Motorola Xoom

When the Motorola Xoom launched earlier this year with its 10.1-inch display and Android 3.0 Honeycomb, there was a lot of pre-release chatter that the device would be the best competitor yet to the iPad 2. But after failing to catch on with consumers due to issues with its operating system, the Xoom was easily trounced by Apple’s tablet.

The Dell Streak was a bad idea the minute the PC maker announced it. The first version of the Streak featured a minuscule 5-inch display and then a follow-up boasted a 7-inch screen. Now, the Dell Streak is trying to compete against the iPad 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with no chance of winning. It’s too bad.

Unfortunately for Archos, it never really had a shot at delivering a product that people would want. For one thing, Archos isn’t a very well-known company among consumers, which puts it at a disadvantage among the all other big-name device makers, without even mentioning the Apple iPad. Combine that with the fact that the Archos 7C Tablet ran the Android 2.1 “Eclair” operating system, and it’s apparent why the $220 device has fallen short.

Research In Motion is highly respected as a fine smartphone maker for business customers. However, its Storm2, which boasts a full touch-screen, isn’t ideal for business users. Meanwhile, consumers who have been captivated by the iPhone 4 and Android handsets have largely ignored RIM’s alternative. The Storm2 is a device without a welcoming market. And that’s never good.

The Palm Pre Plus is a fine smartphone for those who own an HP TouchPad and want to share content between the devices, but for everyone else, it falls short. The Pre Plus runs the webOS operating system that most consumers are unfamiliar with and the device itself lacks the design flair of the iPhone 4. In nearly every respect, it falls short.

If the Palm Pre Plus falls short, the Pixi Plus does, as well. Like the Pre Plus, the Pixi Plus is running webOS, which automatically puts it at a disadvantage with mainstream consumers where this operating system hasn’t caught up. With an unfortunate design, the Pixi Plus doesn’t seem like an ideal option for any customer right now.

It hard to select any one Windows Phone 7-based mobile device that’s most unpopular with consumers and enterprise users. That’s because none of the products are selling well, and speculation abounds that Windows Phone 7 might be dead before it even gets going. The issues with Windows Phone 7 are numerous, including issues with updating, multitasking and more. Microsoft is promising big things in its upcoming Mango update, but will it be too late?

The Nokia N9 isn’t even out yet and it’s already clear that people around the globe just aren’t all that excited about it. For one, the N9 is based on MeeGo, a Linux-based operating system that most consumers have never even heard of. Plus, Nokia’s other smartphones continue to have trouble appealing to customers that are more intrigued by Apple’s iPhone or various Android models. The Nokia N9 might just be dead on arrival.

Although Apple’s iPhone 3GS has sold extremely well since its launch, the device is starting to look obsolete. It lacks the key features that make the year-old iPhone 4 special, and most Android handsets are far better choices than Apple’s outdated 3GS. At this point, the iPhone 3GS looks like a device that time and the market have passed by.

Believe it or not, the Research In Motion BlackBerry Curve is still on store shelves. The device has been around for years now, catering to enterprise customers who want a physical keyboard and an easily mobile device. However, as preferences have changed and consumerization of IT has become a bigger component in enterprise decision making, the Curve has started to look rather obsolete. It’s time to retire, or at least drastically change, the Curve.