Apple’s Most Notorious Flops

Failure isn’t the opposite of success. Failure is not trying at all. And no one is capable of success all of the time. With the good comes the bad, otherwise how would you be able to tell them apart?

Apple is currently seen as the most innovative consumer electronics company in the world. Their products are probably also the most widely awarded. However, things haven’t always been so sweet. There have been a few bad apples.

Today Wired published an article titled Learning From Failure: Apple’s Most Notorious Flops. It’s a look back at the products that were good in theory, but not in practice. Or perhaps they were simply ahead of their time.

In chronological order:

Product: Apple Lisa
Year: 1983
Concept: An “open system” advanced computer for business users featuring a graphical user interface, mouse, expansion slots and multiprocessing
Now called: Mac Pro

Product: Apple IIc
Year: 1984
Concept: A simple portable computer with no access to internal hardware
Now called: MacBook Air

Product: Newton (MessagePad)
Year: 1993
Concept: A device in which to store notes, addresses, and appointments, with a screen you can write on and can rotate either horizontally or vertically
Now called: Tablet PC

Product: Macintosh TV
Year: 1993
Concept: A computer whose built in monitor functions as a computer screen or a TV screen
Now called: Windows Media Center

Product: Pippin
Year: 1996
Concept: An inexpensive video game console that’s connected to the Internet
Now called: Nintendo Wii

Product: TAM (Twentieth Anniversary Mac)
Year: 1997
Concept: A sleek computer with enhanced audio and video capabilities
Now called: See Macintosh TV above

Product: “Hockey puck” mouse
Year: 1998
Concept: A stylish but uncomfortable USB mouse
Now called: Yo-yo

Product: Power Mac G4 Cube
Year: 2000
Concept: A quiet, compact desktop computer without a monitor
Now called: Mac mini

Related Posts:

• Location Agnostic, Context Specific February 7, 2012 | 15 comments
• Historical Technology: Machines of Times Gone By April 11, 2011 | 6 comments
• Why I Don’t Have an iPhone (but might someday) June 10, 2008 | 45 comments
• I bought a MacBook Air! January 15, 2008 | 2 comments
• Macworld Expo 2008: Steve Jobs’ Keynote Speech January 15, 2008 | 1 comments