(These are in CHRONOLOGICAL order)
Dreamcast
Don't get us wrong. We loved the Dreamcast, which was originally released in 1998 and discontinued in the U.S. in 2001 (it was still sold in Japan until 2006), and still miss it. But it didn't make it.
Stand-alone DVD recorder
A lot of people thought the standalone DVD recorder was the second coming of the VCR but it didn't turn out that way. The DVD recorder was never that user-friendly, and digital DVRs from cable and satellite companies (along with Tivo) made them less compelling. Also, the real DVD burning action was taking place in the computer room, not the living room. That's still the case today, as the standalone DVD recorder market has dried up in the U.S.
Sony AIBO (robot dog)
DVD Audio/SACD
This was the format war that never bothered to declare a winner because no one cared about the outcome. However, at the beginning, there were high hopes that these two high-fidelity audio formats would offer a new and better way to listen to music. And although both SACD and DVD-Audio discs continue to be produced, neither format has attracted a wide audience.
Modo
You may not remember the Modo, developed by Scout Electromedia, but we do. A social networking device before social networking devices existed, the Modo, according to Wikipedia, used pager networks "to provide city-specific 'lifestyle' content such as restaurant & bar reviews, movie listings, in addition to original Scout-produced content." The New York Times called it "The PDA for the tragically hip" and billboards advertising the Modo appeared in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco
3Com Ergo Audrey (2000-2001)
Named for Audrey Hepburn, the 3Com Ergo Audrey was an Internet appliance that made its debut in October of 2000. According to Wikipedia, it could access the internet, send and receive e-mail, play audio and video, and synchronize with up to two Palm OS-based devices.
Apple Power Mac G4 Cube (2000-2001)
One of Apple's few major flops of the decade, the G4 Cube was a real dud, discontinued after only about a year. It was a beautiful-looking desktop computer, but it was overpriced and quirky (i.e., it didn't take standard full-length graphics cards) and didn't find a market.
DataPlay discs (2001-2001)
The size of a quarter, the DataPlay disc was capable of holding 500MB of information. It won the "Best of Show" award at CES in 2001 but never made it to market. iRiver was scheduled to make a player, but it, too, was never released.
Sony MicroMV (2001-2006)
The tapes were smaller and the camcorders were, too. But the video from the MicroMV units wasn't as good as that from MiniDV cams--and they cost more. Then hard-drive and flash-enabled HD camcorders came along and MicroMV quickly became obsolete. (The last new MicroMV camcorder appeared in 2006).
Segway (2002-?)
To fans of the Segway, the famous two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle is far from a flop. However, because it was so hyped at launch, with promises of changing how we live and build cities (Jeff Bezos said it would be "one of the most famous and anticipated product introductions of all time") many view its niche-status in the marketplace as a major disappointment
Microsoft Smart Display (2002-2003)
The Wikipedia entry says it all: "Smart Display was announced in early 2002, released in early 2003 and canceled in December 2003, having never achieved more than negligible market penetration." For those who don't remember exactly what Smart Display (codename Mira) was, the concept was a wireless monitor that detached from its base and turned into a tablet PC (that was unfortunately tethered back to your desktop computer). It was sluggish and buggy and was hurt by the slower 802.11b Wi-Fi connection of those years.
Nokia N-Gage (2003-?)
The N-Gage launch is one of the more memorable debacles in tech history as the original device--a combo phone/portable gaming system--had a very odd design for talking. You had to hold the unit vertically on its side, making it look like you were holding a taco. It also sparked "side-talking," which is immortalized on the side-talkin' Web site.
Microsoft SPOT Smart Watches (2004-2008)
Announced at CES in 2003, Smart watches, which receive tidbits of information over the air via FM radio frequencies, officially arrived in 2004 and were backed by a big marketing campaign. Some called them SPOT watches because they used Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology, but whatever they were called, they didn't find a broad audience, even as Microsoft and its hardware partners managed to trim the size of the watches, reduce their cost, and include the basic version of MSN Direct for free. We liked the concept, but we knew the technology faced an uphill battle. Sure enough it succumbed to defeat, last year, though MSN Direct continues to serve existing customers.
The UMD (2004-?)
