Top 10 product hits - and misses

The hype surrounding the iPhone is hardly unique. Splashy product launches are a time-honored tradition in the American marketplace -- and so are the stunning flops that sometimes follow. Here's a look at some of the more noteworthy hits and misses.

Segway
Segway
Miss
In 2001, the hype around the Segway was downright iPhone-ish, as rumors swirled around a heavily shrouded invention codenamed Ginger. The excitement was organic -- it really caught fire when Apple's Steve Job said the mystery device could be as important to the world as the personal computer. The man behind the Segway, Dean Kamen, was already a wealthy and successful inventor when he introduced the self-balancing personal transporter in 2001.

But despite the hype, the Segway was a flop when it hit the market. No one saw much of a use for this kind of motorized scooter and few were willing to experiment at a price point of $5,000. "Manufacturers have to work very hard to show what's useful about a new category of technology," says Hall. We're still waiting.

Nintendo Wii

Tickle Me Elmo

MINI Cooper

iRobot Roomba

Ford Mustang

Apple Newton

Toyota Crown

New Coke

Segway

Microsoft Zune
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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.