LAS VEGAS -- Not to dwell too much on this, but the power of Bill Gates to draw a crowd, particularly at this show, is underscored this morning.

I'm in the same cavernous room waiting for Consumer Electronics Association head Gary Shapiro and Motorola's Ed Zander to give keynote presentations. There was no crush of tech humanity crowding the doors. People are calmly strolling around, picking from among the 4,000 chairs.

Last night, people were practically sitting on each other's laps and standing up in the back. Granted, Gates' keynote took place in the evening, while the big show floor was closed.