Throughout history, numerous inventions were heralded as groundbreaking innovations set to transform society but ultimately fell short of their anticipated impact. From new Coke to Betamax, many gadgets and designs wound up disappointing the masterminds behind them. Here are 13 inventions people thought would change the world but didn’t.
Segway Personal Transporter
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When the Segway first hit the scene, it was touted as a game-changer in urban mobility. Unfortunately, the Segway failed to reach widespread adoption due to high costs, limited practicality, and regulatory hurdles. Now, it’s mostly only used for city tours.
Google Glass
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Google Glass was originally hyped as the future of wearable tech. However, Google Glass faced privacy concerns, a high price tag, and a lack of clear use cases, all of which led to its commercial failure.
Betamax
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Despite its superior technology, Betamax lost the format war to VHS due to higher prices, shorter recording times, and a lack of widespread industry support. This resulted in Betamax winding up as one of the inventions people thought would be a bigger deal than it was.
Electrified Water
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Electrified water was thought to be the next big thing In the early 1900s, supposedly allowing people to sterilize their clothing without soap. People would run a charge through water, then after it stopped, the electrified water would possess sterilization properties. Sadly, it wound up being totally ineffective.
New Coke
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Attempting to revitalize the brand, Coca-Cola introduced New Coke to the public. However, widespread backlash and loyalty to the original formula led to its swift demise. New Coke ended up being one of the inventions people hoped would be a game-changer but simply wasn’t.
Apple Newton
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As the first device to offer handwriting recognition, the Apple Newton is often considered a precursor to modern tablets. However, its high price, bulky design, and handwriting recognition issues hindered its success.
Segmented Glass Fiber Blades
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Designed for wind turbines, these segmented blades aimed to reduce costs but fell short due to technical challenges and insufficient performance improvements. While segmented glass fiber blades were initially believed to revolutionize the wind turbine industry, they wound up as another one of the inventions people thought would be more game-changing than they were.
Sony MiniDisc
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Marketed as a digital replacement for cassettes, the Sony MiniDisc faced tough competition, limiting its mainstream adoption. CDs and MP3 players dominated the market, leaving the MiniDisc in the dust.
Hoverboards
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Hoverboards were popularized by movies like Back To The Future, leading brilliant minds everywhere to attempt to bring them to life. Unfortunately, they failed to live up to the hype due to safety concerns, limitations in mobility, and the inability to truly hover, making them one of the inventions people thought would change everything but didn’t.
Sinclair C5
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The Sinclair C5 is a single-seat, battery-powered electric recumbent tricycle that was developed as a result of Sir Clive Sinclair’s love of electric vehicles. While the tricycle aimed to revolutionize personal transportation, its design limitations, safety concerns, and impracticality led to its downfall.
IBM’s OS/2 Operating System
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Despite its advanced features, IBM’s OS/2 faced compatibility issues and marketing challenges. Those problems, along with the dominance of Microsoft Windows, ultimately led to its downfall. Now, the OS/2 operating system is simply another one of the inventions people thought would be more than it was.
Microsoft Zune
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Do you remember the Microsoft Zune? Marketed from 2006 to 2012, the Zune sought to challenge the iPod’s dominance in the MP3 player market. Unfortunately, the product struggled due to poor marketing, limited content, and fierce competition.
Virtual Reality In The ’90s
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Despite early excitement, VR technology in the 1990s faced technical limitations, high costs, and a lack of compelling content, leading to its decline. While virtual reality technology is now on the rise due to advancements in technology, anyone who was around in the 90s remembers it as one of the inventions people thought would be huge but wasn’t.
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