Computex 2009

[Rob Williams]

Hi all:

Once again, we'll be making the trek over to Taipei, Taiwan, for the 2009 Computex show, and of course, you can expect some active content from us as the show progresses. So with that said, I'm curious as to what you guys are hoping to see there? Is there something in particular you know is going to be unveiled that you'd like us to check out?

I haven't been keeping up at all on pre-Computex news, but on the CPU side we're sure to see an insane amount of Core i5/P55 motherboards, but that's all I can expect to see. I'm not sure what ATI or NVIDIA have up their sleeves. I'm sure if anything, we'll be seeing a lot of "small" PCs, countless SSDs and many, many redesigned video cards. Here's to hoping that some companies have some incredible products to show off though!

The great thing about Computex is that of all the shows we attend each year, this is the one that directly pertains to what we deal with most. We love CE products, but in Taiwan, you get to meet up with the people who actually design and develop the motherboards, graphic cards, notebooks and even CPU coolers, so it's extremely informative.

Computex also happens to have some of the cutest booth babes on the planet, so that's another perk ;-)

So what are you guys looking forward to seeing from the show?

[Doomsday]

Originally Posted by Rob Williams

Hi all: .......................

Computex also happens to have some of the cutest booth babes on the planet, so that's another perk ;-)

So what are you guys looking forward to seeing from the show?

got extra tickets!!!

[Rob Williams]

Haha. I'll just have to work hard to get as many pictures as I can posted :-)

[Digerati]

Looking forward to your Computex updates, man.

[Merlin]

Originally Posted by Rob Williams

Haha. I'll just have to work hard to get as many pictures as I can posted :-)

Don't fly any DC-10s over 24,000 hrs of flight time, Frames are too old

[Kougar]

From what I heard GT300 and related info won't be shown, which makes sense if it's not even going to show until next year. That is the real thing I'm looking forward to... the only other thing I really care about now is Intel's future 34nm SSD's. The current tech they have now is 55nm... it's going to be one hell of a product refresh in every manner possible when those come out, so I'm waiting for one. I'm sure Intel won't talk about those either because it would only hurt current sales.

[Rob Williams]

This does seem to be a slow year for graphics, that's for sure. While AMD and Intel are continuing to push out newer CPUs, the graphics market seems to be having a rough time with hitting the next level. As for Intel's SSDs, I'm hoping to learn a little more there, but I agree, it's unlikely that they'll even mention them. I do find it odd though that P55 boards have been leaked all over the web... has there even been a tentative i5 launch date leaked? I sure don't have an i5 lying around the lab here, so I'm wondering how close we really are to that.

[Kougar]

Computex has ALWAYs heavily included new upcoming chipsets and unreleased boards, that's like their bread & butter!

Core i5 was set to launch this fall (2H'09), but last I heard Intel was delaying the date because big OEMs wanted to clear out inventory of C2D's still. So far TechReport reported October as the new date, but that may change again.

It's amusing but I today heard about the Core i3... that one will be the branding for the dualcore+G45 IGP core in one CPU package, hence "3" cores.

[Kougar]

Saw more news on Core i5 dates... the dates differ a little from what I gave but at this point I wouldn't take anything as concrete anyway. http://www.tcmagazine.com/comments.p...=26737&catid=2

[Rob Williams]

Well, as of this post, I'm out the door, en route to Taipei. I booked late, like an idiot, so by the time I actually hop aboard the flight from Vancouver to Taipei, I'll have been awake for 21 hours. So, while you are sitting comfortable in your chair sipping your coffee or beer, you can be rest-assured I'm struggling to fall asleep on some long flight :-)

As I mentioned before, we're looking to post as much content as possible during the show, so check back often. I'll also post "extras", such as information not really fit for the site itself, and pictures of random things, including Taipei itself, the show floor, and who knows, maybe even some booth babes.

Stay tuned!

[Kougar]

Doesn't sound like you'll be struggling very hard to sleep to me...

