Kurt Scherf, Contributor

Tablets are seriously denting the sale of personal computers, and 2012 may have been the first time in 11 years that sales actually decreased. Shortly after CES, Intel reported its 4Q 2011 earnings, and its profit dropped 27%. The company cited slowing PC demand among other factors contributing to this drop.

PC makers are putting their hopes in the recently-launched Windows 8 operating system with its focus on touchscreen capabilities and emphasis on more portable forms of computing (such as tablets and notebooks) to spur sales. Interestingly enough, CES 2013 was the first show in many years where Microsoft did not exhibit or provide a keynote, although CEO Steve Ballmer made an appearance at Qualcomm’s keynote to speak about Microsoft’s Windows RT (mobile phone operating system) and the aforementioned Windows 8.

Companies such as Acer, Dell, Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba were all demonstrating convertible computers. They have touchscreen displays and keyboards and can be flipped over and used as tablets.

Kurt Scherf, Contributor, has attended 13 out of the last 14 Consumer Electronics Shows in Las Vegas and tracked the news and developments remotely this year. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the 2013 CES was the largest in terms of physical space (1.92 million square feet), with attendance of more than 150,000, with 35,000 people from 170 countries outside the U.S. While plenty of column space was dedicated to the companies that weren’t in attendance in an official capacity (Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Research In Motion, to name a few), there is always enough excitement in the new year about consumer electronics developments to cover.