The Spring Internet Show 2000-The Mac Presence

by Gary Coyne

The Spring Internet 2000 show at the Los Angeles Convention Center (April 3-7) was big this year. Very big. 296,000 square feet big (a football field is 18,000 square feet). According to the powers that be, this show had 850 companies exhibiting their wares. That means it was 72% bigger than the Spring Internet 1999 show and 5% bigger than the Fall Internet 1999 show. They claim they had 50,000 people attending the show. This means it was a good thing that there were that many exhibitors in the three halls they occupied because that many people in last year's two halls would have made it wwaayy to crowded. The show was often too crowded as it was.

There were three big pieces of news for Macophiles this year: (1) Apple <http://apple.com> chose to present a booth this year (their first) and chose to do it in a big way. They had a booth about the size of a small city. It was the biggest booth in the Show's four year history. (2) Steve Jobs was to have given the keynote speech on Wednesday the 5th. (3) Jobs pulled out of the keynote speech some two weeks before he was to have given the presentation.

To date, no one is saying why Jobs pulled out. At the Apple booth, no one was talking. Meanwhile Apple was showing OS X, QuickTime, and every flavor of Mac there was.

Besides the Apple booth, Macophiles didn't have to travel far to see more Macs. Four years ago there was one Mac on the show's floor. It was dismal. I was unable to attend three years ago, but last year there was a decided "Mac Presence." The Mac presence is genuinely on the upswing. The iMac had been out long enough for people to realize it was a great show computer. Essentially nothing to set up, just plug and play. There wasn't much software specifically marketed for the Mac, but many companies promised "it was weeks/months away." I don't know how many of them followed through on their promises, because many of the exhibitors presenting one year often do not show up the next year.

It's not cheap to have a booth at one of these shows. For many it's a bit like lighting up a torch hoping that if anyone sees it, and buys it, they may have what it takes to go on farther.

If there was an overriding theme last year it was of "Costcofication of web sites." That is, one place to buy all you need so everywhere you go you see all the same things. (Sort of like Costco, where all the restaurants buy their napkins and salad dressing so every restaurant you go to has the same napkins and salad dressing.) But pleasantly it didn't work. All of the pre-made animations, cookie-cutter web sites, and other items to make you make your web site with ease just didn't catch on.

I saw three themes this year. They were (1) getting your photographic images on the web, (2) let's have real-time web networking for everyone, and (3) getting your web site onto your phone and Palm Pilot. Next year we can take a look back and see if any of these were a success.

But back to Macs: this year, outside of the Apple booth, the second greatest concentration of Macs were to be seen at the Adobe booth<http://adobe.com>. They must have had at least 10 or more, and maybe 2 PCs. If there is any question as to the value of the Mac to Adobe, just look at what they bring to a trade show. They also showed their newest stuff: GoLive 5 and Illustrator 9, both alpha and beta versions respectively, only on Macs.

Macromedia <http://www.macromedia.com> on the other hand was only showing their products (Dreamweaver, Freehand, Fireworks, Flash, etc.) on PCs They did have one Mac that I could see, but their emphasis was on the PC. To their credit, whenever a product is released, it is always released on the Mac and PC concurrently. They don't ignore the Mac, they just don't seem to want to show it off.

The most annoying shock, as I prowled the floor, was seeing the (almost) blue of an iMac. As I walked up to see what the exhibitor was selling, I wondered what was wrong with the iMac until I realized it was an eMachine. If you haven't seen one of these rip-offs in person yet, trust me, these are real cheap looking machines.

Last year Microsoft <http://microsoft.com> had a BIG booth. This year they didn't have a booth per se, but rather a large collection of companies they "assist." Their area comes out like a little Microsoft village of Microsoft applications instead of a BIG MICROSOFT region. Besides, this year Apple did that. What was interesting with all this was that no one was handing out MS Internet Explorer and Outlook Express CDs for either the Mac or the PC.

