My First Time at COMPUTEX 2026

I went to my first Computex ready to learn but I just felt confusion.

Before Going

I first heard of Computex last winter from a friend who works in the tech industry. He told me it was a huge event which piqued my curiosity. I did more research on it which made my interest grow even more. So, I marked my calendar for June 5 and made the decision that I would attend.

I've heard of other tech conventions before like CES but I never had a desire to attend. To me, they seemed like places for CEOs, engineers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts. Not ordinary "civilians" like me.

But now as a computer science student trying to deepen his understanding of technology, I wanted to take this opportunity to see what is going on in the real world.

Preparing for the Event

For months, one of my main goals, aside from classes was preparing for the convention. But preparing for what? And how was I going to do that?

I'm not an industry professional, startup, or CEO like Jensen Huang. I'm just a student still learning the fundamentals of computer architecture and how to program. Why would I need to prepare to do anything except walk around and look at stuff?

I think that's a fair question. But even with my lack of credentials, my hope was that I could use it as an opportunity to at least make a connection somehow. At least, get someone to remember my face, which shouldn't be so hard as a black guy in Asia.

So, I got to work on things that I thought could help me stand out. That's why I worked on my AI-made game, As One, for the 2026 vibe jam to get experience in AI workflows. I then took those skills to start drafting a prototype of my listening-first language learning app, Ground Level Languages. And started this blog, Asides, to document the thought process behind the things I'm working on and maybe show off a bit of who I am as a person.

Looking the Part

The night before, I went to buy some new clothes for the next day. I saw a few stories of other friends that went to Computex before me, so I knew there was no need to dress up. Especially on the last day that was open to the general public. But, I thought investing in a nice button up and dress pants couldn't hurt, so why not try to look a little more professional even if I wasn't an actual professional.

I needed to upgrade my wardrobe anyway so this was a good excuse to buy some new things.

Computex

After months of anticipation, the day had arrived. I bought my ticket on-site, went inside and took in all the booths from different companies. I can confidently say that I did not recognize 99% of the companies that were there. I walked around to each booth just taking in what was on display.

I saw a quadruped robot that was made to walk around factories and construction sites. NVIDIA hardware showing off the power behind graphics, AI, and gaming. And some interactive stalls like a game that tested your reflexes in pushing a button.

The convention wasn't as crowded as I imagined it would be. There were a lot of people but I think I imagined wall-to-wall crowds where I wouldn't even be able to walk comfortably. So being able to walk around without getting crushed already felt more spacious than I expected.

It was definitely interesting seeing all of that. But I didn't truly understand most of what I was looking at. I was vaguely familiar with some things from my classes and osmosis from using computers and other tech over the years. However, there were still a lot of terms and concepts that I couldn't fully grasp. It did make me feel a bit better when a few classmates I met up with later said they felt the same way. But, I felt as a computer science student that I should have understood more than I did.

It exposed how much I still have left to learn.

I didn't feel stupid, necessarily. But, I saw the gap between the theory I’m learning in class and the real-world systems companies are actually building.

My original goal with attending Computex was to try and make at least one connection. But as I explored my goal shifted. Partly because of nerves and not knowing how to do it. Also, I felt woefully unprepared to even try to sell myself. I had an incomplete AI game and a half-finished prototype for an app with no real user data. There was nothing to show. And I knew nothing about the companies I was seeing there so I couldn't engage with any of the booths even if I tried.

So, I switched my focus from trying to connect to primarily learning.

What Now?

My first Computex was an interesting experience. I got to see what is going on in the industry now and contextualize what I'm learning in class in real-world contexts. It made what I'm studying feel useful and not just abstract theory. I've also learned where I need to improve as far as my knowledge.

Right now, I'm working on my language app and soon I will work on version 2 of As One but this experience showed me how much knowledge I’m still missing. I will use this time to both improve my skills and close some of those knowledge gaps.

I definitely plan to go back next year. Hopefully, just a bit more knowledgeable than today. Even though I felt confused this time, going still mattered. Now, I have a better idea of the industry and what the convention is like. It showed me what to focus on. It showed me the gap between where I am and where I want to be.

I think that lesson in and of itself is valuable.