Is a state-of-the-art product necessarily a sales success?
Microsoft Bob
Project managed by Melinda French, at the time, girlfriend of Bill Gates. It was an attempt to improve the Windows 3.1 interface through annoying animated characters like Cat Chaos or Mouse Scuzz. Microsoft Bob disappeared with the release of Windows 95.
disposable DVD
Have you ever thought of a DVD that can only be used for 48 hours? Even today the Flexplay company sells these disposable DVDs in Japan. In fact, fashion has not caught on.
Atari Jaguar
Jaguar was released by Atari in the early 1990s to compete with 16-bit consoles from Sega and Nintendo. Although it had better graphics resolution than the Super Nintendo, it was a sales failure: it ended with Atari's bankruptcy in 1996. Reasons? Due to the console's programming complexity, there were few games; besides, playing with a 15-button controller was not easy.
Windows Millennium
Launched in the late 2000s, Windows Millennium would be the continuation of Windows 98 for home users. However, several problems appeared: difficulties in installing the system, instabilities, incompatibilities with some devices, among others. The operating system was overshadowed by the release of its younger and far more stable sibling Windows 2000. Many dubbed Windows Millennium Edition (ME) as Windows Mistaken Edition (in Portuguese, wrong edition).
Amstrad E-m@iler Telephone
Imagine a phone that charged for email sent. It wasn't one of the best ideas, was it?
Sony BMG Music CDs
In 2005, Sony BMG Music Entertainment CDs had a copy protection system that installed a rootkit, which opened security holes and made the user's computer more vulnerable to attacks. Result: the company had to collect its CDs from the market, in addition to facing numerous lawsuits.
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
DANTAS, James. "The worst technological inventions"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/informatica/as-piores-invencoes-tecnologicas.htm. Accessed on June 30, 2021.
