MISS: Actimates
February 1997
Microsoft decides to try its hand at toys, with a line of talking dolls based on licensed characters from PBS's kiddie shows. Plush versions of Barney and the Teletubbies (with silicon guts) are programmed to interact with TVs and PCs. The toys, marketed as educational tools, give encouraging reaffirmations for correct answers: "Good job!" Children were unimpressed, while parents were unwilling to cough up $100 per doll. The product line was scrapped three years later. NEXT: MISS: WebTV
Last updated June 25 2008: 4:03 PM ET
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