Executives from Pure Digital Technologies, its maker, visited Las Vegas last year but kept to their hotel, briefing retailers on the device. The company introduced the camera in June with a television ad campaign, and stellar word of mouth landed it in the hands of an enthusiastic Oprah Winfrey on her show in October.

Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Electronics Association, which runs the show, said sales of recent hit products pale in comparison to the revenue from broad categories like high-definition televisions, which are a big part of the CES scene.

But many products introduced here, rather than representing quantum leaps, are incremental enhancements or important technical changes that may not register immediately with consumers.

That incremental approach is perhaps one reason that news from last year’s electronics show was definitively drowned out by a much smaller gathering — Macworld in San Francisco, where Apple introduced the iPhone.

“Apple stole CES last year as its message was simple and succinct,” said Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group. “CES does not have a crystal-clear message. There’s too much information, and it looks like you have to get a PhD to get these things to work.”

Todd Thibodeaux, senior vice president for industry relations at the Consumer Electronics Association, said the big issues at this year’s show would revolve around the marriage of hardware and content. Consumer electronics makers, he said, will unveil and pursue partnerships with cable, satellite and phone providers, as well as media companies. “It’s the biggest comparison-shopping floor in the world of consumer electronics,” Thibodeaux said. “In terms of major innovations, there are more than ever.”

... contd.