Comdex Opens with IBM VP Beating the Drum for Multimedia
 
Copyright (c) 1989, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
LAS VEGAS (Microbytes Daily News Service) --- As Comdex Fall '89
opened here today, the keynote speaker beat the drum for
computer-based multimedia -- literally. George Conrades, IBM
senior vice president and general manager for US marketing,
picked up a pair of drumsticks and banged out a solo to
demonstrate IBM's commitment to multimedia applications,
including music.
 
In his keynote address, which was aimed mostly at the computer
resellers who are Comdex's major group of attendees, Conrades
pointed out that software development has fallen far behind
hardware improvement. Desktop computers will soon perform up to
1 billion instructions per second and have a gigabyte of memory,
he predicted. In addition, he said, the arguments over
high-performance I/O buses are over; "the channel architecture
has won," he said.
 
To help him show how advanced technology could be specifically
applied, Conrades introduced Fred Hofstetter, a University of
Delaware professor and IBM consultant, who demonstrated a
multimedia classroom lecturing system designed for integrating
digital sound, video, and animation with lectures. Hofstetter
also demonstrated a MIDI-based music system that uses an IBM
PS/2 plug-in music board; he played a pop tune on the keyboard
while Conrades supplied the drum.
 
However, Conrades said, there is still much work to be done on
tools for faster and better software development. More
important is the need to "empower customers," he said, by
focusing on the specific needs of each small class of customer.
This vertical or niche approach, Conrades suggested, could help
both resellers and customers; resellers by differentiating
their products, and customers by providing them with exactly
what they need.
 
Comdex, which its organizers say will attract more than 120,000
attendees, will continue through Friday at the Las Vegas
Convention Center and some nearby hotels.
 
                              --- Frank Hayes
 
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