CES 2012: Day One

Computers:

Ultrabooks galore.  Everyone that makes computers is starting to make their own Macbook Air clones.  Even Vizio is getting in on the game (along with all in ones).  They’re thin and light, and mostly clad in delicious aluminum.  This isn’t a big surprise, but it is certainly most welcome.  There are some slight surprises in the world of ultrabooks however.  Lenovo has an utrabook / android hybrid, but without a detachable screen it seems mostly pointless.  They also have a a cheaper ultrabook, arriving at a mere $699.  Were also seeing ultrabooks with thunderbolt; like this one from Acer.  Thunderbolt is most welcome in a class of PCs bereft of ports.  Speaking of thunderbolt, it seems we’re finally going to seem some thunderbolt accessories, like external hard drives and docks.

Tablets:

Tablets were a big deal at last year’s CES, but this year is really their time to shine.  Now that everyone can get their hands on the open source Android 4.0 code, everyone can finally make a decent tablet.  We’ve already seen a lot of the expected from the old and the new.  Lenovo has a transformer clone coming (a good thing in my opinion).  There are the expected cheaper options, and then there is the new high end.  For android tablets the new hotness is a real HD screen.  New models from Acer and Lenovo, and a revised Transformer from Asus  all sport a 1920x1200 resolution.  The effective resolution will be 1080p once you consider the omnipresent menu bar in ICS.  Also making an appearance are a couple waterproof models.

Televisions:

Last year everyone was pushing 3D, now it’s just another expected feature in all high end screens.  This year the manufacturers seem to be back to pushing how ‘smart’ their TVs are.  Lenovo and LG have put Android 4 into their sets, integrating it with their own platforms.  Still, if you really want some attention this year, you’ll have to look past HD and move on to Ultra HD, and for extra style points, get rid of the bezel.

Phones:

So far, most of the news around phones has been pretty standard.  Of course, phones continue to grow in size, with new phones being announced at sizes from the 5.3” galaxy note on down.  We’ve gotten word of the first Tegra 3 powered android phone, which should be the first quad core smartphone to hit ht the market.  The Lumina 900 should be hitting AT&T, sporting a 4.3” screen and an LTE radio.  Also, it seems HTC took some of my advice to heart and is re-releasing the Titan with a camera to rule them all: a 16-Megapixel monstrosity.

That sums up most of what we’ve seen from the first day of this CES, and most companies haven’t had a chance to really strut their stuff yet.  There is certainly more to come.