Nvision08 – Nvidia’s 3D Future Showcased

Day Three was much shorter and i was a bit annoyed that the final Keynote was at 3 PM – which meant there wasn’t much to do between noon, when the trade show closed – and the Keynote.  I spent the time making friends and contacts, and i met another Tech Editor Jose Carlos Valle, from Sao Paulo, Brazil – the creator of Meuseu do Computador [the Computer Museum].  He was there at Nvidia’s invitation and it showed the international scope of their trade show.  I can speak Portuguese from having traveled in Brazil, but his English was perfect.  He said he also enjoyed NVISION08 and he agreed with Nvidia’s future for 3D.

One thing that I did notice finally, was that there was no apparent security at NVISION08, anywhere.  Many of the attendees had backpacks, yet there were no lines and no searches.  I asked Nvidia representatives about this apparent oversight, and I was assured there was excellent security but that the other more severe measures were now considered unnecessary.  I found that refreshing if a little disconcerting.

Jensen did not address the final Keynote as advertised.  Instead, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of TV’s Mythbusters put on a demonstration purporting to show the difference between the “slow CPU” and the “super-fast GPU”, that I found overall silly and overdone.  Before their loud explosive conclusion using mass paintballs to create a “GPU-created Mona Lisa”, the final ceremonies were conducted and prizes given out to the Winners of the ESWC, Electronic Sport World Cup, the 202 new Guinness World Book holders, and to companies that Nvidia considered outstanding in furthering their 3D vision.  The Mythbusters guy’s demonstration literally ended with a bang and we were dumped into San Jose rush hour traffic at 4:30 PM.  Next time, it should end either earlier or later and the last day was a definite letdown, unless you were a real Mythbusters fan.
Overall, Nvidia gets a ‘B+’ from me for their NVISION08.  Sunday’s poor scheduling kept it from receiving a solid ‘A’.  In my opinion, it was a superb first effort at presenting a major trade show, and I look forward to covering NVISION09 for ABT’s first Anniversary, next year.  See you there!