The 6 Phases of a Technology Flop | eWEEK Labs | eWeek

The 6 Phases of a Technology Flop

Verfasst von
Jim Rapoza
Jim Rapoza
Apr 25, 2008
1 minute read
eWeek Inhalte und Produktempfehlungen sind redaktionell unabhängig. Wir können Geld verdienen, wenn Sie auf Links zu unseren Partnern klicken. Mehr erfahren

Click here to see the slideshow
flopphases.jpg

Get a group of people together to talk about technology and inevitably the conversation will turn to classic technology flops. Whether it was a technology that disappointed, failed to deliver or was just out-and-out hated, people like to talk about technologies that failed as much, or maybe even more, than technologies that succeeded. But the interesting thing about technology flops is that none of them started out as failures. In fact, it is quite the opposite: In nearly all cases, classic technology flops started out as very promising and highly touted innovations. So how does a promising technology go from burgeoning star to tossed-aside has-been? In most cases they follow a clear path on their journey to the technology garbage heap. I call this path the Six Phases of a Technology Flop. In this list I detail the six phases and as an example I’ve used one of the most classic cases of a promising technology that became a major flop, Push technology. So read my list and let me know what you think.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Eigentum von TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Werbetreibenden-Offenlegung: Einige der auf dieser Website erscheinenden Produkte stammen von Unternehmen, von denen TechnologyAdvice eine Vergütung erhält. Diese Vergütung kann beeinflussen, wie und wo Produkte auf dieser Website erscheinen, einschließlich beispielsweise der Reihenfolge, in der sie erscheinen. TechnologyAdvice schließt nicht alle Unternehmen oder alle auf dem Marktplatz verfügbaren Produkttypen ein.