From disappointing operating-system updates and social-networking scandals to high-definition wars and PC security nightmares, 2007 was full of disappointments.
We’ve looked at all of the big software stories from the past 12 months to come up with the 10 products, companies, and industries that left the most sour taste in our mouths. From last to first, here's our list of the year's biggest losers. Read 'em and weep.
10. Web 2 woe
Memo to Badoo, Bebo, Catster, Dogster, Facebook, Faceparty, Flickr, Flixster, Hi5, Hyves, Imbee, Imeem, MySpace, Mixi, Pizco, Pownce, Takkle, Twitter, Virb, Vox, Xanga, Xing, Zoomr ... and the 3,245,687 other social networks clamouring for our limited attention spans: we got it. Making connections between friends is cool. Sharing photos and videos, even cooler. But it's all so... 2006. Haven't you got anything new to show us?
Here's a safe bet: Two years from now, 90 percent of these networks will be gone and their founders will be back working at Starbucks. I'll have a double mocha frappucino, please.
9. Internet security - an oxymoron?
In 2007, the words 'Internet security' joined the ever-growing list of self-cancelling phrases, alongside 'business intelligence', 'Congressional ethics', and 'Microsoft Works'. This year, bot herders proved they could harness enough zombie PCs to take down an entire country's infrastructure for a month. Estonia eventually recovered, but our notion of Net invulnerability hasn't.
According to McAfee's Virtual Criminology Report, some 120 governments are actively engaged in web espionage and cyber assaults. Meanwhile, private criminals used the Storm worm to create a botnet for hire containing millions of zombies - enough to take down a major network. And while the FBI's Operation Bot Roast nailed a handful of domestic bot herders, that leaves several thousand more to go, most of them living beyond the Feds' reach. Three-quarters of cyber attacks in 2007 originated outside the US, according to Symantec's most recent Internet Security Threat Report.
As with global warming, there's plenty of blame to go around - for everybody from developers of insecure software to home users who blithely log on without inoculating their PCs. Let's hope they get more of a clue in 2008.
8. Microsoft Zune
Microsoft got a chance to do things right with its 'iPod Killer' in 2007. And Zune 2.0 was certainly an improvement - offering 80GB of storage instead of 30GB, wireless syncing, improved touch controls, and a choice of Nano-like 8GB players in a variety of bright colours (Pepto-Bismol pink, anyone?). But Microsoft failed to lose the Zune's proprietary DRM scheme or remove all its restrictions on wireless music sharing (you can share songs with other nearby Zune users, but they can only listen to them three times before the songs go poof). So it's probably just as well the device is still not available in the UK.
We're not the only ones disappointed in the Zune. According to the NPD Group, Microsoft still lags behind Sandisk and Creative Labs in market share for portable media players. And for every Zune Microsoft sells, Apple sells 30 iPods. Remember: you can't kill an iPod if you can't get close to it.
Comments
Alex Taylor said: CD-R vs CD-RW - how is that a format war Ones a write-once CD the others write-many Theyre both CDs and they both work in most normal CD drives
Mike C said: Couldnt agree more about the pop up ads especially from HP Dont we get enough of their stuff rammed down our throats with adverts on the tele as well Stop the pop ups
markcomp said: Great set of snippets from 2007 much of the sentiment I would go along with however one of my ten irritations from 2007 might include HP banners that pop up on each page I read them the first time and was exceedingly irritated by having to click on them by the last Come on PC Ad dont go overboard on the ads - I might suggest its even counter productive for the advertiser
Andy Barber said: Interesting feature pity about the pop up I was due to collect an HP 6100 tomorrow in time for the holidays After four pages of that pop up I just took the current machine of ebay emailed the store and cancelled Sad really HP used to be a company with a little style
Gordon Braid said: Am I the only one completely fed up with the adverts on PC Adviswer Newsletters OK most of them are OK but the new HP advert covers every syory on every page until you delete it This is simply going overboard and I for one am now going to stop receiving this unsightly mess
J.B. said: No wow Windows Vista I wonder who thought that one up While Vista isnt all its cracked up to be it is a lot better than XP in my humble opinion The blame for the wow factor should be laid at the door of Microsoft itself well actually about 50 of the blame for that fact The other 50 of the blame should be laid squarely on the back of the IT media as a whole Media sells a lot of products and the more that they embellish the more he public buy said products Rant over JB