The decade's 25 biggest tech flops
Update 7/20: After reader feedback, I have dropped Windows Media Center and Nintendo's Game Boy Micro from the list and added Apple's Power Mac G4 Cube and Microsoft's Smart Display initiative (codename Mira). Thanks for all the comments.
Here we are just months away from closing out the first decade of the 21st century, which means a lot of publications will soon be in look-back mode, taking stock of all the good--and bad--things that happened over the last 10 years. While we've still got a few months to go before hitting 2010, I thought I should get a head start on the whole best/worst roundup fad that's about to flood the Internet (Time magazine has already done the 10 Biggest Tech Failures of the Last Decade, but it was pretty lame; this one's much better, I swear).
The Gizmondo in its heyday.
(Credit: ImageShack)Before we get to the list, let's get the parameters straight. This isn't a list of all the most spectacular tech failures. I chose to exclude dot-coms, corporate debacles (AOL-Time Warner), search engines (i.e., Cuil), and assorted other Web 2.0 flame outs (I'll let Webware handle that). No, this is a roundup of gear, the stuff that turns on and off, the stuff I've been covering for almost 10 years at CNET (yes, I started in 2000).
It's also important to define just what a flop is. In my book it's simply something that was really hyped but didn't live up to its promise or expectations. And while the word "flop" has a negative connotation, we here at CNET have a lot admiration for the designers, engineers, and everybody else who put their heart and soul into bringing these products and technologies to the world. Some of them didn't deserve their fates. They were ahead of their time or just marketed poorly. Whatever the case, we appreciate the vision, risk taking, and hard work that went into creating these things.
But enough sentimentality (I meant it, really). Let's get to the biggest tech flops of the decade. If you disagree with any of them or have more to suggest, please post a comment. If we missed any clear candidates, we'll modify the list.
Click on any image to start the slideshow. (Note: The list is in chronological order).
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Hunkered down in New York City, Executive Editor David Carnoy covers the gamut of gadgets and writes his Fully Equipped column, which carries the tag line "The electronics you lust for." He's also the author of "Knife Music," a novel. E-mail David. Follow David on Twitter.
Second - the Media Center represents an ongoing dream that I have where PC's, stereo systems, sattellite/cable boxes, the internet and game consoles would all merge into one box. This is one bbf that will blossom into something that is beyond... well, someone will figure that out someday.
For example, I purchased a Panasonic DVD recorder 3 years ago for $99 at a discount store. The recorder was brand new, but nobody wanted it b/c DVR packages were increasing with cable/satellite subscriptions. Anyhow, today my DVD recorder is still just as useful as it was when I got it. I can record any program that my DVR will show (in real time). So I can save a movie on the DVR and use the DVD recorder to save it to a DVD whenever I'm ready. When old or hard-to-find movies, TV shows, or specials are played, I can save them with the DVR, and then play them and record using the DVD recorder.
I was saving & recording HBO & Showtime series programs straight to DVD. No need to rent the series from NetFlix or Blockbuster.
Sorta like the Shuttle 'shoebox' computer I had way back in 2005 (basically it was a decent P4 with a lot of RAM, a huge HDD, a decent vidcard w/S-Video out, and a TV capture card). it ran an early Ubuntu distro and MythTV. I was able to play movies (both via DVD and off the hard drive), record shows (via MythTV), play games (with a wireless keyboard), play music, or pretty much do whatever the heck I wanted to with it.
I had everything I wanted or needed, sitting right there... without having to pay more than the initial cost of hardware. (I eventually sold the thing to a local tattoo shop, who still uses it for the same things in their lobby).
I had a full dual tuner Media center setup complete with an Xbox Media extender and I used it for nearly 2 years. I finally got so tired of all it's prblems that I sold the PC (with it's custom OCUR BIOS) and the 2 ATI tuners.
Tivo all the way and I have not looked back since it just works unlike Media Center which always seemed to flake out on me just when the family sat down to watch a recording.
Great Idea but a buggy & Expensive implementation
Seems you're judging things individually on personal emotions and feelings. Your criteria was not consistent or measurable.
...and Vista should have (as the Time Magazine article rightly did). :)
Lots of Sony products there--which is no surprise--but you didn't list the biggest flop of the century so far; the eVilla. (Even the name was a mistake!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_eVilla
May we assume it was at least considered?
A product so bad the company has to buy them back to get them off the market...
...well, that doesn't happen often.
I don't believe that Sattelite radio is a failure, though. It's an EXPENSIVE enterprise to launch (no pun intended) BUT, it can and will offer a lot of services that will help revolutionize mobile entertainment.
The fact that terristial radio was so afraid of the merger of Sirius and XM due to their loss of revenue from ratings drops shows that there's an audience for this medium. 30 years ago, people said that nobody would PAY to watch the free television channels. How did that turn out?
I see great things from SAT radio in the future. The current economy isn't helping much, but once things turn around, it will get better.
Some of these ideas are just poorly executed great ideas that other companies executed better.
(MyLo, nGuage, UMPC, etc.) Having those, just teaches companies that some good ideas need tweeking before they become great products.
I agree, Apple TV should be on the list. Apple may not be totally behind, but the rumor mill sure was before it was announced.
As for the PS3, that speaks for itself, and the GameCube was the biggest failure ever for Nintendo.
The Virtual Boy was a flop, but the hype was nearly non-existent.
We considered the GameCube. But it wasn't a total flop. As for PS3, jury is still out."
this alone shows this writing is a total basis report. AGAIN........"IF" you really did know anything about what is and waht is not a flap you would not even say it would be on the list.....It sold alot of units in japan and world wide......and like it or not even inthe usa nd europe...... atleast get thefacts right.instead of spreading lies. ..geshhhhhhhh
We considered the GameCube. But it wasn't a total flop. As for PS3, jury is still out."
I agree with you play7. That comment was definitely biased BS. A flop is something that either doesn't sell well at all or is discontinued. Gamecube did great in japan, the ps3 is selling better than the xbox360 in japan is selling well in Europe. The only place where the xbox360 is selling better than the ps3 is in the USA. PS3 is only a few million behind of xbox360 as far as the number of consoles being sold.
Are they also considered when counting the total Sales of the 360 console.
Secondly Every one knows that costly product have less buyers which means less sales , in this case PS3 . this does'nt mean that the console was wrong......(if this would be the reason i would have considered to say that any Ford sedan car is better than a Ferrari or Lamborghini ).
though also PS3's are also sold in millions lacking behind with little difference ....... & it should be called as true console........ PS3's have better quality Fans
It's always interesting to see the things that people think will flop too that don't. I actually thought the iPhone and iPod Touch would flop. I guess I was wrong there. The Apple TV hasn't been a flop yet because like you said in the comments, it didn't really have the power of Apple behind it. Maybe someday.
But some sure are flops - Micro MV tape? My god, I'd never even HEARD of that or ever seen one!
Or how about Sony's Six-Axis controller? There's a last minute, highly touted, addition in order to take some thunder away from the Wii-mote. Out of curiosity, chime in if you've upgraded to the Dual Shock 3. Anyone seeking out titles that utilize Six-Axis game play? Or is this something you find yourself turning off in-menu.
Eventually, I'll get around to building a MythTV-based DVR, but until then, a DVD recorder is very nice.
And regarding to CBFTW, regarding of public perceptions and the rest, a journalist should be able to write correct things regardless of public perception. It's something it's done in other matter like the wrong public perception of the health system in your country and how different campaigns try to correct. If it's valid to correct wrong public perceptions in other issues it should be valid in what is becoming the most stupid mistake and flop not of this decade but of recent centuries.
If the public wants to jump over to sea and make a mistake, journalists are supposed to try to avoid that. It's one of the basis of journalism: informing the public with full and true data.
It's even more unforgivable coming from tecnology website like this.
The latest iPhone is probably close to being able to do what I can do with my TX, and the screen is comparable, I think. When my TX finally dies, I may well find myself grabbing an iPhone or some similar, competing product, but not if I have to switch carriers to get it!
There are many reasons for choosing a device and Palm was stupid to abandon their core user base. How they thought they could compete with the likes of Nokia, Motorola, LG, etc., while abandoning what had long been their business foundation, is more than I can understand. A decade ago, they forgot what it meant to advance the state of the art and create reasonably affordable, must-have devices. Now they are an also-ran. It makes one sad to consider it.
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by Bleeder314
July 17, 2009 12:06 PM PDT
- The Sega Dreamcast at number 1? really?... Oh i forgot, This is the popularity contest revisited from 10 years ago. talk about beating a dead horse. seriously. There are far more deserving candidates for that number one spot than the sega dreamcast. But you already knew that before putting this together.
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by dcarnoy
July 17, 2009 2:54 PM PDT
- It's not done by numbers but rather by years. We put the products from the earlier past of the decade first.
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