14. The Lisa on Apple
Cost: $25,700 (or $9,995 back then)*
Designed by: Apple
Acquired from: Apple retail locations
When it comes to products that fell short of expectations, the Apple Lisa—a throwback to a bygone era—deserves a spot on the list. Apple doesn’t often make mistakes, and it didn’t build a $1.3 trillion corporation by releasing failures. However, the Lisa is still regarded as an early failure, despite its inspiration.
The Apple Lisa on Reddit, @Matthew Chiavelli, @u/retrobattlestations, and Pinterest
Apple’s first desktop computer, known as the Lisa, was introduced in the middle of January 1983. One of the first PCs designed with work-from-home users in mind, it ran the Lisa operating system. Unfortunately, only 10,000 units were ever sold, despite enormous demand. Its downfall was caused by excessive pricing, shaky FileWare, and a subpar software library.
One of the main causes of Lisa’s failure was the expensive recalls. Although Apple hasn’t had many significant recalls that have damaged its brand recently, the Lisa was introduced during a period when the company lacked funding. Apple’s engineering-driven products have a considerably better track record of success than those created by the marketing department.
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