@jscott418 It's after the Holidays because the devices being showcased are limited quantities of NEXT YEARS MODEL!!! They won't be ready for shipment for at least 6 months.
It's precisely because it's just after the Holidays that they want the store buyers (who are the only people who matter at CES) to see their wares and place advanced orders.
Pundits, Reporters, Technogeeks and other attendees like them are just the detritus of the industry. For what CES is intended to be, it will go on just fine if Jason and his peers don't go. But, the stores will continue to go and try to figure what they want to actually buy. Often the buyers want to be able to actually try the devices before they order $30,000,000.00 worth. Given the scope of the orders, that is why there is so much swag there.
CES won't end, but the general public attendance just might.
Microsoft and Apple are not going because they are not a good fit for that show. Apple because it isn't for general sales. Microsoft on the other hand is a software vendor primarily. It's niche is computers and video games. Only a small subset of the offerings that CES is looking at.
Their attendance is not required for the success of the show.
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