Apple’s Biggest Failures
We all know Apple’s greatest hits, but which products and services would Apple’s leaders rather forget?
Apple Lisa
What: Computer
Launched: 1983
Cost: $9,995
Why it flopped: The first computer with a mouse and graphical user interface, Lisa delivered the goods. But its price was simply too much for consumers. In today’s dollars, Lisa computers would cost $21,000 each. It’s believed that Apple buried tons of unsold Lisa computers at a Utah landfill as a tax write-off.
Macintosh Portable
What: Computer
Launched: 1989
Cost: $6,500
Why it flopped: Though technically portable, the 16-pound device was the size of a briefcase. It was replaced a couple of years later by the PowerBook.
Macintosh TV
What: Integrated computer-television device
Launched: 1993
Cost: $2,097
Why it flopped: A weird combination that wasn’t a good TV or a good computer, its five months on the market generated only 10,000 units.
QuickTake
What: Digital camera
Launched: 1994
Cost: $749
Why it flopped: With hilariously terrible pictures and resolution roughly equivalent to that of postage stamps, consumers predictably balked at the price tag. The camera was one of the first to go when Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997, though it stayed on the shelves for three terrible years.
Pippin
What: Video game console
Launched: 1996
Cost: $599
Why it flopped: Fewer than 20 games were available for the console on release. A crawling processor loaded games at a snail’s pace, and users had much better options in the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM)
What: Computer
Launched: 1997
Cost: $7,499
Why it flopped: Its initial sky-high price tag dropped rapidly as sales never took off, with the cost falling from $7,499 to $1,995 after Steve Jobs returned to the company. Other computers with similar price tags were simply better, and the TAM wasn’t worth the cost.
Price history
$7,499
$3,500
$1,995
Puck mouse
What: Computer mouse
Launched: 1998
Cost: Included with original iMac
Why it flopped: It came with the computer that helped launch Apple back into profitability. And while Apple excitedly proclaimed it as the best mouse ever made, it was in reality ergonomically incorrect and difficult to use (which way is up?).
iPod Hi-Fi
What: Stereo speaker system
Launched: 2006
Cost: $349
Why it flopped: Little more than an expensive shelf, this sound system soon got lost among scores of good products.
Not All Smooth Sailing
After surging thanks to the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, Apple’s stock price has been on a roller coaster ride in more recent years.
Date Closing price (dollars)
1/9/2007 85.73
2/1/2007 84.61
3/1/2007 92.91
4/2/2007 99.8
5/1/2007 121.19
6/1/2007 122.04
7/2/2007 131.76
8/1/2007 138.48
9/4/2007 153.47
10/1/2007 189.95
11/1/2007 182.22
12/3/2007 198.08
1/2/2008 135.36
2/1/2008 125.02
3/3/2008 143.5
4/1/2008 173.95
5/1/2008 188.75
6/2/2008 167.44
7/1/2008 158.95
8/1/2008 169.53
9/2/2008 113.66
10/1/2008 107.59
11/3/2008 92.67
12/1/2008 85.35
1/2/2009 90.13
2/2/2009 89.31
3/2/2009 105.12
4/1/2009 125.83
5/1/2009 135.81
6/1/2009 142.43
7/1/2009 163.39
8/3/2009 168.21
9/1/2009 185.35
10/1/2009 188.5
11/2/2009 199.91
12/1/2009 210.73
1/4/2010 192.06
2/1/2010 204.62
3/1/2010 235
4/1/2010 261.09
5/3/2010 256.88
6/1/2010 251.53
7/1/2010 257.25
8/2/2010 243.1
9/1/2010 283.75
10/1/2010 300.98
11/1/2010 311.15
12/1/2010 322.56
1/3/2011 339.32
2/1/2011 353.21
3/1/2011 348.51
4/1/2011 350.13
5/2/2011 347.83
6/1/2011 335.67
7/1/2011 390.48
8/1/2011 384.83
9/1/2011 381.32
10/3/2011 404.78
11/1/2011 382.2
12/1/2011 405
1/3/2012 456.48
2/1/2012 542.44
3/1/2012 599.55
4/2/2012 583.98
5/1/2012 577.73
6/1/2012 584
7/2/2012 610.76
8/1/2012 665.24
9/4/2012 667.1
10/1/2012 595.32
11/1/2012 585.28
12/3/2012 532.17
1/2/2013 455.49
2/1/2013 441.4
3/1/2013 442.66
4/1/2013 442.78
5/1/2013 449.73
6/3/2013 396.53
7/1/2013 452.53
8/1/2013 487.22
9/3/2013 476.75
10/1/2013 522.7
11/1/2013 556.07
12/2/2013 567.9
SOURCES:
http://www.networkworld.com
http://www.supercompressor.com
http://www.networkworld.com
http://www.cio.com
http://techland.time.com
http://finance.yahoo.com
