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Top 15 Biggest High-Tech Flops of 2008

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Z

Zombie James

Banned
http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/486-oled-hd-dvd.html

This is the order that shows up in the article but the article itself doesn't give a ranking.

- HD-DVD
- Nvidia Geforce 8M series
- iPhone Killers
- OLED
- Windows Vista
- Personal Mobile Television
- AMD Phenom X3
- Microsoft's Yahoo Buyout
- AMD Brook+/CAL
- Sony Ericsson XPeria X1
- Nvidia HybridPower
- Sony Batteries
- Fiber Optics in France
- Sony PlayTV
- Grand Theft Auto PC

Interesting list...
 
How the hell is OLED a flop. It's not even widely available yet and definitely not in a realistic screen size for home entertainment use. The 30"+ models WILL be coming soon.
 
_leech_ said:
http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/486-oled-hd-dvd.html

15. HD-DVD
14. Nvidia Geforce 8M series
13. iPhone Killers
12. OLED
11. Windows Vista
10. Personal Mobile Television
09. AMD Phenom X3
08. Microsoft's Yahoo Buyout
07. AMD Brook+/CAL
06. Sony Ericsson XPeria X1
05. Nvidia HybridPower
04. Sony Batteries
03. Fiber Optics in France
02. Sony PlayTV
01. Grand Theft Auto PC

Interesting list...
Click to expand...
Why ?
 
Epix said:
How the hell is OLED a flop. It's not even widely available yet and definitely not in a realistic screen size for home entertainment use. The 30"+ models WILL be coming soon.
Click to expand...

It's a flop in 08 so it can win comeback tech of the year in 09?

Also, your avatar is so NSFW. :lol
 
Epix said:
How the hell is OLED a flop. It's not even widely available yet and definitely not in a realistic screen size for home entertainment use. The 30"+ models WILL be coming soon.
Click to expand...

Well, it was a disappointing year for OLED, but I won't go back down that road again as we did in the CES thread. But, that said, I've seen some post-CES comments asking where the hell the OLED televisions are once again. Apparently not much was shown once again.
 
Fersis said:
Why ?
Click to expand...

We’ll end with a game that, in addition to raising its share of controversies, was nothing short of a total disaster in its PC version. Obviously we’re talking about GTA IV PC. Not only is it not very impressive graphics-wise, not only does it require a high-end computer, it just plain doesn’t run for a lot of people. Paying for a botched port after waiting six months for it, then realizing that it won’t even run, is nobody’s idea of a good time.
Click to expand...

There you go.
 
_leech_ said:
http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/486-oled-hd-dvd.html

15. HD-DVD
14. Nvidia Geforce 8M series
13. iPhone Killers
12. OLED
11. Windows Vista
10. Personal Mobile Television
09. AMD Phenom X3
08. Microsoft's Yahoo Buyout
07. AMD Brook+/CAL
06. Sony Ericsson XPeria X1
05. Nvidia HybridPower
04. Sony Batteries
03. Fiber Optics in France
02. Sony PlayTV
01. Grand Theft Auto PC

Interesting list...
Click to expand...

GTA is the biggest? Err, I don't think so. It's an average port but it still works ok and there are WAY worse(like Saints Row 2).
 
Kung Fu Jedi said:
Well, it was a disappointing year for OLED, but I won't go back down that road again as we did in the CES thread. But, that said, I've seen some post-CES comments asking where the hell the OLED televisions are once again. Apparently not much was shown once again.
Click to expand...
I saw OLED sets from Samsung that were 31" pre-production models. They look great too although I'm saving for the 82" 2160p display they had.
 
HD-DVD deserves to be 1 that war was epic with millions of annual revenue at stake for the winner.

Edit: Oh wait on the site they don't seem to be ranked.
 
CiSTM said:
06. Sony Ericsson XPeria X1

Didn't know this was flop O_o

How come ?
Click to expand...

