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My Segway HT "Month-iversary"
Phillip M. Torrone writes "I didn't realize it, but I've been using a Segway HT for one month as of 01/04/03. To put it simply--it's been great and the HT has exceeded all expectations, I'm cautiously optimistic that this was a great purchase and look forward to the next 30 days. You can read, see and hear about my experiences here: http://www.bookofseg.com." I have yet to see one of these in real life, but they do look fun.
I think all the people who are saying "electric scooter, big whoop. $3,000, yeah right" are slightly missing the point. Yeah, it's kind of wimpy for the price tag. Yeah, it's kind of expensive, and it's questionable who would want to use it.
But this is just the first model. It's more sort of a proof of concept--a demonstration that the scooter can work, and looks as neat as all get-out in motion. As time goes on, the performance will improve and the price will fall.
Look at the Palm (Pilot). The first model was, what, 128K? With no backlight, no infra-red, or anything? And how high was the price tag? And now the Visor Deluxe, which was at one time the wet dream of anybody who even looked at a Palm, is only $130 brand new.
Look at the DVD player. The original models were expensive enough, the first bunch of discs were glitchy enough, that a lot of people scoffed and made snide remarks. But the DVD went on to become the fastest-adopted new consumer technology ever.
So here we have a relatively slow, electric-powered self-stabilizing scooter, for $3,000. Are very many of us going to buy it? Do very many of us have the money to sink into that sort of gee-gaw? No and no. I know I'm not going to be spending three grand on something like that myself, either. Nor would I be likely to spend two grand, or even one grand.
But by the time it gets to about $500, sign me up.
What in the world is this story doing in the science section?
And what else does P. M. Tyronne endorse?
:)
XBox live, for one...and the iPod...and large doses of Flash, apparently. This gentleman is a one-man press release
Is anybody else still pissed of that this was "IT" or "Ginger" or whatever hell all that hype a few years ago was about?
Change the way cities are built my ass! I still haven't seen many cities designed for pedestrians (atleast not in the US)!
A reasonable bicycle can be had for around $100 and will get you anywhere you want to go, and get you into better shape as well. You won't sweat on your bike if you travel at segway speeds either.
I really don't see the appeal of this $3000 upright motoroized wheelchair--what will it do for me that my bike won't?
Can it hop curbs? Is it easy to lock up on the street? I just don't get it, sorry.
The domain "bookofseg.com" is registered to Phillip Torrone. (listed on the about page as well). According to his site , this guy works at Fallon , an advertising company devoted to "generating disproportionate results for our clients through a unique combination of rigor, relentlessness, and surprise" .
What I'm getting at is, how do we know that this site isn't just a plant by Segway's marketing agency?
That thing only has a range of 15 miles. That's really not very far if you're not in college or living in Manhatten. It's 7 miles round trip for me to get to a grocery store. Beyond the grocery store (and a gas station), it's well more than 15 miles to get to anything else.
Before you ask: no, I don't live in the boondocks. I live in a metropolitan area (Tampa, FL, US).
Offtopic alert -- but I had to reply:
Funny you should mention this. I gave up using my Palm about 2 years ago. It's strictly a toy.
Ever buy a fold-up keyboard for a Palm? And use something like WordSmith? Ever just slip the keyboard and the Palm into your pocket, go someplace and just WRITE? Having the keyboard with me everywhere is what made it a killer "app" for me. Meetings, coffeeshops... no more yellow pads. No more searching for information. I've always got it with me. And before I saw the keyboard, I couldn't even imagine it.
The most exciting part, for me, about something new is waiting to see how people innovate. I'd keep watching the Segway...
I would have to say that explosives are the most abused technology in all of history.
You would be better of on a moped or bicycle. The last 2 travel fast enough so that someone can't jump you and take it from you. Even if they did you wont be out of $4000.00.
If you travel on a Segway someone will jump you for rolling down in something so gay.
This is JUST A COMMERCIAL for Segway, not a real article at all, but Slashdotters are suckers, by and large! Proof is in the reading!
If you haven't heard, the was banned in San Francisco. Ouch.
The judges claim they banned it because it is "unsafe for city sidewalks", but they also commented that the Segway is "a national threat at least as grave as Iraq" because of laziness. I don't think Iraq is that dangerous, so I don't know exactly what that comment is suppost to mean =) Also they said they didn't want to see a "potential tsunami of lard".
Personally, I don't think Segway is the "future of transportation". I'd much rather see PRT everywhere in the future.
My Segway HT "Month-iversary"!!! more like celda
Incidentally, does anyone know how much weight the Segway is designed to handle?
From the How Stuff Works Website:
Weight capacity: 250 pound (110 kg) person with 75 pounds (34 kg) of cargo.
(Good link about more Segway stuff without all of the marketing hype at Howstuffworks, too.)
I would have to say that explosives are the most abused technology in all of history.
I won't be buying your Segway, when I can easily afford a decent used car for the same price, and actually be able to get around the Puget Sound (try getting anywhere here with a Segway, and be prepared to do a lot of hitchhiking).
You'll just have to troll for sales elsewhere.
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
I got a gyroscope the other day, if i get some more i could probably turn my lawnmower into a segway.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
Rhymes with GAY! Figure it out, this is an advertisement, not a real story! Suckered again Slashdot? Yep, apparently! Time to get real jobs and leave the reporting to AC's! Perl weenies!
Just because someone makes a wonderful astroturf site doesn't mean that you have to link to it.
Tim
Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
This is just what the world needs; another way for people to get even less exercise.
hey check it out , no number plates or tax either, all i need to do is stick a gun in your face and not only is your laptop ($2k),pda($250),cellphone ($500), watch+jewelerry ($1000) and wallets ($250 + cards) all mine but a $3000 scooter to ride off into the sunset with all my loot ! hah haaa
hmm or shall i just fall over in front of you , tell the police that you hit me with it as i was walking , then all i need to do is sue your pants off with a nice damages claim , bling bling mf !!
boy i just hope you got good insurance
i cant wait to see you on the sidewalk round my way with one of these !!
New hobby for those of you with too much money and spare time! Segway modding! New mods include:
Hate me!
I just came back from a trip to Disneyworld and they have 32 Segways for what seemed like managerial staff and patrolling the parking lots. Even considering how stair-free WDW is, and what large distances might need to be crossed, when I saw the first Segway in the Epcot plaza, first I thought "this is the best tech they can show off? Pffft."
/.,right? B)
Then I thought, "hmm, big distances to cover, maybe not the worst idea I ever heard."
Then I saw the huge Segway display at Innoventions and realized it was just more smart marketing by Dean Kamen. The yokels were all saying "gaaaahlee where's the gas tank?" and similar comments, then getting lessons in gyroscopic stabilization and Michelin tire alchemy from the well-rehearsed cast members. Hey, if they can get high visibility at Epcot, that's better than
I've tried one...yeah they are neat, but at 80 pounds, just too heavy to lug ino my car trunk or public transport and when compared for value with a $150 electric Razor, it loses. But as someone said above..bring em down to $500 and I'll consider it.
Oh, BTW, I lost all respect when I saw them selling whirling Buzz Lightyear lights, glow sticks and flashlight ight-sabers off the Segways at Epcot at night. Gah.
"The pie shall be cut in half and each man shall receive.....death. I'll eat the pie."
"IT" has a top speed around 15 mph. To keep balance, it moves the base slightly when you lean forward/backward. To drive forward, you lean a bit more. To go faster, lean a bit more. So what happens when you are flying down the sidewalk and you lean forward just a bit too much? Faceplant.
Journal entry: Day 3.
Got my butt kicked by the cool kids again. Maybe I'll see if the geeks at slashdot will respect me instead. Geez this thing sucks. For $3k, I could have bought that snazzy water cooled overclocked P4! Damn!
for weeks if not months has had a segway in its upper left-hand corner. (Go to their main page now to see it[1])
I found the page it links to (if this doesn't work, click the segway logo in the link above) interesting, especially the lengthy Amazon.com Review, which somehow fails to mention once how you charge the damned thing. Although apparently Amazon.com staff got to test-drive it, I doubt they got to play with it above 20 minutes.
[1] This promotion might not be served to logged in users, depending on your shopping preferences. Apparently amazon customizes their content heavily, to the point that some time ago they got in trouble for giving different customers different prices.)
So they are saving money by using a Segway. But they discount walking/running because they may run late and need time to change after the distance.
So explain to my few working neurons:
1. Why the person can't leave earlier and change?
2. How the Segway HT being the first model is more prone to failure than either:
a. an automobile, or
b. leg (including knee and ankle joints)?
3. How, given the weather in Washington, it'll be better in the snow and sleet than foot, bicyle, car or motorcycle?
4. How less polution is caused given the power generation to get the electricity is worse than a car? [Look before you leap people: there is a lot of energy lost in generating energy, transmission down the line, stored in a battery and finally reconverted into a usable form.]
