Christmas Electronics Sorrow: CES

If I were a storyteller, I would have the Ghost of Christmas Future arrive at the house of Bob Cratchit with a video of CES. Tiny Tim would be playing with his point and speak, or his Atari and the Ghost of Christmas Future would show him the future on a tablet and then take it back. Talk about kicking the crutch out from under the kid.

But seriously, CES always strikes me as a bit of cruelty. Having just saved up to make the kids happy with the “latest” toys, we discover before the Greeks are done with their twelve days of Christmas the “latest” is old and obsolete.

It would strike me that CES should be in June or September with the hope of getting for Christmas “Present” something that won’t feel like Christmas Past.

Anyway, that is not what I want to talk about. It’s CES time and the battle is about Android vs. Android. As Apple stays in the 3G world with their 4G phones (I know, I know, don’t blame me for their nomenclature). And Windows looks to inspire us again; I have to say that the market looks pretty boring.

Speeds and feeds have improved and everyone can say the words 4G with almost a straight face now. Filling the fat pipes is the consumer story while the carriers run ahead as fast as they can to get the network deployed.

Verizon is clearly in the lead and the acquisition of Spectrum Co. from the cable operators indicates competition is not a national thing. 

Friends would say that we are looking for love in all the wrong places, since the local alternate service providers and the WISPs are there we just have to be willing to look and use them. So the bright shiny object you see at CES would be more interesting if it was independent of the carrier.

However, in the cellular world, consumers dominate, which is why Paget Alves of Sprint is now the President of both Consumer and Business. We are living in the age of the millennial prosumer.   However, with that acknowledgement of living in the bright shiny object market that CES is part of, I want to offer Paget and Dan my services to show them how to use their WiMAX to address the unserved Internet market. As I watched Paul Jacobs’ pre CES talk, I was immediately aware that his mindset is different than mine. I want the Mobile Internet he wants Mobile Computing. The thought that ARMs will rule computing does not scare me, the thought that between the cloud and the carrier I will end up with connectivity costs being a bottleneck does scare me.

Enjoy the bright shiny objects.  

Want to learn more about 4G wireless technologies? Then be sure to attend the 4GWE Conference, collocated with TMC’s ITEXPO East 2012taking place Jan. 31-Feb. 3 2012, in Miami, FL. Co-sponsored by TMC Partner Crossfire Media the 4GWE Conference provides unmatched networking opportunities and a robust conference program representing the wireless ecosystem. The conference not only brings together the best and brightest in the wireless industry, it actually spans the communications and technology industry. For more information on registering for the 4GWE Conference click here.

Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.