By David Purcell, for PCTechBytes.com
Obsolete Technology: 6 Huge Tech Failures
If you live on the bleeding edge of technology, you’re bound to get burned buying “the next big thing” at least once in your life. If you’re like me, however, you sit atop a pile of useless gadgets that once proclaimed to be game-changers and revolutionary in the tech industry. Look under your bed, in your closet or in your garage, and you’ll probably find some of these tech failures gathering dust.
1. HD DVD
It was a toss up at first, but Sony’s Blu-Ray emerged victorious in the hi definition DVD format wars a few years back. For months it remained uncertain who would prevail, as both sides pumped out hardware and media that supported their respective format. HD DVD had several month’s head start, but Toshiba’s player didn’t have a new gaming console to back it, and when Universal and Paramount ended their exclusivity with HD DVD, the format quickly died and Toshiba announced it would cease production, leaving thousands of people with HD DVD hardware and nothing to watch on it.
2. Gaming Consoles
Remember the 3DO console in the 1990′s, or the Atari Jaguar and the Sega Saturn? All were promising gaming systems that never took off. While Sega sold nearly 10 million units, they inexplicably announced they were folding up shop, leaving millions of users with nothing to play. These consoles had a fan base, but simply couldn’t compete with Nintendo and Sony in the console market.
3. Windows Vista
Aside from Windows ME, there hasn’t been a more despised Microsoft Operating System than Windows Vista, which left millions of users compelled to downgrade to Windows XP. Vista paved the way for Windows 7, arguably the best version of Windows to date. Those of us that couldn’t wait to buy and install the new OS were left shocked and embarrassed to be running Vista.
This post is excerpted with the permission of PCTechBytes.com