Netscape <http://netscape.com> was handing out the new version 6 of Netscape Communicator for the Mac and the PC on a single CD. Considering how recently they released v. 4.7.2, I was totally unprepared for this. However, it turns out to be a developer edition, so the software is rather shaky. Early reports on version 6 seems to imply that Netscape was also somewhat unprepared to release the new version. Better to hang on for version 6.0.1 (2, 3, 4?).

But my job was clear this year (as in years past)--look for the Mac presence. I was looking for it in two ways: If the software was web based and not platform specific but the exhibitor chose to present it on a Mac (even if there was a PC in the booth), I would credit them. This meant if it could be seen on a Mac but they chose to not demonstrate how cool their site was by displaying such, I would never know because I walked on by. Additionally, if they had hardware/software specifically written for the Mac, I would take special note of their product.

So, below is what I found this year. There is no order in this presentation, it is listed here as it came out of my notes. There may be some additions to this list in the future if those who have no Mac version of their product, but promised a Mac version, get the word to me like they promised. The clock is ticking.

Companies mentioned above are not re-listed below, and of those companies below, if I left anyone out or presented someone that I shouldn't have, I truly apologize. If the web address' are wrong, it's what I could find. Covering 850 exhibitors is not an easy chore, and I've the sore feet to prove it. However, if you happen to peruse this list and see something that appeals to you, when you contact this company, say you saw the product here at AppleLinks.com. They may remember this short guy asking them all these questions and it will all come together for them. And they will be showing a Mac again next year.

Companies that made software for Macs

Simply Postage: iMac to show their software/hardware: Prints postage directly from a PC or Mac to their combo scale and postage printer. Plugs into USB, but has its own drivers, so you don't need to go back and forth to chooser when printing letters and mail. You pre-purchase your postage, and every time you print out postage, it subtracts it from your payment. You can also print postage when your printer is turned off. <http://www.simplypostage.com>

Q-Research: Used a Mac: Their software allows the user to fiddle with pictures to correct color balance, hue, intensity, contrast, etc. without knowing what they are doing. The interface is so simple it's almost intimidating for control freaks. On the left of your screen you see the original image, on the right is PhotoGenetics' first stab at how to correct the photo. Between the two is a strip selector where the user clicks on how much they like or dislike the image on the right compared to the image on the left. If the image is better, it moves to the left and a new version is up on the right. If it is not as good, it gets tossed aside and a new image attempt is brought up. Once the final image is obtained, it can be saved. If any further tweaking is desired, the user can always bring in Photoshop or the like to compress the image or any other desired enhancements. <http://www.q-res.com>

ACD Systems: used an iBook: product is ACDSee-- a fast full featured image viewer that lets you find & organize images and sound clips. Has an on-screen slide show capabilities and supports most image formats. <http://www.acdsystems.com>

iPIX: had a Mac: <http://www.ipix.com> offers Rimfire <http://www.pictureworks.com> and Panoscan <http://www.panoscan.com>. Rimfire provides easy access for companies to add pictures to their own websites and Panoscan REQUIRES a G4 for stitching together their pictures for making QTVR movies. (The PCs are not fast enough.)

Web Crossing: Mac: Server-based software that can be used for conferencing software, bulletin boards, mailing lists, etc. runs on just about every platform including Mac OS and OS X. Provides dynamic web pages and database on the fly. By using different passwords, different types of views may see different aspects (or looks) of the same site even though the content is the same. <http://webcrossing.com>

Ecrix: Mac (and in their press kits): VXA is a tape backup system that holds a whopping 66 GB of capacity (transfer of 6 MB/sec). What makes their product different from previous tape systems is that instead of a single band of data for the magnetic tape head to read, the information is broken into smaller packets for (they claim) no chance of not being able to be read. This prevents loss of data due to tape stretching. Available for SCSI, soon will be FireWire, and they are considering USB--if you like this, let them know!! <http://www.ecrix.com>

