Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

Visit Trans-Fi Audio, UK.
https://www.trans-fi.com/terminatortonearm.htm

I bought mine in late Autumn of 2008, ten years ago when Vic the Magician had just introduced his unique design online. I have lived happily ever since.
Now I have two of them. What you are looking at is the latest implementation with carbon fiber wand.
Have fun ; )

 First of all, what makes you say that the idea of linear tracking is dead? While there are not many all in one linear tracking turn tables on the market these days, there are still several high-quality linear tracking tonearms available. And as someone else has already mentioned, one of the best is the  trans-fi  terminator. It was off the market for a while, but I now believe it is for sale once again. As to the problems, everything of a technical nature has its pluses and minuses. So for a linear tracking tonearm, the problem is to drive the tonearm and cartridge across the LP surface,  some sort of for force is required. That can be in some cases a servo motor, in some cases gravity, and in some cases just an attempt at zero friction back at the pivot point.  Usually extremely low friction is obtained by having the pivot point on an air bearing. Many different types of air bearing have been tried, and most of them work to one degree or another. People argue about whether low pressure or high pressure air is best, for one example.Then there are other issues like what is the proper length of the tonearm? At least some devices attempt to ride the cartridge very close to the stylus tip, with almost no “tonearm“. All of these solutions have their pros and cons .

Normally they are the ugliest