Have a safe trip and good luck (especially with a crashy laptop!), you're going to need it.

[Rob Williams]

Originally Posted by Kougar

Doesn't sound like you'll be struggling very hard to sleep to me...

Have a safe trip and good luck (especially with a crashy laptop!), you're going to need it.

Well, as I write this, I've been up for 18 hours, but it feels like longer thanks to the lack of activity... been sitting almost the entire time. I have some fierce drive right now to get a few things done before I shut down, and I hope I can sleep on the plane (so hard for me to do for some reason), else I'll be wrecked when I arrive in Taipei. Going out clubbing in the evening though, so I hope a long sleep after I get there works wonders ;-)

Things are starting to gear up though. NVIDIA will be unveiling their Tegra, which I'm looking forward to, and apparently they have other announcements up their sleeves, none of which they are opening up about. Still unsure what we're going to see from the other players, but soon enough we'll know...

[THUMPer]

Pictures of computer cases!

[THUMPer]

Lots of pictures of booth babes. Maybe some hot Asian chicks at the club too.

[Rob Williams]

Originally Posted by THUMPer

Lots of pictures of booth babes. Maybe some hot Asian chicks at the club too.

I'm not so sure that toting around a huge camera in a club is a good way to pick up ;-)

It's 8:00PM Fri in Taipei as I write this, and I'm still wiped after a good six-hour nap. Got here at 5:00AM, after what had to have been the most grueling flight I've ever been on. Word of advice... for long flights, make sure you are going to get decent seats. I ended up booking late, and the seat I got was unbelievable. It was as far back as possible, and as such, it didn't recline. Oh, but the dude in front of me didn't mind reclining... all the way. Brutal.

That aside, I'll help kick off our "coverage" with some initial photos I took since I arrived earlier. I'll try to post as much as possible during the time spent here, both from the show and outside of it, to make you all feel like you're here as well :-)

First, here's the hotel room:





One of the nicest features of Taiwan is the affordability factor, from hotels to food to transportation to whatever else. Imagine spending $2 on food and drink and feeling content afterward. In some places here (especially the night markets), that's how things are.

The hotel I'm at (Hsuan-Mei) doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside is a different story. The room's a great size, clean, and comfortable. The washroom is also quite large, features a heated toilet (woo hoo), a hot tub and a cool shower with six (6!) shower heads. Overall, a nice room... no complaints.

Would you believe that this room costs $100 USD per night? Most hotels I go to in the US cost around $200 a night, and none offer as much as this one. Even the WiFi is free here, and bottles of water and other drink are complimentary. They don't nickel and dime you for everything, and it's refreshing.



You gotta love a loo that does more than just flush ;-)



If you've seen one busy street in Taiwan, you've pretty-much seen them all. Because some streets look so similar, it's easy to become lost, and I've had it happen. It's kind of foolish when you need to hail a cab just to go three blocks, but that's how confusing it can be!



As you could imagine, the streets of Taipei are packed. The regular streets have mostly scooters, but some cars, while most people in cars with longer distances to travel will take the freeway (which is what's seen in the top of the above photo).



For those unaware, there are far more Scooters around Taiwan than cars, at least in the cities. You can't go a single block without seeing a long row of scooters lined-up, like the one above, which was right outside a 7-11.



Two things that go great together... beer, and hot Asian girls. "Taiwan Beer" has to have one of the simplest names ever, but it's quite good. It's somewhat similar to Heineken, but a wee bit lighter (which some might prefer).



Few people understand my obsession with this drink, but if you like coffee, there's nothing better on a hot day (which is everyday in Taiwan, at least at this time of year). This particular version is "black" coffee, but it still has sugar. For those who prefer coffee with cream, there are versions of that as well. Either way, it's delicious.

That's it for now. I'll be heading down to Taichung (three hours south of Taipei) tomorrow to hang around with a good friend for a couple days before Computex begins, so I'll no doubt take more pictures down there and post them when I return. After that, we'll be right into our Computex coverage!