It's all up for grabs...

The retail arm of Gitex, Computer Shopper 2004, on from October 2 to 8 at the Airport Expo, will host leading local and regional IT vendors and offer some of the best deals on computer hardware, software, peripherals, multimedia and a wide range of products and services. More than 150 exhibitors representing 500 companies are scheduled to exhibit their wares at Computer Shopper 2004, making this year's edition the largest and most comprehensive IT retail event in the region till date.

Over 80,000 potential buyers from across the region are expected to attend and vendors are preparing to showcase some of their latest and most exciting products for them. Looking at the exhibition's burgeoning pan-Arab profile and the experience of earlier companies of a record consumer and business visitor numbers, more than twenty new exhibitors are participating in this Shopper.

Acer, HP, BenQ, Samsung, Sony, and many others, along with their local distributors, will be exhibiting a wide range of new convergence devices and home networking solutions. Globally, the home automation industry is growing quickly and homes that will be using digitally networked appliances are sure to become realities, more so in this region than others.

Home entertainment

Leading global and regional companies such as HP, Acer, Sony, Dell, Microsoft, JVC, Samsung, BenQ, Jumbo, Jacky's, Plug-Ins, Emirates Computers, CompuMe, Eros Electricals, Grand Stores and Cellucom have all expanded their presence and have announced bundle offers and promotions for students.

Gitex Computer Shopper will see the global consumer electronics giant, Sony Corporation, showcasing an array of its eclectic new-generation digital product range at an exclusive, dedicated 'Sony World'. The latest in gaming, digital imaging and home entertainment, targeting mainly students, will be on display. There will also be competitions that will allow people to win prizes too. Jumbo Electronics has planned live demonstrations of all of its products where students can test and try products first hand before purchasing them.

Cosmos offers students and their parents a selection of the latest in digital cameras from Konica Minolta, digital video camcorders and LCD TVs from Sharp, and an envious consumer notebook line from Fujistu, which includes the latest AMD and Intel-based configurations, wireless LAN technology, wide screen displays, etc.

Jacky's Electronics, another major player participating in the exhibition, will be showcasing the latest digital cameras, MP3 players, laptops, mobile phones and other tools with special offers for students. Jacky's promotions will be particularly attractive for students during Gitex for its 'value bundle offers' ‹ combinations of complementary IT products.

Online quiz contest

Al Sayegh Brothers will showcase a wide range of their products at their stand with attractive prices and bundle offers for LG mobile phones, LG Plasma Display Panels, including a groundbreaking 71-inch screen, LCD televisions, DVD combinations, home theatre systems, Sharp and Iiyama screens and computer peripherals.

An online quiz contest on computer piracy has been launched at the Gitex Computer Shopper website http://shopper.gitex.com, allowing participants to win Dh 6,000 worth of software from Business Software Alliance (BSA) Middle East.

Telecommunication products, including key telephone systems and the latest in 3G technology mobile phones with enhanced features, will be another attraction at the Shopper. Almost all major players in the industry are planning to launch and display a variety of new products.

Cellucom, one of the premier distributors of mobile communication devices and accessories in the region and distributor for Pantech, Nokia and Sony Ericsson cellular phones in the UAE, is likely to offer new products from all three manufacturers, in addition to compatible software from its inhouse U-Club team.