Olivetti Envision
1995-1996
In the early 1990s, home computers were turning into capable multimedia entertainment systems, but they were ugly and bulky, so most people hid them far from the living room television. The Italian computer manufacturer Olivetti attempted to change that with their unusually stylish Envision, designed to look like a less intimidating video cassette recorder, hoping to appeal to a crowd more apprehensive about buying computers.
However, the Envision was too expensive and suffered from software bugs and limited upgrades. Olivetti had the right idea, but the Envision was perhaps ahead of its time. After this failure, the company left the computer business.
Additional info:
Obscurevideogamesystems - The Olivetti Envision
Reuters - How Italy became a submerging economy
