The Worst Computers of All Time

THE WORST OF ALTIME COMPUTERS COMMODORE VIC 20 1981 A PROBLEMS ONLY 22 CHARAÇTERS OF TEXT PER LINE CHUNKY GRAPHICS ACRMÜT 3.5KB OF USABLE MEMORY COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE OF 18KB COST INTERESTING FACT It was the first personal computer to ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: PRICE: $299 $743 ever sell a million units! 2 NEW INTERNET COMPUTER 2000 A PROBLEMS NO WAY TO INSTALL SOFTWARE SO YOU COULD WORK OFFLINE RELIED ON SLOW DIAL-UP CONNECTIONS HI NO HARD DRIVE COST INTERESTING FACT Only sold 50,000... 5m goal was ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: PRICE: $199 $262 5m in a year 50k EMACHINES ETOWER 366C 1999 A PROBLEMS FAULTY POWER SUPPLIES ... BAD MODEMS LOUSY TECH SUPPORT NOISY FANS INTERESTING COST ....* FACT It would turn on in the middle of PRICE ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: $399 $543 the night 4 APPLE II 1980 A PROBLEMS DISKS WOULD MELT CIRCUIT BOARDS WARPED CHIPS POPPED OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS BECAUSE OF THE HEAT SYSTEM'S ALUMINUM CASE SERVED AS A HEAT "SINK" TOO MANY COMPONENTS INTO A SMALL CASE - OVERHEATED NO COOLING FAN INTERESTING COST FACT The system was designed by the Marketing team PRICE: ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: and not the $4,000- $7,800 $10,972- $21,397 engineering team!!! 5 COLECO ADAM 1983 PROBLEMS RELEASED A SURGE OF MAGNETISM WHEN TÜRNED ON AND THE SOFTWARE STORED ON CASSETTES. THE SURGE OF MAGNETISM ERASES THE TAPE DRIVE INFORMATION! TO MAKE IT WORSE, THE INSTRUCTIONAL MANUAL ENCOURAGED USERS TO HAVE THE SOFTWARE TAPES INSIDE THE COMPUTERS BEFORE TURNING THEM ONI! COST INTERESTING FACT. Coleco not only created the Adam but he also created the Cabbage Patch Kids "The Adam weakened PRICE: ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: $600 $1,361 Coleco by absorbing much of the money it had made from Cabbage Patch Kids" 6. 6 IBM PC JR. IEM 1984 PROBLEMS "CHICLET" KEYBOARD UNUSABLE FOR TYPING SOFTWARE WRITTEN FOR ITS PARENT COMPUTER IBM PC •.. ONE INTERNAL SLOT FOR MODEM AND ONE EXTERNAL SLOT LIMITED HARDWARE EXPANSION 62 KEYS VS. 83 KEYS COST INTERESTING FACT "Even IBM salespeople advised PRICE: ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: $670- $1,270 $1,457- $2,763 customers to buy a replacement keyboard." 7 GATEWAY 2000 10TH ANNIV Gateway 1995 A PROBLEMS SURROUND-SOUND SPEAKERS WEREN'T ACTUALLY SURROUND-CAPABLE CRIPPLED VIDEO CARD VERSION PC FROZE WHEN YOU TRIED TO PLAY AN AUDlO DISC COST INTERESTING FACT The specially ..... configured system was meant to PRICE: ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: $4,000 $5,952 show customer appreciation 8. 1989 A PROBLEMS 8 APPLE MAC PORTABLE 16 BULKY PORTABLE COMPUTER 16-POUND "LAPTOP" COST INTERESTING FACT The first commercial PC to be PRICE: ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: used in $6,500 $11,852 space 9 SHARP RD3D NOTEBOOK 2004 A PROBLEMS 12 ONCE ON 3D MODE, THE NOTEBOOK'S PERFORMANCE WAS SLOW 12 -POUND 3D EFFECT ONLY NOTICE ABLE IN A CERT AIN ANGLE WHAT WAS SUPPÖSE TO DISPLAY 30 IMAGESHEADACHE 3D BATTERY LIFE WAS ONLY 2 HOURS COST INTERESTING FACT "First •....* 'auto stereo' 3D notebook PRICE: ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: $2,999 $3,605 10 NETBOOKS 2007 PROBLEMS BAD SCREEN RESOLUTION SLOW UNRESPONSIVE AND SMALL KEYWORD MOST NETBOOKS COME WITH NO CD DRIVE COST INTERESTING FACT 70% of people hate netbooks PRICE: ADJUSTED WITH INFLATION: $100-$500 $110-$551 REFERENCES http://www.pcworld.com/articie/129857/articie.html?page=0 CHASSIS PLANS" Systems Engineered to Perform http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/16_worst_failed_computers_al_fime http://www.cracked.com/article/120 the-5-most-ridiculously-awful-computers-ever-made/ -........... .. ......--------..--..-- 100,000 units each -............