Everyone thinks of Microsoft as a company built on perfection… a recent article in ExtremeTech describes Microsoft’s Top 10 Flops:
1. Microsoft BOB: A product Microsoft released in 1995, was set to be the next-generation interface for Windows 3.1. It sucked.
2. Windows ME: This version was released in 2000 and was seen by many as a buggy upgrade with next-to-no compelling features.
3. Tablet PC/Pen Computing/eBooks: The technology has been buggy and more expensive than expected.
4. SPOT watches: More than three years after the first Smart Personal Object Technology watch prototypes first hit the market, there still are no compelling apps.
5. Microsoft Money: Microsoft can’t compete with Intuit and its Quicken product.
6. MS-DOS: Released in 1988, MS-DOS 4.0 was very buggy and a huge nightmare.
7. Microsoft TV: Microsoft has taken several stabs at making a go of the digital TV space, to no avail.
8. MSNBC: Microsoft’s partnership with NBC was never a smooth one.
9. Live Meeting: Microsoft’s Web conferencing product, based on technology it bought from PlaceWare, has been a disaster.
10. No Open Source: Microsoft continues to spend lots of money, time and attention fighting open-source software on a whole host of fronts.