One Laptop Per Child XO-1 (OLPC)

It pains us to mention such a well-intentioned project alongside so many products built to empty wallets, but there's no question that the XO-1 has failed to live up to its pre-launch hype. Not only did the original $100 price tag fly out the window well before the machines ever reached reality, they were also off-schedule and failed to really catch hold in many third world countries. Even the concept of putting computers into the hands of children seemed to fall apart at the seams when it turned out kids were using the first OLPC batches to look at inappropriate sites. We'll give Nicholas Negroponte's vision some credit when Ethiopia becomes the next Silicon Valley.