That was then, this is now.

Prior to each year's Consumer Electronics Show, we like to write previews of what buzz-worthy products might appear at the show and what trends you might expect to hear about. We'll do that, we promise. But before we do, let's take a look back and see what we left behind.

Last year, as expected, the e-reader was front and center at CES, the hot new category if there ever was one. It had its own little pavilion on the show floor and we spent some time snapping photographs of all the new wares companies were proudly showcasing.

Quite the assortment, they looked pretty high tech when we ran this slideshow a year ago. But take a stroll today through these images and the impression you get may be a little different. This is a rogue cast of characters, a motley crew. A lucky few managed to survive and have fared well enough. Some limped their way into the marketplace but have never really made it out of the starting blocks. And several simply vanished into thin air, vaporized by the iPad and the price cuts to the Nook and Kindle.