Welcome to CNET Top 5, where each time we meet, we count down another hot
CNET list. I'm Tom Merritt.
If you follow technology at all, you know that millions of products hype themselves
as the next big thing, and a very few live up to the expectations.
But some fall further and faster than others.
Let's count down the Top 5 biggest tech disappointments.
At No. 5, Nintendo's Virtual Boy. It was the first portable console to have 3 frakkin D!
And this was 1995! But, like much that is 3D, it wasn't nearly as good as the $180
price tag. Or any of the subsequent price drops, and was discontinued the next year.
Coming in at No. 4, The Apple Newton. It was big, it was clunky, but it could
recognize your handwriting and it inspired the term personal digital assistant. It
died in 1998 after Steve Jobs returned to Apple. Although two developers from the
Newton project went on to help write the iPod software.
Up to No. 3, Napster. No doubt it revolutionized digital music, causing severe
disruption, the effects of which are still being felt. But when it went legit, it could
never recapture it's early fervor. We're not saying never but...
Sliding in at No. 2, the Segway. Before launch, the hype about this thing was
incredible. The project was supposedly going to cause us to rearchitect whole cities.
Instead, we got Mall Cop.
Before we get to No. 1, time for another Lame Prize. And what's more disappointing
than Jar-Jar Binks? How about 8 miniature Jar Jar Binks?
For this tiny army of disappointment, go blog.cnettv.com and be one of the first 10
people on the post for this Top 5 to tell me what the code name of the Segway was
before it launched.
All right. Let's get to our No. 1. The biggest tech disappointment of the last couple
decades.
At No. 1, it's...Duke Nukem Forever! The latest in the Duke Nukem franchises was
first announced in April 1997. Then again in 1998 and 1999, and 2001, then 2007,
and 2008, until the development team was finally terminated in May 2009. But it's
still coming soon...FOREVER.
Well That's it for this edition of CNET Top 5.
Remember blog.cnettv.com for the chance to win the very small Jar Jars, and make
them yours to torture.
I'm Tom Merritt. See you next time.
