We've seen quite a bit over the past 12 months: skyrocketing hard drive prices, the passing of several technology greats, and of course a slew of new products, from processors and graphics to kick-ass games.

Not everything that hit our labs was as great as we had hoped. While technology always marches forward, we had our share of disappointments, too. Even still, we're hoping for even more exciting news in 2012. But before we ring in the New Year, let's take a look back at some of the major events, people, and products that affected the technology world in 2011.