5. How he really hopes to loose weight using an automation?
Sounds to me like he has too much money and is too lazy to do his own work. I bet he's a manager.
"There is magic in the web." - Othello Act 3 Scene 4.
Because this ain't "it," from what I've heard. Seems Steve Jobs (if I remember correctly) was asked if that was what was demostrated to him and he said no. The rumor was that he made a version of Ginger that used maglev for support, instead of wheels, that was stabilized by the gyro system he developed. To make sense of it, I figure the statement would be that they would need to lay down metal for the scooter off of which to repulse.
My take on it, at any rate.
Bel, the mostly sane.. "Of course I can't see anything! I'm standing on the shoulders of idiots." -- Me
I got my own Megway for Christmas. It can do everything the Segway does, but better. The Megway is also theft resistant with the new Fist Antitheft Device (FAD). I've also discovered that you can take the Megway to parties and make it look like you aren't stuck working a graveyard every Friday and Saturday night. I'm quite happy with my Megway.
Help us build a better map!
Thats a tired example. Segway has nowhere near the range of a car, it's far inferior as a mode of transport. Sorry to burst your bubble but the segway is useless to 99.9% of the human population.
A lot of people may not know this, but the segway, in addition to being a means of transportation, is also a testbed for technologies used in Dean Kamans latest invention, the iBOT. Its a new wheelchair thats being tested by the FDA, but most of its technology has been proven in the non medical(meaning it didnt have to be tested by the FDA) Segway HT. The iBOT is a revolutionary wheelchair with that can climb stairs and raise a person up to normal eye-level. link link link link
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
What do you mean "how do we know it isn't a plant"? Of course it's a plant.
I don't mind the dupes. I don't mind the mistakes. But blithely posting underhanded ad pitches on the front page cross the line.
I like Slashdot, and I've never before stooped to bitching at the editors... But I can't take it anymore: what the fuck is the matter with you guys? I know VA Linux stock ain't doing all that well, but for christ's sake, you have jobs unlike a lot of Slashdot's readership. If you don't care about this site-- which seems to be the case-- why don't you step down and let someone else take over?
Rips off the Mac face for the icons, uses Windows Media for the video, and posts to /.
Dude, pick a market to target before you start your next ad campaign!
"the segway ht i series weighs well over 70lbs, without the activation key you'd literally need to drag it around. the weight of the unit, a couple great locks as well as using common sense should keep your ht safe and secure."
What the heck is this guy thinking? 70 lbs is NOTHING. Most men ought to be able to pick up 70 lbs and toss it on the back of a pickup. I know I could, and I only weigh 230. I hear about motorcycles being stolen all the time on the news by 3 guys picking it up and putting it in a truck, even heavy harleys.
The guy's a fool if he thinks the weight of the unit will deter anyone from stealing it.
p.s. My 21" monitor weighs 80 lbs, and who do you think carried it in?
I tried to look at the Dean Kamen dinner party pictures....
This guy really need to take a photography class.
I am a viral sig. Please copy me and help me spread. Thank you.
Just pick the damn thing up (it's not that heavy) and run with it or throw it in the back of a pick-up truck.
Screw going down to K-Mart in one of these only to have some hick throw it in his truck while I run inside.
Sure, the hick won't be able to do anything with it until hacks come online so you can make your own keys and stuff.. but still, these are worth stealing for novelty value alone.
How can you avoid someone stealing these damn things? Get ready for sky high insurance.
mogorific carpentry experiments
It reminds me of some of the criticisms levied against the first cars: it costs too much, the horse carriage is better, it requires changes to the roads, laws are not ready, it will disturb pedestrian circulation (remember laws from the turn of the last century forcing someone WALKING in front of a car to warn people it was coming?), etc.
The point I am making is that the objections have some validity, but it doesn't invalidate the usefulness and promise made by the Segway about future human mobility.
Better versions will come, faster ones, more people will buy them, the price will come down, someone will clone it, and in 20 or 30 years we'll look back upon the original Segway HT like we look at the Ford Model T now.
It has to start somewhere, and it starts here and now.
If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
It needs a small 2 cycle engine that runs on some kind of fuel, like gasoline. Brushless DC motors are cool, but we don't yet have a sufficiently advanced battery chemistry to power something like this properly. OTOH, I guess you could ride across the entire country with one of these things if you bring a solar battery charger and a lot of patience. Couldn't someone reverse engineer one of these things and sell it for $300?
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
"I didn't realize it, but I've been using a Segway HT for one month"
But I thought you didn't realize it? Isn't that sentence self-contradicting? My mind is spinning.
I'm going to reserve judgment until I actually see one of these in action, but I suspect that the marketing team might hit their demographic better if they include a built-in Jolt Cola dispenser.
If you ever have to ride at night, in the rain, or carry stuff, expect to pay extra for lights (as required by law), full-length fenders (unless you like the "dragged through the mud" look), and luggage racks, possibly panniers or a trailer for larger loads. If you go the Boy Scout method and have lights, speedometer (bikes have to follow the same rules of the road including speed limits (I learned the hard way in downtown)), luggage rack, fenders, airhorn, and a rear-view mirror, expect to pay closer to $850.
Either way, you're right, bicycles are far more practical and far less expensive than a Segway.
Help us build a better map!
User Friendly is ssooo on top of this one....
I was hoping it would be some sort of non-newtonian floating device or something equally earth-shattering.
In these little clips, the riders look very awkward, like they're struggling to keep going. Or, like they're trying to hold a massive bowel movement in (or both). They seem to be thinking "Damn it, I paid $3000 for this, I'm going to enjoy it whether I like it or not! HEY! LOOK AT ME!"
Then in winter, you know they'll be hitting you up for a ride to work. Just you wait and see!
"Would it kill you to put down the toilet seat?" -- Maya Angelou
I would love to pass this guy in my giant gas guzzling V10 Dodge Ram and bounce a Giant Slurpy off his candy ass.
Peace:^)
hey all you fat rich americans
;-P
try WALKING
i mean really, this segway thing is so ridiculous, i am absolutely ashamed looking at it. can you imagine what other people think of you riding around on this thing? it's like training wheels for our electric scooters when we're old, fat, with diabetes. i have nothing but derision for anyone who buys one.
negativity disclaimer: i am an american, i get paid an above average salary, and i am trying to lose weight.
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Is anybody else still pissed of that this was "IT" or "Ginger" or whatever hell all that hype a few years ago was about?
IT's like sex.
for long range trips we'll be using our mid-range bmw, another great example of engineering, when fuel cell and / or hydrogen vehicles come out, we'll have that as the main car (we're hoping bmw offers a model and we're willing to wait for that too).
Ahh yes, this people apparently really know whats great for the environment and the nation. Another pointless toy for the rich do-gooders.
I think I will stick with the subway. Not that I have the money to purchase a segway. Or a car for that matter.
I don't read or respond to AC posts
Sure, you can look at the Segway as another excuse not to walk or ride. But the truth of the matter is, for distances greater than 3 city blocks, most people will hop in their cars and drive. This leads to community designs without sidewalks, an absence of shops that can survive outside of a mall, shopping, strip, or otherwise, and other omissions (shade trees, pedestrian crossings, etc.) that tend to reinforce the impulse to drive.
In this light, the Segway is an ideal tool for getting people who otherwise would have driven the mile or so distance to the grocery store, video rental place, or local strip mall, and putting them on the local streets. Consider this a way of boosting pedestrian traffic by extending the 3-block distance people would choose to walk, and thus displace auto travel. This is what Jobs and other people who saw the Segway meant when they said that cities would be redesigned around them.
Sure, I'll walk, or ride my bike, or ride the bus. But then again, I don't own a car. If a Segway can displace cars for short-distance travel, then all the more power to them, fat lazy Americans be damned!
BTW, 15 miles on a single charge is far more than many people tend to commute, even in their cars, in highly urbanized areas. Hell, I used to bike the 15 miles from West LA to Burbank and back (up the Cahuenga pass and back every day) - that trip took me 1.5 hours (each way). If you're willing to bike that much, more power to you, but complaining 15 miles isn't enough range for a Segway is missing the point - 15 miles is overkill for the purpose the Segway is meant to serve - bridging the gap between the 3 blocks most people are willing to walk, and when they whip out their car keys and start contributing to traffic, pollution, and parking problems.
Also, if you think about it, you get a lot more exercise standing on a Segway than you do sitting in your car...
I guess it never rains or snows where he lives. Nor does it where all those other "glowing testimonial" people live.
Motor Scooter - Cheaper, goofy, kids ride them.
Segway - Expensive, zero radius turns, better form factor, new innovative control approach, cool, too expensive for kids.
