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Comdex Computer Show Begins

Aired November 18, 2002 - 14:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: From tablet PCs to cell phones with color screens, you can find the latest technology at the annual Comdex trade show. It began today in Las Vegas.
That's where we find our Daniel Sieberg, CNN's very own "Inspector Gadget."

First thing I want to know, Daniel, is what are you bringing me back?

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, whatever you want, Marty. Just put together your order and we'll see what we can work out. You know, Comdex is typically billed as one of the largest technology trade shows in the world, but the downturn in the tech economy has certainly hit Comdex in the last couple of years.

We've just been under way here officially for a little over an hour. They're expecting about 125,000 attendees. That's about the same as last year, but down by half from what it was just a couple of years ago. The underlying mood in all of this is fairly somber because of that. However, there are still lots of products, innovations and gadgets. And of course, that's what most people want to know about when they come to a show like this.

So, joining me now is Jim Louderback, he is the contributing editor to "PC Magazine." He's also editor of "ExtremeTech." And we're going to be talking about some monitors here. Everybody is familiar with the sort of larger, bulky monitor they have on their desk top. But these ones, much thinner. Tell me where we start with these.

JIM LOUDERBACK, "PC MAGAZINE," CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Well, the big problem with existing monitors is they're like television. They're big; they're bulky and they're still 20th century. What people want are nice flat monitors. And we've got a couple of them here.

We'll start out with this one. And this is sort of your standard 15-inch monitor. And as you see as I rotate it this way, look how thin it is. Very cool. And they start about $300 or so, from companies like Samsung, who these are, but also Sony and Viewsonic and others.

But for a little bit more money, you get more features. This one, for instance, a nice bright screen but it also has the capability of folding down like this, so 90 degrees, so you can actually just put it right on the wall or, you know, if you like to look over your stuff, you can do that. SIEBERG: Now, we should point out, these are liquid crystal display monitors, LCD. People may be familiar with CRT or cathode ray tube. Those are the much bigger ones that sit on a desk top. These, you get that flat display.

LOUDERBACK: Right. The CRTs are like your television. The flat ones are more where TVs are going. I mean, you can get a really expensive television that's also a flat screen, which, actually, I'll show you in a minute.

SIEBERG: OK.

LOUDERBACK: But this one is still a computer monitor, but notice, I want you to look at it. This has an aspect ratio of 4 by 3. This one is wider, it's more like a DVD. Now, you can't plug a television in here but you can use it for games. You can use it for playing DVDs off your computer. And it actually has an ability on it where you can change the color and the brightness of it for different things, like games or computers or Interned.

SIEBERG: You've got a photo show going on here.

LOUDERBACK: I've got -- these are some photos my dad took. But they're computer -- but the screen looks really good. And, again, this one also will go like this, so you can put it on the wall or do whatever you want to..

SIEBERG: And now the first one you pointed out was -- that was $450.

LOUDERBACK: This is $450.

SIEBERG: This one about $700?

LOUDERBACK: 700 bucks, so it's a lot more money. I mean, you start to spend some real money. But...

SIEBERG: But, speaking of money...

LOUDERBACK: ... we're not done with the real money yet. Check this guy out.

SIEBERG: OK.

LOUDERBACK: Now this, the first as far as I know, a 24 inch screen. Do you want to tell them the money or should I?

SIEBERG: I think you probably should. I'll leave that to you.

LOUDERBACK: $4,800. Now, so what do you get for almost $5,000? Well, you get a good looking screen. You also get all kinds of different inputs. You can run something called "Picture Picture" (ph), you can put TV, DVD, all that stuff in here. Beautiful, but expensive.

SIEBERG: Great. OK. That's a big monitor, 24 inches from Samsung. We've got lots more to show here, Martin, all during this week at the huge Comdex trade show.

Jim Louderback, thank you so much.

Martin, back to you.