It may have been the most eagerly awaited telephone of the year... and it may well have been the most disappointing telephone of the year, too. Introduced in February with (almost) operational prototypes, the phone has only just become available in stores. Its “revolutionary” Windows Mobile interface was not only slow, but it also wasn’t any more functional than other operating systems from HTC, Samsung or Asus. And since there’s only one Windows Mobile model from Sony Ericsson, developments for the proprietary interface, quite naturally, are scarce. What was supposed to be the ultimate smartphone is at best only passable, and at worst a total failure.
Click to expand...

.
 
Darklord said:
GTA is the biggest? Err, I don't think so. It's an average port but it still works ok and there are WAY worse(like Saints Row 2).
Click to expand...

They're not talking about quality of the game, bud.
 
Is the Kindle a flop? I know it came out in late 2007, but for some reason that was the first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title.
 
Ripenen said:
Is the Kindle a flop? I know it came out in late 2007, but for some reason that was the first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title.
Click to expand...

They've sold quite a few of those, and are making a 2nd model. I'd consider it a small success.
 
Ripenen said:
Is the Kindle a flop? I know it came out in late 2007, but for some reason that was the first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title.
Click to expand...

I'd think, but Amazon keeps claiming they're sold out of them and doesn't release sales figures so who knows.
 
Xisiqomelir said:
HDDVD at #15 and not top 10?
Click to expand...
Are these even numbered? Here's what they say about HD-DVD:

The death of HD DVD may well represent the most resounding flop of 2008. At the height of the war between the competing formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray, Warner Brothers dumped the Toshiba-backed entry, effectively signing its death warrant—and those who had purchased HD DVD drives and movies were left holding the bag. The format was actually quite similar to Blu-ray, but less expensive (and also sporting a lower capacity).
Click to expand...
Maybe I'm missing it, but I'm not seeing the numbering on the list. It looks like a non-ordered list of 15.
 
HD-DVD deserved to win. More affordable, a closed spec, and better (initial) quality. Sony monehatted their way into a win. Good for them, but the consumer lost on that one...
 
Jeff-DSA said:
HD-DVD deserved to win. More affordable, a closed spec, and better (initial) quality. Sony monehatted their way into a win. Good for them, but the consumer lost on that one...
Click to expand...

If it wasn't for the fact that Blu-ray is superior than HD-DVD...yes, you are absolutely right! :lol
 
ChackanKun said:
If it wasn't for the fact that Blu-ray is superior than HD-DVD...yes, you are absolutely right! :lol
Click to expand...

Well, other than storage capacity and studio support, there wasn't a huge difference between the two, but it seems silly to wage that war again. :lol
 
I don't want to fight this one out, especially because I was dual-format from the get go, but HD-DVD was better, outside of storage space, from day one. Blu-ray caught up, but it's not even a debatable that when these formats were first introduced that HD-DVD was superior.

I just hope Blu-ray doesn't die out. I like having a physical media. Digital downloads are great and all, but I'd like them to co-exist with my discs rather than replace them.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
Digital downloads are great and all, but I'd like them to co-exist with my discs rather than replace them.
Click to expand...

Digital is future, but i don't see myself downloading a 50Gb's movie and keeping it stored in my non-existant 1000000Tb HD. There is still much to do with physical media before going that road.
 
ChrisGoldstein said:
Lol if you dont think Sony paid Warner Bros.


Sony got a bunch of money like 2 months prior to the deal.


http://www.gamespot.com/news/6183331.html


Didnt bother me I never had an hd dvd player. I was glad since I only had a ps3.
Click to expand...

I don't think Sony paid WB. If WB did get paid it was from the BDA. Seriously people, it isn't hard to remember.

Also PlayTV was a flop?
 
Jeff-DSA said:
I don't want to fight this one out, especially because I was dual-format from the get go, but HD-DVD was better, outside of storage space, from day one. Blu-ray caught up, but it's not even a debatable that when these formats were first introduced that HD-DVD was superior.