Okay, the motor scooter is cheaper so it is better.
The segway as an engineering solution doesn't solve a problem, it creates them. As such it is a toy. Nothing more.
(1) It's slower than a bike. If you get sweaty and slimy riding a bike at Segway speeds, maybe you should pick the bike to prevent your upcoming heart attack. Lard-ass.
(2) It's got less range than a bike. The segway has a massively shorter range than a bike. So you may as well walk. Again - if you get sweaty walking - you're a lard-ass and probably need the excercise.
(3) It's less safe than a bicycle. It's got an inherently unstable design that makes it completely useless once the power's off. This makes it just as difficult to store as a bicycle. As a pedestrian, I don't want your 300lb segway piece of junk on my sidewalk. Get the fuck out of my way.
For those who have two perfectly functioning legs it should be considered nothing more than a toy. The only justificable use of a Segway is as an upright wheelchair to provide more mobility for those who are injured than a traditional wheelchair.
Well, my school was just happy to announce that they are the first university in the world to use Segways. Campus police is using them for patrols (I haven't seen this yet, but I hear they're out there), and the press release even says they plan to use them for tours. Tours? Come on...no one wants to follow one of these around unless the whole damn tour group gets them.
-Stype
Bus error -- driver executed.
Sure, plenty of people will buy Segways because they just have to have one. A guy I used to work with showed me his 1970 vintage, 4-function pocket calculator that cost him $400 new. That would be about $600 in today's dollars (or $2800 dog-dollars).
i think the question we should all be asking ourselves is...
what would jesus drive?
(answer)
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
People only reverse engineer products that are profitable.
Well, at least at O'Hare. I saw one being used by United Airlines terminal staff at O'Hare while traveling around Christmas. The thing did look pretty fun. Sure beats the hell out a beeping golf cart.
This machine is for some attention starved numbnut with a few thousand bucks laying around so that he can tool around his neigborhood for a few weeks and amaze his friends. Once the novely wears off and he realizes that a skateboard is more practical (shit, a $400 repair bill to replace the broken gyro???) for getting around town, it'll end up right next to his pushmower in the garage.
Sure it was super cool when it first came out. But now that's it's been a year since we've all seen it, most of realize the segway for what it is: an over-hyped machine with little practical application.
<a href="http://www.joblessjimmy.com">Work is dumb and so is Jobless Jimmy.</a>
Just last week, Reuters bought and CNN published as a front page story this Amazon /Segway press release. Reuters must not employ any of those hard-driving investigative reporters we loved in old 30s movies.
For example the "story" "reports"
- "pre-orders already place the high-tech scooter in the top half percent of sales" Yeah? Each Segway costs $5000, while the average Amazon item costs maybe $50. So if Amazon sells 100 Segways in a month, it's in the same percentile as a book that sold 10,000 copies in the same month--that's pretty impressive sales for a book, pretty lousy sales for an item that got the publicity buzz Segway did, an item featured on Amazon's front page.
- "It's selling better than many of our digital cameras" Yeah? And is Amazon the only retailer selling digital cameras, the way it is the only retailer selling Segways? In fact, do you know anybody who would go to Amazon to buy a digital camera?
- "Frazier declined to provide actual pre-sale numbers" I am sure the carefully phrased hype provided is much closer to what CNN readers care about.
What got left out of the "news story" is also interesting. There is no mention of the financial stake that Amazon has in pumping up Segway sales by releasing phony hype aimed at making the product look more popular than it is. Jeff Marshall at Mercury News has some interesting background on the financial ties involvedSome Reuters Clark Kent may have added one note of reality in the final sentence: "in San Francisco a debate is raging over whether the human transporter should be allowed on that city's streets. " That debate stopped raging a week before this press release came out. According to the Dec. 20 SF Chronicle , after extensive public discussion 9 of 11 supervisors have voted to ban the Segway, enough to overturn the mayor's veto if he decides to try one.
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
Am I the only one that sees this, or the only fool at this poker table. But...
Just look at this picture. Go ahead, I'll wait here.....
Now, admit it, those two look like dorks. Thanks, but I'll walk.
.nosig
Here is an idea: how about instead of paying $3000 for a segway you just walk.... millions of years of evolution can't be wrong.
if you look at this image you can see the human arms photoshopped onto a marketing droid.
if you view the html source, you can see redundant font tags surrounding grammatical errors. a clear sign of someone adding in a 'blog' feel to site.
if you look at this image, you can see 156 different shadows at the same time. clearly run through photoshop.
and finally, THE SITE IS NOT SLASHDOTTED!!
There aint no pancake so thin it doesn't have two sides.
Once the initial price-gouging subsides, I see these things becoming very popular.
Anything to get us fat lazy Americans farther away from having to do anything physical is going to succeed. The Segway does a fantastic job of doing just that. (Hell, when I finished watching The Matrix the first time, my initial impression was, well isn't that what we're all working toward anyway?)
No, Thursday's out. How about never - is never good for you?
Looks like this guys route takes him right by my house... I'll have to keep an eye out.
I see a number of people talking about the $3,000 price tag of this thing (which, in my opinion, is about $2,500 too much ;-)
Yet Amazon, who claims to be "the only place to buy the Segway HT," is selling them for $4,950.
What am I missing?
We saw a couple of Disney managers zipping around on the things - they're just right for EPCOT's big sidewalks and flat terrain. One of them said that Disney ordered a bunch of them when they first became available, and had to bully the Segway folks a bit to get the N of them they wanted out of early production (there were some early investment connections there...) They're fast enough to be helpful, but unobtrusive-looking and not so fast that they'd cause problems, and the managers are obviously having fun cruising around on them. And after all, cost-effectiveness in the Magic Kingdom is at least as much about image as practicality, which makes them way more effective there than at most businesses.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
From the article:
washington is one of the 32+ states that have specific legislation that states that the segway ht can go anywhere a pedestrian can go
Fascinating that they can pass a law that allows the Segway to go up ladders.
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
A bunch of people who have ordered Segway! They keep track of whether or not you can legally operate a Segway in your state. Mine isn't listed yet.BUMMER! http://www.segwaychat.com
That's why.
How in the world did I survive my childhood of high speed, daredevil bicycle and scooter riding without a helmet?
Maybe I'd have retained a few more IQ points taken away by the unprotected falls. (hmmm - also may explain why I like slashdot...)
Cake or Death? Cake Please!
"I didn't realize it, but I've been using a Segway HT for one month as of 01/04/03," eh? So does this mean that someone hacked your account and made this post in your name? I ask because whoever made the post clearly realized that you'd been using a Segway for one month as of today, 1/4/3.
maybe the lack of excercise has caused your leg muscles to atrophy and that somehow spread to your brain...
Of course, I also believe all that 'The network is the computer' stuff also.
"A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
peace back.
Heck, it doesn't even seem that this guy can get the URL's to Segway's website correct.
;)
I think perhaps someone needs to inform him that domain names can't actually have a space in them!
That and perhaps take a few photography/videography lessons... ah well, wonder how much Segway paid for the ad?
That the Segway HT's battery is only good for a few hundred cycles and comprises the majority of the cost of the unit. This being said, the Segway HT's cost per mile is MORE than a 777 and just a little less than a hybrid auto!
I know it sounds like I'm trolling, and I would LOVE to show you specific figures - but my company is doing business with Segway and the figures are under NDA.
The Segway HT is not for replacing your normal walking, unless you are one of the few that walks many miles per day. Being electric, it has the opportunity to run on alternative fuel sources such as solar and wind power. Yes, electric bikes do this as well, but not in such a compact form factor. These devices will get cheaper and more prevalent, whether you want to moo like the other ignorant cows or not.
In the USA, police arrest niggers. In Soviet Russia, the niggers arrest you!
Reading that site, there is a link to http://www.segwaychat.com/ and links for the legal status for each state.
Checking on my state Washington, its legal on bikepaths but not local highways or sidewalks. Some local highways act as streets, with stop lights, and all major streets intersect only on them. They should really allow people to use sidewalks in absence of a bike trail. Makes a segway useless around the area I live, shame...
- The technology behind Segway is cool.
- It could work well inside a closed environment like a big warehouse.
- The inventor Dean Kamen has done other good things.
But the Segway gets my goat for the following reasons:Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
It's funny to hear so many slashdotters condemn something because it results in 'less exercise'!
It's like... Geek LaLane... Hoo!
Cake or Death? Cake Please!
Aren't rich people great!?
The interesting thing about talking to Mr. Kamen while he was standing on the Segway, aside from the fact that he was of course towering a full head above everybody else in the crowd, was the fact that he is one of those people who likes to lean towards you as he talks. As I learned firsthand, talking to one of these people who happens to be standing on an electric scooter that is controlled by leaning your body means that you are constantly being semi-run-over by the thing, in direct proportion to the intensity of the point the other person is trying to make! He kept having to back the thing up a couple feet, like it was an overly-friendly horse that wanted to lick my face (instead of an overly-pricey scooter that wanted to run over my feet).
