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A PC trade show?
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November 12, 2000: 12:08 p.m. ET
This year's Comdex is expected to focus on a growing choice of non-PC devices
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Is the personal computer dead?
Technologists and industry analysts debated that question at last year's Comdex computer trade show, and it's an argument that's almost certain to be revisited again at this year's, which takes place this week in Las Vegas.
And who better to address the issue than Bill Gates, who has built an empire around the desktop PC. The chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft will kick off this year's Comdex trade show with a keynote address on Sunday.
The 44-year-old Seattle native, who at last count had a net worth of about $60 billion, used his address at Comdex last year to outline the software giant's .NET strategy, through which the company hopes to transfer the pervasiveness of its Windows operating system from the desktop computers to the Internet.
 One of the key elements of Microsoft's (MSFT: Research, Estimates) strategy is to create a computing universe where consumers can access all of their information and applications from any place and through any device, not necessarily a windows-based PC. Gates is expected to demonstrate a Window's enabled "Web pad" when he makes his speech this year.
Gates and other industry executives whose fortunes are tied to the PC have scoffed at the notion that the PC era is coming to a close, but they have acknowledged that its role is changing.
Indeed, one of the major themes of last year's Comdex, its name derived from "Computer Dealers Expo," was "Internet empowerment," a fancy term for the fact that the Internet will soon be invading practically every aspect of our lives.
Click here for CNNfn.com's complete Comdex coverage
On the exhibit floor, sleek and snazzy new "Information appliances," which are computing products designed specifically for Internet access, were all the rage, while the traditional desktop PCs were given short shrift.
This year, Comdex goers are expecting more of the same, with more emphasis on those that enable users to connect to the Web wirelessly.
Even some of the traditional PC makers have jumped on board. Compaq (CPQ: Research, Estimates) and Hewlett-Packard (HWP: Research, Estimates) have begun selling their own Information appliances and each also has also been aggressively marketing their new "Pocket PC" portable computers.
Gateway also has recently joined the Information appliance fray. Last week, it introduced a new touch-screen device called the Connected Touch Pad, which it developed in conjunction with America Online.
Meanwhile, hundreds of newcomers to the industry will be there as well, including chip maker Transmeta (TMTA: Research, Estimates), whose "Crusoe" processors are the brains behind Gateway's touch pads.
With its highly successful initial public offering now complete, the Silicon Valley startup, which has made a lot of waves in technology circles since it took the wraps off its products nearly a year ago, is hoping to make as strong a showing among its counterparts and customers in Las Vegas.
National Semiconductor (NSM: Research, Estimates), whose Chief Executive Brian Halla has for years been heralding the coming of an information appliance revolution, also is expected to show off the latest such devices that use its chips as well.
Key3 Media, the show's organizer, said about 2,100 exhibitors will show off their goods on over 1 million square feet of floor space at the Las Vegas Convention Center and other locations throughout the city.
Of course, the PC will be a part of the show as well. Intel (INTC: Research, Estimates) is expected to extol the virtues of its upcoming Pentium 4 processors, which are expected to hit the market the following week.
Michael Dell, founder and chairman of Dell Computer (DELL: Research, Estimates) and Hewlett-Packard (HWP: Research, Estimates) CEO Carly Fiorina also are set to give keynote addresses at the show, which runs all week. 
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Comdex
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