I just watched the "Retro Radio Gadgets" display in United Kingdom where only old guys like me visited it with enthusiasm. It is currently available on YouTube. Then, I watched another YouTube presentation where another clever guy listed 53 Gadgets that failed after millions of investment where the Idea was great but the execution was bad.
The First portable computer 1 developed by Osborne Computer Corporation was cannibalized by its intended next version.
Osborne Effect is when a viable product that sells well announces it's next innovative product ahead of it's time and the product that sells well plummets and the company go bust and the new innovation never see the daylight.
This is why Apple never announces it next product.
I could not afford many of the gadgets which was a blessing in disguise.
Then, of course I found Linux (Redhat) by accident and never looked back on Windows. Linux has ton of Software including Blender FREE.
It saved me a lot as a family man.
Android Cellphone killed most of the products since it is not the gadget but the software that rules the world.
Rival company buys the product outright and kills it in it's infancy.
Microsoft is known for that ploy.
In my memory ZIP disk was one of many.
I did not use ZIP disk for Audio but for Microsoft Software.
I would list a few of those companies here.
1. Atari Games
I was caught up without game cartridges
2. IBM
Killed it's own product to keep the business model floating and ultimately sold its LOGO to China.
I had a Network of 15 IBM computers running various Linux Distribution during 32 bit era. They were damn cheap and I could buy them in bulk at Alpha Digital in Kandy. Only one had a paid copy of Windows without any software.
3. Texas Instruments
4. Apple in its early days before Steve Job took over its administration.
5. Sony Cameras
I have a Fuji digital camera now.
6. Sinclair Time's edition
7. Microsoft Windows 95
8. Commodore Computers
I was caught up with Commodore 64 without a power pack which busted in no time in Ceylon due to poor Voltage in domestic suppy line. I was without a replacement power unit.
9. Sony Betamax
I stuck with JVC
10. Toshiba
11. Nokia
Without knowing Nokia going bust, I bought 10 of Nokia varying from Android 5 to 13. I have one Nokia with me and rest is in Ceylon or dished out.
By the way, my first cellphone was JAVA based and wad damn cheap.
12. RadioShack
More than 25 Gadgets to it's credit.
1. Portable Radio
2. Digital Clock Radio
3. Realistic Nova Headphones
4. Realistic Sterio Speakers in metal casing.
I bought a pair for £50/= in London Totanham Court Road. It worked nearly 30 years in Ceylon
5. Amplifier
6. Multimeter
7. Equilzer
8. CB Radio Transceiver Free Communication
9. Scanner Radio Police and Emergency workers used
10. Weather Radio
11. Duoform Answering Machine
It had two cassettes.
Cassettes were a craze for me. I wanted to digitalize all my collection of cassettes.
Copyright guys stopped the manufacturing of these units that digitalize the cassettes that had my children childhood voices.
I had a portable answering machine in UK hospital in my pocket in 1980s. It
12. Hand Free Speaker Phone
Bought one from Ceylon SLT just before I left. Not a RadioShack unit.
13. TRS 80 Model 100 first computer in 1983. First Portable computer.
14. Free Batteries
15. TRS 80 Pocket Computer 13 in 1982 but bulky.
I have a Sharp Model but it has very poor memory. Could not store my address list.
16. Science Fair 150 Electronic Kit.
I left UK in 1988. This the only RadioShack unit I own.
I still have one and it works well after 40 years
17. Microcomputer Trainer kit.
Binary coding with machine language.
I tried it with Commodore 64 in 1985 but the power pack busted in no time due to low Voltage in Ceylon.
I nevet saw it but many years later I built by own computer. This is something a working doctor misses in his working life.
I was a physics guy who choose medicine fearing that I miss friends if I did physics in my adult life. That is what happened to professor of physics at Peradeniya University, Osmund Wickrama Jayarathna who did work on lightening.
18. Realistic Radio Receiver
Shortwave signals of the entire world but one need a big antenna
19. Cassette Deck
20. Record Player
21. Tandy Video Terminal
Text only message
Early Embryo of the WWW INTERNET.
22. First Cellular Phone in America
It was heavy and called the Brick.
23. Amatron
The Robotic Arm
Now the surgeons use Robotic Arm in micro surgery.
24. TRS 80 COCO
Colour Computer
I would not stop at 10 but my advice is for you to watch the two YouTube presentations.
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