[iDriveX]

So the Top 10 Apple Flops of all time is a great topic right now, but what do you consider to be the biggest flops in the industry of all time?

[KeriVit]

is Segway considered a flop yet? Or just something that didn't live up to the hype?

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

[demograph68]

Before the DVD, their was those bigger disks, the size of a record... what was the name?

[rjenkinson]

Originally posted by demograph68:
Before the DVD, their was those bigger disks, the size of a record... what was the name?

laserdiscs?

-r.

[wataru]

You mean just commercial technology, or also science? Because I was going to say cold fusion.

[Mafia]

[deej5871]

The Internet.

[PurpleGiant]

Windows Me.

EDIT: already been said. deserves being said twice though.

[rjenkinson]

-r.

[ManOfSteal]

Beta vs. VHS? Hmmm....

[Rev-O]

The wheel. Vastly over rated. I'm sure the mesopotamians really think they're on to something here, but let's be honest, it's a fad. It's never gonna catch on.

[Paco500]

Originally posted by demograph68:
Before the DVD, their was those bigger disks, the size of a record... what was the name?

Laserdiscs were not a flop. They were around for years and were the original standard for serious home theater. They never caught on in a huge way as the players never got cheap and the disks were a: huge and b: somewhat limited in capacity. I have Jurassic Park on laser disk and the movie itself was two disks- each had two sides that had to be flipped in the middle. My player played both sides, but there was still a lengthy pause, and there was no getting around getting up to switch the discs if it was a multi-disc movie.

They offered many of the advantages of DVD (better picture, better sound, random access, chapters, no degradation over time) in the VHS era. Another bonus is that the movies were almost always less expensive than VHS. This was before buying movies was so common, and many were released with the intention of being only for the rental market and cost upwards of $80. The same laser disc was $20.

Many innovations credited to DVD's started on laser disc- Criterion Collections, Director's Cuts, Widescreen, commentaries, etc. They were never mass market, but they were successful. The technology just moved forward.

[storer]

Originally posted by PurpleGiant:
Windows Me.

EDIT: already been said. deserves being said twice though.

And a third time.

[iDriveX]

Does this count?

[demograph68]

Originally posted by iDriveX:
Does this count?

Or this too?

[wataru]

Uh, I think you're both forgetting the Sega 32X, which was an even worse idea than both of those.

[Stogieman]

If the Sega CD counts then so should the N64 DD and Virtual Boy





Oh yeah, what ever crappy technology Jeff Raskin has been pushing since he left Apple. Canon Cat anyone?

[demograph68]

Originally posted by Stogieman:
If the Sega CD counts then so should the N64 DD and Virtual Boy

http://world64.com/images/info_hq/64DD.jpg

Holy ****. I never saw that thing before. Winner!

[Link]

[Stogieman]

PSP? It hasn't been released yet. (At least in the States) How can you call that a flop?

Here's another one that comes to mind - The Spruce Goose!

[mdc]

Originally posted by demograph68:
Or this too?

i have to disagree. the dreamcast may not have done as well as sega had hoped, but i do not think that it should ever be labelled a flop. when it came out, and even by today's standards, it is an awesome console.

but those are just my two cents.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by Stogieman:
PSP? It hasn't been released yet. (At least in the States) How can you call that a flop?

Nintendo fanboy in denial that it is outselling the DS for the past 2 weeks perhaps?

[Seattle]

digital compact cassette

sony minidisc?

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by Seattle:
digital compact cassette

sony minidisc?

DCC was huge in the high end recording market and MiniDisc was HUGE is Japan.

In terms of western consumer space they are both bombs though

[Seattle]

Divx (Pay per play DVDs) Disney was a big partner I think.

[maxintosh]

PSP has been doing very well in Japan and I'm sure it will do well here. Heck it's the first handheld gaming console I've ever considered buying... might just have to snag one.

[maxintosh]

How about Internet PC's?

And for 2005: The Media Center PC!

[Link]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
Nintendo fanboy in denial that it is outselling the DS for the past 2 weeks perhaps?

I just wanted to set you off.

The Sega Dreamcast is awesome, and sega rawked. Now, DHOC3PO, get things right, I'm not a Nintendo fanboy...

I'm a SEGA fanboy.

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

Originally posted by Link:
I just wanted to set you off.

The Sega Dreamcast is awesome, and sega rawked. Now, DHOC3PO, get things right, I'm not a Nintendo fanboy...

I'm a SEGA fanboy.

Actually I have never owned any Sega product.

So why isn't your user name Sonic than?

[Link]

Originally posted by Disgruntled Head of C-3PO:
Actually I have never owned any Sega product.

So why isn't your user name Sonic than?

Because I like LoZ And mario games are cool

[Stogieman]

Riiight, we all know the real reason was that someone else registered the name Sonic (12/02/2000) about 2 1/2 years before you wanted to.


Back on topic - Was was the name of that one network computer that debuted around the same time the iMac did? Not knowing the name makes it really hard to find an image on Google. I shall use my PurpleGiant drawing skills to give you guys an idea of what I'm talking about.

[Link]

That's the audrey! Damn those things sucked.

Actually,I didn't know about sonic being registered whatever. I think I like this name just fine

[MilkmanDan]

Spork

[Goldfinger]

Philips CDI.

[tavilach]

What was Steve thinking? He's going to ruin the company!

[effgee]

apple.

[Randman]

Flying cars and personal jetpacks.

[Stogieman]

Originally posted by Link:
That's the audrey! Damn those things sucked.

Audrey! That's it! They were only on the market for about a year.

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-254497.html?legacy=cnet

[cszar2001]

Originally posted by Rev-O:
The wheel. Vastly over rated. I'm sure the mesopotamians really think they're on to something here, but let's be honest, it's a fad. It's never gonna catch on.

That`s why someone had to invent the Tweel :

[iDriveX]

OMG, so this is like the first topic I've started that didn't die on the vine...Finally.

[cc_foo]

Hold on, which was the bigger flop? Audrey? or eVilla? I think eVilla was backed by Sony.

eVil.. la.

What about the group of "floppy drive successors". e.g. the Imation SuperDisk, followed by the Zip drives -- not really flops I suppose, cos they sold well. Just no staying power.

[PurpleGiant]

Originally posted by Stogieman:
I shall use my PurpleGiant drawing skills to give you guys an idea of what I'm talking about.

[Randman]

Virtual reality also gets a vote.

[Hawkeye_a]

-Segway
-Tablet PCs
-Copy protection (with the exception of iTMS)
-Sega Dreamcast (must to my disappointment)
-Rambus Ram or whatever the hell they tried to use in Wintel land
-Laser Discs
-Mini Discs
-ATRAX or whatever (that propreitary Sony format)
-Betamax (the competitor to VHS)

[Randman]

One more. Real's music service.

[Eriamjh]

RCA CED. A videodisk player that used a stylus like a record player. A couple hundred million invested and miserable sales over about 4 years.

Laserdisk was a niche market and enjoyed steady, although disappointingly flat sales. Made from 1979 until 2000 it is hardly a technological failure.

Divx DVD also gets my vote.

[mitchell_pgh]

Atari's reintroduction to "serious gaming"

[mitchell_pgh]

Oh, and Chernobyl takes my serious post... A horrific design that continues to cause major issues...

[Mafia]

Originally posted by demograph68:
Or this too?

wow i really gotta disagree with you the dreamcast was awesome. i still play it.