Comdex gets down to business

Trade show gets down to business

In recent years, Comdex has served as a showcase for consumer items. This year, however, it will focus on technology for the working world, such as mobile and utility computing. Bookmark this page and check back for the latest keynote coverage, product announcements and analysis.

Little fish in a smaller pond
The lack of big names gives other companies a chance to shine on the shrunken show floor, as organizers call the reborn expo a success.

Utility computing's elusive definition
Participants in a panel discussion at Comdex agree that utility computing is more like a river than a rock, but have little luck nailing down a real definition.

Panel: Shared work, not suits, key to open source
A Comdex panel proposes that the main innovation of the open-source movement isn't the creation of licensing models but the collaboration between developers.

Microsoft re-explains .Net strategy
Industry figures give the software giant a passing grade for embracing open standards.

A 'brain charger': The ultimate PDA accessory?
For those who said nothing new would be unveiled at Comdex, South Korean start-up DreamFree counters with the Peeg, a peripheral for PDAs that is said to stimulate brain activity.

Symantec CEO: Take new tack against Net attacks
John W. Thompson tells the Comdex crowd that they can tighten up security if they focus on integrating their systems--and advises them not to rely on Linux as a solution to virus problems.

IBM sets up shop to test radio tags
Big Blue says it is building a facility designed to allow companies to check the accuracy of gear that employs controversial radio frequency identification tags.

Apple crops up in Windows world
reporter's notebook Although the annual Comdex trade confab is a Microsoft-dominated event, there are a few signs of Mac life in Las Vegas, says our staffer on the show floor.

IBM rekindles its affection for PCs
Despite some past ambivalence about the PC marketplace, the computing heavyweight once again is firmly behind desktops and notebooks.

This year's hot topic: Cooking spam
Dozens of companies at the computing trade show are showing software, services and hardware designed to stem the tide of junk flooding e-mail accounts.

Siebel touts online wares
Siebel Systems CEO Tom Siebel takes the stage to promote his company's server software and online services.

Red Hat subscriptions beat expectations
The renewal rate for support subscriptions to the company's high-end Linux product was more than 90 percent in the company's most recent quarter, well above what it tells analysts to expect.

Toshiba unveils second tablet PC
The company releases its Portege M200, a new Windows XP tablet with a higher resolution, 12.1-inch screen and a faster Intel Pentium M processor.

HP launches new copiers
Hewlett-Packard debuts new high-end copier devices, a market that's seen as critical to the company's effort to keep its printer business growing at double-digit rates.

Hewlett-Packard eyeing TV market
The computing giant says it is scrutinizing the market for liquid crystal display televisions, plasma televisions and projection screen televisions.

Dell laptop lines to diverge in 2004
Dell plans to make its two laptop lines more distinct in the second half of 2004, a move that could better suit its products to a growing customer base.

Sun touts Opteron server, Linux desktop
Sun Microsystems brings AMD's Opteron into its server family and announces a deal in China that's expected to boost its Linux desktop software.

Tech bigwigs dispute guru's pessimism
Executives from IBM and Microsoft attack the beliefs of a consultant who became a tech industry bad boy with an article in the Harvard Business Review titled "IT Doesn't Matter."

PalmSource answers pager maker's page
The handheld OS company announces a new licensee, pager maker PerComm, and launches a developer program with Sprint as a charter member.

Gateway to renew enterprise push
The PC maker is planning to sell new storage and server gear, but it must convince potential customers that it is committed to the market.

Gates: Tech to 'shift the tide' on spam, security
Addressing a more buttoned-down crowd than in past years, Microsoft's chairman sets out to usher in a new era of computing he dubs "seamless computing."

Its eye on Sun, AMD unveils new Opterons
The chipmaker, which is expected to announce a partnership with Sun at this week's Comdex, introduces new 64-bit processor models that run at 2.2GHz.

Dell to release LCD TVs, new printer
The PC maker plans to announce two larger LCD televisions and a new multifunction printer at the Comdex trade show Monday.

Nvidia spruces up notebook line
With its new GeForce FX Go 5700 graphics chip, the company aims to expand its presence in the high-end notebook market.

FrogPad aims to cut keyboard size
The start-up this week is actively marketing a 20-key keyboard, which measures three inches by five inches--about the size of a personal digital assistant.

Sun plans server with AMD's Opteron
Sun Microsystems Chief Executive Scott McNealy is expected to announce at Comdex his company's intention to sell servers using AMD's Opteron processor--a significant endorsement for the chip.