Newton

Apple's personal digital assistant product line released from 1993 to 1998 — pioneering mobile computing concepts including handwriting recognition and contact/calendar management — which was cancelled by Steve Jobs immediately upon his return to Apple.

Represents the failed prototype that preceded the successful product — the Newton was technically ambitious but commercially unsuccessful, demonstrating the importance of implementation quality over concept ambition — and Jobs's cancellation of it was one of his first decisive actions that signaled the new Apple's approach.