Even though Microsoft Windows still dominates the PC and laptop markets, Microsoft itself is no longer the leader in consumer tech innovation. It’s sad but appropriate that the company will no longer be kicking off the leading consumer electronics trade show.

1. January 16, 2012
batteryfast.co.uk
Google Will Leading The Charge in CES
2013
Google Will Leading The Charge in CES 2013 for Lenovo’s Yoga). And it’s a safe bet that most of
the smartphone manufacturers see Google Android
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laptop battery , Two way radio battery for Motorola gernaut. Windows Phone 7, good as it is, is too late.
CP040 , Sony NP-FH60 batteries
It would make sense for Google to get the 2013 CES
Not that many years ago, nearly every computing keynote spot. It was the most important vendor at
product on the CES exhibit floor ran Windows. this year’s show and it’s likely to be even more cri-
This year, that was not the case. Sure, the new “ul- tical to the CE industry next year.
trabooks” are Windows-powered, but Android is
everywhere else: intablets, in phones, and in TVs. Google rose to this position in CE by using the same
playbook as the company it’s displacing. As Micro-
soft did with Windows, Google now makes the ope-
rating system that every manufacturer knows how
to bake into its hot products and that developers like
to build for due to its expanding market footprint
and technical flexibility. In consumer computing,
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/google-will-leading-the-charge-in-ces-2013/
Microsoft perfected this virtual cycle, but in the new
era of mobile devices, it’s Google that’s doing the
best job implementing the model.
Will it be Google?
Even though Microsoft Windows still dominates Jason Oxman, senior vice president of Industry
the PC and laptop markets, Microsoft itself is no Affairs at the Consumer Electronics Association,
longer the leader in consumer tech innovation. It’s wouldn’t tell me who has been invited to give the
sad but appropriate that the company will no lon- keynote at CES 2013. But he did discuss with me
ger be kicking off the leading consumer electronics the process. CEA execs will decide on the “thema-
trade show. tic direction” for the 2013 show shortly after the
2012 show closes. Then they’ll extend invitations
After Apple, Google is leading the charge in consu- to speakers.
mer electronics. Apple doesn’t officially participate
in CES, leaving Google as the most influential plat- Another safe bet: the CEA isn’t going to determine
form company there. The most interesting tablet that the thematic direction for CES 2013 will in any
products at CES ran Android (examples: Asus 370T; way relate to portable PCs running Windows 8. Nor
Asus Transformer Prime; Samsung Galaxy Note, for any sensible 2013 theme (mobile computing,
while the the Windows-powered ultrabooks search, social computing, the cloud, or media), does
appeared pedestrian in comparison (except perhaps Microsoft sit at the head of the class.
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2. January 16, 2012
batteryfast.co.uk
Google Will Leading The Charge in CES 2013
At some point, a major manufacturer like Samsung,
Sony, LG, or Toshiba may manage to get real trac-
tion with an integrated media-sharing platform that
competes with Apple (they are all building them).
If it does, it could end up as a good keynote candi-
date. But as of CES 2012, these initiatives all seem
secondary to these manufacturers’ hardware lines.
They’re not as well integrated, or nearly as good, as
iTunes is with Apple TV, its iOS devices, and the Macs.
Apple, for its part, does participate in CES. The com-
pany sent hundreds of employees to CES this year.
Some reports called them “spies” because they were
quiet deal-makers and observers, not press-facing
flag-wavers. But if Apple sent spies, Google sent gene-
rals. Eric Schmidt and Marissa Meyer, for example,
both appeared on CNET livestreamed events. Google
is already laying the groundwork to dominate CES.
Next year, when Microsoft has neither the keynote
slot nor its mega-booth in the Central Hall (which
it did not renew), the company will do a similar
http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/google-will-leading-the-charge-in-ces-2013/
thing: It will send hundreds of employees and li-
kely “embed” them in the booths where Windows
8-running products are being pushed. But no matter
how ever-present Microsoft is in partner booths, it
won’t be able to control the message to the same
extent it would if it had a native exhibit. Microsoft
will be Apple-like in 2013.
The 2013 CES will belong to Google even if it doesn’t
get (or accept) the keynote spot. Google was the most
influential company at CES 2012, it’s arguably the
most important company for other CE vendors to
work with, and it deserves the top billing at CES 2013.
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