Supersession at the 2001 International CES Asks "What Do Consumers Want?"
A Look at Some of the Hottest Products
Las Vegas, Nev., January 8, 2001 - Yesterday's supersession, "Outfitting the Digital Consumer," at the 2001 International CES - Your Source for Workstyle and Lifestyle Technology - provided insights on what consumer's really want in their digital products and highlighted some of the cutting-edge technology at the show. According to FamilyPC Editor-In-Chief Robin Raskin, who led the first part of the supersession, the promise for the digital consumer includes products that are all digital, simple to use and inexpensive. Furthermore, these products must feature total data synchronization, a human interface and input, and the ability for future upgrades.
On the other side, some of the obstacles barring consumers from the widespread adoption of digital devices include products that don't talk to one another, a lack of installers and gadgets that become obsolescent. Raskin said, "People also will need to rethink how they are going to be using the Web as a repository of personal data. It is going to affect everything."
Raskin conducted a "tour" of a digital home looking at some of the products found in the connected living room, the connected kitchen, the game room and the bedroom. Several consumer electronics companies, among them Cevia, Compaq, Dell, DirectTV, eWire, Gateway, Intel, Kerbango, Logitech, Microsoft, Mivo and Samsung, helped demo some of the hottest products for the digital home.
For example, the digital bedroom contained a Mivo mail station for transmitting and receiving e-mail, a Cevia wood photo frame that rotates 20 digital photos in a slide show, the Kerbango Internet radio capable of accessing thousands of radio stations and the Logitech QuickCam security device with a motion detector. Raskin said, "Personalization will be a part of everything. Now is the chance for companies to spread their wings and take off, but the progress will be a little slower than we originally thought."
Part two of "Outfitting the Digital Consumer" was a panel discussion of industry leaders moderated by Steve Fox, editor of CNET Online, and included Morgan Gunther, TiVo; Ki Won Lee, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.; Paul Liao, Panasonic Technologies Inc. and Matsushita Electric Corp. of America; Frank Luntz, commentator/author; Joseph McQuire, GoAmerica Communications; Michael Moone, Cisco Systems Inc.; and Tyler Nelson, Research in Motion, Ltd.; Calin Pacurariu, HandSpring Inc.
Panelists agreed that there has been a definite convergence with digital technology and that those who build simple, easy-to-use products will win with consumers. TiVo's Gunther said, "TiVo is really a computer, but no one knows that because it's so simple to use even my four year old and my grandmother can find their favorite programs."
Panasonic's Liao addressed the convergence issues and said, "We believe there will be multiple networks throughout the home. It is important to understand that there will be many touchpoints between the networks where you have true convergence."
The panel discussed the Internet Home Alliance launched in October to promote the Internet lifestyle to consumers. Cisco's Moone said, "Our focus is to educate the consumer. But there is no single Holy Grail device in the home that addresses interoperability issues."
Luntz summarized the session saying, "What consumers want can be summed up in three words: convenience, control and choice."
