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Beta.

Beta is still defined in the dictionary as

preliminary or testing stage of a software or hardware product; “a beta version”; “beta software”

which implies “buggy“. I know something is wrong with the world whenever I find myself agreeing with a mac blogger.

Indeed it seems that to the general public “beta” now means “new & cool”. The World+Dog is now labeling their released software and even normal web pages (i.e. not web2.0/AJAXy) as beta to try and get some of the word’s “cool factor” that makes users willing to put up with bugs, lack of functionality. Even actually decent, not-so-buggy release-worthy software/web pages are being labeled “beta” just because people think it’s cool. Amazing.

Runner Up: The Nintendo Wii
Though not as amazing as changing the de facto meaning of a word, Nintendo as managed to do something pretty awesome: sell people overpriced  budget hardware and have people praise and even thank them for it. Granted, Apple did that for a long time (until the switch to Intel - some would argue it still does) but it did so by pretending its hardware was good and worthy of a premium fee. Nintendo is openly selling hardware everyone knows sucks.