This year's Comdex featured fewer booths and attendees than in past years, and few imaging products companies had a presence at what was once the largest technology trade show. Dell was one of the only companies to debut a new printer at the show, but it received little attention or fanfare.
The inkjet Dell Personal All-In-One A960, which is based on the earlier A940, will fax, scan, copy and print. It has a document feeder that scans or faxes up to 50 pages at a time and is listed at $199, plus an instant rebate of $20. The A960, like other Dell inkjets, has the Dell Ink Management System, which "monitors ink levels and proactively prompts users to order replacement cartridges" from Dell.
While the new A960 was on display at the show, attendees were hard pressed to locate it. The A960 sat alongside the Dell 5300n laser model, but the new addition didn't have a sign to indicate which model it was, and when questioned, Dell employees were unable to identify the model number. Neither machine appeared to have a brand, logo or model number readily visible on the outside of the printer. Catalogs available at the booth did not list the A960, but did list Canon, Lexmark and Epson printers for purchase.
A third printer model was part of a giveaway, but most Dell employees and show attendees seemed focused on the laptops and desktops on display. The display computers were connected to the Internet, letting attendees order products through the Dell Web site. The three Dell printers did not seem to be connected to the computers; printouts of the Web site information were sent to two Lexmark E322 machines instead.
Hewlett-Packard's booth was significantly smaller than in past years. It was no more than 8 by 10 feet and was part of the Microsoft Pavilion. The booth displayed mostly networking solutions; only two photo printers were on display, and employees said no literature was available about the printers.
Many other imaging products companies did not have booths at the show, including Samsung and Ricoh, both of which had a presence in 2002. Lexmark sponsored the media lounge, with literature available and some of its MFPs on display, but only attendees with media passes had access to this area.
Held Nov. 17-20 in Las Vegas, the show was, according to event organizers, "refocused and repositioned" to feature the IT market. It featured more than 500 exhibitors (down from 2002's 900 booths) and attracted approximately 50,000 attendees (down from 2002's 125,000). The show was also shortened from five exhibit days to four.
