Mashable Takes Us Down Memory Lane with Spectacular Tech Failures
Andrew Sztein — February 4, 2013 — Art & Design
Being an early adopter in the world of technology is fraught with peril; having the latest hot gadget may just mean you're stuck with an expensive and useless tech failure.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I owned several of the products listed on Mashable's '14 Tech Fails of the Past' infographic, and it even made me nostalgic for the days of getting excited over such products. Whether you owned an HD DVD drive, a laserdisc player, a zip-drive or even an early tablet PC that has little in common with an iPad, these were cool products for their time. Just because they didn't sell well or didn't penetrate the market as well as their designers intended, many of the tech failures listed here were actually quite ahead of their time. Except for the disposable DivX discs. Those were always a pretty lousy idea.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I owned several of the products listed on Mashable's '14 Tech Fails of the Past' infographic, and it even made me nostalgic for the days of getting excited over such products. Whether you owned an HD DVD drive, a laserdisc player, a zip-drive or even an early tablet PC that has little in common with an iPad, these were cool products for their time. Just because they didn't sell well or didn't penetrate the market as well as their designers intended, many of the tech failures listed here were actually quite ahead of their time. Except for the disposable DivX discs. Those were always a pretty lousy idea.
Trend Themes
1. Early Adoption Fails - Identifying the reasons behind the failure of early tech adopters and finding ways to improve the adoption process to prevent future failures.
2. Ahead of Their Time Products - Exploring the concept of products that were innovative but failed to gain traction in the market, and identifying strategies to better position these products for success.
3. Obsolete Technology - Examining the impact of obsolete technology on consumers and businesses, and identifying opportunities to repurpose or innovate with outdated tech.
Industry Implications
1. Consumer Electronics - Finding ways to streamline the product development and release process to minimize the risk of failure and maximize market penetration.
2. Entertainment - Developing innovative solutions in the entertainment industry to challenge conventional technologies and offer consumers more advanced and appealing options.
3. Waste Management - Exploring sustainable options for repurposing or recycling obsolete technology to minimize e-waste and its impact on the environment.
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