Microsoft may have exited gadget show prematurely.

Full disclosure:  I haven't finished reading the entire article.

I've scratched my head a bit about Microsoft's partial withdrawal from CES, but I think it has to do with audience.  I think CES is a gadget show, and its intended audience is geeky end-users who want to be on the bleeding edge of consumer technology.  On the other hand, Microsoft's focus is on business applications, from stand alone PC businesses (e.g. Office) to servers & workgroup development and so forth.  This is speculation on my part.

It is a little baffling -- whatever Microsoft's message, they should be doing a better job at articulating it.  Then again, not many companies are willing to articulate their focus publicly.  It's kinda like politics that way.