Adam Osbourne, founder of Osborne Computers which made the first successful portable computer, made announcements about new computers that were still in the prototype stage. So people stopped buying their existing product, Osborne Computing failed by 1985, and they became a footnote in computer history. This blunder is how the "Osborne effect" got its name.
After announcing their next-gen gaming console too early, the company experienced the Osborne effect, as sales of their current model plummeted and fans lost interest.
by Emotional Cruiser November 5, 2025
Get the Osborne effectmug.