CES 2009, Just Around the Corner, Play the Game

[MtnHermit]

The 2009 Consumer Electronic Show is the first week of January 2009. If it has a transistor in it, then it'll be at the show. For the sake of sanity, limit your guesses to GPS hardware and software. Also, try not to spend too much time on automotive GPS. Handhelds and geocaching should be the primary focus.

 

Bottom line, no rules, have fun with your CRYSTAL BALL. Impress any and all with your thought provoking ideas.

[MtnHermit]

Since Garmin is the 800-lb gorilla of the handheld GPS' world, I'll stick mainly to them.

 

The recent fire-sale on the Colorado either points to the end of the Colorado or a major revision. I'm in the major revision camp. I predict:

- The Colorado II will get the STM Cartesio chip (Oregon, Nuvi 2x5, PN-40), this will allow a major expansion of raster graphics.

- Garmin will offer a way to load Google Earth maps in the CO II and OR by extension, can you say $$$.

 

The high end eTrex's (Vista, Legend) will at last ditch the floppy rubber band and go to a a larger screen, in a design similar to the OR, but with buttons.

 

DeLorme will show a prototype of a large screen button PN-40, shipment 2H09 or later. Touchscreen will be CES 2010.

 

All the announcements by all other GPS manufactures will draw a big yawn.

[+Chrysalides]

What, no built-in film canister detector yet?

 

Hoping to see some wireless USB progress.

[NordicMan]

How 'bout adding bluetooth technology to seme of the existing GPSr's?

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Play MP3s? My MPEG videos? I'd really like to dump my Sandisk Sansa player!

[+StarBrand]

The Garmin Montana.

 

All the best bits of the Colorado and Oregon with a bright easy reading slightly larger touch screen and longer battery life.

[sanramonhunter]

Nuvi 560 with Bluetooth and Text-to-Speech.

[+g-o-cashers]

Ok, I'll bite...

 

Garmin will announce a new tool or version of Mapsource that will allow Colorado and Oregon users to load raster map data. It'll be announced as available in Q2 but we won't see it until September 2009.

 

A new Rino based on the Colorado hardware platform.

 

A new low end handheld based on the OR/CO software platform.

 

[+on2vegas]

Garmin New Jersey - GPS with an attitude.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Garmin New Jersey - GPS with an attitude.

I'll get one for Vinnie!

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Hey, in addition to the new gimmicks, gadgets and gizmo introductions, in these days of economic rollbacks, do you think that there will be a rollback of Booth Babes?

[+Airmapper]

I foresee GPS units jam packed with useless features for the true outdoors people, with focus on music & video, My Space, You tube, and cameras. They will talk and sing to you, tell you your hair needs to be done at the shop only 100ft away, or that your hungry for a double cheeseburger at Mikey D's, only .1 miles away! But if you want to find a Geocache it will beep and say unknown error.

 

These units will be difficult to load GPX files to, but will interface with i-Tunes wireless if you swipe your credit card down it's side. They will also bid for you on E-bay and Amazon.com will be built in there too.

 

We are in the heyday of GPS units. We have the toughest, most accurate, user friendly devices we will ever get. It's all down hill from here, grab a Garmin, Lowrance, or DeLorme while they last.

 

</rant></sarcasm>

[+dakboy]

Hey, in addition to the new gimmicks, gadgets and gizmo introductions, in these days of economic rollbacks, do you think that there will be a rollback of Booth Babes?

There's already a rollback of registrations for the show. CES used to fill every hotel room on The Strip. In recent years, it's been waning. I hear this year it's really, really bad.

[+on2vegas]

Hey, in addition to the new gimmicks, gadgets and gizmo introductions, in these days of economic rollbacks, do you think that there will be a rollback of Booth Babes?

There's already a rollback of registrations for the show. CES used to fill every hotel room on The Strip. In recent years, it's been waning. I hear this year it's really, really bad.

 

I second that. I keep get room offers at low rates for the times DURING the convention. Used to be the prices for rooms doubled or tripled during CES. For the love of all that is holy I hope the vendors have budgeted enough for booth babes. I know a couple of vendors that have pulled their floor commitment and are doing invitation only meetings at the hotels. Should make walking the floor that much easier.