It's Time to Pre-order That Segway

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007EPJ6/jasondunn-20' target='_blank'>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...J6/jasondunn-20</a><br /><br /></div>For those of you who have been waiting with baited-breath, you can now pre-order the Segway exclusively through Amazon for a mere $4950 US. Come on, I know you want to click on that affiliate link. :lol: The Segway is a very interesting device, and in some communities it might truly be revolutionary - but not where I live, that's for sure.<br /><br /><img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00007EPJ6.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg" /><br /><br />"The Segway Human Transporter (HT) is a truly 21st-century idea. A two-wheeled electric vehicle that's practical, efficient, slightly miraculous, and an undeniably fun way of getting around, it's as different from a bicycle or motorcycle as the original personal computers were from their lumbering, mainframe predecessors."

[mookie123]

all the plastics, battery, metals, rubbers and electronic material to be manufactured for a dubious techno trick......

replacing short distance walking.

by a good pair of sneaker and enjoy the outdoor people! it's good for the environment too.

[/rant off]

[pt]

from what i heard you can interact with the segway (or at least the engineers can) with pocket pc's. at comdex it was reported that all the segway folks use pocket pcs, from the marketing folks to the engineers.

that's kinda cool.

cheers,
pt

[pt]

all the plastics, heavy metal battery, metals, rubbers and rubber to be manufactured for a dubious techno trick......

replacing short distance walking.

by a good pair of sneaker and enjoy the outdoor people! it's good for the environment too.

[/rant off]

actually, they're intended to replace all the plastics, heavy metal battery, metals, rubbers and gasoline of an automobile which are far far worse.

i commuted via electric scooter in minneapolis as opposed to driving for a couple years, i was a little too far to walk to work and a little too close to drive (although many of my friends did everyday). there are millions of people who are in the same situation, anything that gives folks more reasons not to drive is a good thing.

when they're out and more people have them, try one out- you might be surprised, but then again many people think pdas are a waste of money too "good ole' pen and paper".

cheers,
pt

[mookie123]

no way it can replace short distance driving. It's too expensive and don't have the range compare to one of those bike with electric motor booster. (that scooter). I tried it it's fun to ride, specially breezy fall afternoon.

but I seriously dont' see this will ever take off, not at that price.

[johncruise]

pt... just curious... what do you use? Zappy? something else?

[Jonathan1]

Ya know. I've been trying to lose some weight as it is. Somehow I get the feeling LESS walking wouldn't help :P

I've never been impressed by the Segway. Since day one I got the impression that the upper echelons of society WANTED me to get excited over this. I mean everyone from Bill Gates to god knows who in tech industry to the big wigs at AOL Time Warner all said this is the next revolution in ground transport. Never did I hear the average person say that this is going to revolutionize the world. Never. It was always some big shot who could afford 3,000 of these things for x-mas gifts. Call me funny but what makes this that much better then a bike. I mean with a bike you get
1. Exercise.
2. Don’t have to worry about refueling the thing.
3. Less likely to be stolen.
4. You don’t look like some uber geek.

Thanks but I think I stick to walking or biking from A to B.

[Paul P]

This or 2 Pretec 3GB CompactFlash cards..........this is a tough one.

[szamot]

When I talked to Segway people last year, who are very secretive, I was told that this puppy would be around $3000.00 US mark. Did it ever miss it! Now I am upset.

[szamot]

[quote="Jason Dunn"]For those of you who have been waiting with baited-breath, you can now pre-order the Segway exclusively through Amazon for a mere $4950 US. Come on, I know you want to click on that affiliate link. :lol: The Segway is a very interesting device, and in some communities it might truly be revolutionary - but not where I live, that's for sure.


Jason I looked into this, they are testing snow tires for these babies - this could almost be an Alberta thing, that is if you can hold on to a piece of plastic in -40C and having the batteries go for more than 10 minutes under our conditions.

