A scooter?! A Freaking SCOOTER?
God Help Us.
And at the low-low cost of $3000, it is surely within the grasp of the common man, thus "forever changing the way we live our lives." Oh an Good Morning America has lost all chance of getting my respect back. This is the perfect defining moment for what makes a "media whore." A supposed news organization leading people on to believe that something truly revolutionary was to be broadcast, only to be nothing more than a Sharper Image ad. Bastards.
I mean, given all the hype, I was expecting something *truly* revolutionary (apparently every ad exec and media whore on earth has lost their dictionary)...something like...
...a replacement for the combustion engine that uses water as its fuel...
...cure for (any type of) cancer anyone?...
But I don't have to so stringent in my standards...how about...
...a low-fat frying fuel that you can make potato chips with, that won't make you soil yourself after ingesting it...
...a Star-Trek-like phaser that allows you to beam the obnoxious SUV riding on your bumper to another galaxy...without road maps...
...maxipads that don't need wings (hey, I can be as sensitive as the next guy)...
...alcohol 2.0 -- same great buzz, but half the puking and hangovers of your regular alcohol...
...Christmas lights that don't require replacement after one month's use and subsequent careful storage...
...A Microsoft operating system that is actually nimble and security-hole-free...
...a yard-bot that automatically senses weather conditions and pet activity, thus enabling it to water, fertilize and scoop poop without supervision...also comes in a handy anti-crime model, which sports a hidden flame-thrower....
...or a perfectly accurate slide film that costs $.50 a roll and another $.50 to develop....
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I am setting my expectations and standards far too high and need to reevaluate my idea of the words "life changing", "revolutionary", and "useful." Just a few recent inventions which trounce the GMA Scooter:
...The iPod...
...The Ti Powerbook...
...Orange-Peach-Mango Pulpless Juice....
...Easton Synergy 1-piece composite hockey stick...
...Itech Hockey Jock...jock and mesh athletic short in one (God bless the man who invented this beauty!)...
...A Bears team that actually wins more games than it loses...
...Tivo (no I don't own one, but it's still more useful and practical than the damn scooter)...
...Super Bass-o-Matic 76...
...Tetris...
...GPS...
...The Guiness Rocket Widget...
Anyone else got some?
<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
And at the low-low cost of $3000, it is surely within the grasp of the common man, thus "forever changing the way we live our lives." Oh an Good Morning America has lost all chance of getting my respect back. This is the perfect defining moment for what makes a "media whore." A supposed news organization leading people on to believe that something truly revolutionary was to be broadcast, only to be nothing more than a Sharper Image ad. Bastards.
I mean, given all the hype, I was expecting something *truly* revolutionary (apparently every ad exec and media whore on earth has lost their dictionary)...something like...
...a replacement for the combustion engine that uses water as its fuel...
...cure for (any type of) cancer anyone?...
But I don't have to so stringent in my standards...how about...
...a low-fat frying fuel that you can make potato chips with, that won't make you soil yourself after ingesting it...
...a Star-Trek-like phaser that allows you to beam the obnoxious SUV riding on your bumper to another galaxy...without road maps...
...maxipads that don't need wings (hey, I can be as sensitive as the next guy)...
...alcohol 2.0 -- same great buzz, but half the puking and hangovers of your regular alcohol...
...Christmas lights that don't require replacement after one month's use and subsequent careful storage...
...A Microsoft operating system that is actually nimble and security-hole-free...
...a yard-bot that automatically senses weather conditions and pet activity, thus enabling it to water, fertilize and scoop poop without supervision...also comes in a handy anti-crime model, which sports a hidden flame-thrower....
...or a perfectly accurate slide film that costs $.50 a roll and another $.50 to develop....
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I am setting my expectations and standards far too high and need to reevaluate my idea of the words "life changing", "revolutionary", and "useful." Just a few recent inventions which trounce the GMA Scooter:
...The iPod...
...The Ti Powerbook...
...Orange-Peach-Mango Pulpless Juice....
...Easton Synergy 1-piece composite hockey stick...
...Itech Hockey Jock...jock and mesh athletic short in one (God bless the man who invented this beauty!)...
...A Bears team that actually wins more games than it loses...
...Tivo (no I don't own one, but it's still more useful and practical than the damn scooter)...
...Super Bass-o-Matic 76...
...Tetris...
...GPS...
...The Guiness Rocket Widget...
Anyone else got some?
<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
Comments
This thing is great.
[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: groverat ]</p>
<strong>You're disappointed because you committed yourself to idiotic speculation.
This thing is great.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I didn't commit myself to anything. I didn't speculate either. I merely took the GMA people at their word for once. Maybe it's great and maybe it isn't...I wager the test of time will bear out my conclusion rather than yours. You actually think tens or hundreds thousands of people will be using this thing on a regular basis, once available?
