Technology's 10 Big Surprises of 2011

1. The iPad 2
Apple's iPad 2 was supposed to be a major step up for the company. Instead, the tablet was a nominal upgrade over a product that many people already liked. Of course, iPad 2 sales were still strong this year -- this is Apple, after all -- but after rumors suggested a major update was coming, an iterative improvement surprised many consumers.
The year 2011 was a time of dramatic events and changes for the technology industry. From surprising new product introductions to declines of once-great giants of tech. Industry observers from enterprise IT professionals to end-users of technology to consumers found changes around every turn. There's no telling what 2012 holds, but as we take a look back at 2011, it's clear that it was a crucial turning point in the industry that could be pointed to as a time when the industry grew and became even greater, or slowly but surely started its decline.
Here's a look back at some of the stories that surprised us this year, and helped cement the idea that no matter what sort of predictions might come up at the beginning of a year, they tend to fall short to reality.
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