The 15 Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007

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In summary, The top 15 technology mistakes of 2007 included underwhelming products and services such as Amazon Unbox, Municipal WiMax, Social Networks, Internet Security, Microsoft Zune, and Wireless Carriers. Other issues included the disappointment of Office 2007, Apple's "Leopard" OS, Voice Over IP, the Broadband Industry, the Apple iPhone, Yahoo, Facebook Beacon, the High-Def Format War, and Windows Vista being deemed as the biggest mistake. However, some disagree with the list and believe other technologies, such as IE7 and Wikipedia, should be recognized for their advancements in 2007. The lack of understanding and misinformation from consumers and media also played a role in some of these mistakes.
  • #1
Astronuc
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These much-ballyhooed products, sites, and services, it turned out, left much to be desired.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140583/article.html

#15. Box Unpopuli: Amazon Unbox
#14. Screwed up to the Max: Municipal WiMax
#13. Web 2 Woe: Social Networks
#12. Just Another Oxymoron: Internet Security
#11. Singing an Old Familiar Zune: Microsoft Zune
#10. Is Anyone Listening?: Wireless Carriers

#9. Sorry, We Already Gave: Office 2007
#8. Needs To Change Its Spots: Apple "Leopard" OS 10.5
#7. Cannot be Completed as Dialed: Voice Over IP
#6. Un-Neutral: The Broadband Industry
#5. The Great, The Bad, The Ugly: Apple iPhone
#4. In a Sorry State: Yahoo
#3. The Anti-Social Network: Facebook Beacon
#2. What Is It Good For: The High-Def Format War

#1. No Wow, No How: Windows Vista

Five years in the making and this is the best Microsoft could do?

It's not that Vista is awful. The integrated security and parental controls are nice, and the Aero interface is as whizzy as it gets. Searching and wireless networking are much faster and easier than under XP.

It's just that Vista isn't all that good. Many of the innovations the operating system was supposed to bring--like more efficient file and communications systems--got tossed overboard as Microsoft struggled to get the OS out the door, some three years after it was first promised. Despite its hefty hardware requirements, Vista is slower than XP.

When it debuted last January, incompatibilities were rampant--in part because hardware and software makers didn't feel any urgency to revamp their products to work with the new OS. The user account controls that were supposed to make users feel safer just made them feel irritated. And at $399 ($299 upgrade) for Windows Ultimate, we couldn't help feeling more than a little gouged.
Well do people agree with the list. I'm certainly leery of Vista, and so are others I know.
 
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  • #2
I certainly agree with Vista being number one and the Zune player being up there. Yahoo seems to get more bloated as the years go by. It takes me forever to load yahoo.com when compared to google.com. The iphone also left a lot of things to be desired. Hopefully they do better with "iphone 2.0".

I do however disagree with WiMAX being on the list. This is a relatively new technology. The article doesn't really point out the negatives of WiMAX, only that not enough companies are investing. And yes it does seem like google has to do everything.

They should also add IE7. I hate that crap.
 
  • #3
The i-phone. You take a decent cell phone then restrict it to the world's slowest, most antiquated cellular network in the world. Was Apple unaware of this, or did they not care and chose instead to sell out to the highest bidder? Since when you do buy a top of the line computer that comes with a restriction that you can only use a dial up internet provider? Disgusting. That's GOT to be the NUMBER ONE mistake of 2007! Hiss And BOO to Apple for selling out for money instead of allowing their phone to work on all of the major carriers.

WIMAX is another problem. It's slower than Rev A, and it's also more limited geographically than other highspeed wireless services. This is an idea that's already beginning to show the signs of "ooops, well that's not good". One of the forerunners in the technology has been warned over and over by industry analysts that they should bail.

Voice over IP is another technology that people do not understand. I'd be on here all night explaining that one.
 
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  • #4
I think we have reached a point of time where as long as "the next microsoft operating system" is slower than the previous version, then it can be placed at the top of the list.

As for the iphone, http://stevenojobs.com/maddox-on-iphone-the-most-objective-iphone-review/

To me the best technology of 2007 was wikipedia. It seems to be getting better, fast. They are now writing wiki books. Curious of what's next for them.
 
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  • #5
#6. Un-Neutral: The Broadband Industry

Again, consumer ignorance, enhanced by media ignorance.

If you know physics, think of common layman misunderstandings of the most basic principles. There you go.
 

1. What are some of the biggest tech disappointments of 2007?

According to experts, some of the biggest tech disappointments of 2007 include the failure of the Apple iPhone to live up to its hype, the underwhelming sales of the Microsoft Zune, and the lackluster performance of the Nintendo Wii.

2. Was the failure of the Apple iPhone a surprise?

While the hype surrounding the release of the iPhone was immense, many experts were not surprised by its failure to meet expectations. The device was plagued with technical issues and was priced higher than other smartphones on the market at the time.

3. Why did the Microsoft Zune fail to gain popularity?

The Microsoft Zune faced tough competition from the popular iPod and lacked the same level of innovation and features. Additionally, the device was only compatible with Windows systems, limiting its potential market.

4. What caused the disappointment with the Nintendo Wii?

The Nintendo Wii was highly anticipated due to its motion control technology, but it ultimately failed to deliver on its promise. Many users found the motion controls to be inaccurate and the graphics to be subpar compared to other gaming consoles.

5. Are there any other notable tech disappointments from 2007?

Other notable tech disappointments from 2007 include the failure of HD DVD to overtake Blu-ray as the dominant high-definition format and the controversial launch of Windows Vista, which faced criticism for its bugs and compatibility issues.

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