We almost had a smartphone in the 90s. Why did it fail?

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About this episode

In the early 90’s, a company called General Magic began working on a portable device that would allow people to check email, make phone calls, even play games. It was basically a smartphone. But it never caught on. On today’s show, a theory about why this device failed. General Magic had generous investors, world-class talent and creative freedom. But is it possible what they needed was constraints? Further reading and viewing: David Epstein’s book is Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better . Tony Fadell’s book is Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Make Things Worth Making . Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude’s documentary is called General Magic . Support: Planet Money+ Read: Our book: Planet…