Apple's Biggest Hardware Flops of All Time

[SidricTheViking]

I would add here the giant iPhone aka iPad. But this is an intentional flop as they limit its usability on purpose with the mobile operating system to make money through the App Store.

I’m on my third iPad (iPad 2, iPad Air 2 and iPad Air 4th gen). It’s my most used device. I’ve had an iMac during the same period and iPhones, too. Bought my first MacBook last year but hardly ever use it. The iPad is just too convenient — it’s literally my lap-top gadget. Obviously, use cases will vary. I use mine daily for browsing and email. But I also use it regularly for creating and presenting documents in Pages and Keynote. I’m fact, I find Keynote on the iPad to be much easier to use than on a Mac (or PowerPoint on any device!) It’s perfect for creating animated quizzes 😄🤣🙃

 

[contacos]

What about iPod Socks? Or is that considered "soft"ware?

View attachment 2142072

lol I had them. I loved them at that time

 

[Abazigal]

It will be exciting to see the grid of app icons in the goggles, like the grid of app icons in Apple TV, like the grid of app icons in the Apple Watch… Maybe it will have a touchbar… truly exciting times.

I am guessing that Apple will take inspiration from stage manager when designing the UI for the AR glasses. Which kinda makes sense. It will be interesting if Stage Manager was less a new means of multitasking for the iPad and more a way of getting people used to navigating their AR interface.

 

[aussie-reader]

Should I feel bad that except for the Pippin I used to own all of them...

 

[SanderEvers]

Don't forget the Butterfly keyboards in MacBooks.

 

[MacBH928]

Seriously, the 2016 MBP? doesn't make the list?

The G4 cube and Macintosh TV are pretty neat even for this day, I wouldn't call it a flop, more like a financial flop but not the product itself.

 

[Kar98]

What is a “clit mouse” and where can I buy one?

 

[East India Company]

All these supposed failures were making me dreaming as a kid. A fantastic era I say!

 

[Stiksi]

That wasn’t a flop or failure, that’s why it lasted so long.

The design team wanted a super clean look and didn’t want a port showing on the outside.

They didn’t want this to be used as a wired mouse and because it only needed to be recharged 2 or 3 times a year users would recharge it when they weren’t using it. With that in mind, there is nothing wrong with the port hidden away underneath.

If users wanted a wired mouse or a port showing on the side there were plenty of third party options.

Nowadays a mouse can have Qi-charging and get rid of ports completely.

If you count success as being a mandatory accessory for macs. That mouse was so uncomfortable to use that everyone just bought better one and never even took that thing out of its box. I used it as a backup mouse but every time I needed it, it was out of battery.

 

[brofkand]

iPod Hi-Fi
HomePod
Mac Pro 2013
Mac Pro 2019
Mac mini Core Solo
iPhone original
Apple Watch Edition

This list is slanted very heavily towards the 80's and 90's.

 

[nottorp]

No mention of the emoji keyboard that only works in a perfect vacuum with no dust specks?

 

[BadMacRumours]

This comment will age well when Apple make record profits after they go on sell

Why are people making assumptions this product will be marketed towards the general public?

It’s not going head-to-head with typical consumer VR headsets. It’s a rival to Microsoft’s HoloLens.

 

[BadMacRumours]

I doubt it. Not many people out there are willing to pay $3000 for a Niche product. Unless Apple lowers the price to $999 then yeah maybe. But under Tim Cook that’s not likely to happen.

Why are people making assumptions this product will be marketed towards the general public?

It’s not going head-to-head with typical consumer VR headsets. It’s a rival to Microsoft’s HoloLens.

 

[PCMA]

 

[toke lahti]

By counting the number of affected units, maybe the BUTTERFLY KEYBOARD is Apple's biggest failure?

 

[NEPOBABY]

If you count success as being a mandatory accessory for macs. That mouse was so uncomfortable to use that everyone just bought better one and never even took that thing out of its box. I used it as a backup mouse but every time I needed it, it was out of battery.

Success as in they didn’t need to update the design for a long time. Normally if something doesn’t work Apple updates the design.

I personally don’t use that mouse but understood the designers intentions.

 

[I7guy]

iPod Hi-Fi
HomePod
Mac Pro 2013
Mac Pro 2019
Mac mini Core Solo
iPhone original
Apple Watch Edition

This list is slanted very heavily towards the 80's and 90's.

iPod Hi-Fi
Mac Pro 2013
Mac Pro 2019
Mac mini Core Solo

Tweaked the list.

 

[deebinem]

Also, this is one of the biggest hardware
failures of all time too. 🖱️

Why do we have to charge a Magic Mouse 2 like this in 2023? 😣

View attachment 2142068

Use a Magic Trackpad 2 if you insist on using a wireless device while plugged in?

But if it’s the aesthetics you are worried about while your mouse charges, then maybe think about one of these?



Since it already sits on the desk for my phone, I just stick the mouse on it overnight.

 

[enterthemerdaverse]

Why are people making assumptions this product will be marketed towards the general public?

It’s not going head-to-head with typical consumer VR headsets. It’s a rival to Microsoft’s HoloLens.

HoloLens is failing though. Constantly needs to be designed and rearchitected and still fails to deliver.

The results showed that the soldiers suffered “headaches, eyestrain and nausea” and that the system had too many “failures of essential functions.” In addition, more than 80 percent of soldiers who reported discomfort began experiencing it less than three hours into the 72 hours test.

Congress blocks purchase of more Microsoft combat goggles

The US Congress opted not to approve the purchase of more Microsoft combat goggles for the US Army. Instead, it’s allocating funds for Microsoft to develop an updated version.

www.engadget.com

 

[mazzeri]

How is this possible? I know it was a flop but it’s hard to believe that 999 out of every 1000 have been disposed of.

I suspect it’s referring only to the Lisa 1. When the Lisa 2 was released with a 3.5” floppy and Apple logo, they offered an upgrade to convert Lisa 1 to Lisa 2, and then later even to a Macintosh XL. So an intact original Lisa 1 with twiggy drives and Lisa logo is a rare museum piece.

 

[webkit]

Apple Lisa

Despite this, starting at just shy of ten grand (around $29,905 by today's standards), the Lisa was prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest of households, and the computer was a flop. By 1986, Apple had only managed to sell around 100,000 units, and the entire Lisa platform was discontinued. Apple was even forced to dispose of some 2,700 Lisas in a landfill in Utah.

Does the "100,000 units" figure include sales of the much cheaper Lisa 2 introduced in 1984?

 

[George Dawes]

I'm going old school but the centris stuff was what very nearly put the ultimate nail in apple's coffin , spindler managed to make the whole apple line look boring by having 15 versions of the same computer

I had a lovely Quadra 840av at the time - the ferrari of macs my dealer told me at the time - and it was a thing of rare beauty ,more like a lamborghini countach / diablo tbh

Sorry for waffling

 

[macdisciple]

The products can fail but much is learned and new technology is used successfully in another oroduct

 

[mazzeri]

Would not have fit aesthetically in the era of translucent Macs like iMac G3, Power Mac G4 and PowerBook G4 and soon after they had already began research on iOS.

The Newton eMate translucent green plastic clamshell design was Jonny Ives’ precursor to his successful colourful clamshell iBook.

 

[enterthemerdaverse]

The Newton eMate translucent green plastic clamshell design was Jonny Ives’ precursor to his successful colourful clamshell iBook.

Shhhh don't mention that one 😂