Business

These Are the 11 ‘Worst Gadgets’ of 2011

Want to know which tech gadgets from 2011 were universally panned by consumers and critics alike? Business Insider has you covered.

“A lot of companies tried to push the boundaries by inventing new categories, but ended up creating flops instead,” Business Insider explains. “Others attempted to copy successful products like the iPad and iPhone but created pricey, underpowered gizmos.”

To be sure, 2011 saw the introduction of some great new electronic toys. But it’s much more fun to review the ones that flopped hard.

Here are some of the worst tech gadgets from 2011 (block-quote information via Business Insider):

10. Motorola Atrix’s Laptop Dock is a “Waste of Cash”
The 11 Lousiest Gadgets of 2011

While the Motorola Atrix was a decent phone, the optional laptop dock accessory for it was a total dud. It cost a whopping extra $500, and was essentially just a shell of a laptop that wouldn’t run unless you plugged your Atrix into it. It also ran an outdated version of Firefox and wouldn’t let you download apps to it.

Unfortunately, Motorola is still pushing the laptop dock for other phones like the Droid Bionic and Droid Razr.

9. Samsung’s “Green” Smartphone, the Replenish, “Just a Gimmick”
The 11 Lousiest Gadgets of 2011

Samsung released the underpowered Replenish mostly as a marketing gimmick. It was a weak Android phone with a tiny touchscreen and unreliable keyboard. The phone was covered in cheap-feeling plastic, which Samsung claims was made from recycled materials. (That’s where the marketing gimmick comes in.)

However, it only sold for $50 on contract, so what do you expect?

8. Toshiba’s 10-inch Thrive tablet was a “Thick, Plasticky Beast”
The 11 Lousiest Gadgets of 2011

Toshiba attempted to do something different with its first Honeycomb tablet by providing access to full-sized ports for USB, HDMI, SD cards, etc. But the result was a thick, heavy, and plasticky tablet that was absolutely smashed by reviewers. It didn’t help that the Toshiba Thrive shipped with a major bug that caused it to get stuck in sleep mode.

7. HTC’s Jetstream Tablet was way too Expensive
The 11 Lousiest Gadgets of 2011

HTC’s first 10-inch tablet, the Jetstream, was pretty impressive on the hardware side. The company even managed to make a few nifty modifications to Honeycomb. Unfortunately, it was way too expensive at a whopping $700 with a two year contract from AT&T. (It cost even more than that without contract.)

6. Google’s Chromebooks Ended up Being  Major Disappointments
The 11 Lousiest Gadgets of 2011

Google’s Chromebook laptops were supposed to usher in a new era of computing where everything is done on the web. But that didn’t happen. The Chromebooks were pretty much useless without Internet access, and cost way too much ($500) for what they did. Plus, the hardware performance was only so-so.

5. Sony’s Xperia Play “PlayStation Phone” was a Cool Concept, but Didn’t Perform Well
The 11 Lousiest Gadgets of 2011

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play, the long rumored “PlayStation Phone” was supposed to take mobile gaming to the next level. It featured a nifty slide-out video game controller and provided access to some excellent games from Sony. But the result was a thick, cheap-feeling device with horrible controls. What a dud.

4. HP‘s Veer 4G was the Company’s First and Last Attempt at a WebOS Smartphone in the U.S.
The 11 Lousiest Gadgets of 2011

The HP Veer was the first device released in the U.S. to run the new WebOS 3.0. But the phone was so tiny that it was nearly impossible to get anything done on it. It would later suffer the same fate as the TouchPad after HP decided to kill off all WebOS hardware.

See what other gadgets turned out to be total duds at Business Insider.

Comments (65)

1 2
  • hojo
    Posted on January 2, 2012 at 6:31am

    POTUS & FLOTUS were the most expensive and useless gadgets ever.

    Report Post » hojo  
  • BubbaT
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 11:28pm

    Time for RIM and Blackberry to go the way of the Dodo bird.

    Report Post » BubbaT  
  • FaithfulFriend
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 11:16pm

    Toshiba’s Thrive is a fantastic android tablet, plain and simple. No issues at all and love the external ports.

    I don’t really care what Business Insider thinks anyway, and looking at their lists I can see why.

    Report Post » FaithfulFriend  
    • ravinginfidel
      Posted on January 3, 2012 at 12:13pm

      I bought a Thrive for my wife and bang for buck it beats the rest. User replaceable battery and no extra cords to connect up to usb, hdmi, SD card. We have had no trouble with “the bug” when fully discharged.

