“Spring Comdex 2000, held in Chicago, was one of the strangest
trade shows I’ve been at in a long time. Remember, this carries the
Comdex (short for Computer Dealers Exposition) moniker that’s also
given to the biggest, most complete computer show in the country –
Fall Comdex in Las Vegas. Spring Comdex has always been kind of a
poor relation that never really caught on. In recent years the show
has been getting smaller and less predictable as increasing numbers
of vendors have opted to stay away.”
“Take this year’s show, which to me was notable
mainly for the categories of products and the industry players who
weren’t there. … It’s been three years or so since I last
went to Spring Comdex. This one was maybe half the size of the last
one, and a disappointment all around. I doubt I’ll come back again.
Even the Microsoft area wasn’t particularly interesting or
wide-ranging.”
“The show had two subthemes: Windows World and the Linux
Business Expo. The Linux end of the show was reasonably active,
but the best-known Linux vendor, Red Hat, wasn’t there. In
fact, the Linux show had three separate merchandising/gift shop
booths, where you could buy various stuffed “Tux” penguins and the
usual assortment of mugs, shirts and carrying bags.”