[pt]

pt... just curious... what do you use? Zappy? something else?

this is what i used for 2 years.

http://www.insomedia.com/adventure/

it was roughly $1000 with some of the modifications (not counting the pdas etc..).

what it lacked was all what the segway offers, i'll be one of the people who uses these, in seattle most of my trips are a few miles away, that's too close to drive, but too far to walk (like the grocery store, who wants to walk back with all those bags).

cheers,
pt

[pt]

i think there will be people (like me) who aren't by any means "big shots" but are faced with driving, buying a new car, walking, riding a bike, or something like this. for me, this is a great solution. i used an electric scooter for 2 years to commute and it was really great. prices can (and will) always come down. in seattle (where i'm at) i can take this on sidewalks too. but yah, bikes are great too, but not for me.

cheers,
pt

Ya know. I've been trying to lose some weight as it is. Somehow I get the feeling LESS walking wouldn't help :P

I've never been impressed by the Segway. Since day one I got the impression that the upper echelons of society WANTED me to get excited over this. I mean everyone from Bill Gates to god knows who in tech industry to the big wigs at AOL Time Warner all said this is the next revolution in ground transport. Never did I hear the average person say that this is going to revolutionize the world. Never. It was always some big shot who could afford 3,000 of these things for x-mas gifts. Call me funny but what makes this that much better then a bike. I mean with a bike you get
1. Exercise.
2. Don’t have to worry about refueling the thing.
3. Less likely to be stolen.
4. You don’t look like some uber geek.

Thanks but I think I stick to walking or biking from A to B.

[vincentsiaw]

i heard usps is using this stuff for mr postman.....

[szamot]

i heard usps is using this stuff for mr postman.....

so are the big or should I say giant oil companies as well US Postal service were trying them out as were the lazy folks at various US federal agencies. It might not be long before someone coins a phrase :gone postal on a Segway:
I still want one. Any one there knows how to convince a wife that this is a must have? like the 60th pair of black shoes she must have. drop me a line – I am listening.

[Steven Cedrone]

The military will probably buy thousands of these (at triple the price), for use inside the Pentagon... :wink:

Steve

[ECOslin]

I'm a bit larger than the max size and weight that that thing's specs says it will take in a rider. I'd soon have an expensive broken toy. I like a mountain type bike instead, more sense of impending doom when I ride down the sidewalk. More luggage space and more of my own choice of gadgets mounted on the handlebars. I also tend to like re-welding the frames myself.

How does a Segway handle off-road, off-trail and spiny bramble bushes?

PT: neat, how much does it weigh with batteries, was it custom?

Edward

[Sheynk]

he he

i wonder whats the top thing on this baby....vroooom vrooooom

I saw the vid for it: the marketing pitch: it reaplaces walking: cause we are all lazy (the second part is implied but u can see the vid of it on amazon)

To be honest with u,
if a was a college student, I would get a golf cart like Van Wilder
if a was a business man , I would not waste $5k on a walking replacement ......but I would get a 3k mountain bike with disc brackes and hydrolic shocks :silly:
if I was a little kid, MOMMY CAN I GET IT!
but im a highschool student and the fact that i could get a 1/3 of the car im planning on getting or a bodykit, OZ wheelz, an APR Chip, A better sound system, and a PDA GPS :D ........Do i need to go on?????


Now this is my oppinion and I do not want to redicule anyone. Its just where I live (North-West suburbs of chicago) a electrick scooter is a toy that a kid uses to get over to his friend who lives two doors down. For othe commutes a bike provides speed and the a car is what everyone in my highschool has by junior or senior year since there is nowhere you can go with out a ride.

just my 2 cents......well maybe 3

[neil ivymount]

For those of you who have been waiting with baited-breath... ."

Sorry to be Annoying Grammer Man, but I suspect you meant "bated breath," rather than "baited breath." The former means that you are so excited that your breath has slowed, or bated (from abated). The latter means that you have been eating worms or fish heads or something.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled forum, already in progress.

[toshtoshtosh]

Ok, let's be honest. If santa dropped one of these things on our doorstep we would be happy and end up using it. No matter how impractical, expensive and geeky it is :).

[pocketmon]

sweet. ive been looking for an easier way to get from the front door to my car.

[ECOslin]

If santa dropped one of these things on our doorstep we would be happy and end up using it.

If Santa dropped one of these things on my doorstep, I'd quickly log onto Ebay and sell it for money to buy practical things with.

Edward

[pt]

perhaps everyone could consider being a little more open minded. it's easy (and sometimes fun) to poke fun and bash things a bit, but let's wait until these hit the market, in march / july we'll see thousands of these shipping to places around the usa. maybe it'll flop, maybe it really will change things, but regardless let's give it a chance, ideas are fragile, this is a pretty interesting idea once you study the technology that "drives" these things.

cheers,
pt

[MikeUnwired]

Where's the cup holder?

Where's the umbrella holder?