(I would have liked to have a go with his scooter though, as I was not relishing the prospect of having to slog all the way back across the show grounds to the car yet again!)
mcb
In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
That's pretty damned funny. I want one of my own. :)
There doesn't appear to be a single capital letter on his site. What statement is he making? I love ee cummings? My shift key is broken? I'm too cool for grammar?
I know this will be modded to troll immediately, since I'm questioning something everyone considers wonderful. That said:
1) I can see this device being a real help to the elderly or people with various handicaps, but:
2) I notice the submitter pointed out he jogs every day, but I hear more and more reports about how over 50% of the population is overweight. I can only wonder how this will effect that particular issue. I would guess that it won't be long before they have to make sure the HT is even sturdier because so many people using them are over 250 lbs (or over 325 w/ cargo).
3) I can't help but to remember what Ray Bradbury discussed in Fahreinheit 451. The fire chief is explaining how books became eliminated and people stopped thinking (or was it Faber talking about how people stopped thinking). He pointed out buttons were replaced with a zipper, and that was just that many fewer minutes to think in the morning when getting dressed.
I've spent the last 2 years chained to a computer. (I'm not complaining, my salary is going up and up and I'll never have to worry about my retirement or having a job for the rest of my life.) Now I'm back to exercising every day at the gym. I've got over 50 lbs to lose.
It's great that we can do more faster than ever before. But if we don't balance all the new toys and gadgets we have to make life so easy, we will lose a significant part of the quality of our lives. For example, computers were supposed to save time (and paper, too), but now we get more done and we're asked to do more. Sure, they save time, but then the company wants even more from us (and numbers show computers have driven paper use up -- due to number of drafts printed out and number of extra documents printed -- and docs printed in multiple copies).
I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but I am saying it seems we should seriously question how it is used in life. We can make the choice of a life crammed full of too much to do, or one where we can take the time to enjoy life. I've noticed that the people that take time to enjoy life (like many friends I know through Quaker Meeting) live life such that they don't need to save the extra half hour here or rush to another appointment at some other time.
Saving time, or making it easier is not the answer. Segway, for most of us, is not the answer. Finding a way to reduce the clutter and meaningless activites in our lives would help save much more time than a Segway HT.
Just my 2 cents worth. Go on and mark me as flamebait.
I *have* seen one of these in action, and let me say it was one of the most ridiculous sights I've ever seen. I was embarassed to be anywhere near it. As many people have pointed out, *just walk*.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Ya i just can't wait to get my segway and ride it all the way to DORK CITY.
a beowolf cluster of these things? p.s. I can't believe I was the first poster with this - it's almost as good as a real first post - I've got a chubby now...
On the security page he wrote
since the segway ht is used for our commute, we take it in our office and plug in while we're at work. so the segway is safe and secure at all times. other places, we stick to the guidelines above
Since the damn thing is a single seater (so to speak) who is the "we"? He sounds like Gollum to me...I kept expecting him to refer to it as his "precious".
P.S. "month-iversary" doesn't make sense. Each year does he celebrate his wedding "year-iversary"?
Did anyone notice that the pages were licensed under a creative commons license? Take a look at the license: Creative Commons License 1.0 Quite interesting. --Meyer
What, you mean all that time I spent over the holidays playing SOCOM Navy Seal online, while talking to others, via a Sony PlayStation 2 on ethernet, for free, wasn't real? :)
You paid MS drones never let up, do you...give it up. Kool-aid drinker...
Today I went out to the kickoff meeting for the FIRST robotics competition http://www.usfirst.org in Richmond, VA, and there I saw that a team somewhere had built their own version of Segway. It had the same design to it, and the innards were made entirely out of parts included in the kits that teams are to build their robots out of. It was slightly jerky on the autoleveling, but it still worked as the operator leaned forward and back. Very interesting, and I'm sure the project didn't cost near the same as the real Segway.
You mean like this?
how is it that riding my skateboard is a crime punishable by confiscation of property and large fines.
But then when some asshole capitalist shows up with some lamewad invention all the laws quickyl get rewritten to let these obnoxious gas guzzlers ride everywhere.
Segways are lame as hell.
Sorry that stupid little scooter fad is over a segway is about as cool as chopped liver.
How much did that broadband adapter cost for your PS2 again? And why did you have to buy a separate game to get a headset? And why doesn't that headset work in every online game? Face it, for the first year at least, XBox Live is a better deal than PS2 online -- for $50, you can either get the XBox Live starter kit with a headset and two demo games (Moto GP is awesome), or you can get a PS2 broadband adapter. And then spend another $50 on SOCOM, and not even be able to use the headset with other games. Make a case when Microsoft unveils its plans for future XBox Live fees, maybe, but for now XBox Live is a better deal, with better gameplay and features.
Anyway, most likely Microsoft will charge maybe $50/year for XBox Live in the future, which is a very good deal. There's no guarantee that you won't have to pay extra for games, but it's less likely than the PS2 scenario. Since Sony does not provide any services for PS2 developers, a game company either needs to run their own (costs money, which will be passed on to you), or partner with a larger company like EA (which means fewer "independent" game developers will be able to exploit online play). Microsoft has a good thing going with XBox Live.
There are quite a few Segway Contest/Early Delivery Winners there, who can answer your questions - including Philip Torrone and his wife, Beth, who were in the first group, as you could see from their site. Also, Frank Tropea, the SegwayChat site owner, who was in the last group. Take a look, it's free :o)
The real question is: why not use a bicycle? It's proven technology, it's a lot cheaper, it's faster, and it gets you a little, but not too much, exercise on that 4 mile commute.
I mean, this is the Walt Disney company, the people who shat out "Hunchback of Notre Dame 2" and California Adventure in the quest for profit. You should have lost your respect for us long ago.
S.H.T. the acronym says it all.
Segway Owners a Small, Happy Club A Gizmo Wiz and His Scooter It's not a Mac Switch like Segway Plot!
Disney had a few people riding around the park on them and even had an exhibit in the technology center. I was and still am very skeptical but actually seeing one in action is very cool. Especially in a crowded park these guys were speeding around (with plenty of little kids around) and you could just tell by watching that they couldn't "run over" you. At the exhibit they would intentionally run into you and they just sort of stop. They literally stop on a dime. I just wish that they let you rent them to get around the park. If nothing else I certainly see the technology as a boon for parapalegics. A wheel chair that basically replaces your legs is a pretty neat idea (and based on another persons post something they're already working on). Anyway, there wasn't much to see at Disney, but seeing the segway and digital ink at epcot was almost worth the price of admission...
Cheaper, probably, MS likes to take the crack-dealer approach of, "the first one's free." But it certainly ain't revolutionary. Furthermore, just trying hacking your xbox and then using the live service, you can't, they check for hacks and lock your box out permanently, even if you de-install the hacks. Don't buy a used xbox if you want to use it online...
The adapter was part of the Linux dev kit. The headset that came w/Navy Seals is not limited to use with SOCOM apps. I can use it as an internet phone...how about that for saving money?
:)
"...most likely Microsoft will charge maybe $50/year for XBox Live in the future..."
You know, when you talk out your ass like that...no one listens (and your breath wreeks worse than ever). MS has not announced those costs, so in reality, you have no idea. You're simply waving the MS flag. Get back to us when MS beats up on your parent's credit card...over and over. Only a fool would agree to charges without knowing what they will be.
It used to be that when someone talked about other OS's, in favor of MS, the big argument was "no software". Now, with xbox having a very small percentage of software, compared to Sony PS2, MS fools ignore the fact, and wave the vapor flag, about how good the future will be...that future will only be good for MS, as long as fools keep their wallets open and their eyes/ears closed. Have fun helping bg build a new home...sleep well knowing he couldn't do it without you. bahhhhhh....sheep that you are
from the geeks-with-$2990-more-than-I-have dept ;)
http://www.epinions.com/Segway_Human_Transporter_G ifts__Novelties__Collectibles_and_Gadgets/display_ ~reviews
A couple months ago I met a PUD meter reader in Seattle with one of these things... the city had recieved several of them to try out. He demonstrated its curb-hopping and turning abilities to myself and several others. It's no dirt bike, but those big wheels can take it over standard sized curbs pretty easily. According to the guy the Segway didn't save him a lot of time on his route, but it was more fun than just walking... and a real conversation starter, which probably helped slow him down a bit.
"All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - George Orwell
I'd love to see whether the Segway makes people more or less active.