The UMD, a 1.8GB optical disc that looked like a mini CD or DVD, may have seemed cool at first but it quickly met with resistance. For starters, it created slow load times for games (especially compared to Nintendo's cartridge system) and UMD movies were overpriced (they should have been $8-$10). While Sony's stuck with the UMD--and will continue to do so for the immediate future--the upcoming PSP Go is UMD-less
SONY LocationFree TV (2004-?)
In middle of the decade, "place-shifting" was one of the hot tech terms, and when we first Sony's LocationFree TV our eyes opened pretty wide. The ability to stream what was on your cable or satellite box (or another video source) to a remote PC over the Internet, seemed like a real game-changer. And while Sony has come out with several versions and models of the LocationFree Player, it's been overshadowed by the Slingbox, which came out later (2006), and continues to wallow in virtual obscurity after initially making a big splash
Gizmondo (2005-2006)
Gizmondo was a portable gaming device that had built-in GPS. It was released in the U.S. in 2005 but didn't sell well and the company went bankrupt in 2006. Millions were spent developing and marketing Gizmondo and one of its executives, Stefan Eriksson, who famously wrecked his red Ferrari Enzo, was sentenced to prison for three years in California (he was released in January 2008) and is now back in jail in his native Sweden.
HD DVD (2006-2008)
We've got to hand it to Toshiba. It gave Sony a run for its money in the next-gen DVD format wars and actually had better (and cheaper) players in the early going. For a brief moment, it could have gone either way, but then Warner went Blu-ray exclusive, and it was game over.
The UMPC (2006-?)
Originally hatched by Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and other companies under the codename "Project Origami," the Ultra-Mobile PC made its way into the consumer's conscience in 2006. While the devices were cool on the surface, the concept was flawed from the outset because they just weren't that good and cost too much. The UMPC is the classic case of a tweener device (in terms of size) that just didn't have a real target market. Smarter smartphones like the new iPhone 3GS and cheaper but more usuable netbooks cut the legs out from under the UMPC before it could ever start walking. They're still around but we expect them to become extinct soon.
Apple TV (2007-?)
While its price is gradually coming down and its storage capacity is increasing, Apple TV still restricts you to using just iTunes and YouTube, which limits its appeal. In recent years, it's been one of Apple's more disappointing products, particularly when you consider how inviting its name sounds.
You can see more at this link
Dreamcast
Don't get us wrong. We loved the Dreamcast, which was originally released in 1998 and discontinued in the U.S. in 2001 (it was still sold in Japan until 2006), and still miss it. But it didn't make it.
Stand-alone DVD recorder
A lot of people thought the standalone DVD recorder was the second coming of the VCR but it didn't turn out that way. The DVD recorder was never that user-friendly, and digital DVRs from cable and satellite companies (along with Tivo) made them less compelling. Also, the real DVD burning action was taking place in the computer room, not the living room. That's still the case today, as the standalone DVD recorder market has dried up in the U.S.
Sony AIBO (robot dog)
DVD Audio/SACD
This was the format war that never bothered to declare a winner because no one cared about the outcome. However, at the beginning, there were high hopes that these two high-fidelity audio formats would offer a new and better way to listen to music. And although both SACD and DVD-Audio discs continue to be produced, neither format has attracted a wide audience.
Modo
You may not remember the Modo, developed by Scout Electromedia, but we do. A social networking device before social networking devices existed, the Modo, according to Wikipedia, used pager networks "to provide city-specific 'lifestyle' content such as restaurant & bar reviews, movie listings, in addition to original Scout-produced content." The New York Times called it "The PDA for the tragically hip" and billboards advertising the Modo appeared in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco
3Com Ergo Audrey (2000-2001)
Named for Audrey Hepburn, the 3Com Ergo Audrey was an Internet appliance that made its debut in October of 2000. According to Wikipedia, it could access the internet, send and receive e-mail, play audio and video, and synchronize with up to two Palm OS-based devices.
Apple Power Mac G4 Cube (2000-2001)
One of Apple's few major flops of the decade, the G4 Cube was a real dud, discontinued after only about a year. It was a beautiful-looking desktop computer, but it was overpriced and quirky (i.e., it didn't take standard full-length graphics cards) and didn't find a market.
DataPlay discs (2001-2001)
The size of a quarter, the DataPlay disc was capable of holding 500MB of information. It won the "Best of Show" award at CES in 2001 but never made it to market. iRiver was scheduled to make a player, but it, too, was never released.
