🚀 go-pugleaf

        Everyone seems convinced that not much happened at MacWorld.  Untrue!
I was working for the only authorized DEALER at the show, over in the World
Trade center, and I think some of those out there might like to hear what
the white badge people thought...
        Loading was fun {insert sarcasm}.  The union decided that it wanted
to use all of the loading docks, including the self-loading bay, so they swung
in about 5 18-wheelers, making it nearly impossible for non-union people
to move equipment, supplies, and stock into the show.
        Once the show started, it was pretty apparent that people weren't buying
as much as they were last year in Boston.  The biggest sellers were the
HP DeskWriter (by far) at $775, and the Articulate Voice Navigator at $999,
or $1395 for the XA version.  Second best was Gravis' Thingi II.  If you don't
know what it is, don't worry.  Memory (80 ns low-profile Samsung) sold well
at $125 a pop.  Books of all kinds did well, but  nearly all the software
we stocked (about 100 titles) flopped.  SAM was the most-requested piece,
just as Kowasaki's was the most requested book.
        In all, though, sales were low.
        I think capitolism hit an all-time low when I paid $1.50 for a can
of Coke up in the Food Pavilion.
        Jackie from Jasmine still owes me a date.
        When it was all over, the hell (or should I say flood?) began. Most
people missed the REAL rain, as it started at about 3:30 on Saturday... just
in time for breakdown and move-out.  Most people out there probable have an
idea of how well electronic components, cardboard, and HEAVY rain mix. The
union seemed to make an executive decision that none of them should get wet,
so they made the loading docks the tea house and took a 4 hour coffee break.

        But we did make it out eventually, and it's over.  I never really got
out of my own booth, but from where I stood MacWorld was something I could
have done better without...

        ... But then again it was a hell of alot of fun.

[Sorry, your nifty .sig file has been deleted in an anti-establishment fit
of malevolence]

-James.Osborne@Mac.Dartmouth.EDU

P.S. I didn't mention the name of the company I worked for because I didn't
want to make any misguided people out there think I was advertising.