Where's the Satellite stereo system?

I can't possibly be expected to ride this back and forth to work without necessities like these?

[ricksfiona]

Is there any wonder that there is an obesity problem in America?

[toshtoshtosh]

Yeah, it's because people in europe walk a lot more :roll:.

One of the first thing any european notices when they come to the US is the large number of joggers in the streets. People are definitely more active here, but unfortunately they're eating crap the rest of the time.

[nliokal]

Nobody liked cars when they first appeared on earth. :o
I 'm not trying to say that this is going to be a hit but it deserves a little time before we rush into judgements.

With this price tag though things are tough for segway :(

[Landis]

Is there any wonder that there is an obesity problem in America?

Can you WALK 5 miles at 12 MPH?
If you can do anything close to that, than I agree that using a Segway is a sign you're "slacking off" :roll:

[jmulder]

Frankly, I'm not that impressed by the Segway. First of all, I think that there are healthier alternatives to the short commutes these are intended for (warehouse/distribution center uses notwithstanding). Secondly, the technology isn't new...just repackaged for able-bodied people (as evidenced by the following CNN article).

http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/11/21/new.wheelchair.reut/index.html

...and before anybody says the Segway came first, I'll point out that I first saw this device (by the same inventor who designed the Segway) at Disney World in May of 1999. My wife, who worked with a social services agency, had seen one 6 months before that.

I guess I'm just nonplussed by the whole Segway thing... :sleeping:

-Jim

[xbalance]

I like anything that tries to replace the number of cars on roads. Personally, I don't see it in my near term future but I would like to see as many people as possible buy them and use them so the price comes down to around $1k.

As I remember, one of the highly sophisticated characteristics of this thing is that is cannot fall over. Scooters and bikes are not for senior citizens, this thing is. Is there anybody out there who would not like to see old people selling their cars and getting the *%^$#@ off the road.

[mookie123]

Can you WALK 5 miles at 12 MPH?
If you can do anything close to that, than I agree that using a Segway is a sign you're "slacking off" :roll:

no but splurge $90 huffy bicycle at Walmart you can do that easy. double the speed and distance with $500 bucks bike without sweating much.

[szamot]

As I remember, one of the highly sophisticated characteristics of this thing is that is cannot fall over. Scooters and bikes are not for senior citizens, this thing is. Is there anybody out there who would not like to see old people selling their cars and getting the *%^$#@ off the road.

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord Hallelujah! I am with you on this one. Driving is a privilege not a right. I just don’t buy this whole I’ve been driving for 80 years - I paid my debt to the society, now I can back out of my driveway without looking, I can change lanes as I please and if I signal right, I CAN go left, and driving on a one lane mountain highway in my new 90 ft. motor home at 60km/h is plenty fast for me – I am on vacation – crap. Then again do we want the old fogies racing down on the sidewalk on these things, they are about 80lbs and go 12 mph? At least on the road I have my car protecting me. We are so screwed if the seniors find out about this toy.

[Jimmy Dodd]

Where are you supposed to drive these things???

12 mph on a sidewalk? Hell, we don't even have many sidewalks around here and I don't think pedestrians are going to appreciate sharing the ones we do have.

12 mph in the road? The same road used by cars, busses, and transfer trucks? Not me, buddy.

I can't wait to see how the U.S. Government regulates them and what the trial lawyers come up with as lawsuits. "Unsafe at Any Speed - even 12 mph." (apologies to Ralph Nader)

I'm sorry - I'm all for progress and all that, but I think this is a niche item at best. But feel free to enjoy yours. I'll try not to crush you on our daily commute to work.
:wink:

[sweetpete]

i heard usps is using this stuff for mr postman.....

so are the big or should I say giant oil companies as well US Postal service were trying them out as were the lazy folks at various US federal agencies. It might not be long before someone coins a phrase :gone postal on a Segway:
I still want one. Any one there knows how to convince a wife that this is a must have? like the 60th pair of black shoes she must have. drop me a line – I am listening.