      Report Post »  
  • Macman1138
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:58pm

    Conbones, you can’t even write a coherent sentence and the idea that you can use any computer, a Mac, a PC, or even a pencil and paper is in serious doubt.

    Report Post » Macman1138  
  • Qoheleth
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:31pm

    For the most part, I agree with the line-up, though the reasoning left out a lot of details.
    #10, however, showed a complete lack of understanding of what the product was about. The Atrix laptop shell was _supposed_ to be ” just a shell of a laptop that wouldn’t run unless you plugged your Atrix into it.” The idea was that someone could buy an Atrix and shell for less than an Atrix and Netbook and not have to sync all the contacts, etc. As a rough draft, it really wasn’t that bad. The only issue I had with the laptop doc was that the technology (OS & hardware) wasn’t quite as seamless as it could have been.

    Report Post » Qoheleth  
  • korbin
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:14pm

    Hmmmmmmm. Spend 500$ on i phone, to assist this communist Government track you, or same money, will buy 1,000 rds 5.56 M193 and 10 cases of military MRE’s ? Pick your poison. Or you could get 1 1/2 pairs of child labor made Nike air Jordans and participate in riot training ( free )

    Report Post »  
    • Worldsapart
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 4:26am

      But Korbin, I’ve got $1000 to spend. I’ll take the rounds and the iphone. Win, win! Plus, if they can’t ever find you, you never get any target practice in.

      Report Post »  
    • Worldsapart
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 4:27am

      Oh, and what kind of idiot spends $500 on an iphone, or thinks they cost that much for that matter.

      ;)

      Report Post »  
  • coolguy
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:03pm

    “…With all the billions MS has invested in new operating systems, why can’t they get this problem fixed? Either they don’t WANT to, or they simply cannot…”
    simple truth is, they dont want to because they dont have to. why should they fix anything when people dont care about whats under the hood as long as the gui looks good? most of the money is improving the graphical user interface . and that isnt just in the computer world…..americans have become satisfied with those things that look good…if it looks good it must be good..who cares if its crap under the hood…..shove it out the door and sell it….we will sell fixes later. funny how linux based o/s’s dont need to be defraged. No, the gui as a whole in linux lags the style and look that windows has. but no one can argue its superiority under the hood…i guess why linux leads windows in the main frame and server market….ask google why their servers run red hat, and why most web sites you visit are linux based . its because they just work.
    americans should be ashamed of themselves. because capitalism only works by demand….we want windows the way it is because we keep buying it. so we have gotten what we asked for because we keep shelling out the cash for it…so, no, why should windows get any better? why should they fix it? they make more money just by making it look better.

    Report Post » coolguy  
    • coolguy
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:25pm

      and just as an add on here, wait till win 8 comes out….they have given you just what you asked for: an interface that doesnt look like a computer desktop, but a smart phone or tablet . enjoy it. shell out the money for it…you asked for it, you got it. and no….it wont be any better under the hood…because it doesnt have to. you will buy it because it looks good

      Report Post » coolguy  
    • macpappy
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 3:40pm

      5 years ago I owned a PPC that did then, everything that the Iphone 4 does now, minus the front facing camera. The Starcom phone still works, and even with the problems Win Mobile had, the thing did the trick and still allowed for the programing power of MS. The Mac products are fine and very user friendly, it’s just that I, like most Windows Phone users enjoy the extra power of having the option of making software, and hardware changes the the Mac products do not offer.

      Report Post » macpappy  
    • Franchi83
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 4:47pm

      Coolguy, I am sure that as an avid Linux user that you are aware of the fact that Apple’s OSes are unix kernel based just as you Linux kernel is. The reason you are not able to modify Apple OSes is due to the fact that there are one to many wanna be hackers out there who would screw their systems up beyond their wildest dreams and than go cry to apple that it needs to be repaired under warranty. Apple is confident in knowing that their products are near perfect as is and merely avoided an onslaught of consumer generated tech support headaches by not allowing modification to their solid products. Long story short, I couldn’t agree more with you.

      Report Post »  
    • Michael
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 4:52pm

      @coolguy I have been running the developers preview of Windows 8 for months now, and I hate it. I think they are just aiming for the tablet market, not caring one bit about the average user. If they don’t change it, I will make a fortune going into the computers of those who hate it as bad as I and turning off the “Metro UI” in the registry.

