Have you ever thought that some tech companies occasionally invest more brainpower in naming their products than in making them successful? You're not the only one who thinks so. The Digital Age has been dotted with many a disappointing product that had a tragically awesome name; here are 10 of our favourites in no particular order.
Microsoft's Zune, before its name was made public, was known among gadget geeks as simply the "iPod killer." And you've got to admit, Redmond didn't do that bad a job of actually naming the device once it got around to it -- "Zune" is kind of funky in a post-Star Trek way, right? Unfortunately, as many speculated, the music player was a sales disappointment despite decent reviews. Even opening-day interest was tepid, and it probably didn't help much that the announcement of the sales of one million Zunes came right around the same time that Apple celebrated the sale of its hundred millionth iPod.
Credit: Microsoft
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MickyB
25/07/2007 09:19 PM
Does this page count as the 11th tech flop?
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general84
25/07/2007 10:07 PM
Hehe, bad pictures, can't be run in firefox, no respect for web accesibility guidelines, and a thinly veiled advertisement for apple. I counted 7 apple references, how many did you get? The iphone isn't even in Australia yet and it is "already-legendary".
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Early_Grayce
26/07/2007 03:37 PM
iPhone will find it's way onto this list in no time. General84 The reason there are so many apple references is because they deserve to fill this list with their gadgets that can be loved by their fanboys
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Droz
23/08/2007 03:54 PM
I can't believe you guys bagged the dreamcast - it was actually a great console, and failed due to crappy marketing and poor timing - the thing was actually amazing
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wjb1963
14/09/2007 09:47 PM
How did Windows Vista miss this list? Maybe not so much a gadget in a physical sense although interacting with any operating system is a least somewhat tactile. Vista blows chunks. My Vista upgrade is about to become a new iMac. Has anyone worked out that none of the 5 years of development actually makes using a PC that much better? That's where Apple get points - it's all about usability and actually trying to help people to use their computers. Not just adding graphics window dressing that needs exorbitant hardware to run at OK levels. No, I'm not an Apple "fanboy" I'm just sick of Microsoft losing the plot. Imagine if all that development time and money had actually been used to write something great...
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LocoMoco
14/11/2007 09:35 PM
I gotta admit, when I saw the Wii down the bottom, I was worried. But yeah, I guess it's good. I haven't got one personally, but I want one. I hope I can get one for Christmas but I'm tied between it and the 360.
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