Comment: Intel proves out of sync with world

Here we are in Berlin at the Intel Developer Forum and there are big video screens on the stage. But when Sean Maloney waves his hands on stage, his gigantic image behind him doesn't move.

A quarter of a second later, it does; and the effect is very distracting.

And what makes it even stranger is that his radio microphone is perfectly synchronised with his lips, but the face on the big screen is a quarter of a second out of sync.

I've never seen a major conference centre do this before; it has the effect of making the place feel like it's living in the past. And the same applies to the wireless LAN.

Yes, there is a WLAN here. Well of course there is - this is 2003, and it's Intel's biggest show for Europe. And it is showcasing Centrino, with built-in wireless - reporters even get Centrino-based Sony Vaio notebooks for the duration of the show. Brilliant, except... the WLAN isn't connected to the internet.

I did ask why, because it was hard to believe that Intel couldn't provide a connection. Intel finally admitted, it was deliberate. "The keynote is a time for you to listen to the presentation, not to do your email, sorry if this offends," said an Intel executive.

It's something I've heard before, and it's hopelessly out of date. More time lag, in fact. The modern internet-enabled conference is with us.

People expect to be able to look up references while making notes. They expect to be able to pull down background, to discuss things on the chatlines, and even to be able to post notes to their blogs.

If you fear people will be more interested in reading email than in your presentation, there is a solution, guys. Improve your presentation!

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