“2012 was a year when many of the big names in tech took big gambles… and lost,” Donald Bell writes for CNET.
“CNET recently ran a collection highlighting 2012’s biggest Tech Turkeys, and it seemed ripe for a remix over here on Top 5,” Bell writes.
Bell writes, “I swiped four from their list, added one of my own, and ranked the whole thing by how long I imagine it took the respective CEOs to remove their palms from their face.”
Top 5 Tech Flops of 2012:
5: Sean Parker’s AirTime
4: Beleaguered RIM’s (DCW) BlackBerry 10
3: Google Nexus Q
2: Facebook IPO
1: Apple Maps
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Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Heckuva job, Scottie!
No matter what Apple does, no matter how much better they make Apple Maps, it will now always “suck” in the minds of a large segment of the population… The fool(s) responsible for preparing Maps for release and then releasing it with obvious issues (overblown as they are) and therefore tainting Maps forever should face severe consequences. As in: Pink slip(s)… Apple seems to have learned nothing from the Newton: First impressions mean everything. Apple’s Maps have been Newtonized. All that’s missing is the Doonesbury strip.
Here’s a little hint for the future: Everything that requires widespread customer use to develop a rich database before the product becomes fully usable should be clearly labelled “beta” upon release. Apple did it with Siri, but they forgot to do it with Maps. Had Apple been smart enough to simply place a “beta” tag on Maps, all of this rigamarole would never have occurred. – MacDailyNews Take, September 28, 2012
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “David B. Haun” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple promises to fix Maps glitches by rearranging earth’s geography (with video) – December 6, 2012
Apple’s Eddy Cue racing to overhaul Maps – November 28, 2012
Apple to Maps manager Williamson: Get lost – November 27, 2012
Days after Tim Cook’s apology, Apple’s Maps shows improvements – October 12, 2012
Tim Cook open letter: We fell short with new Maps app; we are extremely sorry – September 28, 2012
So, something has to be so popular that it sells out of every unit you can make with weeks long waiting lines before CNET considers it a flop?!?!?
BTY – I use it EVERYDAY! It’s the best app on the phone
I’ve used apple maps to navigate some complex routes, and it has functioned flawlessly. And the siri integration is fantastic — Just tell her where you want to go!
Travel much? If so – you know what a massive flop Apple’s Map app really is.
The Beta waiver claim is not true. I worked for Apple Retail for 4 years & from Siri it’s obvious that customers simply don’t care if its Beta or not. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. The Beta waiver simply doesn’t wash with Apple customers, particularly ones that need an accurate map.