The past decade was clearly one that belonged to technology. Never before did so many new technologies and products came to fore and changed the way we live and behave completely within a short period of 10 years. But such scorching pace of technological advent also meant that many a products and technologies of the immediate past got left behind and earned their epitaph.
1. Alta Vista
The search engine that was once everyone’s favourite is trying to reinvent itself and match up to the likes of Google and Bing. Will it succeed? We are not holding our breath.
2. Audio Cassettes
Once synonymous with music, the cassette is on its way out, as audio CDs get more affordable.
3. Digital diaries/PDAs
With smartphones getting calendar and contact functions, PDAs and diaries are making their last bow.
4. HD DVD
Toshiba’s high definition disk was supposed to replace normal DVDs and take out Sony’s Blu-Ray.
It did nothing of the sort and was laid to rest.
5. IBM Thinkpad
IBM decided to step out of most consumer hardware and sold its notebook business to Lenovo.
The iconic Thinkpad notebook exists, but it no longer comes with the IBM logo.
6. Napster
After making headlines and generating stacks of controversy, the free music sharing service was swept out of the spotlight, as users turned to Torrents.
7. Netscape Navigator
It was considered to be the best browser in the 1990s, but it could not make it through the first decade of the new millennium.
We shed sentimental tears and then logged into Google Chrome!
8. Palm Treo
The device that rivalled the BlackBerry as the ultimate business phone was down and out, having been overtaken by just about everyone.
9. Windows Vista
Vista surely has not vanished. However, Microsoft’s much-hyped successor to Windows XP never really took off. According to critics, Windows Vista failed to make a mark despite lots of eye candy, as it was slow and required too much in the way of system upgrades.
With Microsoft launching Windows 7, there are few betting on Windows Vista.
10. Satellite radio
It was supposed to replace conventional radio, but high costs and less than perfect service saw satellite radio struggle to live up to its potential.
Last week, satellite radio WorldSpace announced closing down of its India operations. Broadcast of services would stop at midnight of Thursday (December 31). In a communication to its subscribers, WorldSpace said, "on December 31, 2009, the WorldSpace satellite radio broadcast service will be terminated for all customers serviced from India. This action is an outgrowth of the financial difficulties faced by WorldSpace India's parent company, WorldSpace Inc, which has been under bankruptcy protection since October 2008."
source: TOI