Day 2: I actually see the show.

Big day of slogging through crowds, trying to find the good stuff. A few things jumped out at me.

First, there are way too many Flat Panel TVs. I can't see the market supporting all these different manufacturers and models. Seems like everyone, even some pretty small companies, had a big selection of different panels at different tiers, etc. What a mess. I realize there's a rush right now, but it's going to run out of steam. And I'm no expert on TVs, but on a crowded show floor no one can see the differences. Within a few hours of each other I saw both the world's largest chocolate fountain, and the world's largest plasma screen. The only one, incidentally, that distinguished itself.

Ultramobile PCs, especially Samsung's Q1 UMPC seemed to be getting a lot of coverage. This is an area where I have some interst, since I can't seem to find a PC portable and functional enough to meet my needs. Here’s my take:

I didn't find the HTC or Asus boothes to ask a lot of questions and try to break them. Hopefully tomorrow.

The HD DVD promotion group was a Ghost Town. Bluray, just down the stairs was packed and the booth babe was declaring that the war is won.
Big sur prise: the Zune still sucks.

Uniden was showing something I thought was cute - an integrated GPS and Radar detector. Says it identifies 13 different types of radar; Helpful if you're speeding like a maniac while lost.

Another thing that was everywhere were various incarnations of 3-D video, displays, and even goggles. My impressions ranged from "that just looks blurry" to "instant damned headache". This technology isn't ready yet; Keep trying, guys.

My biggest opinion reversal today was on a theater chair by Repose. I went from thinking it'd be a waste, to sinking into complete and total bliss. Comfy leather, power reclining, great sound. I do wish the bass would rumble my back more than my butt, though. I also have an incling that, since my current couch cost me an overwhelming $nothing, the pricetag on the chair I sat in would make me faint.

A quick shoutout to Yen, the DHS bomb-sniffing dog.

To Bill in Mead, WA, Earth, I can't tell you when a good DVR is coming out, but I can tell you that I haven't seen one on the showfloor yet. I saw an interesting HDD-based product from Mvix. I'd keep an eye on them. Also, Intel and Sprint's VOHM are pushing WiMax pretty hard. Open and free WiMax would be great for consumers, but the path to recurring revenue isn't crystal clear. Only time will tell.

Off to a party, more later