The big news at Spring IDF 2008, held in Shanghai, China, is that there is no really new news, ironically enough.

HEXUS has been sitting through numerous keynotes and tech sessions, wearing out our collective soles (or should that be souls? - ed), looking for new, interesting stories to report on. After all, according to Intel's Pat Gelsinger, IDF is a geekfest that makes for a perfect environment in which to discuss and disseminate the very latest technology.

We know pretty much all that Intel will tell us on Nehalem and Larrabee's final specifications still remain a mystery. MIDs - and the Atom processor - have been discussed ad nauseam, and no juicy new details have been forthcoming on any upcoming Intel technology, really.

What's left, for the 300 or so international media, is to scrounge around to find a semi-interesting story, dress it up with enthusiasm, and present the facts that the informed reader will already know about.

When asked why so much IDF-oriented information on Nehalem was drip-fed weeks and months before the event, one Intel spokesperson indicated that: 'details were pre-released to ensure that the sizeable Chinese press contingent would be up to speed when at the event'. Still, we'd at least have expected to benchmark the new architecture, albeit in Intel-controlled conditions, of course.

Whatever the case, the egregious lack of new, tasty information and general sycophantic pandering towards China dictate that this IDF is, well, rather boring to report from.

Compare this with Fall 2007's IDF, where we benchmarked both the Skulltrail and Harpertown platforms.

Day two's calendar brings little joy to these tired eyes, but maybe these are just the musings of a jaded mind. Over 6,000 attendees have paid considerable sums to be here; they can't all be wrong, can they?

Has any Spring IDF 2008 announcement made you sit back and take notice, or do you agree that there's been little content worthy of widespread dissemination this time around, from the press' point of view?