Friday, January 07, 2011

The case against the Consumer Electronics Show. - By Farhad Manjoo - Slate Magazine

Think different – another domain in which Apple is credited with being a bellweather

And that suggests why CES is ultimately—and thankfully—doomed. Sprawling trade shows are a vestige of a bygone era in tech media. Back before companies could easily distribute their news online—and before there were dozens of tech news outlets with reporters posted all over the world—the industry needed to put on these monstrosities to show off their gear. But nowadays most companies can summon a couple hundred reporters to a venue and show off a new product in peace. With a few well-written blog posts, a stylish product site, and a live-stream of the launch event, a tech outfit can win headlines at any time of the year. Pulling out of annual conferences also frees firms to develop gadgets at their own pace. Apple ditched the annual MacWorld conference for precisely this reason—the company didn't see why it had to announce its products in the first week of January if they weren't quite ready then. Now Apple announces its stuff whenever it wants. And you know what happens when it does? People pay attention. No trade show required.

The case against the Consumer Electronics Show. - By Farhad Manjoo - Slate Magazine#p2#p2#p2

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