5 ms·

Really surprised the Segway isn't at least mentioned- before its unveiling, Steve Jobs said that future cities would be designed around it.

by evan_ 10y ago

eschutte2 10y ago
No, Jeff Bezos said that. Steve Jobs said it sucked. http://fortune.com/2008/07/07/behind-the-scenes-steve-jobs-meets-the-segway/ http://fortune.com/2008/07/07/behind-the-scenes-steve-jobs-m...
- evan_ 10y ago
  Ha! My mistake.
forinti 10y ago
I hope we will one day see the stupidity of using 1t vehicles to transport 70kg humans around our cities at an average of 20km/h (on better days).
- foota 10y ago
  Sorry, what part of this is supposed to be stupid?
  - forinti 10y ago
    If we used vehicles that weigh a lot less, say 200Kg, we could, in an urban setting, probably get 60km/l of gasoline, instead of 10km/l. Accidents wouldn't be so dangerous (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixMVuOslebI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixMVuOslebI) and we could even let younger people drive (you could certainly let a 14yo drive a golf cart). There would be less pollution and less noise.
rm999 10y ago
In all fairness, future cities may still be designed around that kind of transportation. Not many cities have been designed and built in the last 10 years. Also, I didn't know Steve Jobs had any kind of relationship with the Segway. But it doesn't seem like he was the biggest fan of it and the launch plans: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/3533.html http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/3533.html >I think [the design] sucks. Its shape is not innovative, it's not elegant and it doesn't feel anthropomorphic >Screw the lead times. You don't have a great product yet! I know burn rates are important, but you'll only get one shot at this, and if you blow it, it's over. >Jobs said he lived seven minutes from a grocery and wasn't sure he would use Ginger to get there. Steve Jobs was a very critical person, but I think he was often right for the right reasons. The segway was a product designed by engineers, and it showed. Its launch was over-hyped and under-delivered. It also doesn't really solve a problem that exists in current cities.
- digi_owl 10y ago
  I think a major problem with it, outside of the social stigma that gets slapped onto anything without a massive MSM endorsement campaign, was that it didn't slot neatly into existing legislation. It seemed aimed at being a vehicle for young and old alike, with no license requirement. But as it didn't fit inside bicycle, never mind e-bike, definitions, it became treated as a motor vehicle. And that dragged in all kinds of regulations.
- nostromo 10y ago
  The Segway has been reborn as cheaper, cooler, smaller hoverboards. Jobs was right, the idea of the Segway was a good one, but the execution wasn't quite right.
  - shrugger2 10y ago
    Do segways explode?
jseliger 10y ago
I'm interested in the promise that ebikes show. As the cost of batteries decline, they get cheaper and become a more interesting value proposition. I've submitted some HN articles on them: * http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/vanmoofs-electrified-s-could-be-tesla-electric-assist-bikes.html http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/vanmoofs-electrified-s-could... * https://www.engadget.com/2016/06/23/xiaomi-mi-qicycle-smart-bike/ https://www.engadget.com/2016/06/23/xiaomi-mi-qicycle-smart-... * http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-an-electric-bike-2/?_r=1 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/the-surprising-heal... Or see: http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/24/240493422/in-most-every-european-country-bikes-are-outselling-cars http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/24/240493422/in-m.... In the West, good ebikes around $1,000 haven't yet arrived. We'll see what happens if / when they do. I don't ride an ebike—I just got one of these: https://www.rei.com/product/888337/novara-gotham-bike-2016—but https://www.rei.com/product/888337/novara-gotham-bike-2016—b... I do see many more of them than I used to, and there are many ebike Kickstarter campaigns.
- eternauta3k 10y ago
  How are they better than a small motorcycle?
  - eropple 10y ago
    Cheaper, quieter, lower-emission? Living in a city, motorcyclists are the dirt worst (especially after 10PM). I can't even hear an ebike.
  - jseliger 10y ago
    Take a look at the links. They're not really comparable. They don't go as fast and are designed to be pedal-assisted—that is, without pedaling, nothing happens. The basic frame is a bike frame, not a motorcycle frame. And so on. Ebikes provide assistance but are not designed for high-speed riding or conventional freeways or that sort of thing.
  - detaro 10y ago
    In addition, electric-assist bikes potentially (e.g. in EU they have a power limit, and can only supply power if you move the pedals) count as bicycles, so you can use cycle lanes or restricted paths, don't need a license or insurance...
Shivetya 10y ago
Well if we got arcologies or such, then maybe. I never understood the hype. If anything all we saw of it in my city were overweight city employees zipping around with them. It you had a massive weather controlled area, a domed city, then yeah you could design around them but if you are going the domed city route I am quite sure part of the planning would involve good use of moving walkways and similar. Who would want to dodge a bunch of people of Segways?