You'd think so, but you're also the guys also put out Lilo and Stitch, built Blizzard Beach, run Sunrise Safari at AK and the backstage stuff at Living Seas, which more than makes up for doing endless Lion King sequels for twelve years. Y'all still get my $7k a year for our yearly two week Haj to the Mouse (DAKL) and I'm already booked for next December. B)
I find WDW amazing in that some guy from Bumfuck, Mississippi can stay in a tent for $20 a night at Fort Wilderness and have just as good a time on the same attractions as the poser in the Presidential suite at AKL. Anyone ever do an analysis of why WDW appeals to Southern religious conservatives and New York liberals; college geeks and uneducated dullards; 90 year olds and virtually every kid on the planet?
Probably the reason I keep going back is to find out the answer to that question.
"The pie shall be cut in half and each man shall receive.....death. I'll eat the pie."
But back on topic, am I the only one who wouldn't be seen dead driving one of these? It's so geeky in a very uncool way.
I have to disagree. The Segway is not geeky. It's something the guys in the sales and marketing departments seem to think is cool. I've yet to meet a geek who thinks it's worth its weight in dog poop.
I will agree, however, that they are seriously uncool.
i used to work in a factory and it was faster just to walk to get somewhere. if you wanted to take the cart you had to track down the keys, unlock it drive to where you needed then find a place to lock it because if you did not it would be gone. If i needed to get anything under a mile away it was faster to walk over that then the cart was faster.
OK, I cannot believe I have to say this. But someone modded me up and them posted in the thread. BEFORE YOU MODERATE, READ THE GUIDELINES
Help us build a better map!
"to be crystal clear, this is a car replacment for us. i cannot convey how thrilled i am to be getting rid of a car. to have a choice, a better one, and to be part of a movement is exhilarating. car, buh-bye. walking to work isn't possible since i need to carry 2 laptops and 4-5 pieces of equipment every day."
I beg to differ. This is not a replacement car. How many passengers can a Segue carry? Will you drive this thing in incliment weather? Rain? Snow!? And is this person saying he actually carries 2 laptops AND 4-5 pieces of EQUIPMENT on a Segue? I'd like this equipment defined. I mean really. Ok, bag+2 laptops = Bulk. Since we don't know what exactly his equipment is, i'll assume a briefcase of some sort. More bulk. Plus whatever else he's toting along. Does he cruise along in his suit to work? Open air? Change of clothes maybe? I have no doubts the Segue can handle the weight, but it almost sounds like he's forcing it to fill the roll of a car.
Make no mistake, it's not a replacement for a car. A bike or motorcycle maybe, but not a car unless ALL you use it for is A->B travel within a short range, then sure. Hit the Segue cuz your wasting money with a car. But don't fool yourself into thinking it is if you step outside those very narrow parameters I mentioned.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
He says somewhere that he has a "mid-range BMW" which probably means a $40K-55K 5-series. Calculate the monthly payment on a 4-year loan for *that*, son.
And $600 a year for auto insurance? Riiiiight. You're driving a Tercel in Omaha, I take it.
Yes, I realize I've just been trolled by a 19-year-old.
One simple rule for its versus it's
that he was shown a magnetically levitating dildo which the operator would ride like a bull.
on the sidewalk... When you walk down a crowded sidewalk you tend to turn sideways and slip through the crowds, but with this thing I think I would be more worried about running over someones foot. Does it come with foot detection AI?
And also, after viewing the video of the guy trying to climb up those stairs, it seemed like he was taking over the whole staircase, people will not stand for that when you are walking up the stairs... a human on their side walking sideways takes up so much less room than a person walking normally.
Well that's my two cents. I do think that its useful for certian people, i.e. postmen, who have to walk the same route everyday, and of course they don't need to slip through crowds and stuff.
Why would "fat, lazy, rich Americans" abandon the 3500 pound pseudo-tank (SUV) to go to the corner store? Especially when doing so with a Ginger necessarily involves standing upright (ugh!), exposes one to possible car jacking-type scenarios by scary teenagers on skateboards and the inevitable getting run over by a Geo Metro?
How's Buzz doing these days?
Has the success gone to his head?
Them glowsticks is glowy fun on a stick.
Buy a biycle. Cheap, fast, and actually good for you. Get one with front suspension and some nice riser handlebars. Maybe even a suspension post seat and a cargo basket. All of this will cost you less than a $1,000 U.S. dollars.
How many people do you know that can admit to getting too much exercise?
This guy is way out there
I can understand if you have a medical condition that makes waking difficult these would be useful, but jezus, walking is free, a good bike costs $200, and they burn calories so you don't turn into a fatass!
If these contraptions become popular where would there be room for them to drive? They are too small and wide to fit in bike lanes and traffic lanes, but too wide to fit on the sidewalk. I doubt cities would be willing to spend the $$ for segway lanes.
http://www.everythingisnt.com/features/segway.html
Talk about comparing apples and gold-plated oranges. If you're the kind of person who feels the need to drive a $40-55K BMW 5-series, you're sure not likely to give it up for a Segway. Unless you've just had a pretty major conflict with your state's motor vehicle laws.
But given that this guy seems to be employed by a grass-roots ad-agency, it's not surprising that his math's a little generous. And I wouldn't be too surprised if BMW was also one of his clients.
PS With proper maintenance you should be able to drive that BMW for years after you've paid it off. What's the estimated lifespan of a Segway?
Let's all write him and ask?
Get off my launchpad!
This guy seems like a incredible tool.
The pile of fuzzy photos, even of the FedEx guy.
His iPod and Palm on the bookshelf, tilted towards the camera. Oohh look what I bought!
A cheezy self portrait with him, his ht, and his haircut.
"Saving" $10K a year on an extra car pmt. and insurance.
That's something like a $750 car payment. Screw him.
If he does have any friends, I wouldn't like them either.
Yeah. What a tool.
Speaking of never having seen one of those things in real life, I just happened to see someone using one of those a couple months ago in Bel Air, MD. I was driving down through and did a double-take as the guy was crossing the road on an intersection crosswalk. Looked like he was leaving from the supermarket (which was rather close -- and he had grocery bags) and he was heading towards a residential area.
I thought to myself "Bastard!" Man was I jealous...
Looked pretty cool.
Cheers!
Sean
Dean Kamen was not riding a Segway today when he introduced the 2003 "FIRST" robotics competition. That's the first time in a long time I've seen him without a Segway.
I have seen and touched the Segway (with Dean Kamen riding it), but I haven't ridden one yet. There's a photo of us with Dean on our 2002 robot team web site.
- Eric, InvisibleRobot.com
The segway encompasses everything that is wrong with American Culture.
- Stairs and landings. The thing weighs what, 60 lbs I think? That's a lot of heft to get something up a flight of stairs (I'm assuming you can't drive up and down stairs on it).
- Theft... this one is pretty obvious. I need to chain it up when I go in somewhere. If it doesn't get outright ripped off I'd be concerned some dumbass will take a bat or a crowbar to it and leave it hopelessly damaged.
I'll tell you when I *would* have liked a segway, is when I was a stock picker in a warehouse. With like a square mile of aisles to zoom up and down that would have been handy. Of course, I don't have that job anymore.This man says he lives near downtown Seattle, how is he dealing with riding his Segway in the rain. They do get rain almost every day of the year (well not every day of course but still its very rainy there...)
siri
Where are you going to ride it, then? It's already being outlawed in on public sidewalks in a number of cities, including San Francisco. (Personally, I'll take the segways if it helps scare bums off the sidewalk).
Furthermore, just trying hacking your xbox and then using the live service, you can't.
I'm thankfull for that. Who wants cheaters online anyway? Thats one of the cools things about Xbox Live. You know no ones playing on a hacked, modded system.
Did some digging and came up with a nifty little comparison. both vehicals are electric, so it all comes down to the nitty gritty.
Segway
Range: Appox 15 miles/charge
Speed: 12mph
Cost: $4,950.00 [Amazon.com]
Viento Scooter
Range: Appox. 50 miles/charge
Speed: 30mph
Cost: $2,999.99
There are three main advantages the Segway has over our competitor. 1) It's really compact. 2) It's "sexy" 3) You can drive it on sidewalks, however flawed I may find that. Oh, and auto stabilization for those who didn't learn to ride a bike. That's nice until you realize for about $2,000 less you gain speed, range and utility, only sacrificing some size, percieved coolness and the legalities of driving on sidewalks while gaining Speed, range and utility.
And no, I'm not considering the supposed saftey of the Segway, because people can still be idiots whatever they drive. Mixing a maximum 250lbs at 12mph on a sidewalk full of pedestrians is a BAD idea. But hey, the Segway is still cool. (I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could find a neato looking scooter too).
Revolutionary? It's not as if alternatives didn't already exist.
You need a FREE iPod Nano
They can't ban IPs? Anyway, I really wouldn't want to spend all the money and I could use the exercise, so I don't see me getting this for quite awhile...
