The 15 Most Slept-On Tech Products of All Time

For every groundbreaking and successful gadget that hits the market, there are 10 terrible ones that follow. Though on occasion, a hidden high-tech gem is discovered—one that demonstrates innovative features and shows promise of being the next big thing—yet fails to draw the sales and adoration of the mass public. Not every product can become the next iPhone or Kindle, but that doesn't mean it should be confined to the Hall of Shame with the likes of the BlackBerry PlayBook or Microsoft Kin.

All wisecracks aside, a number of dope devices have made their mark over the past several decades, but never gained the recognition or respect they deserved. Well, allow us to give the under-appreciated its just due.

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Year released: 2006

Many believe TiVo and the introduction of Hulu killed the buzz surrounding Sling’s set-top box. Still, that never took away from the Slingbox’s awesome media capabilities and video quality. The $250 digital tuner allowed users to broadcast cable and satellite TV content onto any compatible laptop, PC, or Windows Mobile phone, while serving as a digital video recorder. Those who got passed the frustrating set-up appreciated its true value.

Year released: 2003

Bluetooth headsets were trash until Jabra made its grand entrance. The FreeSpeak BT200 provided the comfortable and snug fit every mobile user desired, along with a variety of high-tech features such as a forward-facing boom mic, wireless charging station, and easily accessible volume controls.

Year released: 2009

A frontline casualty in the smartphone war between Apple and Google, Palm’s handset introduced us to one of the most intuitive operating systems of the past decade in WebOS. The mobile software highlighted phenomenal multitasking features and a superlative notifications system that was nothing to F with at the time. Sure, the hardware was flimsy and the QWERTY was cramped, but those weaknesses were overshadowed by the Palm’s rich user experience.

Year released: 2002

The notion of a robot that can clean your floors seemed like something straight out of The Jetsons. IRobot made it a reality back in 2002, equipping its high-tech vacuum with a set of sensors near the base of the machine that took care of the dirty work—collecting dust bunnies and excess debris throughout the entire household. It took several years before catching on with the public, but that can easily be attributed to its hefty price tag. Now the company's sitting on 6 million units sold over the past decade. So fresh and so clean.

Year released: 1996

Bypassing the 32-bit era, Nintendo opted to release a console that would produce double the graphical output of Sony and Sega’s offerings with the launch of the N64. Though it failed to meet the sales figures of the PS One, the Big N’s third console was most remembered for revolutionizing the 3D gaming landscape with its launch classic Mario 64. The system would also welcome a number of critically acclaimed and cult-classic titles such as GoldenEye 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, Perfect Dark, Super Smash Bros., and yes, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter.

Related: The 90 Best Gadgets of the '90s

Year released: 2005

Amazing sound, an easy set-up process, and simultaneous playback in multiple rooms—Sonos' digital audio hub was a game-changer that helped usher in the latest wave of music docks and wireless streaming systems. The ZonePlayer ZP100 used a 2.4GHz P2P mesh network to stream music and read data through network hard drives, while offering a 3.5-inch touchscreen controller with 13 buttons for media control and media information purposes (song title, playing time, songs in queue, etc.). The days of dropping $1,000 on an home speaker system were finito.

Year released: 2006

Even though Sony came out the gate first with its e-reader, the public didn’t take notice of the segment until the Amazon Kindle hit the scene a year later. The PRS-500 offered vibrant resolution and the option to store thousands of ebooks thanks to its built-in memory card expansion slot. It could also read PDF, Word, MP3, and most image files.

Year released: 2009

By the time Microsoft launched the fourth-generation Zune, Apple commanded around 90 percent of the market and it appeared to be game over for the Zune HD. It’s a shame too, as the device boasted an amazing multi-touch OLED screen and great features, including a dynamic user interface, stellar web browser, and wireless capabilities. To the surprise of many, it still has a huge user fan base with the majority utilizing the OpenZDK development kit for rooting intentions. Long live Zune.

Year released: 2000

The G4 Cube’s revolutionary design still resonates with Apple fans, standing as one of the industry’s most innovative and under-appreciated all-time innovations. From the acrylic glass enclosure to its G4 processor, the miniature desktop was too cutting-edge for its own good as its high price tag pushed consumers away, leading to its short-lived self life. If you don't want to take our word for it, listen to the late great Steve Jobs: “The G4 Cube is simply the coolest computer ever.” True.

Year released: 2006

Released on Friday, May 11, 2007, the Ocean was primed as the device that would push Helio, a mobile virtual network operator running on Sprint's network, into the mainstream. And, to be fair, it did look that way.

A straight shot at T-Mobile's Sidekick, the Ocean was a dual-slider which featured both a full QWERTY keyboard and a numeric number pad, depending on whether you slid the phone's display up or to the right.

It featured a number of things now standard on all smartphones: internal GPS, a Google Maps app that had turn-by-turn directions, a built-in media player that could handle MP3, ACC, and WMA files. Unfortunately, a month after its release, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, the handset that would go on to revolutionize the smartphone world. A year later Virgin Mobile USA would buy Helio.

Year released: 2007

Before the terms "netbook" or "Ultrabook" were coined, this two-pound notebook became an industry favorite among tech journalists for several reasons. Aside from its lightweight design and $400 price tag, the machine pulled off impressive benchmarks and delivered a better Web 2.0 experience than most laptops. You can see where the Google Chromebook found its inspiration.

Year released: 1994

The first cell phone to incorporate telephone and PDA functionality into a headset was remarkably ahead of its time. In addition to accepting and making calls, the Simon could send and receive emails and facsimiles, as well as write memos. Now you know why it’s always been considered the first true smartphone.

Related: The 90 Best Gadgets of the '90s

Year released: 1999

While supporting one of the best launch line-ups of all time and producing graphics that were far more superior to the PS2, terrible marketing and weak third-party support kept Sega’s final console down for the count. Granted, its library was extremely limited, but the Dreamcast was carried most by its incredible exclusives at the time: including Marvel vs. Capcom 2, NFL and NBA 2K series, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Sonic Adventure, and Soul Calibur. No other gaming system since has managed to garner the massive cult following of Sega's console swan song.

Related: The 90 Best Gadgets of the '90s

Year released: 2008

No one had the slightest clue how huge Google's mobile operating system would become, especially after the early versions of its Android OS showed numerous flaws. Despite its unattractive design, it was this HTC device that showcased the software's promising potential. A customizable UI, solid web browsing experience, and access to Google’s suite of productivity apps made the T1 a standout. In short, it played a vital role in setting the stage for Android’s recent mobile market reign.

Year released: 1976

As Betamax reached the breaking point of obsolesence, here came the first VHS recorder to put it out its misery. Granted a majority of you might not remember the machine (or VHS at that), but the HR-3300 birthed the concept of time shifting, which in Layman’s terms is recording content onto a storage medium that be can be viewed at any time. Little did the masses know how significant this would be to the video industry.