OK, help me out here.
I’m going to Microsoft’s PDC this year, no question about it. This will be the public unveiling of Windows 7, and it’s a must-see. I’ll no doubt be able to interview some interesting people while I’m there as well. I have to be there.
That’s from October 26-30.
One week later, from November 5-7, also in LA, is the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, aka WinHEC. Steven Sinofsky and Jon DeVaan are doing a shared keynote, which will “highlight Windows 7,” according to the invitation I received.
The session list sounds interesting as well, with lots of meaty stuff I’d be able to use in Windows 7 Inside Out. I like these sessions in addition to those aimed at reviewers, because you learn more about the rough edges when you’re in a room full of engineers who actually have to make this stuff work. One Chalk Talk in particular, “PCs and Devices in Windows 7: What You Need to Know,” sounds like it could be a highlight of the show.
If the shows were a month or two apart, it would be easier on the calendar and the budget. But taking two business trips and being out of the office for back-to-back weeks isn’t a great option for me. Or, I suspect, for a lot of people, given the generally sucky-and-getting-suckier economy.
Is anyone else wrestling with whether to attend PDC or WinHEC or both? Share your thoughts in the comments or at FriendFeed.
Ed Bott (@ wordpress.com) 
I had the same thought, Ed. This is like what they did with Tech-Ed earlier in the year, two consecutive weeks. I guess they would argue that only industry analysts and press have this dilemma, but it seems like driver developers might want to go to both. This year, WinHEC loses to the PDC.
Ed: I picked up a lot of useful information (particularly about Windows Rally, networking, etc.) at WinHEC 2006 that I ended up using in the book. That said, I doubt if it’s worth a second trip to LA. Maybe I should try to wangle my way in.