Ignorance is bliss and I'm suicidal.
when an all the obese people using segways going to sue the makers? i mean after the loss of the use of my fat-filled legs by not using them at every opportunity i feel it is not my fault i didnt choose to walk to the fridge. the irresistible, delicious, sweet seqway [drools] called to me in my creams.
note: i do not have anything against naturally obese people (ie: because of genetics) but for you others, blaming the oompa-loompas isnt going to help you. unless you use your ill-gotten monies for a personal trainer...
I know you are psychotic, but please make an effort.
having one car in 2003 will save the household a total of roughly $10,000 (payments and insurance). when you add gas and maintenance, that's another $5,000 per year. add parking (right now i pay $5 per day, that's around $1,200 per year too. so, about $16,000.
Payments and Insurance:
10 grand breaks down to $833 per month. Let's be generous and take $150 off for insurance. This is probably not realistic as I'm sure it's a multi car policy (they are keeping the other car). So, the car payment is $683. Seems like you don't have to buy a scooter to save money. Just buy a freakin Honda or something!
gas and maintenance, that's another $5,000 per year
I can't even express how fake this number is. Okay, so we're talking $416 a month for this. Being liberal, lets take $150 off the top for gas. I don't know the relative gas prices or what theoretical car this is, so I may be off. So, we're left with $266. Assume an oil change every month just for added padding. Make it a pricey one. We're down to $216 a month. This person is spending over $200 per month to maintain a vehicle where the payment is nearly $700. That doesn't check out. Something is horribly wrong. Vehicles of that calibar do not require that heavy duty maintenance. If they do, the problem is easily correctible by ditching the money pit for a late model reliable car.
If they wanna have a Segway, by all means, purchase the thing. Just don't try to justify it economically with bogus numbers like this. All the eco-friendliness and economic validation is there by trading in the money pit for a Geo Metro. Just be honest with yourself and say you got the Segway for fun. People will have much more respect for you.
The Segway is undeniably cool, but I've just never seen it having much of a future. There's little it can do that a bicycle, generic electric scooter, or even a pedestrian couldn't do more efficiently for thousands less. There have been many "novel" takes on the idea of a personal transporter in the past, but, like its predecessors without any real utilitarian benefit over the status quo, once the Segway's novelty wears off it will be forgotten to the dustbin of history.
Yes... these do look cool. Especially if they displace automobiles for short run traffic like grocery shopping, going to school or work, etc... We really need to wean ourselves off of petroleum. We could just tell the middle east to kiss our asses once we don't need oil. However, that isn't the real subject of my post. I was just wondering if anyone here has wondered, as I have:
Oat Willie and Segway Riders. Separated at birth?
Un-news
I live in a suburb, and have a grocery store about a mile and a half away from me. Though I could bike, I think I've only done so once - after all, my workplace is far enough away (37 miles) over terrian and roads I don't want to bike along, that my car gets maintained and my bike does not. Even now, my biike sits ignorned with a flat tire... for a casual biker a bike is not convienient for anything.
With a Segway, I would definatley use it most of the short trips I take right now in my car.
Right now it is priced at the "toy" level, but when they start to cost $500 or so OR be included with a house in a designed community (not so far fetched, look at custom communities they are designing right now with mixtures of houses and live/work units) then it really could reach widespread use.
It might seem like the refuge of the lazy, but the fact is it would be a lot safer for most people carrying small loads (like two or three bags of groceries) on the Segway than on a bike.
If you want a real stretch, how about this thought - it would help people eat healthier because it would be more practical (and environmentially sound) to get fresh vegetables more often. So there, health fanatics!
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I honestly dont understand how this got passed, but you can bet someone will be run over in one and that will be the end of it.
BilldaCat (19181) is all alone in the world.
That's awesome, thanks you =) I hadn't read that before.
-Berj
I don't know where your getting your numbers from, but total paper use has been decline for quite some time. Personal use via printers may be up, but total paper use is declining.
How would you get laid in the back of one of these?
Many posters have made the point that bicycles are faster, cheaper, have longer range, and get you into better shape (all true).
A few other points that occurred to me: I'm riding the same bike I was riding in 1981 (except for cheaply replacable things like tires, handlebar tape, and a few new freewheels/chainrings, etc). It's a b#!@$ to find 27" tires any more, but otherwise, I see no reason I can't use it for another 20 years. What are the chances a Segway you buy today will be going strong in 2020? It's not only the purchase price to consider, it's how long the item will last.
Also, I can fix virtually anything that can possibly go wrong with my bicycle, short of a bent frame. I can carry enough tools to fix a respectible subset of those things on the road. This gives me some measure of confidence that I am not going to get stuck umpty-two miles from my destination. If the Segway breaks down on the road, can you fix it then and there? What do you do with the sudden 80 lbs of dead weight?
I dunno. It's nifty, from a tech perspective, but it just doesn't seem horribly practical to me.
http://www.ncix.com/usa/productdetail.php?sku=7402
At least you have a subway... And probably a city full of people who appreciate it to some extent. Cincinnati, on the other hand, is the pits. To travel the six miles from home to campus on bus takes 50 minutes and 15 min by car. Furthermore, if you do the math for my crappy 14 mpg car, you realize that you actually pay somewhere between two and three times more to go by bus than you do for gas for that trip. (Yeah, I know that doesn't include wear and insurance, etc...)
I live up on a slight hill about 3.5 miles from work.
For about a year, I had an older (mid-70's model) "Tomos" 2-cycle 50cc "scooter". (Similar to this, but older and needed pre-mixed fuel.)
Except during the winter when the wind on my face and hands were a bit too cold, I really preferred to take my trips to work and to the grocery store on my scooter. I liked the open-air feeling of gliding on the scooter, and also felt better about not lugging a 3000 lb. car just to carry myself. I was getting about 50 miles to a gallon of fuel + a cup of oil.
One thing that I didn't like about the scooter was having to drive on the street (along the side, like a bicycle) while cars whizzed by me at 45+ mph. On the uphill stretches going home at night, that got scary sometimes. (My uphill speed was about 15-18 mph; flats around 25; and downhill around 32 mph.)
I also didn't like having to worry about the bike's chain maintenance (needed frequent cleaning), and the fact that it was a 2-stroke polluter (today's 4-stroke mopeds should be pretty good in comparison).
When an axel bearing crunched away I couldn't find a convenient place to fix it, I gave it up.
Since then, I've been thinking about buying another, more modern moped. But I just sorta never did. I toyed with the idea of getting a real motorcycle, and got my class-M permit; but I really didn't want a bike because I would have to be IN traffic, and I prefer not to be in between two cars (or SUV's as is likely to happen around here).
When the Segway was first revealed, I thought "neat, cool gadget". But I dismissed buying it for myself.
But, I've been missing that open-air gliding feeling for some time now. The Segway would allow me to get that feeling back (though at 12 mphs, it's a bit slower than I would have liked compared to when I used to pull 20-30). And, since I can used it on sidewalks, I would feel much safer. Since the sidewalks around here (L.A. suburb) are pretty much open, I think I can safely travel at the top speed for most of my travel.
The only concern I have now is the TCO. While a "full charge" is 11 to 17 miles of range, and costs about $0.10, that translates favorably to my car which gives about 20 miles to the gallon at $1.70. But the batteries are rated only for 300-500 full-charge cycles, or about 3,000 (worst case) to 8000 (best case) miles. The power train is supposed to be a "lifetime" design needing no servicing, so I'm hoping that the supposed 5-(active use)-year lifetime of the Segway holds.
It's not clear how much a battery replacement will cost... But I'm guessing it'll be about $1,000. So that then pushes the cost up to as much as $0.55 per mile. Even if the battery is $2,000, that's favorable compared to my 3,000 lb. car.
I can already tell some of my co-workers will approve, and some of them will scoff and ridicule me. But I used to own a scooter, and I liked it. And I've pre-ordered a Segway, and I expect to like it when it arrives. (Yes, it is a small leap of faith.)
This is an expensive tech product marketing guy's wet dream - create a fake diary and get it posted to Slashdot. The bare fact that the site hasn't melted yet is proof that it's not a personal diary.
This isn't as much "normalization" as it is "don't take so many drugs when you're designing tables."
That's hilarious, especially the logo at the bottom.
Heh, in my town, we don't even have sidewalks, let alone 'bike lanes'. If you're a pedestrian or a cyclist, you're SOL.
He did get one thing wrong though. The Segway is supposed to be able to follow you up stairs. You don't actually carry it. I don't know how fast this is, but it's got to be more convenient than carrying one up.
They got 2. Get it? Did you read the site?
I think all the people who are saying "electric scooter, big whoop. $3,000, yeah right"
You're the third comment. Nobody above you said it. What the hell are you talking about?
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
I guess /.ers won't be buying any Segways.
