I’ve been going to COMEX almost as long as it’s been running. Here’s why I keep going back.

There is always a spike of excitement when I hear Comex is coming up.

Everyone there is looking for something a little different in tech, whether you’re focused on software or hardware, but I’ve always been a little more into the hardware side of things.

Tech, gadgets, and gizmos are a visceral, physical thing for me.

All keyboards were mechanical back then

The first computer I ever used was a Pineapple II.

If you’re wondering what the heck is a Pineapple, it was an Apple II clone that my Dad got to work and tinker with.

It was all heavy beige plastic and deep brown keys, the monitors glowed green and the computer had huge 5 ¼ floppy disk drives with a heavy locking clasp.

Ever since then, tech has been a hands-on experience for me.

I’ll admit that the software side of things is like witchcraft for me, I can just about still work a command line, but anything beyond that is an exercise in Google-fu.

Hands on

Hardware is more straightforward and tactile: go touch it, use it, get a feel for it, you’ve gone a long way to figuring out if a gadget is for you.

COMEX has been my go-to solution for this.

I’ve been a consistent attendee for more years than some of my younger colleagues have been alive.

I remember as a young boy heading to COMEX, dragged along by my Dad, and happily carting around printers on trolleys.

It has also been a unique showcase for Singaporean Tech, where the industrial policy that built Singaporean manufacturing met the Singaporean consumer.

It was the simplest way to know what local companies like Creative, and later Razer, or Prism, were up to, to sample their products, and to get a feel for their quality.

But it was also there where they stood shoulder to shoulder with the foreign competitors, never really needing to highlight their Singaporean origin, letting the quality of the offering speak for itself.

Creative tech

I will also forever have a soft spot for Creative.

I won’t forget my Dad coming home with what was one of the first generation sound cards, allowing the home PC to progress from simple beeps to a simulated orchestra.

Creative was one of the foundations that our modern understanding of personal computing is built on; from teleconferencing, to gaming, to doom scrolling through TikTok, there is a link somewhere to a Creative device or discovery.

Whether it's as simple as its Sound Blaster card enabling sound on computing devices, something we take for granted now.

But the first Creative product I bought was at COMEX, and I might not have bought it if I hadn’t been there: The Creative Zen MuVo (I think, it's been a while).

It was distinct from others, because it was small, and it was also a flash drive, and (relatively) cheap.

That little thing would follow me everywhere for the next few years, through my national service (no phones back then, but no one knew what a flash drive was, so it was allowed in), eventually passing away peacefully in a university dorm, far, far away.

See to Believe

It is a tale of discovery that repeats itself.

As tech progresses, you sometimes need to see things up close before you understand what the hype is about.

Take computer monitors and TV screens: you can read a ton of reviews that tell you about smoother moving images or deeper blacks, but trying to figure out what that means can be a little like imagining a new colour.

And sure, watching videos and looking at pictures can help, but nothing beats the walls of TVs at COMEX, going from booth to booth and looking at it yourself.

This was essentially what led me to discover another, by now, well-established Singaporean brand, Prism.

When I first saw them at a COMEX almost 10 years ago, they were a little-known upstart, offering midrange monitors at budget prices.

If you wanted to see their (then) online-only offerings, you had to head down to COMEX, which boasts such a plethora of monitors and projectors (and TVs!) that you will be spoilt for choice.

Nostalgia

COMEX has allowed me to make purchases in confidence, something that I’m happy to brave the crowds for.

And oh yes, if you are left wondering if you could get to witness a phenomenal tech piece or pieces of the old bygone era like my dad’s “Apple II”, you are in for a visual treat.

COMEX will be showcasing the juxtaposition of the old and new work set up (cue: chunky study table – anyone remember burning the midnight oil on this?).

So what is the first cherished piece of tech piece that you owned?

For me, it will always be my dad’s “Apple II”, it’s screen warm.

COMEX 2025

Date: Aug. 28 to 31, 2025

Time:

• Level 3: 11am to 9pm
• Level 4: 12pm to 9pm

Venue: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Raffles Boulevard Suntec City, Level 3 and 4.

For more information visit this link.

This branded article by Comex IT Group has reminded the author that he’s looking for a backup hard drive at a good price.

Top image via Comex