Well, That Didn't Work: The Segway Is a Technological Marvel. Too Bad It Doesn ... -

[Civicsman]

I'm certainly not arguing that Segs aren't useful for the mobility-challenged.

I put those who bought one for fun (instead of a utilitarian purpose) into a different category.

There are far too few of either group. In fact, the marketplace says that customers for ALL uses of the Seg total something less than 10K per year.

Segs are (were) technically advanced, but at this point, 14 year after introduction, it's past time to give up on the pipe dream that Segs will conquer the world.

[noalox]

I use Segway's for my career so my perspective is a bit different. I love the machine and believe that there is SO much room for growth.

But the point I would like to make is that if the Segway is judged just for what it contributes to "transportation" then the most worthless machine ever made is a jet ski. What use is there for a jet ski except for fun? And cost? Can be nearly double the cost of a Segway.

Now I know that the jet ski was never advertised as the machine that will transform inner cities and revolutionize personal transportation. But it is a niche machine that shows no sign of going away, even when viewed from a cost/function/seasonality viewpoint.

I believe the same for the Segway. It is fun. There is a market for fun. And it can (and is) being used as a transportation device. All great reasons to have faith in a future for Segway.

Now corporate is another matter!!

[airdale]

After all these years you think price would of been cut by half?
I do believe that the changing of the world was intended for 3rd world or very busy cities....

Being disabled, and not allowed to drive, when the county cut my bus route out.....
That made for a very frustrating situation for me.....My closest store is a Walmart and its 2 miles away, and about 500 feet lower that were I live.....That's a hell of a walk up hill with groceries...!

Its been a long time that I was as happy as when the local police called me back and said I could ride on sidewalk!( bikes are not).....

So my Seg, ended up really helping me out of a bad situation! I do hope to move in the coming year....Just not sure about the cash flow, but for now I can get to Dr.s, stores, and a cup of coffee....

I got some of my life back that I lost over 8 years ago....That's my opinion...

[Civicsman]

But the point I would like to make is that if the Segway is judged just for what it contributes to "transportation" then the most worthless machine ever made is a jet ski. What use is there for a jet ski except for fun? And cost? Can be nearly double the cost of a Segway.

Jet skis are great for rescuing swimmers in trouble (only as an example), but the point is that there are far too few people who think the Seg is fun enough to justify buying one, on the basis of "fun" alone. Far more people are willing to spend much more for a jet ski, which tells you how much fun most people think can be had on a Seg, relatively speaking. (Not to mention that jet skis are considered "cool", and Segs are not).

Gosh, folks, stop arguing about the reality that has been staring you in the face for years. Two-wheeled self-balancing devices are not going to be very popular, at least any time in the foreseeable future. To be sure, Segs have found a few niches, and they (and the self-balancing competitors) are filling it. However, Seg sales hit a plateau years ago, and the "new" Seg is essentially the I2/X2, without much innovation, after 8 years. You and I may love Segs, but the overwhelming vote of potential buyers on this planet is "no thanks".

This is not a negative viewpoint, it is only pragmatic.

[noalox]

I'm not willing to accept that as yet. I introduce people to Segway's on a daily basis (during season of course) and the vast majority of the time people go on and on about how much fun they are.

We have to remember that the Segway was a totally new technology and was introduced too many years ago for the initial advertising to be of any worth. I'm not an advertising expert but I would guess that if a product has not been in the publics eye (through mass advertising) for the past 6 months it doesn't exist!

Of the "newbies" that I train for tours a lot of them have only seen Segway's on Paul Blart Mall Cop or at the airport. More people are showing up with personal experience but the vast majority are first time riders. After 12+ years of existence that is terrible!

I had high hopes that the new owners would have had a plan to advertise but that is not true. I had high hopes that there would be some redesign that would give Steve Jobs his "**** in his pants" moment but that was not true either. Maybe faster charging batteries would be in the plan. Sigh.

If the Segway is going down it is because of these reasons not because the public has stated it doesn't want it. Far too few people know of it's existence (personally that is) for the case to be made otherwise.

[dgbint]

Originally Posted by KSagal

... I never stopped using my bicycle, nor walking, nor driving. I just added another option to my conveyance choices ....

Well said Karl.
If only Segway marketing adopted that approach !

Michael
Sunny Australia

[KSagal]

It is not pragmatic, it is defeatist. And that is okay, if it fits your opinion.

