Sometimes, technology flops. Not everything will take off, and some PC tech definitely never left the ground – the PC sector has experienced its share of disasters! Some were good ideas, but the execution was just too far off. Read on to discover some of the biggest PC tech failures.

Google Glass

Remember Google Glass? These smart glasses emerged in 2013 as the future of wearables, promising computer power on wearers’ faces. They were designed for things like augmented reality, a hands-free internet browsing experience, and seamless linking with other Google platforms. The issue was that it was way ahead of the time. Look now at the Apple Vision glasses – people are going insane for them because it is the right time. But in 2013, it just didn’t fly for Google.

Privacy concerns came into play, for example, when people were uncomfortable about being recorded unwittingly. The expensive price tag was too high for people to stomach, at $1,500, which made it impossible for most to buy them.

Technical issues such as poor battery life and a lack of compelling apps also put the product at a disadvantage. As much as Google attempted to make it enterprise-friendly, with Glass finally becoming mainstream, success never happened.

Google Wave

In 2009, Google launched another ambitious project called Google Wave that should have merged email, instant messaging, and social networking into one platform.

It allowed people to do things like work together on documents in real-time and share videos or photos with others. It was a groundbreaking idea that aimed to transform communication.

Still, many users were puzzled by its complicated and unfamiliar user interface, making it difficult to use it properly. The technology also failed due to unclear usage cases and poor marketing strategies. Despite generating enthusiasm from the tech community initially, Google Wave did not gain traction among a wider audience. In 2010, Google officially ended another promising yet futile IT undertaking.

Intel Itanium

The hyped-up Itanium chip by Intel, with its introduction in 2001, was expected to revolutionise the high-performance computing sector. It was created to run applications faster and more effectively than the conventional x86 chipset using an entirely different architecture called IA-64.

The idea was to usher in the next generation of performance. At the time, PC-based gaming was only just starting to take off, but it was already obvious that developers would need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps to keep up with growing demand from players. With Triple-A becoming a thing for the first time in, well, ever, and other major ventures like online casino just starting to take off, things had to change fast – and Intel wanted to be at the forefront. A single site was starting to offer so many variations of roulette table games — not to mention every other format that was gaining popularity – and it needed powerful hardware to support it.

But from the outset, Itanium faced lots of challenges. Software had to be rewritten or recompiled to run on platforms, limiting its adoption rate. The gains in performance didn’t match the hype about bettering x86 processors at a fast pace. Developers dragged their feet on supporting Itanic, and it failed to penetrate the market. Following years of lacklustre sales and little adoption, Intel eventually phased out the Itanium brand in 2021 and sent it to the tech graveyard.

Windows RT

Microsoft introduced Windows RT as its version of Windows specially optimised for ARM-based devices. Starting in 2012, concurrently with the first Surface tablet computers, Windows RT was developed to offer the full Windows experience but with better battery life and performance. However, it became apparent that Windows RT was not a product desired for customers.

One of the biggest problems with Windows RT was its incompatibility with traditional Windows applications. The only apps that users could run were those available from the Windows Store, with limited options. Confusion about the interface caused by its similarity to ordinary Windows 8 further aggravated many people who got frustrated after discovering their normal programs didn’t work. So, Surface RT and other devices using Windows RT failed in the market, forcing Microsoft to abandon it.

Which was the worst PC tech fail? Yes, these technologies didn’t take off, but they taught valuable lessons that would shape future innovations in technology.