The China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) and the Taipei Computer Association (CPA) recently held a joint press conference to introduce the 2003 Taipei International Computer Show (Computex Taipei 2003), which will be held on Sept. 22-26. Computex, originally scheduled for June but delayed because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, is one of the world's top three computer exhibitions.

During the press conference, prominent figures from the global information-technology (IT) industry presented talks to promote Computex as well as to suggest new directions for Taiwan's IT development.



CETRA and TCA, which are co-organizing this year's show, report that the number of exhibitors will grow about 3.25% from last year, to 1,200; they will occupy 2,500 booths, for an increase of 8.41%. Both numbers are record highs. All major international brands in relevant fields will be there, including Intel, AMD, Texas Instruments, and National Semiconductor. There will be 152 foreign exhibitors, with 414 booths, representing 17 countries.

The event will occupy all three exhibition halls of the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC); the Taipei City Government recently completed the third hall on a site formerly used for parking, with space for 500 extra booths. Yet more booths were added by renovating exhibition space on the second floor of the First Exhibition Hall.


Computex Besting the Rest


This year's show will have five theme pavilions: High-Speed Connection Forum, Wireless, Security, Flat Panel Displays (FPD), and Integrated Circuit (IC) Design.



Anand Lal Shimpi, president and editor-in-chief of AnandTech, a United States-based source of IT-hardware analysis and industry news, comments that Computex has major advantages over its major rival, Comdex Fall in the U.S., including proximity to the global manufacturing base (in Taiwan and mainland China), making it easier for buyers to do business directly with manufacturers and to obtain first-hand product information, and a strong focus on key IT products such as motherboards, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and wireless solutions.

Shimpi says that Comdex has increasingly become a consumer-oriented exhibit that draws more consumers than professional buyers, and that the show's shrinkage shows that big international buyers have been withdrawing from it.



Jerry Wang, vice president and general manager of BenQ Corp.'s global sales operations, observes that Computex is in a strong position to take the No. 2 position among such shows worldwide, since it was the only one of the top three to record an expansion of scale last year. Wang says that BenQ unexpectedly found itself one of the largest exhibitors at last year's Comdex, indicating that large firms are withdrawing and devoting their marketing resources to other fairs.



The growing importance of Computex is shown in the fact that several leaders of the global IT industry will participate in Compuforum, a series of seminars to be held during the show, and give speeches on topics relevant to the development of the industry. CETRA reports that Texas Instruments chairman and CEO Thomas J. Engibous and Intel Corp. vice president Jason Chen will be among the speakers. Others scheduled include Linksys president and CEO Victor Tsao, CyberTAN Technology CEO Frank Jiang, and an Atheros Communications senior official.


Innovative Integration to Be Key


J.T. Wang, president of Acer Inc., commented during the press conference that despite strong competition from mainland China, the future remains bright for Taiwan's IT manufacturers. To be globally competitive, however, he suggested that local IT companies shift from a vertical division of labor to "innovation integration."

This integration can be in product technology, where advances in central processing units, displays, and storage products can be integrated not only in the field of computers but also in cellphones and TVs. Acer's Aspire III series of desktop TVs, for example, are not only computing machines but also have TV, music, video, photo, and FM radio functions.



In the area of value-chain integration, Wang said, processes from market research, product development, manufacturing, global logistics, sales, and after-sales services can be integrated. Taiwan companies have especially good opportunities in neglected markets such as those in third-world countries, he noted. Also, he said, he is happy to see that more large companies such as Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co. and Quanta Computer Inc. have begun developing manufacturing and marketing operations in emerging areas such as Eastern Europe. He suggested that local companies also look at markets in such areas as India and Vietnam, which have large populations and growing purchasing power.



Another promising type of integration for Taiwan's IT makers, the Acer president noted, is the integration of many small companies into a few larger, world-class firms that are capable of competing in the international arena. This kind of integration, Wang pointed out, can avoid overlapping investment, give the overall industry a healthier structure, and assure stronger, sustainable operations. Such integration has already been successfully carried out in a number of cases, including the merger of Acer Display and Unipac Optoelectronics into AU Optronics Corp. and the combination of Lite-On Technology, Lite-On Electronics, Silitek, and GVC into Lite-On Technology Corp.


Newest Wares Unveiled


Several leading companies showed off their latest products at the press conference, demonstrating the island's strong innovation and manufacturing capability and indicating the trends that will be apparent at Computex.



In addition to the Aspire III multimedia desktop PCs, Acer also introduced the MF-350 multifunction drive, which offers storage, FM radio, recorder, and MP-3 player functions. The drive, only 9.57 cm wide, 3 cm deep, and 1.88 cm high, and weighing just 30 grams, has 128 MB of memory and an easy-to-use plug-and-play interface for storing all kinds of digital files transferred from home or office computers. It can also record audio through a microphone or built-in radio, and play back via multiple audio formats. There are stereo earphones for listening to music, and a neck strap for carrying. In addition, the MF-350 can create audio segments for playing back spoken notes or practicing a language.

Abit Computer Corp., a leading maker of motherboards and graphic cards, unveiled products incorporating its advanced OTES III cooling technology. The OTES III features a special flyover structure, dual (6mm diameter) heat pipes, a cooling fan with colored light-emitting diode (LED), rear thermal-exhaust vent, and copper RAM sinks for DDR II memory.


Abit's new IC7 motherboard supports Intel's 875 chipset and Pentium 4 processor as well as some of the newest formats, including the Intel CAS Gigabit LAN, Dual SATA Raid, Dual DDR 400, AGP 8X, USB2.0, and the company's own patented SoftMenu technology that lets professional users adjust processor voltage, AGP-PCI ratio, and DDR VVC.

Innovative Notebook


Notebook PC maker Arima Computer Corp. introduced its A520 super-slim notebook computer, a model that incorporates Intel's Centrino-system platform with built-in ATI-M10 3D graphic engine and 16.1-inch screen. It features wireless Internet connection and long battery life as well.

Behavior Tech Computer Corp. (BTC), a maker of computer peripherals, showed off its 4816IA dual digital-combo drive and 10041IM, the island's first 4X DVD dual-format writer.



According to BTC, the 4816IA features built-in seven-in-one memory-card reader/writer capability and supports all kinds of CD formats as well as Buffer Underrun Prevention technology, while the 10041IM simultaneously supports DVD+/-R write and DVD+/-R rewrite as well as DVD-ROM read functions.

Attendees at the press conference were also introduced to Tatung Company's WebPad and tablet PC. The WebPad features comprehensive wireless support and a powerful Viva 2.0 application toolset. In addition to a clear, bright touch screen, the WebPad has a built-in 802.11 wireless network and GPRS (general packet radio service) as well as CDMA (code division multiple access) modules for totally integrated wireless-communication functions. The WebPad is resistant to shock and water, making it useful in a wide range of applications.



Tatung's new tablet PC features wide expandability (with CF, PCMCIA, and IEEE 1394 slots), high mobility (with built-in wireless connectivity and a docking station), quick upgradability, easy-use button design (with a four-way Microstick and four-way screen-rotation function), and a high-security fingerprint-recognition system for enhanced confidentiality.