Apple Newton nominated for top tech flop

Computerworld has listed Apple's dated Newton as a top contender for the biggest technology flop, and will gauge each nominee's hype-to-success ratio. Apple introduced its Newton PDA in 1993 and hyped the device with clever advertising as well as word-of-mouth campaigns. Despite its large size by today's standards, the Newton offered numerous features and is considered by some to be have been ahead of its time. The publication points to ridicule by talk show comedians as well as comic strips such as "Doonesbury" that focused on the alleged inaccuracy of handwriting recognition as one reason for the Newton never catching on. Additionally, the device was expensive -- costing around $700 for the first model and as much as $1,000 for more advanced units. [corrected]

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