There are failed products, and there are failed products. Consider three notable flops: Apple's Newton, Ford's Edsel, and Microsoft's Surface. The Newton failed because the technology simply wasn't ready for prime time. The Edsel failed because it was ugly and its design was wildly out of sync with consumer preferences. But the Surface outdid them both: Its technology is badly flawed, and it's entirely out of sync with what the buying public wants.
Here's another chest-grabber. According to the fascinating Microsoft 10-K report, "Sales and marketing expenses increased $1.4 billion or 10 percent, reflecting advertising costs for Windows 8 and Surface." Got that? The increase in advertising is larger than total Surface sales. Advertising is supposed to increase sales, not outspend them.
The Surface fiasco fallout: Ballmer, you're fired | The Industry Standard - InfoWorld