Official reason
Lisa line discontinued.
Apple · Hardware
1983–1985 · 2 years in market
The first Apple GUI computer, priced into oblivion so the Macintosh could live.
Launched
Jan 19, 1983
Discontinued
Aug 1, 1985
Cause of death
Cost / unit economics
Lisa line discontinued.
$9,995 and a slow dual-floppy life. Jobs’ Macintosh was cheaper and good enough.
The right idea at the wrong price is a prototype. Cannibalize yourself before the market does.
Apple
Macintosh
The Lisa, priced for humans.
Apple
2002–2012 · 10 yrs
Bonjour and AIM bubbles on the Mac. Became Messages when iMessage needed a desktop home.
Apple
2003–2018 · 15 yrs
Apple’s routers and Time Capsule. Left the networking business to specialists.
2013–2016 · 3 yrs
A modular smartphone with snap-on blocks. Canceled before shipping, after years of demos.
Apple
2007–2022 · 15 yrs
iOS without a phone plan. The last iPod, killed when a cheap iPhone became the honest version of the same idea.