Published by Adam Myatt on 07 May 2008
Exploring the Pavilion Floor at JavaOne 2008
The JavaOne Pavilion (basically a trade show and vendor demo space) is always an interesting experience. It’s a mix of IT geeks running around seeking out swag, vendors hawking the next great widget or framework, and interesting “attractions” littered throughout the space.
The obvious things you notice heading up the main aisle are the big sponsor vendors such as Intel, Oracle, etc.
Ever present and ready to discuss a technology…
Then there are always cool technologies on display that utilize Java in some way such as the Perrone Robotics autonomous vehicle.
Seen here are some of the electronics it runs in the trunk :
And of course, always something weird. This live action machine shot marbles through a series of pipes to test and try out real time Java technology.
And finally, and perhaps most bizarre, Intel’s oxygen bar. They touted the slogan as something similar to ‘ since oxygen is essential to life, so is Intel’ [reletive to computing life]. The picture below shows bubbling bottles of 90% oxygen with aromatherapy flavors mixed in. You were given a personal nose tube, slightly uncomfortable, but not too bad given the unique experience. If you haven’t tried it you should definitely try to stop by before the end of ther week.
After a few hours of walking the floor, gathering brochures, and scoping out specific vendors, I enjoyed I few beers and some food as part of the Pavilion Welcome Reception. I’m still amazed at how long the lines get at these things, but hey, it’s free beer at an IT conference!
