Remember the CD-ROM, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and HDTV?
All those revolutionary inventions that made a bigsplash at CES?
Well, some didnt quite hit the mark and ended up being infamous instead of famous.
CES 2024 in Las Vegas Nevada.Anadolu / Getty Images
Here’s our look at several notorious flops from CES of the past.
However, Atari missed the mark on pricing.
The company announced the 1200XL at CES 1983 for $1000.
Daniel Schwen / Wikimedia Commons
By the time it hit retail, Atari had lowered the price to $899.
The standard challenged other early video formats, such as VHS, in a growing home entertainment market.
The LaserDisc standard struggled from the start.
Marcin Wichary / Flickr
That delay put the standard behind VHS, which already had a foothold.
LaserDisc was also heavier and bulkier than VHS.
The Pippin arrived at CES 1996 to mostly positive reception.
It was not to be.
Apple licensed its brand to Bandai but then did little to market the Pippin.
The Pippin was also expensive at $599, more than most game consoles sold at the time.
Lee Celano / WireImage for Brodeur Worldwide
The console was quickly withdrawn from the market, selling about 40,000 units in total.
These fights usually resolve before consumers have a chance to make a choice.
HD-DVD was an exception, and it left many consumers with movies and media at a dead end.
Felix Winkelnkemper / Wikimedia Commons
Sony, Samsung, and Pioneer opposed Blu-Ray with numerous new players and movie industry partnerships.
It all came to a dramatic conclusion at CES 2008.
It was, in many respects, an attempt to make an iPad with early 1990s technology.
Ben Franske / Wikimedia Commons
The initial reception was positive.
Once owners had a chance to buy and use the Newton, however, its problems became apparent.
Its buggy releasebecame part of pop culture when a 1993 episode ofTheSimpsonsparodied the gadget.
Ярослав2017 / Wikimedia Commons
Newton struggled for several years.
Still, it never had much chance after the failure of its debut.
Microsoft had successfully claimed the PC industry for itself.
Abehn / Wikimedia Commons
Now, it was time for Microsoft to push forward with a new vision of tomorrow’s operating system.
Windows Vista was that vision.
Windows Vista hit general release just a few weeks after winning that award, and reception immediately turned sour.
ETC@USC / Wikimedia Commons
Palm had no time to take a victory lap, however.
Palm’s exclusivity deal with Sprint also limited the Pre’s popularity.
Today, experts see the Palm Pre as the final nail in the company’s coffin.
TCL now owns the Palm brand.
The PlayBook was also smaller and more portable than the iPad, thanks to its 7-inch display.
BlackBerry’s tablet had a big problem; it wasn’t an iOS orAndroid unit.
It lacked the app selection found on those established platforms.
The effort had initial success.
3D television made a great show-floor demo, leading to positive early coverage.
Most televisions with 3D were expensive, and the quality of the 3D experience could vary wildly.
It also only worked with movies or TV specifically mastered for 3D, which limited the library.
The industry heavily pushed 3D TV at CES 2011 and CES 2012.
Manufacturers refined the feature, and television supporting it lowered in price.
Yet, the limited library remained an obstacle, and the idea never caught on with consumers.
The idea was simple and, at a glance, has its genius.
The idea came with a big catch.
Quibi would be subscription-only, charging $4.99 with ads or $7.99 without them.
The subscription immediately set up red flags at CES 2020.
The price raised an obvious question.
Quibi’s launch failed to answer that question.