      Report Post » Michael  
  • The Gooch
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 12:08pm

    Eh, boring. I’m not anti-tech, I just don’t get what all the hubbub is about. Seems like so much of this information sharing is nothing more than escapism and gossip. If that floats your boat, rock on. Best ‘gadget’ I purchased in 2011 was a Craftsman saber saw. Worst gadget of any year: Anything from Black and Decker.
    Those “that is so (insert arbitrary number here) seconds ago” commercials are truly pathetic. Enjoy your toys. I’ll go make a piece of furniture or craft. Happy new year, brothers and sisters.

    Report Post »  
  • ntxjetta
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 10:55am

    No problems with the Thrive. It does everything I want it to do.

    Report Post »  
    • ninock76
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 12:22pm

      Mine too..No problems at all

      Report Post »  
    • neesershea
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 3:29pm

      I just got a Thrive for Christmas & i love it! I haven’t had any problems with it & i don‘t mind that it’s a little bigger then the Apple I Pad ((:

      Report Post »  
    • BeckFanDan
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 9:46pm

      I bought my wife a Thrive for Christmas after many hours of research.- She loves it.
      I picked the Thrive MAINLY because of the many ports others do NOT have, a battery I can change out myself, as far as thick/ bulky- bullcrap, it feels much better in the hands than other wafer thin tablets I‘ve picked up and won’t blow away when a stiff wind comes along, a non-skid back- which comes in other colors if you want a change.
      We have had no problems with any glitches either, the only complaint my wife has is it needs an app for Farmville (for my part -YUK).
      I think some “bad review” writers need looking into themselves-
      Opinions are like …well you know, everybodys got one. Especially when you get a kickback.

      Report Post »  
    • BeckFanDan
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 9:48pm

      (Thrive P.S.) …Oh yea cameras front AND back

      Report Post »  
  • G-WHIZ
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 10:20am

    Goodpeople, For about 5yrs, I have a simple Presario/pc with xp-home. It has not glitched once, at least without the usual “web-glitches”. I donot like the very-slow startup since my win-3.11 took only 20seconds to boot from dos wich was only about 15seconds from initial-start-up. Now, when I wish to read, I choose the real book. It doesnot have to boot-up, download, recharge, get viruses. When I need to recharge my “reader”, I simply [EAT], and continue. Using one’s brain eliminates many external computer/I-pad, etc. functions which I donot have to cary around externally and perhaps [drop] or soak(etc). notice how waterproof and normal shock-resistant the brain is, and how easy it is to carry around. It is “always on” and connected to many useful items. It can do spellcheck and composing on-the-fly(not the buzzing kind). I have not once [ever] used computer spellcheck, and have written a great many things, using a real typewriter, ot using my open office just for easy-acess to e-mail or typing the real-page(s) I use to type. Some of these external tools are fun to use, but still need the [brain] to function for our final info-axcess.

    Report Post »  
  • TomFerrari
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 8:34am

    I think this is the result of the “me, too” mentality. Instead of being innovative, like Apple, other manufacturers see their market share dwindling, so they respond with their own version of the same thing. Problem is, they are only emulating something that already exists. In today‘s ’pop culture’ economy, having the same thing is not good enough. You need to have something BETTER, and you need to have it FIRST. Add to that a track record of doing exactly that, and you get a company like Apple!
    MUCH of this comes from LEADERSHIP !
    Look at Apple when Steve Jobs left. They BEGGED him to come back.
    Then, look at HP – they cannot decide if they want to make PC’s or not. We do, we don’t, we do…
    Customers will not invest their hard-earned money in your product if you are not committed!
    When we CHASE a stock price, and make all decisions based on stock options and short-term stock prices, we forfeit our commitment to QUALITY.
    We are about to see a return of “Made in America” being the equivalent of “QUALITY.”
    We must also have a return of consumer demand for QUALITY.
    Otherwise, America will continue to pay third-world countries to build cheap, disposable, albeit cool, crap. I have thousands and thousands of dollars worth of electronics lying around that did NOT perform as they were claimed, or that broke, or that are incompatible with other hardware. ‘Scuse me while I go box it all up for a local charity.
    I do fear for Apple‘s future without Jobs’ leadershi

    Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • Macman1138
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 10:36am

      I agree, but Apple needs to move its manufacturing back to the USA or at least to North America.