I keep walking around the house like I'm riding on the Segway. I'm hoping she gets the hint :lol:

I'd love one, but really I'm going to wait. As usual, I prefer a versoin 2.0 product as it'll include refinements and improvements. Plus, it'll hopefully have a lower price by then and Segway can do the lobbying blitz they did in US cities up here in Canada and get it approved for sidewalk use :roll:

I'm not sure why people are so anti-change. Dean Kamen is a great inventor of products and quite honestly, a philanthropist. You should take a look at some of his other inventions:
- A wheelchair based on the same technology that will allow paralyzed people to go up stairs and raise their height to normal 5-6 ft levels (this got federal approval on Wednesday after almost a decade!)
- A device based on the Stirling Engine that is self contained and uses heat and cold to create energy as well as purifies water. (his plan is to use it in 3rd world countires to purify water sources as well as provide a regular stable energy source)

To all the nay-sayers, this provides an alternative that many will take advantage of. Yes, you can do on a bike the exact same thing, but that may not be an option for some. My work is a 45 minute walk uphill or a 10-15 minute ride that would leave me sweating bullets. I'd rather not drive, but sometimes walking in the pouring Vancouver rain for 45 minutes isn't an option either. Also, just like the Pretec storage cards, this thing is just rolling into higher volume commercial production. As the technology improves, it'll be down to the 1000-2000 range like the scooters and high-end mountain bikes.
By the way, it has been approved for sidewalk use in over 30 states in the US. The others are said to be close for approving it as well. You can only go as fast as folks walking around you. There hasn't been one incident of an accident with all the police officers, USPS mail carriers, and all the other trial agencies using the product.

Like anything new, a lot of people won't like it, but eventually time will tell if this one takes.

[toshtoshtosh]

Like anything new, a lot of people won't like it, but eventually time will tell if this one takes.

Reminds me of a stand-up bit I saw on comedy central a few days ago. The comedian first commented on how a few years ago, if you took out a cell phone in public, people gave you grins as if they were saying: "Oh, look at this, Mr. Important needs a cell phone. Who do you need to call that it can't wait? The president?"

He then wondered if all inventions got the same reaction initially? He asked if people used to say: "Oh, look here! Mr. Umbrella.. Mr. I'm too good to get wet. Oh no, is rain going to burn your sensitive skin?".

I apologize to the comedian for butchering his bit! :)

[sweetpete]

Like anything new, a lot of people won't like it, but eventually time will tell if this one takes.

Reminds me of a stand-up bit I saw on comedy central a few days ago. The comedian first commented on how a few years ago, if you took out a cell phone in public, people gave you grins as if they were saying: "Oh, look at this, Mr. Important needs a cell phone. Who do you need to call that it can't wait? The president?"

He then wondered if all inventions got the same reaction initially? He asked if people used to say: "Oh, look here! Mr. Umbrella.. Mr. I'm too good to get wet. Oh no, is rain going to burn your sensitive skin?".

I apologize to the comedian for butchering his bit! :)

:splat: :pukeface: :way to go:

[Wiggin]

Uh oh, I feel an uncontrollable Rant coming on... :D

It is interesting to read the various posts that say "no-way" to the Segway. Most comments are based upon a concept known as "thinking INSIDE the box". :changes:
Kamen and his team are executing something known as "thinking OUTSIDE of the box". It is imperative that anyone looking at / being critical of the Segway understand its intended purpose. Dean has stated on every interview he has given about the product that getting the consumer to see it in the "right perspective" is the NUMERO UNO issue the invention needs to overcome...not price, not technology, not liability after people figure out ways to hurt themselves, etc.

As he has stated, it is NOT a way to remove more exercise from our lives or a toy for the rich folk to show off...

It is intended to
- be used to cover distances AND circumstances that do not support walking
- help folks who are not as fortunate as most of us who must manage physical challenges that prevent long walks, bike rides, etc.
- help improve productivity for people who walk for a living / wage
- help REMOVE the dependency this country suffers to get in the car for a drive down the block to get that bottle of milk
- take cars OFF the road in congested urban areas (consider how many cars contribute to rush hour traffic that are driven less than 5 miles to/from work)

...the list can go on and on

In addition to operating on sidewalks and "interior spaces that can take advantage of its features", it is intended for road use in the same way that BIKES use our roads today (let's not forget that the width of a Segway + rider will be approx. the same as a bike rider...e.g. body width!)

The price WILL drop as demand picks up, technology improves and manuf volume increases.

My guess is that a LARGE majority of the uninformed casual observers will see it merely an expensive scooter / toy.

Give yourself the freedom to think OUTSIDE of your daily-life box (even if you need to do it in the safety of your own home so others won't see you) and consider the possibilities Dean and his team have offered us.

ok, RANT off :beer:

[innersky]

I wonder if you can drive this thing while drunk :drinking: