The Top 21 Tech Flops

PetManimal writes "Whatever happened to Digital Audio Tape? Or Circuit City's DIVX program? Or IBM's PCjr. and the PS/1? Computerworld's list of 21 biggest tech flops is an amusing trip down the memory lane of tech failures. Some are obvious (Apple Newton), while others are obscure (Warner Communications' QUBE). Strangely, Y2K didn't make the list."

Y2k isn't on the list because it was a success!

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

Strangely, Y2K didn't make the list.

Y2k isn't on the list because it was a HUGE success for the consulting firms that flogged it. (That, and it was the COBOL programmer full employment act for a few years.)

Re:Why would Y2K make the list?

[funkdancer]

What's this bullshit with car maintenance. They tell me I have to spend $250 every 6 months, and I do it, and my car STILL doesn't brake down or have any issues. Bloody rip off.

Re:Print Version

[BlueCollarCamel]

Apparently you have to actually check the box for it to work...

Speech recognition

[vivaoporto]

From TFA:

Over the years, Bill Gates (among others) has repeatedly predicted that speech recognition will be a major form of input, but it hasn't happened yet.

That's not true. I'm posting this comment using a Windows Vista speech recognition software and Dear Aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all.

Re:YOUR MOTHER SUCKS COCK UNDER TEH BRIDGE

[TheShadowHawk]

Yes... let out your anger... that's right... it will aaalll be ok soon.

Now take back the zune you bought..... and buy an ipod.

That's a good boy.

FTFA - learn binary please

[guruevi]

Quote: proving once again that in the warped universe of techno-hype, one plus one can equal zero.

In the techno universe, we do binary, and 1 plus 1 will always yield 0 with a 1 in the overflow bin.

Vista?

[phalse phace]

Surprised nobody's mentioned Windows Vista yet.

It's bound to be a bigger flop than Windows ME....

But Microsoft Bob had an amazing effect

[stox]

It got Bill Gates laid, and a wife. That, alone, was worth the cost of development.

Re:Lisa was a step, not a bomb

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not sure how you were able to post that with Steve Jobs' dick all the way down your throat. Why don't you shut the fuck up and stop posting your pro-apple groupthink? Lisa was the biggest flop the tech industry has ever seen. Fuck apple, they have torn apart the pc industry and made it what it is today, a piece of shit. Don't come back asshole, we are all getting tired of you.

GOD FUCKING DAMN I CAN'T STAND ASSHOLES LIKE YOU ANYMORE. FUCK FUCK FUCCCKKKKKKK I THINK I'MM HAVVING A STROKE CALLLL A DAMN AMBULENNNNNNNNNNNAWKLSVQLKJJQS;AJVS'DJFQ[W [JQIOWJOIDN VINAWN WAOFSBAW]JAWE] AWOJJJJJAKL;MAW ]WEJ Q042H 0GWNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA

Re:Not a bug.

[MishgoDog]

Damn straight! It wasn't a bug, it was a feature!

Re:Lisa was a step, not a bomb

[bitt3n]

Lisa was a step, not a bomb

so it was a bomb that people stepped on. let's compromise and call it a landmine.

Bob really sucked

[EmbeddedJanitor]

Bob had a very interesting attitude towards security, since tightened up a bit with XP and Vista. Type in the wrong password three times and a help message popped up "You seem to be having problems remembering your password. Would you like to pick another one?"

Bob was, however by far the most innovative UI MS ever produced. It just innovated in a direction that nobody wanted to go!

Re:Hmmm

[chromatic]

You went to the Midvale School for the Gifted [google.com], didn't you?

CircuitCity's DIVX was GREAT!

[DaveJay]

Are you kidding me? That Circuit City disaster was fantastic. I was able to pick up a really good DVD player really, really cheap because it had DIVX support and they were end-of-lifing the product due to lack of sales. It was like $50 at a time when DVD players were still $200 or so.

Re:Not a bug.

[Tim Browse]

Mike: Maybe you shouldn't have poured that washing up liquid into it.
Vyv: But the manual said: "Ensure machine is clean and free of dust before use."
Mike: Yeah, but it didn't say: "Ensure machine is full of washing up liquid."
Vyv: Ah, but it didn't say: "Ensure machine isn't full of washing up liquid."

Re:VRMMORPG

[Thexare Blademoon]

And you even get to punch people virtually in the face yourself, instead of just pushing a button to do so!

Re:Zune

[MartinJW]

I would want to add another Microsoft flop to the list too: Pasport.