SAVIDGE: Daniel, thanks very much, look forward to all of those reports.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




S



Aired November 18, 2002 - 14:38   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: From tablet PCs to cell phones with color screens, you can find the latest technology at the annual Comdex trade show. It began today in Las Vegas.
That's where we find our Daniel Sieberg, CNN's very own "Inspector Gadget."

First thing I want to know, Daniel, is what are you bringing me back?

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, whatever you want, Marty. Just put together your order and we'll see what we can work out. You know, Comdex is typically billed as one of the largest technology trade shows in the world, but the downturn in the tech economy has certainly hit Comdex in the last couple of years.

We've just been under way here officially for a little over an hour. They're expecting about 125,000 attendees. That's about the same as last year, but down by half from what it was just a couple of years ago. The underlying mood in all of this is fairly somber because of that. However, there are still lots of products, innovations and gadgets. And of course, that's what most people want to know about when they come to a show like this.

So, joining me now is Jim Louderback, he is the contributing editor to "PC Magazine." He's also editor of "ExtremeTech." And we're going to be talking about some monitors here. Everybody is familiar with the sort of larger, bulky monitor they have on their desk top. But these ones, much thinner. Tell me where we start with these.

JIM LOUDERBACK, "PC MAGAZINE," CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Well, the big problem with existing monitors is they're like television. They're big; they're bulky and they're still 20th century. What people want are nice flat monitors. And we've got a couple of them here.

We'll start out with this one. And this is sort of your standard 15-inch monitor. And as you see as I rotate it this way, look how thin it is. Very cool. And they start about $300 or so, from companies like Samsung, who these are, but also Sony and Viewsonic and others.

But for a little bit more money, you get more features. This one, for instance, a nice bright screen but it also has the capability of folding down like this, so 90 degrees, so you can actually just put it right on the wall or, you know, if you like to look over your stuff, you can do that. SIEBERG: Now, we should point out, these are liquid crystal display monitors, LCD. People may be familiar with CRT or cathode ray tube. Those are the much bigger ones that sit on a desk top. These, you get that flat display.

LOUDERBACK: Right. The CRTs are like your television. The flat ones are more where TVs are going. I mean, you can get a really expensive television that's also a flat screen, which, actually, I'll show you in a minute.

SIEBERG: OK.

LOUDERBACK: But this one is still a computer monitor, but notice, I want you to look at it. This has an aspect ratio of 4 by 3. This one is wider, it's more like a DVD. Now, you can't plug a television in here but you can use it for games. You can use it for playing DVDs off your computer. And it actually has an ability on it where you can change the color and the brightness of it for different things, like games or computers or Interned.

SIEBERG: You've got a photo show going on here.

LOUDERBACK: I've got -- these are some photos my dad took. But they're computer -- but the screen looks really good. And, again, this one also will go like this, so you can put it on the wall or do whatever you want to..

SIEBERG: And now the first one you pointed out was -- that was $450.

LOUDERBACK: This is $450.

SIEBERG: This one about $700?

LOUDERBACK: 700 bucks, so it's a lot more money. I mean, you start to spend some real money. But...

SIEBERG: But, speaking of money...

LOUDERBACK: ... we're not done with the real money yet. Check this guy out.

SIEBERG: OK.

LOUDERBACK: Now this, the first as far as I know, a 24 inch screen. Do you want to tell them the money or should I?

SIEBERG: I think you probably should. I'll leave that to you.

LOUDERBACK: $4,800. Now, so what do you get for almost $5,000? Well, you get a good looking screen. You also get all kinds of different inputs. You can run something called "Picture Picture" (ph), you can put TV, DVD, all that stuff in here. Beautiful, but expensive.

SIEBERG: Great. OK. That's a big monitor, 24 inches from Samsung. We've got lots more to show here, Martin, all during this week at the huge Comdex trade show.

Jim Louderback, thank you so much.

Martin, back to you.

SAVIDGE: Daniel, thanks very much, look forward to all of those reports.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




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