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Fifteen Classic PC Design Mistakes

Harry writes "Once upon a time, it wasn't a given that PC owners should be able to format their own floppy disks. Or that ports should be standard, not proprietary. Or that it was a lousy idea to hardwire a PC's AC adapter, or to put the power supply in the printer so that a printer failure rendered the PC unusable, too. Over at Technologizer, Benj Edwards has taken a look at some of the worst design decisions from personal computing's early years — including ones involving famous flops such as the PCJr, obscure failures such as Mattel's Aquarius, and machines that succeeded despite flaws, like the first Mac. In most instances — but not all — their bad decisions taught the rest of the industry not to make the same errors again."

6 of 806 comments (clear)

  1. One classic web design mistake by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well... at least it wasn't spread out over 15 pages.

  2. The worst-designed case component... by PotatoFiend · · Score: 5, Funny

    has always been the cup holder. That shit always snaps under the strain of my 48-oz. coffee.

    --
    "Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as the abuses of power." -- James Madison
    1. Re:The worst-designed case component... by Critical+Facilities · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bah! You just have to spring for one of those "Dual Layer" Cold Drink/Refreshment Workspace (CD/RW) units. They hold up much better than the single layer ones.

  3. This is a good opportunity for a new myth by e9th · · Score: 5, Funny

    It would go something like this:

    Well sonny, I remember it was back in the '80s. There were these guys who loved their Apple IIIs so much that, despite its faults, they kept them running for years beyond their useful lifetimes. They did this by filling their offices with industrial-strength fans pointed at those Apple IIIs. Ever since then, we've called people who continue to support obviously flawed products "fanboys"

  4. Re: The 15 problems by Amazing+Quantum+Man · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have two DVD players that have a helpful little red LED that lets me know the device is off.

    Seriously. When I turn the player on, the LED goes off.

    --
    Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
  5. Re:#1 failure... by e4g4 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Slashdot Uber Tech Society

    You mean SLUTS? Sorry - couldn't help myself...

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    The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. - Albert Einstein