Maybe when they come out with a Lugaway.
The guy is real, I know him. He's a friend of mine. He doesn't work for Segway. He's not a plant. He won a contest to get the first Segways. He's a technology freak. He's a weblogger. Friggin do the math, Slashdotters. He made a website about his favorite new toy. Like every-fricking-person on the internet. Why is that hard for /. monkeys to grasp?
The fact that his site wasn't slashdotted doesn't mean dick. It just means he builds sites that can handle traffic.
I used to think Slashdot was cool. I really did. But now a friend of mine has been slashdotted, and really, I'm ashamed of this place.
Someone said here last week that "posting snarky comments on the internet is the easiest and least impressive thing in the world." I guess that sums up Slashdot now.
It never strikes anyone here why a guy would have a cool new piece of technology and ACTUALLY WANT to create a website to talk about it. No, he must be getting paid, sure. Astroturf.
Hey, check out the other stuff on his site, he goes gaga for that stuff too. Naw, it couldn't be that he only writes about stuff that he likes, could it?
Slashdot has jumped the shark. It used to be cool, but it has fallen under its own weight of snarky comments and (Score:5 Funny).
Fuck Funny. Let's get back to Salient.
-Bruce Wright
The Segway is the most overhyped letdown in recent history!
...they never had Segways.
Sorry to see these folks treat you this way. Don't think I'm ever coming back here. I used to think Slashdot was a community of people who cared about technolgy, but I guess this is proof that it has devolved into a clique of people trying everything they can to make other people snicker derisively.
/. monkeys.
/. has jumped the building and left the shark.
Since you posted anonymously pt, I guess you don't have a Slashdot account, so no big loss for you. I hope that people responding to your site are better behaved than the
I really used to admire Slashdot. I am very ashamed of what it has become. Now a friend of mine has been slashdotted, and I feel sick to my stomach. I've taken a good look at the posts today, and I can't say that I wasn't exactly like them in earlier posts. Now I just feel like this is a dirty place.
Anyone reading this, PT above is Phillip Torrone, creator of bookofseg.com, the author of Flash Enabled and one of the great techdevice bloggers out there. He's a great guy and honestly appreciates new technology.
I remember when Slashdot was about those things. Now it's about catchphrases, snarky comments, racist anonymous cowards, and the everpresent drone of people with nothing better to do than log on the internet to make fun of people who actually do things.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is my last Slashdot post. I have no desire to be part of this community of the terminally superior. I'm leaving while I still have my soul.
Sayonara
-Bruce Wright
...segway rides you!
Am I the only one who noted the Stirling Engine Scooter Power Supply picture? That's pretty cool and fits in with a lot of the original "IT" rumors.
read my sig
I have two questions: How did Dean Kamans ever get the patent for this "horseless chariot". 30 days, what about 3, 5, or 10 years.
The segway is from a engineering view is a aircraft auto-pilot with wheels instead of flaps. There's really nothing stopping any one from making there own if there quite talented with electronics. You can start with the gyro package form a RC helicopter. Gyroscopic controlled vehicle have been around from the 1930's, a early example is the German v2 rocket. Now I admit there is a difference from rocket to scooter. University engineers have been making 2 and 1 wheel bots balance using gyro packages for a long time. I want to know what so special about the segway to warrant a patent. It's the first to be able to move people? Quick get the patent for the 9/10 scale segway toy.
The other question that comes to my mind when I see a segway on tv is, are they going to be safe when there not so new. To understand how a segway works, think about balancing a pen on your hand. When the pen begins to fall one way you move your hand in that direction to move the center of gravity under that pen and so holding it up. Now the key to keeping it up is to detect the falling and then moving your hand in the right direction fast enough to correct for the dropping action before the pen gains more momentum then you can correct for. Now with this in mind what happens to a segway when in a few years and a few thousand miles have passes under the tires, when dirt and salt have worked into the barrings and the driver servos, when the batter isn't as strong as it use to be. When the calibration on the gyros have drifted a bit. For the segway to function properly all the parts have to working and working well other wise like the pen on your hand, if you can't move your had fast enough, the pen falls to the ground. There's no sign to me of any thing on a segway to suggest there is any protection for when there is a equipment failure to prevent you finding your self face fist on the concrete sidewalk. Humm, Ever fallen on a hard surface, well add 12 mph to that. If i were thinking of bying stock in this I want to see a test dummy on one when the remotely cut the power, and again when it rolling at its top speed. And then a dare devil ride one on a sub way, you know theres going to be stupid teen agers try it when there rich parents give them one. A segway is a layers dream come true. And a technicians as well, all the parts have to be working well for the segway to work, if any fall below spec. then there going to need to be replaced. Humm, Can you make a cheap version that's not a lemon.
(***cough***)...Status symbol...(***cough***)
I have yet to hear anyone mention the problem of tripping. Since the segway balances on the two wheels, hitting a curb would stop the lower half of your body. The top part of your body keeps moving forward. The segway says "oh crap" and tries to catch you by moving the wheels forward and under you. But the wheels CAN'T move forward because they are stuck. So you fall forward at your former velocity+gravity. Insert face into concrete.
If you 'trip' a segway, it should firmly plant your face into the sidewalk. I'd either like to know how they violated physics or why this hasn't been mentioned yet?
Anyone willing to try it? Just drive over a curb you can't climb at a good speed.
Does anybody think that the Segway may one day be the basis of some new team-based sport(s)?
Imagine trying to play basketball on one of these!
What's your GCNSEQNO?
I live in Vancouver, and it rains here nonstop from Octorber through March. The thing would be useless half of the year, unless you were wearing a wetsuit.
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
How about ... 'moniversary'?
:-)
It certainly has connotations which strike me as being appropriate
-- No, no gems to be found in this sig.
The pictorial tour of Dean Kamen's house says loads... This man is the uber-scooby-doo-strange-but-cool guy. He lives in this incredibly fanciful house that seems built for a hundred people, except it's his house. Powered by wind turbines, it has:
Steam engines
A very nice 2-helicopter garage (with it's own gas pump in the closet)
An incredibly well-laid-out electronics shop, far better than many commercial shops I've seen
A machine shop
A power plant (provides power from the turbines)
A resivoir
A barber shop (!)
A theater (a given)
You should really check this guy out, he's as creative in how he lives as how he invents.
http://www.bookofseg.com/dk/index.html
Except huge losses in 2003.
And wave to Clive Sinclair for me when you see him on the way down.
Okay, right now the segway is an overpriced lard transporter, but once it gets past the stage of being an early adopter thing, think of the possibilities!.. these things could bring about a whole renaissance of chariot racing!
:)
C'mon, you know you love the idea of tearing down the street on one of these things - or at least, trundling down the street - razor-sharp wheelblades glinting in the sunlight, whip in hand, dressed in your finest mock-roman armour (yes, there's a U an armour, dammit. I'm british), ramming the other gladiators - sorry - Segway riders - out of the way while the crowds cheer your name...
Well, you have to admit, it would be interesting
And for the sake of not totally wasting this comment on rambling nonsense, two other things come to mind about this:
Firstly, the stuff on the guy's website about the Segway replacing his second car was pretty interesting - he jogs every morning.. but the Segway lets him jog when he chooses and ride the rest of the time, instead of being forced to jog to work, or whatever - sounds pretty sensible to me..
But then it falls down with all the near cultlike worship of the Segway team. I mean, this isn't anything new - there are plenty of those around here who worship Linus, or even Bill (you know who you are).. but rarely with such a degree of fervor.. to quote just one bit of the diary:
"everyone at segway ht is part of the vision, the trainers, marketers, product development teams, to dean kamen himself; you get the immediate feeling that what you're part of isn't just another form of transportation but an evolution of our species and maybe society."
A bit much, don'tcha think?
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
I don't know about the rest of you, but a motorized vehicle that keeps its balance and doesn't go all that fast makes it a prime candidate to haul my ass to and from the bar. I'd gladly pay for this. It beats the hell out of a DUI.
Of course, I'd be willing to bet DUI's will be handed out on these things also.
~S
Any ideas?
O'WONDERWe're working on it.
Bad grammar and sentence structure. Sentences start with lower-case letters. Not to mention the whiney leftist slant in your tone.
Is that you, Turmeric?
And we suppose the ad agency thing has nothing to do with any of your so called writing, eh?
I'm positive that is a negative thing. And we all know the saying "any publicity is good, and good publicity is even better"... ~ I'm sure you are very happy with your latest rabbit out of the hat.
Nice try tagging someone else as the bad guy. Better luck next dodge. Can't wait for your next (paid) revelation.
Just a little FYI
it's in my head
Well, I can understand why you don't want to publically deny the Fallin ad agency thing...ok by me :)
pt...wasn't that what P.T. Barnum used to sign with?