      Report Post » Macman1138  
    • Secret2soon
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 12:19pm

      Apple products made in the US would price themselves out the market. Especially if they are made in a union shop. iPad $2000.00, Macbook Pro $6000.00 iPhone $1000.00

      Report Post »  
    • drattastic
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 12:46pm

      Apple slick but too expensive ,too proprietary.

      Report Post » drattastic  
    • coolguy
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 1:07pm

      “…they are only emulating something that already exists..”
      since when is it un-american to emulate something that already exists? might i remind you…..henry ford did not invent the automobile. he invented a process that made it “more available ” and cheaper to own. i have no problem with copying. as long as the effort is to make it better, and i define better not just in quality, but also in making it more useful, and easier to obtain. also i like choice….why should all cars look the same? copying is just as american as a hot dog stand. i find these proprietary law suits anti productive…when bill gates stole everything he used to make windows. i applaud henry ford for what he did….but it seems like people like him are dying, and the court rooms are filled with cases to discourage that kind of innovation. thats why i use linux on my computers…open source….linux encourages innovation and change. if you dont like something, fork it and change it to your liking….and no one will sue you for it.

      Report Post » coolguy  
  • Your Name Here
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 8:24am

    Don’t forget that in 2012 the worst thing to buy will be the Presidential election.

    I have had a lot of tech toys and one that I loved but that never took off in the U.S. was Sony’s MiniDisc.
    All the benefits of a CD but smaller and in a protective case so it didn‘t get scratched like CD’s always do.

    Report Post » Your Name Here  
  • CryptoCop
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 8:22am

    Mac fanboys remind me of Ron Paul supporters. They act pretty much the same. Yeah, Ipads and Iphones are great, pay through the nose and you can play that little bird against the pig game. I use my computer to get work done, give me a Windows PC any day of the week.

    Report Post »  
    • Macman1138
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 10:41am

      Windows and Android fanboys remind me of Ron Paul supporters. They act pretty much the same. Yeah, Blackberrys and Droid Phones seem great, pay through the nose in the long run and you can play that little bird against the pig game. I use my Macs to get work done, give me a Mac any day of the week.

      Report Post » Macman1138  
    • privacyina9m80
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 3:57pm

      Computers remind me of dorks. That’s why I choose not to give a **** and concentrate on things that actually matter, like government corruption, the NDAA, and our still-massive current accounts deficit.

      Ron Paul 2012

      Report Post »  
    • Insert Clever Username Here
      Posted on January 2, 2012 at 9:55am

      congratulations to the three most selfdefeating salvos in the thread.

      all this tech growth in the world, and the most prominent use people have found for it is to bicker quicker.

      Report Post » Insert Clever Username Here  
  • The_Sum_Total_Of_Progressivism_Is_Epic_Failure
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 6:23am

    My first mac was a 1999 iBook, but I have yet to own an iPhone, iPod, or iPad…….I feel so cheated, all these persons using them, the kids that don’t even know the superiority of the Apple, how innovative they were and are , and I can’t afford one these days…..I saw a G5 tower on ebay for 189.00 , I think they were 3000$ loaded up back in the day. , they could run like 8 giant programs w/o a glitch. I used to be be cutting edge, now i sit half the time on my eMachine laptop…lol…..God is this sad… i’d Love a totally decked out MacBook someday…I still haven’t checked my lotto yet, there’s hope.

    Report Post » The_Sum_Total_Of_Progressivism_Is_Epic_Failure  
    • macpappy
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 3:31pm

      The superiority of the Mac, that my friend is a laughable comment. For folks that know how to use a PC for more than running a windows program knows what I mean, You don’t know what I mean because Mac does not have that option. Macs run programs, PC’s determine the future of computing.

      Report Post » macpappy  
  • wordweaver
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:08am

    No Apple duds – lots of Apple wannabees. No wonder their profits are way up this year.

    Report Post » wordweaver  
  • VoteJoel
    Posted on January 1, 2012 at 1:40am

    Totally bogus on the Toshiba Thrive tablet. It is thick – but has TONS of I/O, which is important to me. I have had no problems with it.

    Report Post » VoteJoel  
    • conbones
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:18am

      i agree i got the thrive and its surfs the web better then the kindle fire
      and i hate itunes my encodes are way better. i prefer to have more
      control with my toys, be it changing a battery or adding a mouse so
      to me Apple=FAIL on all fronts linux is more top shelf then mac ever thought about.
      and linux is free.

