Digital Home Thoughts: CeBIT 2004 Press Event News

Next up was Palm's booth. Nothing new at all over here except for the above displayed Bluetooth GPS units. They showed me a demo using one of the latest Zire devices and after the software crashed the Palm a couple of times (Fatal error, leading to reboot), the software did work, and quite well actually. The graphics of the GPS utility not only showed off how well the GPS unit itself worked but also the good 3D capabilities of the Zire.









Ulead was next. They are one of our sponsors if you remember from our Sponsor highlight posts. They were showing off their VideoStudio 8 software which looks very easy to use for video/mpeg editing. I also spoke to the Ulead representatives about their newest version of the ScrapBook software (a $1.6? billion industry) and their software looked surprisingly versatile, professional and user friendly.



HP's booth was another one of the disappointing tables. I was hoping to see the iPaq 6000 series of the 4700 series but no go. They have come up with new scanning system. It is embedded in a pen and uses the background texture pattern of the paper to identify different pieces of paper. The pen scans the paper as it writes (on a regular sheet of paper, previously printed with special patterns) and uploads the scanned information when docked with the PC. I think I have seen similar technology before, but looks like it has been cleaned up and formalized more.





Targus impressed me with their new miniature mouse. See the laptop next to it for an idea of scale. The mouse is small, light, optical and best of all - is has a mousewheel as well as three function buttons meant to be thumb operated.





They also had a couple of miniature USB 2.0 hubs. They are cheap (under $30 IIRC).







Here is another booth that rocked. It is the Transmeta/Sharp/OQO booth. The Transmeta rep is holding up their latest eddiceon processor, which is available in the Sharp Laptop pictured above and below.







And this finally brings me to the Sharp laptop. I have been drooling over the Sony X505 for some time now but the $3000 price tag seems completely outrageous. Enter Transmeta and Sharp. Take a look at this gorgeous laptop. It is thin, razor thin. Specs are as follows - 1GHz Transmeta eddiceon processor, 512MB RAM, 20GB HDD, 10 hours battery life with extended battery, integrated 802.11 b/g, 10/100 ethernet, 10.2" 1024x768 display, PCMCIA slot. It is under 2lbs and less than 0.62" thick (or thin as the case may be). But best of all, it is less than half the price of the X505 at under $1500. Good stuff.





Here are a couple of pictures of the OQO. I have a meeting with them tomorrow so I will have more information at that time, I hope. Looks like a very nice unit.