Powered individual transit ought to be able to merge in either with pedestrians or with cars. Otherwise it's too limited--if you can only ride on the road, or only on the sidewalk, if you can't hop curbs, etc., then it's kind of pointless.
How about bike lanes in every slightly urban area? The skaters use them as well. Works like a charm.
Any sufficiently advanced libertarian utopia is indistinguishable from government.
You're a pitch man...a mouthpiece...a shill. You claim one thing, while masking the truth. Your opinion and endorsement are paid for. Your segway love affair is a timed and scripted event that you planted (Amazon last month...CNN last week...Slashdot this week). It did not spring forth as you suddenly realized it had been one month since you'd been swept away in the magic of dean. That's a nice touch, but then any story needs a lead in.
And the more you deny it, the more it sticks. Save your breath, you'll need it for your next pitch. I'm feeling guilty for giving you a chance to keep talking as it is. If you were the innocent contributor you're trying to be, you'd keep quiet and let all the chatter flow around you.
Seattle, eh? That explains the xbox live endorsement.
They use Segways at Epcot Center (it's officially not EPCOT anymore... oh well).
The parking lot staff uses them, some of the ticketing staff uses them, and I've seen what looks to be a food service staff member use one as well.
In speaking with some of the above mentioned, it's changed the way they look at their job... of course, the one guy who said, "I asked for a raise, and they gave me this" was pretty funny.
While we're on the subject of bikes, for commuting a recumbent makes all kinds of sense. You can pick up a brand new BikeE on eBay for cheap now that they've gone under.
Lasers Controlled Games!
high concentration of aluminum in the brain causes nerve degeneration, symptoms like slow learning, slower movement is observed.
If you store it in the front of your car, instead of in the trunk, you can use the HOV lanes. Totally legal, I swear!
I'm working on some ideas for overclocking and streamlining it... I imagine it will involve removing some (or all) of that fibrous covering. Does it come with or without a "bra" for the front end, like cars?
Get off my launchpad!
Change the way cities are built my ass! I still haven't seen many cities designed for pedestrians (atleast not in the US)!
They were clearly referring to cities on the moon.
I live in Manchester, NH and I do see these on the sidewalks from time to time. Pretty interesting, but the price tag alone is enough to rule one out of my future.
Meta-astroturfer. Good riddance.
Sure it looks fun. But besides that, how much more can you do with a Segway HT that you can't with a simple scooter? I mean: is this thing enabling any new way of transporting one person + cargo from point A to point B?
Also, how can it become mainstream anywhere where it snows or rains a lot?
I would however, be very impressed if they adapted the thing so that a disabled individual can "walk" around 6 feet tall and at 12 MPH. That would be great for people with disabilities. You know, if they could stand (supported, of course) and walk around.
As Americans get fatter and lazier they will more often than not need wheelchairs. This is just a way of getting them used to the idea that their entire lives will be spent in one while letting them feel good about their "zero emissions" vehicle.
Does Phillip Torrone have an undisclosed financial interest in promoting Segway and his BookOfSeg website on Slashdot? Google-able info suggests he does.
- His website prominently features its Segway store with purchase links that presumably pay him commission.
-
The front page of the Segway chat group links to "Another great article by Phillip Torrone aka 'pt'" , one of 333 posts he had already made there, this one and probably many others clicking through to his "BookOfSeg site.
I have no objection to Phillip Torrone turning an honest dollar on his website. What I do object to is seeing on Slashdot publicity stories that don't mention the author's financial interest in selling you the product being so lavishly praised.Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
No, the place that I think the segway will clean up in is the airport for moving staff around between checkins. Bicycles and gate taxis are great but they are not that manouverable when people are around. The Segway is sort like a slower bicycle and usually the passenger density is less than the crowd at shows.
Apart from that I can see the thing being used by maintenance workers to move around production lines and plant. Bikes are often used, but again this may be better because of the better manouverability at slow speeds.
For private use, I can't see it being useful.
As the anecdote states, there are some occasional uses for the Segway. But most of all, there is the overwhelming market of people who want to try the Segway, if only for a few minutes. So why not cater to that market? Imagine having a pair of these at a trade show, or a high density location, like a beach resort.
In the past, Ive been to ocean boardwalks, and there is a very well recieved rental business of odd bicycles. There is the two person side-by-side model, the four person trolley model, and the recombinant sit-down-and-bike. They were availible to hourly rentals, and business was booming! Sure, you could only rent the large bicycles in the early morning and late afternoon, for traffic concerns, but you wouldn't have that restriction with a Segway, designed to have the same footprint as a pedestrian.
So, one would set up a booth, or a storefront, and wait. Perhaps they would take to circling around on the Segway, drawing people in. When people asked about it, they could be quickly drawn back to the storefront, where they would be given the salespitch for Rent-A-Segway.
Since the Segway has a maximum range of about fifteen miles, and top speed of 12 mph, an ideal rental would be an hour or two, to ensure that the battery wouldnt run down on them.
Let's see now...2 Segways, that's a $6000 overhead. Wooh! But at a three day conference, that's about 36 show time, or 72 possible rental hours. Now, let's consider that the segway's are under rental for 50 of those hours. Would $50 an hour be completely unreasonable for a Segway? Everyone would want to try one. $30 a half hour. Deep pockets at these tech conferences, or so I hear. $110 to use the Segway until the battery ran down, depending on how fast you are going. They would even be rented to other companies for advertisement. Strap a sign on the front-the machine will do the head turning, and your sign would be in the right place at the right time. The idea could even be expanded to rent-a-segway-for-a-week, or timeshare Segways.
To break even with those conditions and prices, you would have to sell about 100 hours of Segway time-which could be accomplished very easily at two conferences. I know you would have to buy admission, rent a booth, insure yourself against stupdids, etc, etc, but for the sake of arguement, Im not including those at the moment.
The Segway is indeed an excellent invention, but it is not suited to the public market just yet, But make use of inherent curiousity in homo sapiens....sell them time on a Segway!
"To make apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." -Carl Sagan
or does the author look like Kaga from Iron Chef?
Phil Torrone was seen and photographed in Japan, so you may be onto something here! Here is the proof. http://www.insomedia.com/japan/
When do you reckon they'll launch a version with a seat for people who complain that standing is too much effort? :-))
I think it's really interesting somebody's having a go at selling self-balancing machines, I got a feeling the practical use for this might come pop up in a completely different area (military? industrial? space?). May help put some research time into alternative fuel power supplies as well. Maybe even get "urban transport lanes " (bicycles, skates, etc) into more towns outside of Denmark and Netherlands, which would be a good thing.
Me, I think the self propelled transport angle is a loser, I go with the other postings which vote for the zero-emission ultra-efficient, gets-you-fit option, the bicycle. You can do an office job and cycle in, you just don't have to cycle for an Olympic Gold sprint medal. Cycle easy and you'll still get there in a third the time it takes to walk :-)
If anyone is going to chew aluminum in the hopes of getting high, just because they read it on Slashdot on some guy's sig, it's already too late.
AC, you probably won't read this, but the guy who developed/invented the Segway did create such a wheelchair-like device, which could roll around at normal wheelchair height, but "push a button", and it could stand up to normal height, balancing on two wheels (it had six total wheels, and could climb stairs as well). I don't remember the name of the device, and I don't think they are widely sold, but it led to the development of the Segway.
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
Oh, wait, did I just violate the "trade secrets" section of my contract?
They are not sold at all at the moment. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Special Advisory Panel unanimously voted for the acceptance of iBOT, so it's highly likely that it will be FDA approved soon, hopefully this year. Their predicted price is around 30thousand dollars, but people who need it will save in costs of redesigning their houses.
I have no objection to Phillip Torrone turning an honest dollar on his website, or linking to that website from a story posted to Slashdot. I do strongly object to seeing on Slashdot yet another technical-content-free puff piece about Segway.
Making trouble today for a better tomorrow...
Self Important Yuppie Bastards! Save the planet, only have one BMW...thanks for the sacrifice?!
littlalex
The first Segway traffic accident has occured! Over 15,000 dead.
Slashdot Eds Link Anonymous Posts With Logged Posts
They Are Vermin Feeding On Each Other's Feces.
I Hate \.
I did read the site but didn't see where they got 2. Could you point it out? Everywhere I look (like on this page) I see a reference to a single Segway. Even the "why page" reads why did we get a segway?
I was really looking forward to seeing the Segway in action at the LA Auto Show this past weekend but only a poster board and a small LCD display with poor quality video were present Saturday evening when I was there. I expect that there will be some demos given the number of ramps and such around the display. Could somebody fill me in with some more details if they go and see anything?
Rapidly approaching the Zener knee...
This list of pro's and con's seem pretty fair and balanced. (At least, when taken from a pedestrian or bicyclist's point of view.)