      Report Post » conbones  
    • neesershea
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 3:32pm

      I agree! I have a Thrive & it’s brilliant! works for me.

      Report Post »  
  • lionshield
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 11:58pm

    that what happens when you do not buy american and buy china techo-trash!

    Report Post » lionshield  
    • conbones
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 2:29am

      Buying American has become quite difficult these days.
      Have you ever tried to by strictly American?
      its impossible!

      Report Post » conbones  
    • Cat
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 8:05am

      Conbones >

      About seven years ago, built six old school desktops just for kicks & grins.
      Used Super Flower’s Black Pearl light gage aluminum, three window cases and tons of LED fans.
      These monsters have performed perfectly for the last seven years (excluding the WD Raptors) and dazzle everyone who has seen them in operation.
      And, you are correct, there isn’t a single thing about them that is American made except the assembler.
      Not even the assortment of stainless steel cap screws that hold everything together were made by an American.
      It’s sickening, to say the least …

      Report Post » Cat  
    • HumbleCitizen
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 10:51am

      91 thousand American factories have been emptied since the 1990′s. Bill Clinton signed the NAFTA act 1993. In 1993 most items were American made. In 2012 almost nothing is American made.

      Report Post » HumbleCitizen  
  • CatB
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 11:52pm

    I went on to the listing of the best .. and there was the one thing that I got this year .. Kindle Fire … I have to say I am enjoying reading books more than ever .. much easier than holding that turning real pages .. and the movies and tv programs etc .are a big plus.

    Report Post »  
    • angelcat
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 12:09am

      I’m glad you like it, but I don’t want one. I like the feel of a book, the turning of pages. To me, it enhances the reading experience. Since I don’t buy books and just use the library, I’m hoping that the good old-fashioned books are around at least until I leave this world.

      Report Post »  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 7:35am

      I also love the feel of a real book, and I use my Kindle Fire (which I also love) to get on Amazon and have the real deal sent right to my doorstep. I just had Michael Vey dropped off by the Fed Ex man.

      Report Post » 4xeverything  
    • Gorp
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 10:05am

      I like my Fire also.
      4XEVERYTHING: You’re going to love Michael Vey! I can’t wait for the next one to come out. Also I got “Being George Washington” for Christmas. I finished it in 5 days. It’s a “can’t put down” book also. Another one is “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell. These are 3 of the best books I’ve read in recent memory.

      Report Post » Gorp  
  • TROONORTH
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 11:06pm

    Absolutely the most under rated device ot 2010 is the Blackberry ‘Black Pad’. I have used the Ipad extensively and own a honeycombe Android tablet and the Black Pad blows them all right out of the water. The guys who run RIM should be shot and pissed on. They have relegated the best tablet. the only tablet capable of beihg the ‘apple peeler’ to the trash bin of ‘also rans’.

    Report Post » TROONORTH  
  • lylejk
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 10:56pm

    I guess I was immune to these toys since anything above $100 is too much for me. lol

    :)

    Report Post » lylejk  
  • RepubliCorp
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 10:54pm

    They forgot Obama’s jobs bill…………

    Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 10:48pm

    The worst gadget was the Toilet Plunger/Salad Spinner by Ronco. Even Vince from Slap Chop wouldn’t pitch that thing.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • planeboy
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 10:46pm

    Best purchase I made this year MacBook Pro…I’ll never go back to windows…

    Report Post »  
    • SeekerEmerald
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 7:18am

      My first macbook pro was about 6 years ago. I NEVER once regretted it, and never once missed win-doze. The thing still boots as quickly as it did when it was new. You CAN’T say that about ANY windows machine. They slow down with time, as the OS makes itself bigger and slower. With all the billions MS has invested in new operating systems, why can’t they get this problem fixed? Either they don’t WANT to, or they simply cannot.

      Report Post » SeekerEmerald  
    • conbones
      Posted on January 1, 2012 at 1:31pm

      windows can be difficult for the PC alliterate im sorry you have fallen in the mac trap hope you like limits and mediocrity.I dont know how to turn off useless startup programs or do anything i dont need step by step instruction with mac os is the communists joice, built for dummies

      Report Post » conbones  
  • banjarmon
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 10:40pm

    Those are things I would not buy anyway!!

    Report Post » banjarmon  
  • Eliasim
    Posted on December 31, 2011 at 10:36pm

    Yeah, and in 2012 there really isn’t any interesting gadgets that are any more useful than the ones we already have.

    Report Post »  
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