I didn't say it wasn't an interesting product, rather my suggestion is that it's far from what I'd call "a revolutionary invention." It's a gimmick.
Fact: except for those who live unusually close to their jobs, everyone will *still* drive their cars to work...and to the mall, and the market and the drugstore, and everywhere that's more than a block away for that matter. The amount of auto traffic that will be reduced as a result of this thing will be immeasurably small.
Fact: at $3000 only the very well-to-do or rich can truly afford one. Any genuinely great invention is by definition within reach of the common man. This isn't, nor will it be for the forseeable future. It's a rich man's toy that will be stuffing lots of rich men's garages and attic spaces in a couple years.
Probable Fact: Let's say your right and thousands start to use it. Imagine what would happen to our sidewalks if even 30% of the people now walking decided to use one...stop lights and traffic lanes anyone?
Sorry, makes for a neat science demonstrator (reminds of something a high school kid would take to the science fair) but is not the most practical or elegantly designed mode of transport I have ever seen. The good old fashioned bicycle puts it to shame IMO....
[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: Moogs ? ]</p>
<strong>IT is simply one of the dumbest ideas to come along this century. It only goes 12 miles an hour! (faster, and it'd kill ya) and it only has a range of 15 miles.... Brilliant! And don't forget the optional weatherproof enclosure kit with heat and air conditioning. Oh, that's a car!....
</strong><hr></blockquote>
*LOL*
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
You looked to GOOD MORNING AMERICA for your hard-news journalism?!
Seems like a fault in you.
Do you also trust Steve Jobs when he comes out with another 'revolutionary' computer?
[quote]You actually think tens or hundreds thousands of people will be using this thing on a regular basis, once available?<hr></blockquote>
It probably won't just take over immediately but that's not really the point. How short is your attention span?
[quote]It's a gimmick.<hr></blockquote>
The Pet Rock was a gimmick. This is actually new and useful.
[quote]except for those who live unusually close to their jobs, everyone will *still* drive their cars to work...<hr></blockquote>
Where do you live?
I believe he makes it quite clear (for those willing to read and use a modicum of mental power) that this thing isn't meant to replace the car.
[quote]The amount of auto traffic that will be reduced as a result of this thing will be immeasurably small.<hr></blockquote>
Would you say, then, that smaller modes of urban transportation are completely without use and that the future will not bear anything new by way of urban travel?
[quote]at $3000 only the very well-to-do or rich can truly afford one.<hr></blockquote>
How can you stand being so short-sighted.
You realize, of course, that this thing has JUST BEEN RELEASED?
[quote]Any genuinely great invention is by definition within reach of the common man.<hr></blockquote>
They should've given up on PCs, cars, and telephones then, when they were first introduced.
Pull your head out of your ass.
Read the article.
This big nasty complicated recharging device is a wall outlet. Oooooh. Perhaps too complicated for you, but most of us will be able to handle plugging it in.
<strong>Gregg:
Read the article.
This big nasty complicated recharging device is a wall outlet. Oooooh. Perhaps too complicated for you, but most of us will be able to handle plugging it in.</strong><hr></blockquote>
grover, his point was that once yer already halfway to yer destination or whatever, u cant just say "ok, ill just stop for some gas....errr..."
cause u need a freakin wall outlet--what if yer stranded somewhere and out of juice??? its not as easy as stopping at a gas station to fill up. which means that u have to plan perfectly how long yer gonna be out and how far yer gonna travel--i dunno about u, but thats a pain in the ass. grover, stop jumping all over people fer a sec and think about the whole perspective of the issue...
<strong>....which means that u have to plan perfectly how long yer gonna be out and how far yer gonna travel--i dunno about u, but thats a pain in the ass. grover, stop jumping all over people fer a sec and think about the whole perspective of the issue...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yah Grover...relax for Christ's sake.
Talk about someone with his head up his ass...did you read any of my examples in the first post? The "maxipad without wings" and "Super Bass-o-Matic 76" should tip you off that more than anything I was trying to make light of the situation. You know, har har?
I'm not actually angry or depressed over this ridiculous publicity stunt, as you seem to imply. And no, I don't go to GMA for hard-news...but they spun the "event" as if something universally useful and practical was going to be revealed. Not a Sharper Image ad (which is exactly what this looks like to me).
Comparisons to the PC, for example, aren't even close to being warranted. Before the PC, there was nothing even remotely close that could accomplishall the same tasks in a similarly efficient fashion. Before the Scooter, we have (hmmm): The car, the bus, the train, the subway, the bicycle, the motorcyle, the moped, and of course since it's meant for such short distances, LEGS AND FEET.
But to end the back-and-forth, why don't you enlighten us and tell us exactly which transportation niche this thing is made to fill, that isn't already filled by something that is more practical (if not fuel efficient)...just be sure to take the legs and feet comment above into account when answering because it sure as hell doesn't fill any other niche very well.
