10 products that died in 2014: XP, iPod Classic, and more

Every year, the technology industry brings unexpected surprises and changes to consumers, and even a few products are abandoned.

This year is no different, with Microsoft deciding not to provide patches for Windows XP and Google announcing the closure of the social network Orkut. These are just the tip of the iceberg of products that have left the stage in 2014. Let's take a look back at the products and applications that have left the market this year, and pay tribute to the classics once again.

iPod Classic

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With the release of Apple Watch and the latest iPhone, iPod Classic has quietly withdrawn from people's sight. iPod is the representative of Apple's music player, which saved Apple from collapse many years ago, but it has gradually completed its mission.

Facebook Poke

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There’s a saying in Silicon Valley: If Facebook can’t own you, it’ll copy you. (So much like an animal factory) If you look closely at the apps Facebook recently released, you’ll understand this better. Poke is Facebook’s self-destructing messaging app, a copycat version of Snapchat, but it eventually withdrew.

Rumor has it that Snapchat turned down a $3 billion acquisition offer from Facebook.

MSN Messenger

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In 2011, Microsoft's acquisition of Skype brought about a series of chain reactions. Microsoft eventually decided to use Skype to replace Windows Live Messenger, the well-known MSN.

For old MSN users, the withdrawal of MSN has triggered infinite nostalgia, because it carries countless memories, including many late-night intimate conversations and shared moments.

Orkut

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Orkut, the first social software launched by Google, did not perform well in the United States, but it achieved unexpected success in Brazil. In 2010, Orkut was more popular than Facebook in Brazil. But in 2011, after Zuckerberg included Brazil in the company's business scope, this phenomenon no longer existed.

Despite the success of Orkut, Google decided to shut it down in order to prepare another social network, Google+. However, with the departure of Google+ President Vic Gundotra, it is only a matter of time before Google+ follows in Orkut's footsteps.

Xbox Entertainment Studios

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Shortly after rumors surfaced that Microsoft's Xbox Entertainment Studios was going to develop new projects, Microsoft suddenly decided to close the studio and lay off about 18,000 employees. This move was a big blow to those players who were passionate about Xbox.

With the new CEO Satya Nadella taking office, Xbox Entertainment Studios will definitely move in a new direction of development. This may be one of the many changes that Microsoft will undergo in the future.

Windows XP

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Microsoft's decision to stop supporting Windows XP is disappointing to most users. Windows 8 didn't perform well, and it's unclear whether Windows 10 will win back users.

Justin.tv

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If you haven't used Justin.tv, you may not know that it is full of illegal information. There are channels that broadcast Star Trek 24 hours a day, and there are channels that specialize in classic popular movies. The US Millennium Copyright Act reacted strongly to Justin.tv and ordered it to be shut down. But the illegal Justin.tv quickly gained a large number of loyal viewers.

As the site grew, a spinoff of Justin.tv, Twitch, emerged, and Twitch became more popular than Justin.tv. A few months later, when Amazon announced its acquisition of Twitch, it marked the end of the Justin.tv era.

Macworld Magazine

Macworld, a venerable computer magazine that covered all things Apple for decades, announced it would cease publication in September of this year. IDG, the magazine's publisher, decided to keep the online version, but only discontinue the print edition.

How ironic that on September 9, right after Apple released the iPhone 6, Macworld’s loyal readers received the news of its cessation of publication.

Nokia X

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Since Satya Nadella took over as CEO, he has brought a series of changes to Microsoft. One of the biggest news this year was Microsoft's decision to suspend its Android-based Nokia X project. The company announced that it would conduct large-scale layoffs. Nadella wrote, "We plan to transform Nokia X products into Lumia products that support Windows."

The move was intended to focus the company's efforts on producing cheap mobile phones and applications that support Windows.

Flappy Bird

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Flappy Bird's rapid spread and success was beyond the expectations of its developer, and its brief success may serve as a typical case in business history. The developer is Dong Nguyen from Vietnam. The popularity and success of the game brought him a lot of pressure, and eventually he had to make the decision to remove the game from the shelves.

There were dozens of Flappy Bird clones, but none captured the same interest as the original. Nguyen later reversed course and returned Flappy Bird to Amazon’s app store. But Flappy Bird’s meteoric rise and self-destruction is still a major event in the history of mobile gaming.