03-12-2001 10:23									#1
	Ginger/IT is a damp squib. Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

Well it's here. The invention that was supposed to be as big as the Internet ( or was it bigger?) that would make its inventor Dean Kamen richer than Bill Gates and man of the year.
http://www.time.com/time/business/a...,186660,00.html

It was what a lot of people expected a self-balancing scooter where you move forward and backward by leaning. It appears to be highly sensitive to your movments as described in the article and also pretty energy-efficient.

The big catch: the average speed is only 8mph so it's not a substitute for even a scooter let alone a car. Kamen talks about people using this for short distances and especially in city centres but I am quite skeptical since it costs 3000 dollars.

I am sure there will be specialized business applications where it's highly useful and perhaps the technology will be useful in other applications.

But as big as the Internet? Come on. The actual thing is pitiful compared to the hype: I I guess that was to be expected.

Oh well. At least we will get a few Roland cracks about the American genius for self-promoting hype.

	03-12-2001 10:27									#2
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:roflmao:

I bet a few people are feeling right nitwits around now

	03-12-2001 10:31									#3
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Drudge has been snickering about it since early this evening...

	03-12-2001 10:35									#4
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Indeed.

The amazing thing is that some people still refuse to believe this is IT and think that it's some big diversion in preperation for the real release tomorrow.

See www.theitquestion.com and check out the forums.

A lot of people were hoping it would fly and they have just fallen flat on the ground.

	03-12-2001 10:38									#5
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Kautilya, et al.:

Hmm ... the Associated Press article on AOL stated that the scooter could go up to 17 mph. Anyway, it won't sell at all to the general public at $3000. Jesus. A person can buy a decent used vehicle for that kind of money.

Bring it down to $500 to $1000 and I might look twice.

CYBERAmazon

	03-12-2001 10:38									#6
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Of course it could never live up to the hype... however, it is an engineering marvel! A scooter that moves based on your motions, just running on a bit of electricity? Could you imagine what this could lead to? This could really change things in, about 20-30 years.

	03-12-2001 10:42									#7
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Cyberamazon,
There seems to be some confusion about the speed. I read it as the average being 8 and the max being 12 but maybe it can do more. 17 ain't all that much either though it would be much better.

Imran,
Sure the technology is very cool and 20-30 years down the line could evolve into something really mind-boggling. But so will a lot of things and in the meantime we just seem to have a very cool toy.

	03-12-2001 10:51									#8
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

Of course it is a nice toy.

But like you said in 20-30 years it could be mind boggling. This is a technology that could change everything. Imagine it being integrated into cars... having just a joystick drive the car, or something. Of course, you'd have to work on that electricity thing .

And Kaut, it already seems to be faster than a bike... and allows more flexiblity.

	03-12-2001 10:54									#9
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This is one piece of Internet hype I missed completely. Where the hell did you guys hear about this?

	03-12-2001 10:55									#10
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Kautilya, et al.:

quote: The two-wheeled Segway, which looks like a cross between an old rotary lawn mower and a Razor scooter, travels at a top speed of about 17 miles per hour.

I suppose we'll have to wait until later today to find out what the true speed of this scooter might be. If it can go 17 mph on level ground, it might not be too bad for folks like me (I live a little more than one mile from work).

CYBERAmazon

	03-12-2001 10:56									#11
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quote: Originally posted by KrazyHorse This is one piece of Internet hype I missed completely. Where the hell did you guys hear about this?

Um... all over? Yeah, that sounds right .

	03-12-2001 11:13									#12
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"And Kaut, it already seems to be faster than a bike... and allows more flexiblity."

-At 8mph it's only 50% faster than me walking, and I'm willing to bet it doesn't handle The Hill as well as I do, not to mention stairs and being something of a hassle to store while I'm in class or at lunch. While it looks like a cool toy, it's completely useless to me at this point.

I wouldn't mind at 17 mph, but there's are a good 300-400 ft. of 10-15% slope ground between me and my classes, and I can walk up it as fast as I walk up level ground (admittedly more tiring, but same stride rate same length of steps, while a wheeled thing would have more trouble).

	03-12-2001 11:14									#13
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damnit, I thought I had the scoop.

This thing is going to be revolutionary.

Two words...

PURCHASE STOCK

	03-12-2001 11:15									#14
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quote: Originally posted by orange PURCHASE STOCK

Two words:
DOT COM

	03-12-2001 11:16									#15
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quote: Originally posted by CYBERAmazon Kautilya, et al.: Hmm ... the Associated Press article on AOL stated that the scooter could go up to 17 mph. Anyway, it won't sell at all to the general public at $3000. Jesus. A person can buy a decent used vehicle for that kind of money. Bring it down to $500 to $1000 and I might look twice. CYBERAmazon

Think of the first home computers! They cost $5,000 and look at them now, you can get something twice as good as what I'm typing on now for $750.

