Tablet & Touch Community Gathering @ CES 2009 January 10, 2009

Annual Tablet PC & Touch Community Gathering at CntrStg Suite

Enthusiasts, users, OEMs, ISVs, IHVs are invited to attend the sixth annual Tablet PC & Touch Community Gathering. The gathering takes place during 2009 International CES. It has been an excellent place for people to share information about new products, tips on existing products, and enjoy meeting people involved in the community.

Giveaways & Sponsorship:
Companies have offered to give away products in random drawings. If your company is interested in either giveaway or sponsorship, please email Lora to make arrangements.

Is there a cost?
In the past we've been extremely lucky in that companies have sponsored the event. However, this is a community driven event and we can't count on this, so please plan to contribute some money for appetizers and drinks.

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FAQs

Can I bring a friend or spouse?
Yes! Please RSVP and provide full name.

Do I have to be registered for CES to attend?
If you’re a Tablet or Touch technology - including Multi-Touch - enthusiast and would like to attend, you’re welcome to join us. You do not need a CES badge to attend.

Can we demonstrate our new Tablet PC, all-in-one PC with touch, UMPC, MID, netbook with touch, smartphone, Surface application, multi-touch application, etc?
Yes. People love to see the new products from the show floor, so be sure to bring them with you. There isn’t a formal demo or exhibit area. People generally pass around the unit and have in-depth conversations with the crowd of people that will inevitably form to “oooh and ahhh” around it.

We usually set up a table for brochures and drawing box for giveaways. You’re welcome to set items out here too.

Can our company come if it’s not a “Microsoft” PC?
Yes! If your company considers your product a tablet, umpc, MID, netbook, etc. please come and share. Also, if your company is considering adding a digitizer to your product for touch or pen support definitely come because this enthusiastic group is exactly who you need to get to know.

Who attends?
The 2003 gathering was shoving room only in the V-bar. The highlight was that several members of the original Microsoft Tablet PC development team came, and gave us early copies of Lonestar (codename for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005). There was a rumor that Bill Gates would come, but it was only a rumor and one that has somehow continued each year. Sorry, folks, I'm not sure how to actually pull that one off.

We have been honored by many, including: the CEO of Electrovaya, CEO of Motion Computing, CEO of TabletKiosk, representatives from FIC, ASUS, Gateway, HP, Intel, Acer, Toshiba, OQO, VIA, Intel, Samsung, and Otterbox, Microsoft, Mobile Demand, and many more. People from software companies attend, which is tribute since CES is primarily a hardware conference :)

Plus, friends whose names you know from blogs, review sites, podcasts, videocasts, and ink shows have attended, including: James Kendrick, Linda A. Epstein, Terri Stratton, Chris Hassler, Kevin Tofel, Chris Pirillo, Robert Scoble, Buzz Bruggeman, Chris de Herrera, Rob Bushway, Warner Crocker, Matt Faulkner, Sierra Modro, Jake Ludington, and many, many more.

Oh, yes and the Heiny family -- Loren, Layne, Bob, Joan, and I plan to attend this year.

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