Over the years, companies have created some amazing products and brands. But not every product is a success. In fact, some products are so bad they become infamous. Technology, in particular, has many examples of badly designed and poorly received products.
There’s a long list of technology items that have become obsolete as newer technologies replace them. But some tech gadgets were so bad that became hated and obsolete almost as soon as they hit the shelves.
Here’s a list of the worst tech products that history would like to forget.
Google Glass
Although seemingly a cool idea at first, the Google Glass instantly became synonymous with stuck-up, silicon valley tech nerds. Walking around with a tiny computer screen on your face wasn’t just unfashionable, it was impractical. The project has now been stopped and anyone who purchased a Google Glass when it was available is likely letting it collect dust today.
Clippy
One of the most infamous personal assistants to ever be created was Clippit, aka Clippy. Clippy was designed to help Microsoft users with daily tasks on their computer. Introduced on Windows 98, Clippy was instantly hated. Users complained that he was annoying, intrusive and not even helpful to begin with. Although wiped from computers, Clippy has lived on as a meme on the internet.
Apple Puck Mouse
Apple may have pioneered the mouse and desktop format we’re all familiar with today, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have some missteps when it came to mouse design. The round mouse was difficult to use and would often confuse users on which way was up. The puck mouse came with the iMac in 1998 but was discontinued shortly after in 2000.
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is known as one of the worst operating systems to date. It was so bad that PC users were encouraged to downgrade back to their previous edition. It took over 6 years of development to create Vista but it was quickly critiqued as a terrible operating system for users. Vista often had compatibility issues with hardware, excessive security boxes and many more problems that made it one of the worst tech products of the decade.
Internet Explorer
Although still used by millions of people (probably because it is the default browser for Windows PCs), Internet Explorer became the most hated browser of the internet. Prone to crashes, bugs and loading problems, IE has caused users more headaches than possibly any other item on this list. If you’re stilling using Internet Explorer, you’re missing out on a much better browsing experience from any of these alternative web browsers.
What did you think of our worst tech products list? Did we leave something out? Are you actually a fan of one of these products? Let us know in the comments on social media.
It’s sometimes hard to know how a product will be received when it’s launched. The creators of these items probably thought their product would be a big hit. Whether you’re a tech company building new gadgets or a local accountant, it’s important to listen to your customers and provide them with tools that work well and improve their experience.
