Not that giz would ever sensationalize something to get clicks.

A Zune probably killed a family member or something.

CNet hit the nail on the head when they pronounced the Coby mp3 player the worst mp3 player of all, and it really is, because it's identical in functionality to the cheaper iPod knockoffs. How they pronounced the Zune the worst of the year is ludicrous. The Zune, whether it be the first or second version, is not nearly as bad as the Coby, not by a long shot.

The AppleTV's problem is content, and the dilemma of relying on hard discs when cheaper players that already use them exist. It's a very good concept, and very good kit (it really really is), but falls so short because of iTunes' horrendous shortcomings in the arena it was supposed to penetrate.

zune, not zune 2, lol, Gizmodo can't tell the difference?

i understand if the AppleTV was put on there if it was 2007 biggest flops but for worst gadgets?

i mean the zune 2 isn't even that bad at all, it actually got people alot more into the zune because when the zune 2 came out, the original zune majorly dropped in price whcih was enough for alot of people to switch over (including myself, my brother, and 4 of my friends who would of never even thought of the zune).

biggest flops would be a much better title for that list, and still those 3 products don't really qualify, those products being the "worst products" is completely wrong

Zune 2 is great. Hell, with the firmware update, Zune 1 is great! Popular Mechanics can kiss my ass.

@kickace: And then there's the other totally unrelated products on the list. There's a few random home-repair-kit type tools that are mere chump change, an exercise machine and a dinosaur toy.

I would love my AppleTV a lot more if I could download content straight to the AppleTV using it's built in WiFi instead of having to do it from my computer and then upload it to the AppleTV.

C'mon Apple, how hard can it be to release an update that would allow that?

lol they might as well put the iphone on there because of missing such simple features like sending a text to mutiple people at once, message forwarding, and no picture/mms messages....(get my iphone tomorrow, unlocked, got the no contract tmobile service yesterday :)...and will have a program to do all that, funny how apple can't put out an update yet)

i suppose i should take by my zune now, i dont want to be labeled as a bad product buyer!

Yea the Zune 2 might not be the worst,... but it still sucks

I used to read Popular Mechanics until about a year ago when I switched to Popular Science (I know, I know). Popular Science is very fair and always positive of new tech.

Unpopular Mechanics

Apple TV is a just a "hobby," remember? :)

Zune 2 looks pretty decent.

Heck, I got a Zune 1 as a gift last year, and though it's not my favorite toy, it's rock solid, and I use it in my car for long trips all the time. Navigation is better thought out than most, and featurewise it's decent. What's not to like?

And M$ (not my fave company by a long shot) should definitely get points for the free OS upgrade things.

Is that magazine still relevant? I thought it went the way of LIFE (the magazine, not the cereal...or the board game).

Grrr.. Grr.. GRRRR!!

@omg-ponies: I do enjoy life Cereal.

J Ackass and his Zune Astroturf Army are going to be crying over this one!

@PuckOTG22: and I really enjoy the board game.

@ab3: Wow. A compelling argument.
@omg-ponies: Sadly, it went the way of Life a LONG time ago.

Three of the greatest magazines in the 20th Century:
Popular Mechanics.
Popular Science
LIFE

And what's left of the first two isn't really all that great.

zune 2? It's still called the "Zune" right? I think it's okay that the new Zunes got this "award". They're still ugly as feck.

@s017jrs: "Not that giz would ever sensationalize something to get clicks." oh... snap...

My Zune80 works great. They dumbed down the synch software quite a bit...so maybe that is what put the bad taste in their mouth? Once I figured out some work-a-rounds for the lame software, I'm quite happy with my zune.

", and while much of it is the time of crap that I've never heard of that I'm sure is lousy" ....is it me or does trying to make sense of this sentence make your head hurt too?

Popular Mechanics reviewing gadgets is like computer mags that test digital cameras. It's not what their mag is about at all, so take what they say worth a grain of salt...

"Wow! Our latest issue sold less than 1000 copies. We need to do something!"

