10 Tech Products We Wish Were Really April Fools' Day Jokes

It's April Fools' Day, which means somewhere there is someone trying to pull a prank on you. And it's your job to ensure that they don't succeed. But unfortunately, when it comes to technology, trying to stop what should have been an April Fools' Day joke is pretty much impossible.

When companies release their products, they undoubtedly have the right intentions in mind. They want consumers to enjoy their creations and buy them in bundles. But that doesn't always happen.

The tech industry is overrun with products that have no business going to store shelves. Those products fail to satisfy the desire of consumers that want usability, affordability and, perhaps most importantly, uniqueness. The products would have been better suited as April Fools' gags. That's why we've decided to take a look at 10 products that we wish were April Fools' Day jokes. You'll find some software, hardware and even Websites.

1. Windows Vista

Microsoft might have sold millions of copies of Windows Vista, but to call the company's last operating system anything other than a mistake is, well, a mistake. Windows Vista failed on several fronts. First, it was a security nightmare before the release of Service Pack 1. It also required a far more capable machine than most people were running at the time, making the switch to the new OS a costly endeavor. Once enterprises buyers examined Vista, they decided that they wanted no part of it. All that fails to mention that vendors allowed customers to exercise downgrade rights just so they wouldn't have to be stuck trying to sell the OS. Yep, an April Fools' joke called Vista would have been just fine.

2. BlackBerry Storm

Feeling pressure from Apple, RIM decided that it needed to jump in on the touch-screen market with the BlackBerry Storm. The issue with the Storm was that its screen needed to be depressed just to access an application. Users, expecting iPhone-like functionality, had some trouble determining how to use the device. Once they got the hang of it, they wanted more apps from the BlackBerry App World, which paled in comparison to Apple's store. The Storm was one blunder after the next. And it probably should have never been released.

3. Apple TV

Apple TV is a fine product that delivers iTunes content directly to a television. It's arguably one of the better set-top boxes on the market. There's just one issue: Apple doesn't care about it. Every chance it gets, Apple points out that the Apple TV is a "hobby" device. The company hasn't even offered a substantial upgrade to the product in years. Apple TV has an incredible amount of potential, but by ignoring it, Apple has made us wonder why it even released the device. Doing so has only made us want more, which, so far, Apple is unwilling to deliver.

4. Google Wave

Real-time collaboration and communication sounds like a great idea. But those who have used Google Wave have quickly discovered that it might not be as great as Google wants us to believe. The issue with Google Wave is that most folks were confused about how to use it. Plus, it didn't provide a level of value that users had come to expect from Google. The service is still available to a limited number of users, but Google's relative silence on it tells us everything we need to know about Wave.

Next: Good Intentions Turned into Bad Products >>