I just hope Blu-ray doesn't die out. I like having a physical media. Digital downloads are great and all, but I'd like them to co-exist with my discs rather than replace them.
Click to expand...

:lol
 
ChackanKun said:
If it wasn't for the fact that Blu-ray is superior than HD-DVD...yes, you are absolutely right! :lol
Click to expand...

other than storage space was there something inherently better about the picture quality? If not i wouldnt give 2 shits if the BR disc could store 2x or more than the hd dvd disk , if hd dvd could hold a damn movie in 1080p im good. I can understand the argument of the brd having longer legs than hd dvd but as far as fufilling the roll of non volatile storage...hrmm. Even the most hardcore brd supporter would have to admit its split, removable/non volatile storage has to be cheap, secure, and vast. Blu Ray has alot more space but Hd Dvd had the practicality and price point. In the end who cares we got a standard and sony finally won a format war before matsushita came and punched em in the mouth yet again.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
They're not talking about quality of the game, bud.
Click to expand...

It's #1 because they say it's such a bad port when there are a lot, lot worse out there. I never said anything about the game quality, only the quality of the port.
 
DonasaurusRex said:
other than storage space was there something inherently better about the picture quality?
Click to expand...

Because of Blu-ray's higher capacity it allows more bitrate to be given to video (40Mbit/s vs. 29.4Mbit/s).
 
I'd love to know the criteria for this list, as well as its ordering.

How is HD DVD not number one? It isn't simply a product, it was an attempt at a format ... and obviously cost the most of anything on here (and by virtue of losing the format war, loses the most future earnings).


And OLED? It's sounds to basically be getting delayed by a year. That makes it a flop? It's not like it went past some specific window and is forever fubar. It's pretty clear several companies are positioning it as their long-term display technology moving forward. It would be a flop if viable products were released, and few people picked them up ... but they haven't even been released.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
Excellent and well-articulated point.
Click to expand...

I don't need to go through this again because I remember your lol-worthy posts from the big thread.

HD-DVD did not deserve to win anything.
 
_leech_ said:
Because of Blu-ray's higher capacity it allows more bitrate to be given to video (40Mbit/s vs. 29.4Mbit/s).
Click to expand...

They are not necessarily correlated (bitrate and capacity) ... but as you point out, the movie spec for the two has a fairly significant difference in bitrate ... especially instantaneous bitrate, which is not listed. IIRC, it’s more than twice the bitrate.



rex64 said:
Windows Vista is awesome, fuck the haters
Click to expand...

Whether it is or isn't has nothing to do with it being considered 'a flop'
 
Onix said:
I'd love to know the criteria for this list, as well as its ordering.

How is HD DVD not number one? It isn't simply a product, it was an attempt at a format ... and obviously cost the most of anything on here (and by virtue of losing the format war, loses the most future earnings).


And OLED? It's sounds to basically be getting delayed by a year. That makes it a flop? It's not like it went past some specific window and is forever fubar. It's pretty clear several companies are positioning it as their long-term display technology moving forward. It would be a flop if viable products were released, and few people picked them up ... but they haven't even been released.
Click to expand...

Both points have already been talked about in this thread:

1) The article DOES NOT NUMBER them in any order. The OP decided to do that on his own.

2) We speculated earlier that the OLED thing is a "flop" for 2008, not for all time. There was little to nothing to celebrate on the OLED front for 2008, but that doesn't mean it won't be a great product down the line.
 
avaya said:
I don't need to go through this again because I remember your lol-worthy posts from the big thread.

HD-DVD did not deserve to win anything.
Click to expand...

You think they're "lol-worthy" simply because I preferred HD-DVD and you were a staunch Blu-ray fanboy. I supported both formats all along, I just felt like HD-DVD did a much better job at getting all their ducks in a row at launch and was much more consumer friendly (lower prices, closed spec, hybrid formats, etc.). I wasn't exactly devastated when Blu-ray won out, I was just confused why HD-DVD was so hated 'round these parts. I'm guessing it was simply the Sony/PS3 connection.
 
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