Comdex Fall 2002: What’s New

Over 100,000 computer trade and industry professionals are gathered in Las Vegas this week for the 23rd annual Comdex Trade Show. Billed as the world's largest computer-related trade show, it's here that plans and technologies are unveiled that will soon be affecting our lives.

Sony VAIO “W”
One of the computer trends at this year’s COMDEX is stylish, space saving all-in-one PCs. Instead of bulky mini towers, computer makers are hiding all the electronics and drives beneath flat panel displays to create computers more suited for the living room than the home office. Sony’s first all-in-one PC is called the VAIO W. The VIAO W weighs just 20 pounds and features a 15.3 –inch widescreen LCD display with Intel Celeron 1.6 GHz processor, CDRW, DVD drives, 60 GB Hard Drive, Memory Stick slot, 3 USB drives and two Fire Wire slots all built-in to its sleek 7.5-inch thick by 20-inch wide footprint.

Other features include a vertically retractable keyboard that folds back against the main unit when not in use. Best of all, by plugging in two cords—the power cable and the mouse –you are on the computer in minutes. Prices start at $1600. www.sel.sony.com

Dell Pocket PC
Dell jumps onto the PDA bandwagon by introducing its first Pocket PC, the Axim X5. Running on Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 software, the Axim X5 features calendar, e-mail, and contacts synchronization with your computer. In addition, it lets you access the web wirelessly, use Pocket Outlook , Pocket Excel, Pocket Word, Pocket Internet Explorer, and record voice notes or listen to audio files. Pricing TBA. www.dell.com

Compaq Tablet PC
The other big COMDEX news is the Tablet PC. The newly introduced Compaq Tablet PC TC1000, functions like a laptop with a new wrinkle-- it allows you to write directly on the screen using a special magnetic pen. Here is how it works: a magnetic pen is used to write on the screen and after writing on the screen, the Tablet PC can either save your squiggles as a jpeg file (graphic file). Or, they can convert your handwriting directly into text for use in Microsoft Office. You can search your notes, send personalize handwritten emails to your friends, even surf the web and cut and paste html documents by simply circling the text or graphic and sending it to your Tablet. This Compaq Tablet PC is $1600, expect to see prices between $1600 and $3000 with the higher priced models integrating 802.11 wireless. http://thenew.hp.com

Samsung v205 Camera Phone
Samsung’s new v205 features a built-in camera, allowing you to capture images and instantly send the picture to friends, family and business associates. The v205 has a folder-type design with external display and a internal TFD display with 65,000 colors. It also features multimedia messaging, high-speed data capabilities and infrared connectivity. Pricing TBA. www.samsungusa.com

Broadband Radio@AOL
Today at COMDEX (Nov. 18th) AOL is launching Broadband Radio@AOL -- its popular Radio@AOL service for members using the AOL Broadband service. The new service offers CD-quality sound on more than 125 stations of top music, news, sports and entertainment programming without commercial advertising. Broadband Radio@AOL loads instantly and also features Celebrity DJ stations and album/CD art as well as convenient links to purchase CDs and concert tickets through AOL. Broadband Radio@AOL is free for all AOL members with the AOL Broadband service at Keyword: Radio.

ebay Electronics
Another big online announcement at COMDEX is eBay’s new Electronics area, a newly designed online shop that consolidates eBay’s computer and consumer electronics area for more efficient one stop shopping. The big news here is consumers can now purchase electronics products on eBay for a “fixed price” just like at retail (this is great for holiday shoppers, who don’t have time to wait for an auction to end).

Many eBay sellers are now offering, “free shipping” with electronics items. In the slow economy eBay continues to grow with great deals. According to eBay, more than 200,000 computer items are available every day, 15, 000+ computer products sold daily, and three digital cameras sell every minute. A video game sells on eBay every 8 seconds. 50% of the products are new or refurbished. www.ebayelectronics.com

Iomega Mini USB
The key-sized Iomega Mini USB Drive provides storage and frees you from cables, adapters, power supplies or batteries required by other solutions. To use the drive, just uncap it and attach it to an available USB port. The Iomega Mini USB Drive is automatically recognized as an external drive in Windows 2000, Me, and XP and Mac OS 9.x and up (Windows 98 and Mac OS 8.6 systems require driver installation, which is easily downloadable). The Iomega Mini 64MB USB Drive ($69.95) and the Iomega Mini 128MB USB Drive ($99.95) will be available today (Nov. 18) at the Iomega online store at www.iomega.com. A 256MB capacity version of the Iomega Mini USB Drive will be available the first quarter of 2003.

Epson Stylus C82
The Epson Stylus C82 is Epson's new general-purpose, "work horse" color ink jet printer. Great for text and photos, the big news is a more robust formula of Epson's exclusive DuraBrite inks - enables output to resist moisture and fading for up 80 years! It’s also Epson's fastest desktop ink jet printer to date - up to 22 pages per minute. Creates great looking text documents and photos - even on plain paper - plus individual ink cartridges for better ink yield = lower cost of ownership. A great gift for the holidays, it sells for only $149. www.epson.com