What Was the Biggest Tech News Story of 2015? [MakeUseOf Poll]

As 2015 draws to a close, we thought it would be a good idea to take a last, lingering look back over the past 12 months. After all, in order to move forward, it’s sometimes crucial to look back first.

As the writer and editor of Tech News Digest, a daily column distilling the biggest tech news stories into bite-sized chunks, I have seen the past year through the lens of technology news. But which was the biggest tech news story of 2015? Welcome to this week’s MakeUseOf Poll.

Christmas Gadgets

To answer this week’s question please scroll down the page until you see the poll staring back at you. But first, we need to look at the results from last week, when we asked, “Which Gadget Is Top of Your Christmas List?”

Out of a total of 200 votes, 18% chose I Don’t Need/Want Any New Gadgets, 15% chose A Computer, 13.5% chose A Smartphone, 11% chose A Tablet, 6.5% chose A Games Console, 5.5% chose A Pair of Headphones, 5% chose A Camera, 3.5% chose A Television Set, 1.5% chose An E-Reader, and 20.5% chose Something Else.

These results show that most of you either didn’t want any gadgets for Christmas, or wanted something we didn’t list. The former suggests our readers buy gadgets as and when they need them, and the latter suggests less mainstream fare was a big deal this year.

Of the gadgets we did list, computers, smartphones, and tablets came out on top, while cameras, TV sets, and e-readers landed near the bottom. This is probably due to how quickly certain gadgets become outdated, whether through actual improvements or planned obsolescence.

Comment of the Week

We received a lot of great comments, including those from Maryon Jeane, Johng, and Alan. Comment of the Week goes to G37Addicted, who earns our admiration and affection for this comment:

Nothing for me this year. The computers run fine, along with the tablet. My phone is a tad over a year old,and humming along nicely.

We chose this comment because it seems to sum up the majority view. Which is that most people’s gadgets are working fine at the moment, meaning upgrades are unnecessary. And, of course, those people who are desperate to own a new gadget will go out and buy one themselves anyway.

The Biggest Tech News Stories of 2015

Thousands of technology news stories broke in 2015, some big, some small. Tech News Digest covered most of them, distilling them down to their core components, and cutting through the noise produced by other websites. But what, in your opinion, was the biggest tech news story of 2015?

Was it the launch of Windows 10, the launch of the Apple Watch, or the battle to preserve net neutrality in the United States?

Was it the launch of YouTube Red, the launch of the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, or the hacking of Ashley Madison?

Was it Internet Explorer morphing into Microsoft Edge, Lenovo getting caught installing adware, or the slow demise of Adobe Flash?

Remind yourself of the stories by following the links, and then vote in the poll below…

Once you have voted in the poll above, please explain in the comments section why you voted that way. What made that news story resonate with you so much? Do you agree with our selection of tech news stories? If you think there’s another, bigger story, tell us about it below.

The more information you can provide with your comment, the more accurate our conclusions can be based on the results. The best comment of the week will win our everlasting admiration and affection. At least until we all meet back here again this time next week with a new question.

Image Credits: Kevin Lim via Flickr and Carterse via Flickr