Sony MicroMV (2001-2006)
The tapes were smaller and the camcorders were, too. But the video from the MicroMV units wasn't as good as that from MiniDV cams--and they cost more. Then hard-drive and flash-enabled HD camcorders came along and MicroMV quickly became obsolete. (The last new MicroMV camcorder appeared in 2006).
Segway (2002-?)
To fans of the Segway, the famous two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle is far from a flop. However, because it was so hyped at launch, with promises of changing how we live and build cities (Jeff Bezos said it would be "one of the most famous and anticipated product introductions of all time") many view its niche-status in the marketplace as a major disappointment
Microsoft Smart Display (2002-2003)
The Wikipedia entry says it all: "Smart Display was announced in early 2002, released in early 2003 and canceled in December 2003, having never achieved more than negligible market penetration." For those who don't remember exactly what Smart Display (codename Mira) was, the concept was a wireless monitor that detached from its base and turned into a tablet PC (that was unfortunately tethered back to your desktop computer). It was sluggish and buggy and was hurt by the slower 802.11b Wi-Fi connection of those years.
Nokia N-Gage (2003-?)
The N-Gage launch is one of the more memorable debacles in tech history as the original device--a combo phone/portable gaming system--had a very odd design for talking. You had to hold the unit vertically on its side, making it look like you were holding a taco. It also sparked "side-talking," which is immortalized on the side-talkin' Web site.
Microsoft SPOT Smart Watches (2004-2008)
Announced at CES in 2003, Smart watches, which receive tidbits of information over the air via FM radio frequencies, officially arrived in 2004 and were backed by a big marketing campaign. Some called them SPOT watches because they used Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology, but whatever they were called, they didn't find a broad audience, even as Microsoft and its hardware partners managed to trim the size of the watches, reduce their cost, and include the basic version of MSN Direct for free. We liked the concept, but we knew the technology faced an uphill battle. Sure enough it succumbed to defeat, last year, though MSN Direct continues to serve existing customers.
The UMD (2004-?)
The UMD, a 1.8GB optical disc that looked like a mini CD or DVD, may have seemed cool at first but it quickly met with resistance. For starters, it created slow load times for games (especially compared to Nintendo's cartridge system) and UMD movies were overpriced (they should have been $8-$10). While Sony's stuck with the UMD--and will continue to do so for the immediate future--the upcoming PSP Go is UMD-less
SONY LocationFree TV (2004-?)
In middle of the decade, "place-shifting" was one of the hot tech terms, and when we first Sony's LocationFree TV our eyes opened pretty wide. The ability to stream what was on your cable or satellite box (or another video source) to a remote PC over the Internet, seemed like a real game-changer. And while Sony has come out with several versions and models of the LocationFree Player, it's been overshadowed by the Slingbox, which came out later (2006), and continues to wallow in virtual obscurity after initially making a big splash
Gizmondo (2005-2006)
Gizmondo was a portable gaming device that had built-in GPS. It was released in the U.S. in 2005 but didn't sell well and the company went bankrupt in 2006. Millions were spent developing and marketing Gizmondo and one of its executives, Stefan Eriksson, who famously wrecked his red Ferrari Enzo, was sentenced to prison for three years in California (he was released in January 2008) and is now back in jail in his native Sweden.
HD DVD (2006-2008)
We've got to hand it to Toshiba. It gave Sony a run for its money in the next-gen DVD format wars and actually had better (and cheaper) players in the early going. For a brief moment, it could have gone either way, but then Warner went Blu-ray exclusive, and it was game over.
The UMPC (2006-?)
Originally hatched by Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and other companies under the codename "Project Origami," the Ultra-Mobile PC made its way into the consumer's conscience in 2006. While the devices were cool on the surface, the concept was flawed from the outset because they just weren't that good and cost too much. The UMPC is the classic case of a tweener device (in terms of size) that just didn't have a real target market. Smarter smartphones like the new iPhone 3GS and cheaper but more usuable netbooks cut the legs out from under the UMPC before it could ever start walking. They're still around but we expect them to become extinct soon.
Apple TV (2007-?)
While its price is gradually coming down and its storage capacity is increasing, Apple TV still restricts you to using just iTunes and YouTube, which limits its appeal. In recent years, it's been one of Apple's more disappointing products, particularly when you consider how inviting its name sounds.
You can see more at this link
