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Where PC got the boot

New York was recently home to an IT extravaganza, where the biggest names in IT exhibited the newest gadgets, software and services. PC Expo/TECHXNY, 24-29 June 2001, also had a lineup of conferences, seminars and workshops. Topics included e-business solutions, IT business application and tools, cost-cutting and boosting network performance.

Surprisingly the PC was not 'in' this year. And was superseded by mobile computing devices instead. Despite the economic slump, there were over 650 participants. While Toshiba, Sony and Hewlett Packard took part, Dell who is focusing more on direct marketing, decided to skip the show because of booth renting costs.

An array of notebooks, digital cameras and laser printers were on display at the show. A show highlight were low-cost monochrome personal laser printers. Samsung introduced its ML-1210, with features like USB compatibility and a faster print speed. This printer helps reduce ink costs by using 5 toner-saving settings. Brother also announced new printer models, the HL-1440, 1450 and 1470N with pricing that falls right between Samsung and HP.

Traditional PC manufacture Compaq, also entered the ever-increasing portable MP3 CD player market. The computer giant rolled out its PCD-1 Personal CD Player. This player sets itself apart from the pack with a wireless remote, built-in FM tuner, and navigation that allows you to search tracks by title, artist, or genre. Compaq will additionally delve into the emerging 8cm MP3 CD category with its IPAQ PM-1 CD player. Also introduced, was the Compaq iPaq Music Center (or MC-1) with a storage capacity of hundreds of MP3 files on its hard drive.

In competition was HP's recently released DEC (digital entertainment center). Bundled with a Digital Audio Receiver, HP appears to have combined all the features we'd want into a single device. The DEC is a jukebox with a 40GB hard drive, an Internet radio that plays streaming RealAudio via an HP portal, and a CD burner. It can also connect to a TV or external monitor if the player's own back-lit display is too small for your liking. A USB port in front lets you transfer files to a portable player.

A clear winner in home electronics was Panasonic's DMR-E20; a standalone DVD-RAM video recorder. This lets you record or transfer old movies to DVD-RAM discs, each with a capacity of up to 6 hours on a 4.7GB disc or 12 hours on a 9.4GB disc. Its unique Time Slip allows you to watch previously recorded programmess while recording another, or watching a currently recording show at the beginning.

Following close on this innovation's heels were the QPS QueFire SuperDrive and USB SuperDrive. A SuperDrive is a multifunction DVD/CD storage device that writes to DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-R, and CD-RW. The SuperDrive is a powerful tool for recording digital video and audio. Unfortunately, its cost was beyond the means of many PC and Mac users. QPS now offers the SuperDrive in external FireWire and USB models for as low as $700.

There were also new 4-megapixel digital cameras, with bigger image and more power. Sony and Toshiba unveiled their latest the DSC-S85 and PDR-M81 with 4.1 and 4.2 megapixels of power respectively. Joining the competition was Minolta's Dimage7 with 5.2-megapixels of power. However higher pixel power does'nt promise crisper images. For professional photographers there was Casio's QV-4000 digital. This has manual focus, multi-metering, a histogram display and even a continuous shooting mode.

Yes, there are feather-light portable computers. But these often lag behind, cheaper desktop alternatives with bigger diaplays. After all its unfair to compare a 15-inch to a spacious 21-inch screen. But there is a change. AMD (Advanced Micro Devices), Intel and Transmeta displayed some of their newer models and sub-assemblies; promising more power with a longer battery life.

Transmeta stole the limelight. Its highly innovative NEC Versa DayLite includes a XGA reflective TFT screen that uses ambient daylight instead of an internal light source. Its Intel Crusoe 5400 chip also uses less power than other processor chips. As a result the notebook manages a (now) incredible 8 hours of life on a single charge. Intel also displayed its Pentium III-M, the mobile version of its Pentium III chip, based on the new 0.13 micron manufacturing technology.

Another centre of attention, was Casio's E-Pen. It was seen as one of the most interesting solutions to bridge the digital divide between paper and PC. The pen has a small receiver that can be attached to the top of any sheet or pad of paper. Using sound waves, the E-Pen can determine its position and relay these coordinates to any USB-capable system. It works with any handwriting-recognition software and uses standard pen refills.

PC Expo has never been a favourite for cell-phone manufactures. This year was no different. But Motorola offered Timeport 270c, its full-sized, candy bar-styled phone. Featuring cutting-edge technology and improved user navigation, the Timeport 270c takes multitasking to an entirely new level. And incorporates a Bluetooth Smart Module, making synchronization, dial-up networking and fax capability 100% wireless.

Many portable computing devices come equipped with smart Web surfing ability. But it will take another 3-5 years for wireless to yield fruit. The networks to providing this fast access have yet to be built. The market too has yet to determine whether it wants a cell phone with PDA capacities or a PDA with cell phone capabilities or even something entirely different such as a tablet PC with all these features.

Faria Akbar with inputs by Yagna Balaji
[email protected]

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