This year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the biggest tech industry event of 2009, will probably show evolutionary products, but that are unlikely to shake-up the market. The devices will showcase advancements in digital TVs, home networking and mobile computing. The show is smaller than last year, as vendors have scaled back in anticipation of fewer interested people, due to the current economic recession.

 

Unfortunately for CES, Microsoft founder Bill Gates will no longer give the opening night keynote, a job he filled for the last 11 years. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will replace him, addressing attendees on Wednesday night. The Consumer Electronics Association, which runs the event, expects 130,000 people, 8% less than a year ago. We will see 2,700 exhibitors covering 1.7 million square feet, which is 5% less than last 2008.

 

As previously mentioned, even if the products won't produce a high-tech revolution, they will cover many of the most exciting markets, such as smart phones, third-generation netbooks, slimmer digital TVs, touch-screen laptops and gaming. For example, hardware maker Lenovo will present its slim, all-in-one desktop and a dual-screen laptop, the ThinkPad W700ds, with a 17-inch LCD screen and a 10.6-inch display that slides out to the right. That will cost the interested ones about $3,600.

 

Another major company, Hewlett-Packard (HP) will present Mini 2140, an all-aluminum case and a 10-inch light-emitting diode screen laptop. The netbook is scheduled to be available this month and sell for about $500. Furthermore, HP plans to highlight an ultra-portable laptop, the Pavilion dv2, that features AMD's new mobile platform for ultra-thin notebooks. Unfortunately, no pricing and availability have been disclosed

It remains to be seen if this year's CES will have the same success as last year, but it's also important for companies to prove their devices will literally do more with less.