Re: Re: NEC SmartHome Show

[mark <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was at the show today (thursday) and overall thought it was a great
effort and worthy of a visit to see all the toys.   Very busy, lots of
people.     Most exhibitors are offering either plasmas/screens,
multi-room or Windows MCE devices.  You have too look much deeper to see
the broader picture.

(Also, "they" have cloned "M" (Mark McCall) with some
{yet to be
disclosed} automated cloning machine, as I was sure I saw him wandering
the aisles on a couple of occasions!)

The seminar I attended was embarrassingly bad.  The Multi-Room
technology  presentations at 1:30pm.    A good indicator for the future
of automation I guess is that the lectures were overflowing, even with
people standing around the outside to see the presentations.     The
presenters seemed to be presenting amongst themselves with little regard
for the poor audience!  As a previous message said "opinionated".
   I
could understand them dumbing-down to gain wider appeal, but it was
completely lacking in content in my opinion.    I sat near the front, so
couldn't easily get up and leave!   Vague statements included "be
careful in selecting supplier"......"many so-called multi-room
systems
here at the show are not what they seem!"....."forget Windows MCE
as a
sound-server / source - would you trust your music to Bill Gates?".
Putting Bill Gates to one side, if I was an exhibitor at the show, I'd
be really pissed-off at the messages coming out of this
"technology"
discussion/presentation - it was certainly not fair and unbiased and put
the fear of god into anyone ready to invest in a system.

The teaming of the show with the homebuilding show works really well.
I'm interested in self-build, so that helps.  Once you are in the hall,
you can wander freely between the smarthome show, the bar, the
homebuilding show and back again.

Finally, one tip.    Wickes have a demo-theatre at the end of Hall 12.
They are handing out 10%-off discount cards valid on everything in-store
till end of May and you can use the card as many times as you want.  no
connection etc....

Cheers,
Mark

p.s. Check out the lectures, but sit at the back!







Neil Fuller wrote:

> Personally, I found it difficult to stay awake during the first
> presentation
> and gave up soon after!!
>
> Got there at 10:00 and had seen almost everything by about 11:30. Many
of
> the stands were staffed by sales bimbos who looked blank when asked
any
> technical questions. Notable exceptions were Comfort and Simply
Automate.
>
> IMHO, not worth the drive from Guildford, even with a look around the
> Housebuilding show.
>
> However, if you are currently planning a selfbuild, you'll love it.
>
> For the weekend crew, I'm sure the highlight will be the meal - Let
the
> battle commence!
>
> I did find myself wandering around, looking at people with beards (and
> maybe
> a belly :-o ) thinking "I wonder if he's a UKHA'er". How
about some
> kind of
> discrete "badge"  (a carnation behind the ear perhaps!!!) to
let
> others know
> that you're around. On second thoughts, how about a sticky label
> saying "I
> know Otto-mate"!
>
> Cheers
>
> Neil
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rob Lamb" <those@xxxxxxx>
> To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 9:14 PM
> Subject: [ukha_d] Re: NEC SmartHome Show
>
>
> >
> >
> > Just got back from the show. Good to see lots of stuff up close
like
> > the web brick and of course Mark's stand! Some of the seminar
> > presenters were VERY opinionated - were more interested in their
kit
> > than a balanced veiw of the various ways to acheive the end
result.
> >
> > Rob
> >
> > --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Mark McCall" <lists@a...>
wrote:
> >> Well, the show starts today!
> >>
> >> I will be there from around 10am tomorrow (as long as flights
are on
> > time).
> >>
> >> There's nothing formal arranged for the meals on Friday or
Saturday
> > nights
> >> ut if you are attending and want to meet up I have diverted
my YAC
> > number
> >> (always available from the "Contacts" page on
automated Home - 7092
> > 177990)
> >> to my mobile for the weekend.
> >>
> >> See you there!
> >>
> >> M.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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