Besides, it will first be an industry sensation, and later move on to become a household item.

Think about computers, yet again. And the internet. Same deal.

	03-12-2001 11:17									#16
	Remove this text

$3000? For that much I can get a good bike move faster, at slightly more effort, and if it gets stolen I still have at least $2500 to replace it

	03-12-2001 11:17									#17
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Really, all this is is hype. At least for now.

What's so different between this and pre-existing scooters?
This one doesn't make you push with your foot? But it goes slower and uses batteries, and will always cost more.

It's a fad for a niche market. Unless the military starts licensing the tech for mechs or something.

	03-12-2001 11:19									#18
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5 cents per day is I believe what the article said... not too bad.

But remember a lot of the early computer companies aren't the ones that are around now.

	03-12-2001 11:23									#19
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True, Victor. The scooter itself isn't the amazing thing, the engine is. THAT is what is going to transform the world within 50 years.

	03-12-2001 11:27									#20
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Hopefully less!

Read the article people, it's VERY informative and beautifully written.

Maybe his company won't be the one that makes the most money off of it, but it's the product that's important...and it will be changed and modified over time.

Think of the hundreds of uses this thing could have! It's better than maglev systems already in place in some cities!

	03-12-2001 11:28									#21
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Good God! Click the link "Inside Segway" next to the picture on the first page of the article. It gives you a detailed look at the inner workings of the thing.

Amazing!

	03-12-2001 11:29									#22
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Exactly... well, the good thing is I won't be missing out on anything while I'm still a poor college student. By the time I become rich, the thing will be worth owning

Could this be what's needed to revitalize American cities? If so, it may be as big as the Internet in America

	03-12-2001 11:30									#23
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quote: Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui True, Victor. The scooter itself isn't the amazing thing, the engine is. THAT is what is going to transform the world within 50 years.

All it does is use gravity to pull you forward/backwards, no?
The amazing thing is how it shifts around things inside to keep you balanced no matter what you do.

Unfortunately this isn't as innovative as we thought, this technology has more or less existed for a while (the same guy made wheelchairs that keep their balance no matter what you do already). The wheelchairs climbed stairs, refused to tip.

	03-12-2001 11:33									#24
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yeah, so he's taking something that worked in one field, and tayloring it to fit another.

It was the same thing with computers!

	03-12-2001 11:36									#25
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quote: Originally posted by orange yeah, so he's taking something that worked in one field, and tayloring it to fit another. It was the same thing with computers!

Er...yeah, but the difference being this technology has more or less been around for a while, but is now in a smaller package and on a scooter instead of a wheelchair.

And computers do things that couldn't be done before. This thing does what could already be done, but in a different way. Not in a very popular way, but one for a small niche market.

It's cool, but it's hardly jaw-dropping.

	03-12-2001 11:37									#26
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Ash: the use of gravity to shift you forwards or backwards SIMPLY on human motion is very innovative and HASN'T been done before.

This is totally new and is revolutionary.

quote: Could this be what's needed to revitalize American cities? If so, it may be as big as the Internet in America

Yep and think it'll be emission free as well... help with that pesky smog problem .

	03-12-2001 11:38									#27
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

It's not a whole lot more convenient than a bicycle as of now. For distances of less than a couple of miles a bike isn't very tiring at similar speeds. The steering mechanism is very cool but I don't think people will pay 3 grand for that . The energy efficiency is of course not an advantage over a bike.

So really I can't see the average consumer paying for this.

Still hopefully there will be some cool bells and whistles we will get to know about later. There will be demo of the thing on Good Morning America tomorrow by the way for those interested.

	03-12-2001 11:41									#28
	Got spare money?

That's amazing!!! I can't wait for it to be available to the public. I going to buy one immediately, because I'm too ****ing lazy to WALK!!!!!!!!!!!

	03-12-2001 11:43									#29
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Kaut... your concerns are similar to concerns about the HDTV. Nice, but consumers won't pay for it while other TVs are out there. However, prices have been dropping fast, and soon everyone will be buying HDTVs... I see the same happening for this.

	03-12-2001 11:43									#30
	Tired of ads?

"For distances of less than a couple of miles a bike isn't very tiring at similar speeds."

-Right... I'm thinking now of a 12 mile commute I used to bike one summer... I wonder how this thing would handle moving up and down the Dumbarton Bridge (that's a pretty steep "hill," not very fun on a bike).