But hey, Worldcom is chomping at the bit to make a new "Generation D" commercial with some programmer riding into his ultra-modern cubical on one of these "great" devices.
<strong>This is the perfect defining moment for what makes a "media whore."</strong><hr></blockquote>
You must have missed all the X Box "news" on Headline News.
<strong>...A Bears team that actually wins more games than it loses...</strong><hr></blockquote>
You have that now. :eek:
This is a cool thing that can get much cooler. Limited vision being what it is some will never see it for more than a scooter, and will never understand if/when it takes off. Just like those that said the origional iMac would never sell and the origional iBook was too much like a make up case to sell to real people.
<strong>
You must have missed all the X Box "news" on Headline News.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Indeed I did...clearly, examples abound these days. Though we all know Ted's network time is easy enough to buy. Either way, glad I missed it. I knew there was a reason I don't watch CNN anymore. Seriously though, todays stunt had "Fox" written all over it...I suppose the inventor didn't want to tarnish his image by going with such a blatantly unreliable network.
And you're right about the Bears...I mistakenly put that invention in the wrong group. That one should be in there with the iPod and such.
[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: Moogs ? ]</p>
My father may have loved on of these things. He had a heart condition. He could get around just fine on his own except for longer walks. 100 yards was about all he could do. He never would have rode on one of those fat people carts. Maybe a segway though.
Here in the city I can see a lot of people using it. If they're allowed. My postman does come on foot and a segway just might make it better. In airports it would be a great way to speed from one place to another.
<strong>A $3,000 electric scooter...whoopee. I guess it will replace the pogo stick. What were we all expecting...world peace?</strong><hr></blockquote>
The pogo-stick...that reminds me...there are three other existing modes of trasnsport which are arguably more practical and definitely more fuel-efficient than our beloved mega-scooter:
Roller-blades
Skateboard
Oxygen Scooter (but only if they're still "rad" this year)
..be warned though, they require that you actually get off your ass (with all due respect to peopel with disabilities) and propel yourself those one or two brutal city blocks...definitely consult your physician first.
One thing I will admit is cool is the gyro-sensor thingies inside that keep it from falling over / keep it stable. Otherwise, the concept seems less than convincing to me.
[ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: Moogs ? ]</p>
<strong>
Before the Scooter, we have (hmmm): The car, the bus, the train, the subway, the bicycle, the motorcyle, the moped, and of course since it's meant for such short distances, LEGS AND FEET.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
car, bus, train, subway, motorcycle, moped : dirty and sometimes dangerous.
This thing won't pollute the environment. You say it can only go 15 miles, well this is perfect for city dwellers.
Anyone who lives in or around a city (especially NY) can see how useful this device *COULD BE*.
Imagine, say 20 years from now, NYC with NO cars stuck in bumper to bumper dead stop traffic. The sidewalks will be wider, the air cleaner, the streets cleaner.
I could make it to and from work on one single charge.
This isn't meant to replace the car in suburbia. The sunday drive isn't going to become the sunday "scoot".
So here we have a device that you stand on facing forward, not sideways like a scooter or skateboard, is safe, clean and runs on 10 cents worth of electricity a day. I think its a great invention for city folk like myself who hates getting on the subway just to go to their favorite grocery store. Now, once the price comes down it will be even better.
Oh, and Kamen never started the hype. The book proposal was leaked to Inside.com and from there it turned into a big mess. Kamen didn't out right say what it was because his patents didn't go through yet. He was only protecting himself.
<strong>
The pogo-stick...that reminds me...there are three other existing modes of trasnsport which are arguably more practical and definitely more fuel-efficient than our beloved mega-scooter:
Roller-blades
Skateboard
Oxygen Scooter
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Roller-blades/Skateboard - difficult to use and dangerous. Sure you and I maybe can skate like pros, but can you see your grandmom on them? I could see my grandmother (when she was still alive
Both of those require the ability to balance, the Segway does not.
I'm not sure what the Oxygen scooter is, so I can't argue against that one.
Leave it to us to immediately bitch the hell out of an otherwise compelling product. I agree that it's too expensive and it weighs too much, but look at the possibilities of this thing! If it is adopted, the technology will improve, thus lowering price, weight, and increasing range and (possibly) speed. If we look very macroscopically/long term, everyone could eventually have a Segway. It would eliminate the need of cars for short term trips. Attach a little cargo pod to it, and you could do some errands in it too. I can already imagine countless uses for a Segway at my college: class, movies, parties (DUI on a Segway??), and so on.
If it is really as easy to use as claimed, then the fear of scooters will vanish. Moto-scooters are cool, but adults are scared of them toppling over. Segway may be as easy as walking. Give them some credit for that!
Just like when the TiBook was released, many complained. When iMac was released, there were complaints. Basically, we at AI complain about everything!
Segway isn't perfect, but Christ! it's the first incarnation of the thing. Look long term, think widespread adoption, and it'll all make sense.
- Pook