Conferenza Premium Reports - DemoMobile 2002

The Oyster from Tcom International Inc. is neither wireless, nor is it a mobile device. It was just a piece of plastic, but it was impressive enough to win a Demo God Award, and was among the most discussed products at the show. It looks like its shellfish counterpart, with the side you open pointing up when it sits on top of your desk. You take a notebook computer of any size, open it to 180 degrees, and insert it into the Oyster. Your laptop screen is now at the correct eye level.

Oyster contains a four-port USB hub. The usual rear of your computer is now repositioned to be much more accessible. Oyster claims to eliminate the need for an add-in monitor and port replicator, and reducing desktop real estate. It’s also the best wire manager we’ve seen. You still need to plug in a keyboard, however.

The hallway consensus, though, was that the product was over-priced. On Day #1 it was at $250. On Day #2 it had atrophied to $199. Conferenza has since heard from Eric Thompson, Tcom’s CEO and Oyster’s inventor, that the price is being reconsidered. Smart move, we think.

In the end the market will obviously decide its price, unfortunately with reckless disregard for the cost of goods sold. Tcom is actually in the satellite business, having helped the U.S. find Taliban in Afghani caves, so we wonder what the future is for this product-line non-sequitur. If nowhere else, perhaps it will find its future in a museum or art gallery: The Oyster is a thing of beauty.

By Shel Israel

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