Google TV Is A Colossal Dud

Coming soon to a city near you: Google TV support groups.

There’s an old saying that I can’t remember but it has something to do with labeling something as new and people flocking to buy it. Whatever, it’s the end of the day and Uncle Burnsy is thirsty. Either way, Logitech International, the company behind Revue Google TV, is learning the hard way that the saying is a hot load of cow doodies.

Logitech recently admitted that the sales numbers on the Google TV units are in the red because customers are returning them at a rate higher than they’re buying them. Google TV was supposed to be the superior alternative to Apple TV, which was supposed to be the superior alternative to cable TV, which is the superior alternative to reading.

“We launched Revue with the expectation that it would generate significant sales growth in spite of a relatively high price point and the newness of both the smart TV category and the underlying platform,” Logitech chairman Guerrino De Luca said in a conference call on Thursday. “In hindsight, there are a number of things we should have done differently.” (Via Wired)

Different Thing No. 1: Don’t piss off the networks, therefore making their content unavailable to your platform.

Different Thing No. 2: Make sure that your $300 product offers something different from the many competing products that are cheaper.

That’s it. That’s the whole list. As for the future of Logitech and Google TV, the units will still be sold, and now you can pick them up for $100. In tomorrow’s news, everyone who hadn’t already returned their Google TV units just did.