Notes from Underground v2006.4

Continuing our “overheard at the Expo” rough and ready unplugged and uncensored observations:

IN THE MEDIA CENTER, CONCERNING HP

It sure took a long time for HP to embrace the Macintosh community, and they were MIA [missing in action] until a couple of Macworlds ago, but this latest generation of improved printers, scanners, and cameras really puts them on the map, hopefully forever. In my media appointment with their top Mac guy, I learned all about the new inks, which are not quite as expensive as in the past. Time will tell if this is just sales pitch hot air, but I’m willing to forgive HP their past sins and load up my office with their products when my aging units die. In fact, that flat scanner that handles all film formats in addition to traditional paper will make my life a whole lot better, if it’s as versatile and sharp as they claim. And my wife’s birthday, coming up soon, will be a perfect opportunity to try the $200 camera plus printer combo we saw at the end of our PR meeting.

WANDERING THROUGH THE LACIE DISPLAY AREA

Pretty powerful external USB drives over there, disguised as Lego toys and other strange shapes and colors. You remember those Porsche external drives that LaCie was pushing so hard? I heard they were c**p, but the company sure put a lot of advertising dollars into trying to make them look cool. Now they have real designers, finally, who did a first rate job attracting new buyers to LaCie products, regardless of drive size and speed. My female clients will eat these babies up, I just hope their kids don’t toss them across the room on the first day in action.

DISCUSSING BRENTHAVEN CASES AT A COMPETITOR’S BOOTH

Brenthaven is getting smart, but they’re late to the party, where color and style are concerned. They got their computer packs into the Apple stores from day one, and I see them all over Macworld here, and now they’re expanding from basic black into some pretty bland blue and brown colors, not too exciting though. If they want to go head to head against Timbuk2 and a bunch of other color-oriented quality case manufacturers, they’re going to have to do more than what we saw at that tiny nook of theirs. Still the best quality laptop cases for my money, but I’m not sure if the new ones are as sturdy as the originals. Need to check with them again on that one.

HARMAN KARDON PERIPHERY

Did you get wind of that idiot rep trying to explain how a potential customer’s BMW may, but may not, ridiculous, didn’t have a clue if Harman’s exotic new car iPod thingamabob is easy to install or will even fit? Don’t trade on your fine name in the audio game if you put something out there with all kinds of fanfare, including a car in the middle of your booth, if you don’t really have it all dressed up and ready to boogie for every buyer from Yugo to Lexus, especially BMW, of all brands, since they were the first ones to offer the iPod inside, remember?

LOOKING OVER THE TIMBUK2 LAPTOP CASES

Hey, see these new ones, all at show discounts? These folks really improved the product lineup since last year. Notice how some look off kilter, I mean those weird backpacks on that rack over there. How they gonna balance with my iBook inside? Do they allow you to return something that doesn’t work as advertised? I need to check with them on that, hey, I need some help, yes, please.

OTHER WORLD COMPUTING SALES AREA

I can’t get near the f***ing booth to buy a 7200 hard drive for my PowerBook. You’d think with all this sales action they’d divide their counter into small and large ticket items, doncha? I used them for some RAM and a processor upgrade, and I always give them first crack with stuff like this, so I guess I’ll either wait behind that fat guy with the pony tail or order the drive online when I get back to work. Nothing beats high speed connection for free. Saves me lot of money, since I only have cell phone at home.

NETOPIA CORNER

Did you hear that? Timbuktu [remote access software] now has some sort of synergy with Skype. Don’t have a rat’s a** of an idea how it works, but these guys are really something. You don’t use Timbuktu? What you waiting for, doing all that phone tech support for your parents and all? This way you can actually run their computers over the Internet, oh you know already, right, just being cheap, get with it man. I’ll find out what’s up with the Skype and SMS [phone text message] you in a bit.

AT THE ULTIMATE EARS BOOTH

That takes the go**am cake. No matter how you slice it, the silicone or whatever they are driver covers are so much better than the ones over there at Etymotics, and these from Ultimate actually sound better, for a little less money, though neither one is cheap, don’t you agree? I wonder if I buy two sets right now here at Macworld if I can get some kind of deal. That way I can leave one in the car for the freeway and keep the other one at home. Is it legal or illegal to drive like I do on I-5 up and down the state tuned into my iPod, cruising at 89 miles an hour? Who the h**l cares anyway?

[Second in an ongoing series, with more in the works, as soon as possible.]