Word: segway
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Dean Kamen's latest invention, the Segway "human transporter," seems to be an example of misguided utopianism [TECHNOLOGY, Dec. 10]. It's a neat gizmo, but is it truly necessary or beneficial? You don't drive from place to place when in a city. You park your car, perhaps use mass transit, then walk around. This limits congestion. Also, given the volume of inconsiderate drivers on the road nowadays, their bad traits are likely to be transferred to the nation's walkways if they choose to use the Segway to get around town. I'd rather experience the interaction...
...where 55% of the population is overweight, why is the most hotly anticipated invention something that enables a person to make it through the day without walking even a short distance? Those who cite the Segway's possible impact on productivity should look at the effects of obesity on the nation's health. The main obstacle to the Segway's success among consumers is the passenger weight limit of 250 lbs. Anyone lazy enough to want a Segway is probably too fat to use it. CHRISTINE MADSEN New York City...
...take it apart, see how it works, and then claim to all their friends that they thought of the same idea, but better, back when they were working at Apple in 1985. These people, who represent only about 1 to 3 percent of the population, will buy the Segway. Behind the enthusiasts are the visionaries who will see before their counterparts the advantages they can seize by adopting a new technology before anyone else. They know that the Segway will not do 100 percent of what they need, but they’re comfortable with the risks...
...early adopters will never sell well to the majority unless the company making it drastically changes the way it markets the device, stressing its 100 percent reliability, its compatibility and its easy functionality. For Kamen, it means that for exactly the reasons he will be able to sell the Segway to the geeks and visionaries he will find it difficult to sell to everyone else, unless he can adapt on the fly. Moore calls this problem The Chasm—that is, the chasm between the early adopters and visionaries—and makes a nice living writing books...
...question then, is, do I think the Segway will cross the chasm from the early adopters to the majority? At this point, I would say no. The product is trying to fill a gap between walking and driving, but in big cities, this gap has already been filled by taxis, subways, buses, bicycles and rollerblades. If the Segway were as cheap as bicycles and rollerblades, then its technological advantages and the fact that it’s self-powered might help, but at $3,000, it’s a tough sell. Kamen should be able to make a living...