Blowing the dust off...
 

Greetings all From Las Vegas, I got an email from Segchat wishing me a happy birthday and I thought "WOW ARE THEY STILL AROUND"?????

So I thought I would pop on over and Wave hello!

Who's here from the old crew?
I still have my I2, I have used it 3 times since moving to LV (3 years)
But I can't part with it :)

What do you people think of the hoverboard, and the variations that have dominated the market, Do you think that it will finally push segway acceptance?

anyway for people who don't know who I am, I was well known for 'pimping' My segway
and my crowning achievement was a Halloween costume..

Check it out!

http://www.segnyc.com

Jonathan

I'm still here
 

There are a few other diehards that are still active here as well. I remember some of the wildly creative things you did. Good to hear that you still glide occasionally.

The 'hoverboards' do seem to be catching on, and I can't understand why they aren't berated like the Segway often is when they're kinda similar, but much less useful.

Anyway, Happy Birthday!

Hi Jonathan! Your sig takes me back to when we had fun here!

Terryp, I think 'hoverboards' are catching on because they are accessible to young people. That's pretty much it I think. They cost about as much as a cell phone instead of as much as a motorcycle.

Zoltar was (is) awesome :D

The 'hoverboards' have been branded as illegal in the UK now too. They always were - same faults as the Segway from a legal point of view but people keep buying and using them - no one has been to court yet! I hate that some of them are called hoverboards as that would set expectations a little high IMHO.

I also think hoverboards are not as ridiculed as the Segway because they are not marketed (well, in some cases they are) as serious transport solutions. People see them as fun and nothing more.

And happy birthday! :thumbsup:

Jonathan,
Were you at the Segfest in Bonita Springs FL in 2004? If so are you the guy that modified the Segways with the big chrome wheels and tires and the custom paint jobs? If so, my brother and I got to ride your Segs down the hallway of the host hotel. Cool Segways for sure. I've been riding the P133's since they came out. Still have 4 of them.

Greg,

I don't think 'big Orange' was one of Jonathan's creations. I also spent some time with it.

Bonita Springs was a great fest, to be sure. There was lots of fun on that scavenger hunt, as well as all the shenanigans out by the pool...

That fest was also the first time I got to ride a i180, a centaur, and the 'Q' scooter. Lots of comparative education mixed in with all the fun...

Hi Jon.

Good to hear from you.

Your costumes were the best, no doubt.

I think I might choose to agree to disagree about the 'pimped' segway vs 'segway monster garage' entry in 2005, but that is a different story...

Glad to hear that you are doing well.

I keep hearing about these hoverboards, and often they are referred to as segways... Are they made by ninebot?

I saw on the other thread from Greg Rice that small hands free unit. It really may be a unit to watch...

I think the 'hoverboard' devices are taking off because they are priced right. The Segway has always been WAY too expensive and has only gotten more so over the years with the price effectively doubling. The high price and lack of general adoption lead to fear and jealousy. The lack of its ability to live up to the initial hype followed by the misunderstood death of the company's purchaser has basically led it to be fodder for jokes instead of being taken seriously. Segway basically gave up on the consumer market years ago. It's also not updated anything substantial on the device since the release of the i2.

Now seeing more of these tiny things around is leading to greater acceptance. Of course, most people still call them 'Segways' even though they definitely not.

The Ninebot purchase has really gotten my hopes up that things would change. Despite the language barrier, the Ninebot people are great to communicate and much more interested in innovation than Segway. With the Mini, and inevitable arrival of lower-priced devices to the US market, acceptance is inevitable. The mini has over 400k orders to date! From my experience in dealing with them, they are actively working on targeting many different markets:
1: Low end devices (the mini)
2: Mid Range (Uno and Ninebot Segway clone)
3: corporate / security (Segway)
4: Disability (currently in active development)

I think after 15+ years of derision, our pioneering efforts will finally pay off. I mean, I literally encounter at least 1/2 dozen 'hoverboards' or single wheeled devices every day.
It looks like the future pioneered by Segway and everyone in this forum is finally coming to fruition.

The Segfest in Bonita sounds like it was great fun. I am friends with Segway Pete (still on Fort Myers Beach, btw) and have heard all about it. Great to read about those of you who were there.

I too blew off the dust...
 

I've got family coming into town, an a grandson who would love a glide, but my Gen 1 won't take a charge. I do have a green light on either side flashing. I haven't charged this pup in 3 years, and can't justify $600. +/- for new NIMH pair of batteries. Any advice would be appreciated.