Tech Losers of the '00s

From AOL to Motorola to Circuit City, these companies couldn't keep up
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 31, 2009 2:13 PM CST
Tech Losers of the '00s
The entrance to a closed Circuit City store is barred in Beaverton, Ore., Thursday, May 28, 2009.   (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

It’s been an amazing decade for technology, but not everyone came out ahead. CrunchGear considers the big losers of the '00s, starting with the biggest: Brick and mortar retailers. Once consumers learned to trust online merchants, lots of stores—we’re looking at you Circuit City and CompUSA—went the way of the dodo, driven out by the lower prices and long-tail advantages of the Internet. So they’re the biggest losers. Runners-up:

  • Motorola: Remember when the RAZR was the hottest phone out there? Didn't think so.
  • RIAA/MPAA: “These stodgy litigious institutions continue to dig their grave.” Instead of taking advantage of the revolution in distribution technology, they sued the audience.
  • AOL: Couldn’t manage to remake itself as a powerful brand, because everyone knew it represented the “corporate-controlled, content-locked, closely monitored Internet that the big guys would just love to foist on us.”
  • Honorable Mentions: Internet Explorer, HD DVD, satellite radio, and print media.
(More technology stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X