Amazon revealed a program in 2013 that aimed to revolutionize shopping: By 2015, the company said, drones would zip across the skies delivering just about everything. But years past the deadline, those promises have yet to pan out. Drone delivery is a reality—kind of—on the outskirts of College Station, Texas, but the venture is so underwhelming that Amazon ends up using the drones mainly to give away stuff—such as peanut butter and lip balm—as promotional gifts. Part of the problem is that the technology’s still limited: Only one item can be delivered at a time, it can’t weigh more than 5 pounds, and it can’t be breakable, as the drone drops it from 12 feet. Amazon says the drones will improve over time, but some critics are skeptical. “Having ideas is easy,” says robotics entrepreneur Rodney Brooks. “Turning them into reality is hard.”