The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time

[JDrake]

Text

1. America Online (1989-2006)
2. RealNetworks RealPlayer (1999)
3. Syncronys SoftRAM (1995)
4. Microsoft Windows Millennium (2000)
5. Sony BMG Music CDs (2005)
6. Disney The Lion King CD-ROM (1994)
7. Microsoft Bob (1995)
8. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (2001)
9. Pressplay and MusicNet 2002
10. Ashton-Tate dBASE IV (1988)
11. Priceline Groceries and Gas (2000)
12. PointCast Network (1996)
13. IBM PCjr. (1984)
14. Gateway 2000 10th Anniversary PC (1995)
15. Iomega Zip Drive (1998)
16. Comet Systems Comet Cursor (1997)
17. Apple Macintosh Portable (1989)
18. IBM Deskstar 75GXP (2000)
19. OQO Model 1 (2004)
20. DigitalConvergence CueCat (2000)
21. Eyetop Wearable DVD Player (2004)
22. Apple Pippin @World (1996)
23. Free PCs (1999)
24. DigiScents iSmell (2001)
25. Sharp RD3D Notebook (2004)

(Dis)Honorable Mentions:
Apple Newton MessagePad (1994)
Apple Puck Mouse (1998)
Apple Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (1997)
Circuit City DiVX DVDs (1998)
Dell SL320i (1993)
Motorola Rokr E1 (2005)
3Com Audrey (1999)
Timex Data Link Watch (1995)
WebTV (1995)

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Blasphemy! The Apple/Bandai Pippin was great.

EDIT: Why's IE6 on the list?

 

[waggy]

heh i have a copy of BoB around the house somewhere. heh it was a very crappy paice of software. also had 3 of the fricken deskstar's think i have one im my wif's machine still chugging away!

 

[j00fek]

good list i was just cking it out

 

[imported_LoKe]

As much as I hate IE6, it should not be on that list.

 

[Minjin]

I'm going to disagree with the Timex Data Link watch. I had one for a while and I liked it. The Ironman Data Link allowed you to set time (i.e. sync to computer/atomic), alarms, and add records to the data section. You could also download lap times from your watch. All this in something pretty much the same size as the normal Timex Ironman and you only had to hold the watch up to the screen for transfers.

The data section was good for emergency phone numbers and I even put a credit card and calling card numbers in there. I figured that if I ever lost my wallet or got mugged (not likely to take a cheap looking Timex watch), I'd still be able to make phone calls and make emergency credit card purchases to get myself out of the situation.

Mark

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Originally posted by: LoKe
As much as I hate IE6, it should not be on that list.

Although it may be a lot less secure than Firefox, it's not like simply using it is going to ruin your computer. I use it all of the time and have no problems.

 

[BatmanNate]

I disagree with the Zip drive, that was a staple before recordable optical media was available and home networks were expensive.

 

[JDrake]

8. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (2001)
Full of features, easy to use, and a virtual engraved invitation to hackers and other digital delinquents, Internet Explorer 6.x might be the least secure software on the planet. How insecure? In June 2004, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) took the unusual step of urging PC users to use a browser--any browser--other than IE. Their reason: IE users who visited the wrong Web site could end up infected with the Scob or Download.Ject keylogger, which could be used to steal their passwords and other personal information. Microsoft patched that hole, and the next one, and the one after that, and so on, ad infinitum.

To be fair, its ubiquity paints a big red target on it--less popular apps don't draw nearly as much fire from hackers and the like. But here's hoping that Internet Explorer 7 springs fewer leaks than its predecessor.

 

[Excelsior]

America Online...

Is that not a service?

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: HamburgerBoy

Originally posted by: LoKe
As much as I hate IE6, it should not be on that list.

Although it may be a lot less secure than Firefox, it's not like simply using it is going to ruin your computer. I use it all of the time and have no problems.

That's more or less what I was saying. IE6 is still a great browser considering the time it came around.

 

[jadinolf]

Agree with BOB, disagree with Zip Drive

 

[Cabages]

AOL definitely deserves to be up there.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: LoKe
As much as I hate IE6, it should not be on that list.

 

[ElFenix]

zip drives were out well before 1998. i have a scsi version from 1996 or so

Some buildings are portable, if you have access to a Freightliner. Stonehenge is a portable sun dial, if you have enough people on hand to get things rolling. And in 1989, Apple offered a "portable" Macintosh--a 4-inch-thick, 16-pound beast that severely strained the definition of "laptop"--and the aching backs of its porters.

oddly enough, i think i've seen alienware and falconnorthwest systems with about the same dimensions lately.

 

[drinkmorejava]

I was waiting for the cuecat

Why are they bashing the RD3D though, it's the screen, not the laptop, and it's designed for digital artists and cad designers that require 3d representation. It's far from something 95% of people should even consider

 

[ferrarif174]

glad the flesh light is not there.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
zip drives were out well before 1998. i have a scsi version from 1996 or so

I bought my first one Dec 7, 1996, second one three days later.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: LoKe
As much as I hate IE6, it should not be on that list.

Yes it should. It's essentially the reason for the spyware/adware problem that we have today.

 

[God On Alcohol]

Originally posted by: ferrarif174
glad the flesh light is not there.

its not a tech device though

 

[linkgoron]

What about the Nintendo Powerglove?

 

[Cattlegod]

"18. IBM Deskstar 75GXP (2000) "

haha, when i was reading the list, i was like "they better mention the deathstars."

 

[JS80]

this list makes no sense

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: linkgoron
What about the Nintendo Powerglove?

or the nintendo gyro

 

[konakona]

AllAdvantage comes to mind.