Conference Observations
on 03.28.07, 09:23am in computers • comments (1)
Well, it’s Wednesday and I’m sitting here at ETech. And, yes - before you say it - I’m being a bad conference attendee. I’m blogging rather than listening to the talk.
But that’s the point of this post. There are seven people around me either in the row in front of me, or either side of me. 6 of them are on laptops (and one, oddly enough, is using a pen and paper to take notes). Of those on computers, 2 are on macs (including myself), and the rest are on PC’s (1 is running Windows Vista, 3 are on XP).
Except for the one guy with pen and paper, no one is really listening to the talk. Should they be? (note: the guy next to me just turned on his ipod in addition to using his laptop)
Personally, it’s a big turn off for me when speakers read from slides or notes. I lose interest. Fast.
I’m not going to comment on any of the speakers in particular (especially since I missed some yesterday due to meetings), but I have to say that I’ve been disappointed with the content of the conference as well as the ‘exhibit hall‘ up to this point.
I’m not sure if I’m going to attend another conference after MIX 07 this year.
Timmy (March 28, 2007 @ 10:22 am)
Why aren’t you out hiring prostitutes and drinking?
On a serious note, if ETech is really about emerging technology then it appears that the computer industry is really dead. I am tired of the shear number of yet-again-social web sites. It seems that the Web 2.0 guys really want client applications (they all want offline). But, in general, there is nothing emerging. It is just more of the same old stuff.
The real interest is what is happening to the industry .
First, it is all about the data. It is no longer about the web site.
Second, it is about devices (software + hardware) is now it.
Third, it is about devices. I can use my BB now without the need for a PC.
Fourth, go to NAB, CES, and anything cellular.
As for MIX07, I was excited, but now I am not. I did not take Microsoft up on its “go to the embedded conference” after MIX deal. But now I am think that embedded would be 1000x more interesting than MIX.
MIX will be about why WPF/E is cool. It isn’t. Why I should buy Expressions. I won’t. Why I should create a Windows Live Gadget. No desire.
Oh well, I guess the boring computer software industry is just that, boring. I care more about getting all my data everywhere, not simply a web page. I want it on my phone, my apple tv, xbox live, etc… That is what is cool. Not some stupid web page that I have to create yet-another-password, build yet-another-friends list, drop yet-another-stupid-widget. Yawn.