Monday, June 10, 2002		Article

Lots of glitz, few clues at Taiwan's Computex
Tony Munroe and Michael Kramer

THERE were the usual gadgets, noise, giveaways and models in short skirts at this year's huge Computex trade show in Taipei.

Less obvious was a clear sign that the tech sector's laboured recovery will get a significant boost in 2002 beyond its typical second-half uptick.

"I went to the conference with relatively low expectations," said Sean Debow, Asian technology strategist at UBS Warburg.

"My expectations for the consumer went up marginally. My expectations for the enterprise stayed the same," he said after trawling the halls here at the computer industry's third largest annual trade show.

Perhaps the most resonant buzz generated at this year's event surrounded so-called tablet computing and Microsoft Corp's "Mira" concept of a detachable monitor that can be taken around the house.

Wireless connectivity, whether in personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops, or home networks, was also broadly in evidence, as were countless vendors of the flat-panel computer monitors that have fast become the standard for high-end users.

"I have seen a lot more buyers coming this year than at the same time last year," said one analyst from a US investment bank. "So far, I cannot conclude that more buyers means more orders placed."

Taiwan-based Micro-Star International attracted looks with the debut of its new "Bluetooth"—standard short-distance wireless enabled motherboard.

However, the most-hyped product launch at this year's show was hardly groundbreaking: US chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices strung together four of its new Opteron processors as its latest offering for the server market but declined to give benchmark performance details that are typical of such occasions.

Microsoft, which has tapped Taiwan firms such as First International Computer to help make Mira, said it hopes the detachable monitor would serve as a spearhead for bringing wireless technology into the home.

"I've got that PC, and I've got broadband coming into the home, and hey, now with Mira I can get access to that fast Internet anywhere in the home, but to do that I need wireless," said Aubrey Edwards, director of Microsoft's appliance platforms group.

"I think there's an opportunity for Mira to be a driver for wireless," Edwards told Reuters on the sidelines of Computex.

While plenty of show-goers were indeed captivated by Mira and the notion of tablet computing-numerous hardware makers showed off their designs built around the concept-it remains to be seen whether there is a big market for the sleek product.

Unlike the bigger, glitzier Comdex and CeBIT shows, where cutting-edge devices that may never reach store shelves are unveiled in a public relations-driven arms race, Computex is where buyers come to peruse products that are ready to ship.

— Reuters