Disappointing Purchases: When Products Don't Live Up to the Hype

14. The Lisa on Apple

Cost: $25,700 (or $9,995 back then)*

Designed by: Apple

Acquired from: Apple retail locations

When discussing products that fell short of expectations, the Apple Lisa—a nostalgic relic from a bygone era—certainly deserves a mention. While Apple is known for its innovation and rarely makes missteps, the Lisa is often cited as an early failure in its history. Despite the inspiration behind the product, it struggled to gain traction in the market.

In conclusion, the Apple Lisa serves as a reminder that even industry giants can experience setbacks, highlighting the challenges of pioneering new technology in a rapidly evolving landscape

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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.