I love surprises. Here in Boston on other business, I decided to attend a press luncheon for Sun Microsystems. "To show how the publishing and advertising industries use Java," the notice read. Little did I know the luncheon was a small event tucked into a huge four-day publishing convention put on by Seybold Seminars. Minutes after entering the Hynes Convention Center, I could see it was wall-to-wall with very product and device known to the publishing industry.

I found the Sun event, stayed and took notes, then made a beeline to the registration office to ask about seeing the entire show. I convinced the powers that be that I was indeed an official reporter from AOL's Motley Fool, and was soon given a press pass. Then, badge and purple ribbon in place, I forged ahead into the last-day crowd.

If you've ever done the Louvre in an hour, you know how I felt. I gave the Adobe booth five minutes and felt as though I'd slighted the Mona Lisa. Criminal, I know. The same with IBM and Linotype-Hell, The Raft of the Medusa and Venus Rising, respectively. With my list of "Hot Picks" in hand, I glanced at a few more booths and hurried on. Scitex was everywhere. Their Presspoint and IRIS REALIST each won awards. Ten minutes each, that was all, then I grabbed the literature and continued on.

But what were these huge prints, I wondered. A 50" print of Jackson Hole's Teton Mountains emerged as if by magic. I glanced up. "A.B. Dick," the sign said. Ah, the distributor, I thought. But whose printer? "Encad," the man said. I asked if they were at the show, and no sooner had he nodded and said "upstairs" than I was off. Or, almost off. First I had to get past the Monets and Van Goghs--- 3M's Rainbow Color Proofing Systems, Dicomed's Bigshot digital cameras, Fractal Design's painting tools---all of them mesmerizing.

I gave them each fifteen minutes, and by then knew I'd be lucky to get to Encad before the show closed.

I heard a guy talking about IPX servers. You don't even know what they are, I reminded myself as I hurried on. Passing scanners of every shape and configuration, I made a mental note to ask around for the best play on that market. I certainly didn't have time to compare them here. I glanced at PhotoDisc's display and wished I could ask questions. When I saw the Scitex display and then Dicomed, with its digital cameras, I allowed myself a few minutes in each since they'd both won "Hot Pick" awards.

A half hour to closing and I finally came to the Encad booth. What a display! Three wide-format laser printers hummed away, each weaving what looked like magic. From one glossy print of a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, to a series of photos done as one, to a smiling baby print, I could see the printers' many possibilities. If I were in the poster business, I'd be worried. These machines are bound to blow older, slower, more expensive processes out of the water.

Encad's Director of Marketing, Leela Moore, told me they were set to do eight more conventions this year, both here and abroad and that the one in Europe would be three times the size of COMDEX.

If ENCD's stock jumps five points with each show, as it did with this one, I may want to consider buying a few shares. Let's see, my flight arrives in San Diego Sunday night, I told myself as I waited at the curb for a taxi. I can run the numbers before going to bed, phone in my order first thing in the morning. . .

"Taxi!---the Ritz on the Park," I told the driver as he opened the door. Then settling in and buckling my seatbelt, I glanced at my purple press badge and smiled. Not bad! I thought. You came to a simple press luncheon and discovered an Investors' Feast.