Greatest show on earth

IF a precise word doesn't exist to describe something, the ever efficient Germans just create a new one. Thus they have invented Nicht Computerfreak to describe the type of person who doesn't ardently believe that this week is at the very centre of the galactic calendar.

That's because there is nowhere else to be at this nanosecond but Hannover in Germany, where CeBIT opened its doors on Thursday. It is the largest computer exhibition in the world, with 6,500 exhibitors, 700,000 expected visitors, and a small private army of 8,000 journalists in attendance. A visitor eager - or foolish enough - to visit every one of the 26 halls spread out over this most amazing of exhibition complexes would have to walk at least seven kilometres. I Comfortable shoes are a must.

Major players in the industry vie with up and coming smaller companies to show their wares, plug new products and snipe at the competition, in the regularly scheduled press conferences and open to the public - "corporate lectures".

A walk through the massive halls, each dedicated to a different aspect of computing, quickly gives an overview of what's hot and what's not. If a word is buzzing at CeBIT, the likelihood is that it will become mainstream very, very soon.

And the buzzwords this year are Internet, multimedia, and networking. Or, more precisely, the real buzz is the extent to which all three areas now intermesh. Networking no longer refers to anything as passe as a LAN or WAN (oh, please), but to the ability of an individual - most intriguingly, even a totally mobile individual - to access the company system, the Internet, and e mail, and then run multimedia demonstrations for clients off a laptop.

Powerful laptops

Nokia and other manufacturers were showing tiny mobile phones that can be plugged into a laptop for Internet or Internet access. These can receive a power boost from little holders which enhance their signal strength.

With the new cleverly power conserving RISC and Pentium chips, laptops can now run full multimedia applications. Even data intensive applications will now run efficiently on a laptop. Thus, a range of PC makers were exhibiting laptops with full multimedia capabilities. Intel was pushing its new 133 MHz Pentium chips, which pack 33 million transistors on an area the size of a child's fingernail. Sharp's new PC-9030 and 9070 models feature some stunning advancements in LCD (liquid crystal display) screen technology, with 65,536 colours.

Multimedia hardware and software displays received pride of place on stands - although "stand" is an inadequate word to describe IBM's huge complex in hall one, for example.

Crowds gathered around their elaborate Olympics 1996 display land to sit in on their stage presentation. As the official technology partner in this year's Olympics, "Big Blues" is eager to show off its multimedia touchscreens and Web pages designed for the event. The intricacies of timekeeping and score displays were explained in German or English for attendees.

The Internet was everywhere, too - woe betide the few unhip large companies that didn't provide a free access cybercafe which all drew enthusiastic crowds. Oracle's big Harley Davidson motorcycles flagged the new Internet service Europe Online and invited visitors to "ride the information highway".

Java demos

Some sites you'd expect to have been most exciting failed to deliver. Sun had only two terminals to demonstrate its much talked about new Java technology, which allows Web users to download mini applications, or "applets", to run enhanced features on a Web site. While the "ticker tape" news delivery site - on which a continuous stream of real time news typed itself out on screen - demonstrated how innovative this technology is, only a handful of developer types gathered to ask the demonstrator questions.

And Apple had a very subdued presence. Opting for a Power Park site that gathered together its product partners, Apple itself became somewhat lost in the crowd. However, visitors packed its demonstration theatre and spilled onto the main walkway, demonstrating that, as usual, Mac applications were some of the most innovative and exciting.

The award for the ultra coolest example of minimalist stand design went to Vebacom, whose Zooropa like television displays lured the trendily dressed. But, as one German exhibitor put it, "The best part of CeBIT happens here after the doors close for the night."

That was proven in a particularly Irish way in hall 21, where Dublin company Trintech hosted one of the more popular parties on the opening night. With a live jazz band interspersed with Van Morrison's latest CD, Trintech's 10th anniversary celebration drew happy crowds of Germans or the flown in Galway Bay oysters and Guinness. Even managing director Cyril McGuire did his time pulling pints. And the Guinness certainly proved a greater draw than any cybercafe.