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May 6, 2008

internet

Apple tops PC World’s list of Top Vaporware products of all-time

Posted May. 6, ’08, 12:00 PM PT by Aayush Arya
Category | Internet

VideoPadEmru Townsend, over at sister site PC World, has compiled a list of the “Top 15 Vaporware Products of All Time” and sitting pretty atop the list, with its penchant for first places on lists, is our favorite fruity company. The products in question are W.A.L.T. and VideoPad.

Before there was an iPhone—in fact, before there was an “i” anything—Apple attempted two ventures into “portable” communications. Developed between 1991 and 1993 in conjunction with BellSouth, Apple’s W.A.L.T. (Wizzy Active Lifestyle Telephone, easily the worst name the company has ever come up with) was a tablet that doubled as a PDA; its killer app was the ability to send and receive faxes from the screen. The W.A.L.T. was never released to the general public.

Tenacious as ever, Apple offered up the possibility of a new portable videophone/PDA concept at 1995’s MacWorld Expo. The Newton-like VideoPad three-in-one prototype combined a cell phone, PDA, and videophone, and (get this) sported an integrated CD-ROM drive. While the idea of holding a phone with parts of a CD-ROM unit sticking out of the sides was a little questionable, it was more ambitious than the W.A.L.T. It too failed to pass the prototype stage, however, and Apple would stay away from telephones until 2007. Of course, we all know what happened then.

If nothing else, a true testament to how far Apple has come since those dark days is where once they had product names starting with “Wizzy”, they now have Time Capsules and iPod nanos.

Other Apple products that earn a mention on the list are Taligent and Interactive Television Box (yeah, I’d never heard of it either). In case you were wondering, they didn’t forget Copland and have it listed among the honorable mentions. Three out of fifteen, with the top spot claimed and a honorable mention—that’s not half bad, I say.

[Via Macworld]


3 Comments

Dave-O said:

Please define "top" vaporware. I've never heard of any of these (except honorable mention, Copeland), so it isn't buzz. Ambition?

May 6, 2008 1:17 PM
nw_mike Author Profile Page said:

Yeah, I thought VaporWare was an announced product that never materializes. Actually I think the recognition for Copland was accurate but I don't know about the other 2 Apple items.

May 6, 2008 2:16 PM
Paul Author Profile Page said:

Yeah, I think the Duke Nukem Forever and Phantom games system would head any recent list. Who had actually heard of the Wizzy before this article?

And why no mention of WinFS?

May 6, 2008 2:32 PM

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