A year in fail: The 6 biggest tech flops of 2011

[iMaci7]

Yahoo article:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/fail-6-biggest-technology-flops-2011-145030727.html

What do you guys think of this...

 

[likethesoup2]

I own it, and like it; but somewhat agree with them . . .

 

[Certinfy]

iPhone 4S and Windows Phone 7 shouldn't be there at all. Pathetic article.

 

[Small White Car]

iPhone 4S and Windows Phone 7 shouldn't be there at all. Pathetic article.

LOL - I don't even know what they mean by this:

"While it's no flop when it comes to sales figures, the iPhone 4S remains one of 2011's biggest consumer letdowns."


So they're saying that people are so 'letdown' that they're...what, exactly...? Just buying them out of spite and then not using them?

 

[BaldiMac]

iPhone 4S and Windows Phone 7 shouldn't be there at all. Pathetic article.

Exactly. Only in there as link bait.

 

[Macman45]

I Agree

With all of them EXCEPT the 4S....It hasn't been out long enough. I own I like As above, but I've seen some pretty good Android tablets out there too. Sadly they are not, and never will be iPads.

Now I give you something to ponder....What if Android had got here first?

 

[Small White Car]

Also, the Facebook Timeline isn't even active for most users yet. It's Dec. 20th, I doubt most FB users will even SEE the timeline until January.

And somehow it's a big flop in 2011?

 

[Diode]

LOL - I don't even know what they mean by this:

"While it's no flop when it comes to sales figures, the iPhone 4S remains one of 2011's biggest consumer letdowns."


So they're saying that people are so 'letdown' that they're...what, exactly...? Just buying them out of spite and then not using them?

I was going to same the same thing - how can you declare something a "flop" but it's still selling out, 2 months after the release.

 

[416049]

iPhone 4S and Windows Phone 7 shouldn't be there at all. Pathetic article.

but i do agree with 3d technology especially concerning the 3ds as you need to be in a specific angle to be able to use it and there still aren't a lot of 3d games on the market.

 

[MacDawg]

An article simply to generate hits and not contribute anything meaningful
All opinions are subjective, but these are just trollish attempts to incite responses

Waste of a read

 

[scaredpoet]

Now I give you something to ponder....What if Android had got here first?

I firmly believe that if Android had gotten here first, it would've looked more like a blackberry with google branding than how it does today.

Whether that would've been a bad thing? Who knows. Maybe Google could've shown RIM how awesome a modern Blackberry could be, and either RIM would've stepped up their game sooner, or they would've gone under by now. But Apple was first to market, and it didn't happen that way.

Speaking of which, why isn't RIM with it's dismal Playbook and non-release of BBX for handsets on this article's list? They failed way harder than anyone on the list currently. I'm betting the author uses a Blackberry.

 

[maflynn]

Android tablets really failed on a number of tacts, pricing and features. Amazon did got it right because they provided content at a great price. I don't think many people are willing to spend 400 to 500 dollars and a data contract from verizon for a tablet.

 

[Macman45]

Maybe

I firmly believe that if Android had gotten here first, it would've looked more like a blackberry with google branding than how it does today.

Whether that would've been a bad thing? Who knows. Maybe Google could've shown RIM how awesome a modern Blackberry could be, and either RIM would've stepped up their game sooner, or they would've gone under by now. But Apple was first to market, and it didn't happen that way.

Speaking of which, why isn't RIM with it's dismal Playbook and non-release of BBX for handsets on this article's list? They failed way harder than anyone on the list currently. I'm betting the author uses a Blackberry.

But what I meant was if they had designed a tablet as we recognise it today. It's widely accepted that Android are 2 years behind Apple. I don't believe they will ever truly catch up, but they will improve. My next door neighbour has one of the new Acer Tegra range, and as a device it's not bad at all.....But £3.94 for a card game app?

 

[AppleScruff1]

iPhone 4S is a flop despite record sales? Windows Phone 7 is a flop due to poor sales? So any sales are bad?

 

[Small White Car]

iPhone 4S is a flop despite record sales? Windows Phone 7 is a flop due to poor sales? So any sales are bad?

They're like Goldilocks.

This number of sales is too much!
This number of sales is too little!

Ahhh...this porridge is juuuust right.

 

[AppleScruff1]

They're like Goldilocks.

This number of sales is too much!
This number of sales is too little!

Ahhh...this porridge is juuuust right.

Crazy, isn't it? Windows Phone 7 is a good os, but it has been a sales flop thus far. The iPhone is selling insane numbers, and to call it a flop is brainless.

 

[maflynn]

iPhone 4S is a flop despite record sales? Windows Phone 7 is a flop due to poor sales? So any sales are bad?

I think its a flop because of the pent up anticipation for apple to give us an iPhone that was updated more then what they actually did. I don't think anyone will disagree with the fact that hype was over the top prior to the announcement.

 

[jbennardo]

Well there was no "Ping" this year so they had to grab something Apple to trash.

 

[*LTD*]

uh . . . iPhone 4S a flop?

WP7 I understand. It's been flippety-flopping for over a year now. Ballmer's running the show, so it's to be expected.

But *this* a flop?

http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2011/iphone-4s-number-one-seller-in-run-up-to-xmas.html

http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2011/12/20/iphone-4s-topping-xmas-sales/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2011/12/07/iphone-4s-tops-sales-charts-samsung-surges-too/

The reality here is that we're spoiled by Apple, and have come to expect far, far more each time. We want a revolution every second Sunday. The upshot of all this is that we hold Apple to much higher standards than others, without necessarily realizing that by comparison to others, we've got it way too good.

 

[PlaceofDis]

i disagree with most of those items on the list.

3D tech? yeah a flop, but it was going to be an inevitable flop.
Android tablets? yes, a flop.

the touchpad did flop but it didn't have a lot of hype either. same with Windows 7 phone.

the 4S is definitely not a flop. the rumors and such just created greater expectation than were realistic. its exactly what i thought it would be.

the facebook timeline? yeah it is just rolling out now, how can it be a flop?


the article is reaching and failing more than most of the products on the list.

 

[maflynn]

the touchpad did flop but it didn't have a lot of hype either. same with Windows 7 phone.

I disagree, I remember seeing a lot of articles and interest in the touchpad but HP failed to deliver the goods in hardware and software and then tacked on a high price for an under-performing tablet with no software

 

[Hellhammer]

A regular article for a tabloid. Gets a lot page views and that's what the Internet is all about. There are a lot bigger fails, for example Intel's 6-series chipset issue and AMD Bulldozer.

 

[b24pgg]

So they're saying that people are so 'letdown' that they're...what, exactly...?

Fanboys. How else does a device that has only three changes (processor, camera, and Siri...which doesn't work 90% of the time) and no 4G sell so quickly

 

[scaredpoet]

Fanboys. How else does a device that has only three changes (processor, camera, and Siri...which doesn't work 90% of the time) and no 4G sell so quickly

To sell 4 million in a weekend, and for the shipping times to still be 1-2 weeks out with reservations still necessary at the retail stores, that's a LOT of very profitable fanboys. And if you have THAT many fanboys, then you're STILL not a flop.

Besides, the number of iPhone 4/Ss I've seen in the hands of people lately are dramatically increasing, and none of the people I've seen using them in public are people I'd classify as fanboys.

 

[BaldiMac]

Fanboys. How else does a device that has only three changes (processor, camera, and Siri...which doesn't work 90% of the time) and no 4G sell so quickly

When reality doesn't reflect your opinion, it is reality that is broken.