Apple buried about 2,700 Lisa computers in 1989 in a landfill; here's why

In 1989, Apple took an unprecedented step by burying about 2,700 unsold Lisa computers at a landfill in Logan, Utah. This marked the end of the story of one of the company's most ambitious yet unsuccessful computers. The Lisa, launched in 1983, was Apple's first attempt at a modern computer with a graphical interface featuring a mouse, windows, icons, and menus.

However, despite these innovative features, the Lisa struggled to gain market traction. It had a hefty price tag of around $10,000, hardware issues, and was overshadowed by the more affordable Macintosh that Apple was preparing to release. Even after several discounts, upgrades, and renaming as the Macintosh XL, the Lisa lasted only about two years before being discontinued in 1985.

After the Lisa's discontinuation, thousands of machines remained unsold. Computer salesman Bob Cook, who had previously bought older Apple models at discounted prices, saw an opportunity in these Lisa computers. He believed that older computers could still find buyers and was determined to improve the Lisa's competitiveness. Cook spent $200,000 on research and development to upgrade the hardware and operating system before renaming the machine the "Lisa Professional."

However, these efforts ultimately failed, leading to Apple's decision to bury about 2,700 unsold Lisa computers at the landfill in September 1989.