1. Segway still exists. Does Rad-to-go? How about the Q scooter? They might, but I have not heard of them for years. Other copies come and go, but a new company that still exists is still worth considering.

2. Jet skis do have a cool factor that segways do not have. Much of this is personal opinion, marketing, and other, non objective factors. The press likes to trash segways as uncool, or too geeky. Especially the techno press. I do not know why, perhaps I am too close to the topic.

I suspect that a major factor is that they are so safe. People see cool in the same vane as dangerous. Going 100 mph in a 55 mph zone is seen as cool, going 45 mph in the same place is seen as lame. 45 is a lot less dangerous.

All of the anti segway rules and local laws I have seen were based on either a single incident of irresponsible behavior from one operator, or speculation and ignorance of segways. Those same local politicians know of accidents and fatalities of bicyclists and jet skiers, and do not prohibit them, because of the difference of perceived reaction from the public. None of them want to be the guy who outlaws the cool stuff.

Interestingly, there was also a defeatist attitude in the press about the Republican party, and conservatives in general. I recall reading just a couple years ago how the Republican party was going away, and would not exist shortly. Yet, this last election saw one of the largest congressional shifts ever.

Just because the press is against something is not a reason to give up on it. Segway still exists because it sells enough machines to continue to exist. And because of that, we still get to choose if we want to believe in their mission or not.

I choose not to believe in something because the press likes it or not, or because a poster here likes it or not, or because a poster somewhere else likes it or not. I choose to make my own choices based on actual data I have before me, at least as often as I can.

So, if you believe that Segways will not have a place in the future, good for you. I do not believe that. I believe that they have progressed much slower than many believed, and the press reported. But I bought two new ones, in 2003 and in 2006. I still have the i2, and still like it.

And I still do not believe much of what I read, in the press and on the internet. But I continue to follow the news, and read much on the internet. That is simply the world we live in.

At this point, many of my neighbors and friends that know I have a segway are quick to point out that they rode one on their last vacation. That simply did not happen years ago. I believe that as more people get exposed to them, and often that is thru vacation tours, that they will not be the scary thing that people are automatically afraid of, but instead will eventually find a way into our common, every day lives.

Kind of like how they were mentioned in the latest ADA documents, not highlighted, but mentioned. Kind of like how the FAA is acknowledging their existence, and they are not automatically exempted, or at least are more in the grey area than they were.

I believe that Segways are here to stay. Not to topple the infrastructure of everything we know about transportation, but rather to add color to our lives, and choices to our conveyances...

[Civicsman]

I am aware that some people like to define words to mean what they want them to mean, as compared to what the rest of the world accepts as the definition. To clarify, here are both definitions:

"Defeatist" - a way of thinking in which a person expects to lose or fail

"Pragmatic" - dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations

Stated slightly differently, a defeatist expects to lose, no matter what. A pragmatist accepts facts and proceeds with a logical viewpoint, based on facts and other practical considerations. After 14 years of limp and flat sales, the facts are obvious. One might like the facts to be different. One might hope the facts will be different (see "optimist"), but facts are persistent.

I'm not arguing about whether "coolness" is subjective. It surely is. "Coolness" is defined collectively, not by the thinking of one person, or even a few. It's clear that for the young potential buyers that Segway would really like to have, Segs are not nearly cool enough.

The point is that the overall numbers are in, and continue to come in every year. Not enough people want to plunk down $5k+ for a Seg to play with. (This is apart from mobility, tours, and other utilitarian applications, which are not filling INC coffers to overflowing, either).

So, if you believe that Segways will not have a place in the future, good for you.

I did not say, or even imply that. I wrote, "To be sure, Segs have found a few niches, and they (and the self-balancing competitors) are filling it. However, Seg sales hit a plateau years ago, and the "new" Seg is essentially the I2/X2, without much innovation, after 8 years. You and I may love Segs, but the overwhelming vote of potential buyers on this planet is "no thanks"."

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by noalox

I'm not an advertising expert but I would guess that if a product has not been in the publics eye (through mass advertising) for the past 6 months it doesn't exist!

Guess again. 20 million bottles were sold in 2012. Advertising budget - $0. Hot stuff can sell itself. Cool stuff, not so much.



Love you guys.

[KSagal]

Originally Posted by JohnM

Guess again. 20 million bottles were sold in 2012. Advertising budget - $0. Hot stuff can sell itself. Cool stuff, not so much.



Love you guys.

How did you happen to know that product sold 20 million bottles in 2012, and that it has a 0 dollar advertising buget? I am curious.