CES 2013: Less vaporware, but a lot of the same stuff
The 2013 International CES is officially over, bringing an intense week of product announcements, tech demos, and other news to a close. But unlike years past, there didn’t seem to be one over-arching trend at the convention. 4K and 8K televisions have replaced 3D TVs – something that I’m very glad to see happen – and tablets – particularly those running Windows 8 – are still as popular as ever, but there didn’t seem to be one technology that was this year’s Big Thing (TM). There was, however, a whole lot less vaporware.
The internet is filled with stories about crazy technologies that never made it to market for a number of reasons. Now, that’s not to say that none of this year’s CES announcements will end up as vaporware, but nothing seemed so outrageous that it could be headed down that path. Most of what was on display on the show floor was practical and likely to end up in stores in the near future. Of course, some products, like 4K and 8K TVs, will need high-resolution content to go along with them.
While there wasn’t one big trend permeating CES this year, there were a number of sub-trends. In addition to the aforementioned 4K and 8K TVs and tablets, Bluetooth speakers were everywhere and Kickstarter projects received a lot of attention. Unfortunately, the technologies were often similar in most respects. Paul even noted at least a half-dozen companies with almost identical brand names and products.
As a result, while CES 2013 was the Consumer Electronics Association’s biggest event yet – boasting 150,000 attendees, 3,250 exhibitors, and 1.92 million net square feet of exhibit space – it was easy to feel as if you’d seen everything the show had to offer in just a day or two. That’s not to say that everything was “more of the same,” but it sure seemed that way at times.
Did you notice anything that seemed like vaporware? Let us know in the comments or in our dedicated CES 2013 forum, where you’ll be able to win great prizes.
