Did you know, for 16 years, there were 2 CES shows? One in Vegas and one in Chicago. The show
went back down to once a year in Vegas back in 95. It is one of the largest
shows and - since it’s held at the beginning of the year - is considered the
"Time to shine" for any and all gadgeteers.

So what should we expect from this years’ CES? Let’s see what the
Techpodcasters believe will happen:

• You will not see HD-DVD or Blu Ray give an inch. There is too much at
  stake as the Japanese manufacturing giants battle it out. The thing to watch
  for is the volume production out of China, which I think will go
  HD-DVD
• HD Radio will still have a tough time getting traction. The struggle in
  the big companies will be over who controls the living room with convergence
  of computers and entertainment - there is so much at stake here for business
  that almost every player will have some sort of solution
• Mobile stuff should explode - location based info, GPS and general
  mobility
• There will be a number of attempts to play the Apple design excellence
  game in packaging and presentation - but without a fanboy base, they will be
  corner cases.

Andrew McCaskey - Slashdot Review

• Mp3 based players may take second light to portable media players, given
  a new lick of life thanks to Wi-fi enabling.
• Technology on the desktop arena will advance the least, with the
  expected Penryn and other advances we already knew about
• Design will be more of a feature point, with many people going out all
  stops, for example: Dell having over 90 people on its design team now.
• HD-DVD and Blu-Ray will be pulling out surprises to drum out publicity,
  although the war on the formats is starting to slow down.
• Laptops will be the most common mid-high-end gadget there, followed by
  entries by a new market - mini-laptop/asus eee competitors.

Brent - AusTech News

Here is what I am expecting from CES:

A lot of Gadgets - There will be a lot of little bits and pieces
at CES. Companies you never heard of, and companies you will never hear of
again. That’s the beauty of CES.

Apple - Now that Apple is seeing a different customer base, it’s
time to focus on people that wouldn’t buy a $2000 Mac. All-in one machines
didn’t really cut it, but the bigger issue is price. Also see talk about
AppleTV, and Mac Tablets.

Linux - Phones will be Linux’ forte this year. They did a lot with
their OS’, but for some reason it didn’t really push as well. OLPC will be a
help.

Home Theatre - This is going to be the hotbed. Larger, thinner and
better. With the HD-DVD/Blu Ray war, it’s tough for someone to come out with
an "All-in-one" system unless they adopt both technologies. Still, Wireless
technologies, connection abilities to USB, Firewire and other devices will
be key.

Car Technology - A computer in your car - already been done,
right? Still, your car will merge more with your computer. Connections for
iPods and Smart phones, wireless internet, GPS and cell phone integration. It should
be a good year for automobiles. And it may even be better than your
computer. 

Home Networking - 802.11n really didn’t do too well last year, so
I think we have something in store for a better, stronger network.

Home Internet - ComCast has already predicted 160gbps by mid 2008.
Now they have to stand behind it. Faster networks means more information. It
also means more bad with good. I just want an upload speed that’s faster
than 256.

VoIP -  with VoIP, we might finally break into camera phones
more. Video conferencing is not a new technology, but this might be the year
where we start to see VoIP phones with a strong video integration. Watch out
Ma Bell!

Gaming - This will probably shift toward Wii for now, new
controllers for the system will most likely be in the forefront. Wouldn’t be
surprised to start seeing companies develop more special controllers for the
other platforms.

Microsoft - Vista and Home Server. They will most likely address
things and give you a deal that’s "Too good to be true". Silverlight will
also be talked about heavily but the focus will most likely be on Xbox.
After all, Bill will need something to do during his "Restructuring" time.

Speaking of which - if this is his last keynote for CES, then I wish him
the best. He has been an important part in my - as well as many other
peoples’ - careers. It will be interesting to see where Microsoft will go
from here. I’ll be listening in on Microsofts’ website.

As for CES - there is going to be a lot happening this week - as CES always
kicks up the dust.
Add to that MacWorld 08 just after CES. Should be fun to see what will come
out of it, and of course what will survive to 2009.