FileMaker: Mac: The database firm has made less additions to their banner product in regard to database actions but major strides to develop web based database solutions. <http://www.filemaker.com>

Companies that used Macs to show their product (no software necessary other than a browser)

The Creative Group: Used B&W to show their site: Connects web designers with people who need web sites <http://creativegroup.com>

ememories.com: Used a B&W to show their site: for sharing photos online: you either send undeveloped film and the pictures are up and shown on the web. You and your friends select which ones you want pictures of. You can also upload digital pictures as well. <http://ememories.com>

Kablink: Shown on a B&W Mac: Kablink provides a web "community" by "helping members correspond by sharing imagery--of places, hobbies, and commerce" by providing an easy way to get your pictures on the web. There are three levels of membership depending on needs, the lowest is free and provides 20 megs of free space. <http://www.kablink.com>

Shutterfly.com, shown on a Mac: Shutterfly.com provides the ability to upload pictures for friends and family to view and order copies. They have a Mac version of their upload client. <http://www.shutterfly.com>

You've Got Pictures (Kodak and AOL): Mac: Take your regular photos to a Kodak processor and click on the "You've Got Pictures" box and within 48 hours (and $5.95) your pictures will appear on your AOL account. <http://aol.com>

WebCatalog Builder: had an iMac: entry level e-commerce builder for small firms. Client can either fax and/or electronically send in info to them and they will build site. Varying prices depending on need. From SmithMicro Software <http://www.webcatalogbuilder.com>

ems: iMac: provides the merchant account for e-commerce sites. <http://www.emscorporate.com>

MyInternetDesktop.com: iMac: This site provides a series of software for your computer via a website. Imagine a word processor, calculator, address book, calendar, task manager--all the programs you probably already have on your computer. But what about your webTV or Sega entertainment center? This is where this site can be very handy. <http://myinternetdesktop.com>

Internet Wire: iMac: Maintains targeted audiences for sending press releases from their clients. This is not spam. <http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/home>

GoTo.com: bunch of iMacs: Search engine that provides comparison shopping and comparison auction shopping. <http://goto.com/>

AllPlaza.com: iMacs: consumers can compare and find prices, gather coupons, order catalogs, sales, sweepstakes, free stuff and buy online. (Goes online on April 30) <http://allplaza.com/>

FatTraffic: iMacs: search engine stuffer: The client pays to get their sites higher in the search engines listings. Expensive, but can be worth it for big business. <http://www.fattraffic.com>

ClickPrint: iMac: If you have a small printing company and want to offer more services, check out ClickPrint. They can provide the basics of a print shop (envelopes, letterhead, cards) and some other items (mouse pads, sportswear, magnets, etc.) <http://clickprint.com/>

True Internet Color: iMac: used to assist verification that overcomes discrepancies between individual browser's screens and the original server's colors intentions. Requires a one-time calibration by user and then the browsers cookies do the rest. Only works when host computers (i.e., department stores or other on-line sellers) have it on their servers, otherwise, no change <http://www.ecolor.com>

Virtual Relocation.com: iBooks: Portal to help someone relocate. Has search engines for jobs, real estate, moving & storage, etc. <http://www.virtualrelocation.com>

iTransact.com: Mac: Develops the back end of e-commerce sites so people can plug it into their sites. <http://www.itransact.com>

findwhat.com: iMacs: This search engine has less dead links because the click-throughs are paid for. <http://www.findwhat.com>

NetCreate: Macs: StyleMaker is a web site and web content generator allowing users to build and maintain robust web sites using a browser interface. <http://www.netcreate.net>

Tachyon.net: iMac: Two-way high performance internet access via satellite. This is generally for business' or people with too much money--but it's worth it. Requires a satellite receiver that is about one by one-half meter. You pay for what you want and the three types of service are 300 Kbps -> 800 Kbps -> 2 Mbps. <http://www.tachyon.net>

varhosting.com: iMac: a web hosting affiliate program. Looks like you are in the business of hosting a service. Works with Unix, Linux, NT, and OS X. <http://wwwl.varhosting.net>

