• Forbes CMO Marketing, Monday, March 22, 2010 10:57 AM

Just in time for the unleashing of the Apple iPad upon a digitally overloaded world, Laurie Burkitt and Ken Bruno consult some experts on one of our favorite topics: super-hyped products that have flopped in the marketplace (caution: self-promotion ahead). And despite his magical touch with so many products, Steve Jobs himself hasn't been immune to big-time floppage. Remember the Apple Newton and the MessagePad?

He's in good corporate company, of course. Some companies strayed too far from their expertise (General Electric, RCA and Xerox all failed with computers). Others couldn't overtake the market leader, sometimes with reportedly superior technology (e.g., Sony's Betamax against JVC's VHS videocassette format). Some companies overextend with new offerings that don't jibe with their image, says Zain Raj, CEO of Euro RSCG Discovery, which is why Coors' 1990 foray into bottled water didn't work. And some products, like the Segway, flat out don't live up to their hype. Then there's quality (Ford's Edsel) and/or timing. Are we ready for 3-D TV, for example?

A nostalgic slide show of the historical losers begins here.

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