First impressions count most, they say, and the first impression of this year’s Comdex/Fall in Las Vegas, gleaned on a Sunday tour of the exhibition area in a chaos of hammering and panic that stands wouldn’t be ready in time for yesterday’s opening, is that flamboyance and flackery will count more than solid innovation at this year’s show: despite saying beforehand that Comdex simply wasn’t a Unix show, AT&T Co has regained its confidence to the extent that it has resumed its pride-of-place position next to the entrance with a massive 10,000 square foot stand – must have set the company back at least $1m, say the know-alls, Dick Pick has taken almost as much space by putting three meeting rooms together to create the Pick Pavilion, the Japanese have completely abandoned their traditional reticence and have taken enormous stands, making themselves look just like US companies and there are OS/2 stickers on scores of stands, with cynics saying that they mean there’s someone on the stand who’s heard of the new operating system.
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