Breiter Concepts: iMacs: full service advertising, front and back ends. <http://www.breiter.com>

LizardTech (MrSID): Mac: Not a jpg, gif, or png, but still works on the web and somehow provides up to 4 times the original image resolution. You can zoom in and see detail that otherwise would be invisible on the web. <http://www.lizardtech.com>

Quantified Systems: Macs: program is called Urchin, which is a web reporting system. You provide to it your server logs, and it makes its reports from them. <http://www.urchin.com>

MacMall: iMac: the Macintosh warehouse was there and used a Mac to show it off. <http://macmall.com>

YoYoMail: bunch of iMacs: free email and if you click on one of the adds it also gives you money for people who you recommend when they click through. <http://www.bz.com>

Zap (business communication systems, Inc.): powerbook: email into digital phones via Sprintand Palm units via 3-com satellites. The system permits direct exchange of messages, data, and information independent of location--and in real time. They use Macs because they like them. <http://www.zapbcs.com>

ESM (Electronic Stock Markets): iBook: This company is near Hamburg Germany and Hamburg is a well known Mac-friendly city. The web site is used to register, buy and sell stocks. This site is already well used in Germany. <http://www.edde-terram.de>

Cobalt Networks: iMac: The Cobalt line provides server appliances to provide an in-house network server, web and virtual hosting environments, a caching solution for too much network traffic, and an attached storage device for extra massive storage capability. Works with most OSs including Mac OS. <http://www.cobalt.com>

Enfish: (no Macs-see later): Enfish Tracker Pro enables users to find information no matter how it was created. There is no Mac version and they are looking for a Mac team to make the Mac version of their product. Contact Louise J. Wannier if you are into heavy programming <louise@enfish.com> <http://www.enfish.com>

SmartShip.com: Macs: Several years ago UPS provided special software so shippers could track their packages anywhere. It was only available for the PC. Now, UPS provides the same capabilities on the web, but SmartShip can ship your packages via UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc. and provides browser support for all, Mac and PC. Works for me. <http://www.smartship.com>

Wholetree.com: Mac: They provide language support for tech support firms. Similar to going to a companies faq web site, their software translates a question into the host's language. Then the tech support selects the answer best suited for the problem and drags it into an answer area. The software then takes the answer and translates it into the questioner's language. If it's a new question, they help you create the proper translation. <http://wholetree.com>

Kizna: Mac: Provides users to create, participate, and maintain applications for live, real-time group interactive communications. Shared platforms via Mac, PC, and Linux using Netscape, IE, and AOL browsers. <http://www.kizna.com>

QuickTeam (by Thoughtstar): Mac: Offers an online workspace where people can communicate about, collaborate on, and contribute to an ongoing team project. Provides chat, paging, whiteboard, threaded discussions, voting and surveys, etc. <http://www.thoughtstar>

e-Catalyst (from Primix): Mac: Provides e-business solutions for big companies. They claim they did the back end of Apple's site. I haven't confirmed this. <http://www.primix.com>

KachinaNet.com: Mac: Develops server technology that streamlines content and commerce delivery. KachinaGuide provides web site managers the ability to deliver content and commerce that is relevant to what the end user is seeking. <http://www.hachinanet.com>

etown.com: Mac: Provides "a consumer's best resource" for comparison shopping, looking for product profiles, and product reviews. <http://www.etown.com>

wildbrain.com: Macs: a source for animation for the web. At their site you will find The Digital Drive-in with 12 episodes of "Glue." They do all their work in Flash on Macs. They think they have a PC for the accountant at their facilities, but they weren't sure. <http://wildbrain.com>

Hardcloud: Macs: A web site specializing in "extreme sports." <http://www.hardcloud.com>

Solution Central: iMacs: A web site that lists IT professionals and matches them up with those who need them. <http://www.solutioncentral.com>

November 21, 2008