"I know, let's label some products with tons of fanboys as worst of the year... this will attract some people back"

ZING

I never really read Popular Mechanics to start off with, and I can probably say that I never will after this stupid list. I bet they never even tested Zune 2 or Apple TV.

I'm going to get my posting ability pulled again, aren't I...

i agree [partially] with Popular Mechanics on the subject but i would add "Popular Mechanics named most irrelevant" as well.

@BTS.WRKNG: do you even know why you make that statement?

Fast forward to 2008 (after rentals available on Apple TV)

"Most innovative of 2008 list"

I'm no Zune fan, but the Zune 2 isn't a failure yet is it? I mean it certainly will be, but it's way to early to tell definitively. Apple TV, now that is a total flop without question.

Harsh. I played with the zune2 and zune flash and they seemed like decent little players. Granted, had they charged 50-80$ less, they'd be much more competitive in the market. But for what they are, they're solid, easy to navigate, smooth and a big step forward for MS in the game. Here's looking towards the zune3.

However, Apple TV is just plain garbage. There's just about nothing it can do that something cheaper and/or better manufactured can do far better.

@shiftyeyedgoat:
Obviously, you've never used an Apple TV.

@s017jrs:

word on the street is that there's a new belt with the ability to holster many ban hammers. courtesy of popular mechanics (a group of renowned contractors granted, not the 'zine)

Apple TV is a true crap. But c'mon, Zune's got so much better now, I doesn't look like a fæces candybar anymore.

Read an issue of PM and it's clear the mag is inappropriately named; Popular Republican, or Popular Republican Asswipe would be appropos.

to be honest i brought a zune2 80GB and return it because i did not like the idea of you paying $14.99 a month for the zune market place membeship and then have microsoft Nuke your music when you decided you can't afford it anymore, it kind of suck but it is a real good ipod alternative. i just think that if they did that with movies it will be acceptable with me, but not with music

@Papercutninja: Frankly, neither can be considered failures. They're both projects with future iterations and time that will decide whether or not they are successful.

If Microsoft stopped supporting the Zune and Apple abandoned Apple TV, then you could rightfully make the call. As it is, neither one of them are going anywhere.

Eat it, Msoft Fanbois!

Bwahahahahahahaha

Eat it, Apple Fanbois!

Bwahahahahahaha

Yeah it doesn't sound right, they must have had some other reason to really stick it to MS by naming that worst. I don't have a Zune but I don't see how it could be the worst with all the tech crap out there too. Either they did it for publicity or MS and them had a falling out over something and they decided to poke them in the eye.

Popular Mechanics should have made themselves Number 1 on their own list - who the F**K reads that worthless rag?

I use my apple tv all the time all my "legal" music and movies right there in the living room. Rentals would make it better though. Played with a zune 2 better than a sansa and absolutely better than other crap except an iPod. Neither is anything near what I would call worst. What dumb&$$3s magazine.

I used to like reading Popular Mechanics years ago but it really is garbage now. A friend of mine had one a few months ago which he was excited to show me. It had a Meizu M8 on the cover and it was about how the phone is better than the iPhone. It was just an utterly ridiculous read.

@shiftyeyedgoat: Have you actually used an AppleTV, as in owned one?

Dear Adam, allow me to introduce to you the concept of a ratings skew. Since Popular Mechanics can't list every disappointing product produced in 2007 anymore than you can put every song made in iTunes, so too can they only rate "worst" on a relative scale just as a one star song in your library should be relative to the fact that it's in there at all. Think of it more as a measure of how well these devices lived up to their hype; it looked like a pretty reasonable list from that perspective.

Sure the Zune is not the best product... heck I received one as a gift and gutted it for the hardrive... but its no the worst product either.... I guess they want to sell magazines.

@snitch29: Uh, you do realize that the Zune Pas isn't, like, required, right? You can buy individual tracks (like every other player) or use your own ripped (or, gasp, bootleg!) files. The subscription is just an extra option.

Like Popular Mechanics is even relevant.

this is the type of article on a blog i fkin like
keep em comming gizmodo

I've had an Apple TV since they came out and yes, I can see it being called a flop.