At 10:48 AM 1/1/03 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
On Sun, 29 Dec 2002 17:25:30 -0600, Dan Minette wrote:
>>So I see in the Segway and (hopefully) its descendants a means to move
>>towards a smaller, more efficient means of transportation.
>
>How is it more efficient for commuting than other forms of single person
>transportation that use very little fuel, such as scooters?
It may not be. But I think Doug's point was that it gives an option to people
who either can't or won't drive a scooter for commuting. There are environments
were the Segway will do well. And personal preference will have a lot to do
with it. Although right now, that choice isn't there for many people because of
the cost.
I would like to suggest to all of you who, it appears, have already been run
over by one of these, that whether skateboard, bicycle, blades or segway, the
problem does not lie with the mode, but with the a—hole who is piloting it.
That was what I was trying to say with my description of a Segway driver "with one hand on the horn and the other holding a cell phone, the same way they drive their cars," and the speculation that drive like that because to them time is money may be the only ones who can come up with the $5K price tag . . .
>>Obviously the scope if this first iteration is limited, but its a start, >>a new idea, and I hope it's successful.>Well, the TV phone was a new idea too. We were all supposed to have TV >phones by now; the first prototypes were available over 40 years ago. Most >new well hyped technology doesn't live up to their promise. It is possible >to criticize individual efforts without being a luddite. But it wasn't a good idea. People just thought it was neat, not useful. Like automatic doors and food pills. Expense and lack of bandwidth made it impractical for all but the wealthy. Cheap bandwidth is here now and webcams are becoming quite cheap and popular for those who wish to use them.
Could one reason that the videophone did not catch on 40 years ago be because 40 years ago p_rn was not as mainstream as it was by the time the Internet took off? If it had been, 1-900-TALK-TO-ME might have been 1-900-LOOK-AT-ME for $3.99 a minute . . .
CD's, cell phones, ABM's,
Still do. Maybe soon they'll be more accurate and able to hit the target consistently.
debit cards, PC's, microwave ovens, telephones, electricity etc. were all new ideas that at one time had their critics. How did you ever become a science fiction fan? :-) Dean
--Ronn! :)
I always knew that I would see the first man on the Moon.
I never dreamed that I would see the last.
--Dr. Jerry Pournelle
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