Really surprised the Segway isn't at least mentioned- before its unveiling, Steve Jobs said that future cities would be designed around it.

by evan_ 10y ago

Really surprised the Segway isn't at least mentioned- before its unveiling, Steve Jobs said that future cities would be designed around it.

eschutte2 10y ago

No, Jeff Bezos said that. Steve Jobs said it sucked. http://fortune.com/2008/07/07/behind-the-scenes-steve-jobs-meets-the-segway/ http://fortune.com/2008/07/07/behind-the-scenes-steve-jobs-m...

evan_ 10y ago
Ha! My mistake.

forinti 10y ago

I hope we will one day see the stupidity of using 1t vehicles to transport 70kg humans around our cities at an average of 20km/h (on better days).

foota 10y ago
Sorry, what part of this is supposed to be stupid?
- forinti 10y ago
  If we used vehicles that weigh a lot less, say 200Kg, we could, in an urban setting, probably get 60km/l of gasoline, instead of 10km/l. Accidents wouldn't be so dangerous (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixMVuOslebI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixMVuOslebI) and we could even let younger people drive (you could certainly let a 14yo drive a golf cart). There would be less pollution and less noise.

rm999 10y ago

In all fairness, future cities may still be designed around that kind of transportation. Not many cities have been designed and built in the last 10 years. Also, I didn't know Steve Jobs had any kind of relationship with the Segway. But it doesn't seem like he was the biggest fan of it and the launch plans: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/3533.html http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/3533.html >I think [the design] sucks. Its shape is not innovative, it's not elegant and it doesn't feel anthropomorphic >Screw the lead times. You don't have a great product yet! I know burn rates are important, but you'll only get one shot at this, and if you blow it, it's over. >Jobs said he lived seven minutes from a grocery and wasn't sure he would use Ginger to get there. Steve Jobs was a very critical person, but I think he was often right for the right reasons. The segway was a product designed by engineers, and it showed. Its launch was over-hyped and under-delivered. It also doesn't really solve a problem that exists in current cities.

digi_owl 10y ago
I think a major problem with it, outside of the social stigma that gets slapped onto anything without a massive MSM endorsement campaign, was that it didn't slot neatly into existing legislation. It seemed aimed at being a vehicle for young and old alike, with no license requirement. But as it didn't fit inside bicycle, never mind e-bike, definitions, it became treated as a motor vehicle. And that dragged in all kinds of regulations.
nostromo 10y ago
The Segway has been reborn as cheaper, cooler, smaller hoverboards. Jobs was right, the idea of the Segway was a good one, but the execution wasn't quite right.
- shrugger2 10y ago
  Do segways explode?

jseliger 10y ago

I'm interested in the promise that ebikes show. As the cost of batteries decline, they get cheaper and become a more interesting value proposition. I've submitted some HN articles on them: * http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/vanmoofs-electrified-s-could-be-tesla-electric-assist-bikes.html http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/vanmoofs-electrified-s-could... * https://www.engadget.com/2016/06/23/xiaomi-mi-qicycle-smart-bike/ https://www.engadget.com/2016/06/23/xiaomi-mi-qicycle-smart-... * http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-an-electric-bike-2/?_r=1 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/the-surprising-heal... Or see: http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/24/240493422/in-most-every-european-country-bikes-are-outselling-cars http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/24/240493422/in-m.... In the West, good ebikes around $1,000 haven't yet arrived. We'll see what happens if / when they do. I don't ride an ebike—I just got one of these: https://www.rei.com/product/888337/novara-gotham-bike-2016—but https://www.rei.com/product/888337/novara-gotham-bike-2016—b... I do see many more of them than I used to, and there are many ebike Kickstarter campaigns.

eternauta3k 10y ago
How are they better than a small motorcycle?
- eropple 10y ago
  Cheaper, quieter, lower-emission? Living in a city, motorcyclists are the dirt worst (especially after 10PM). I can't even hear an ebike.
- jseliger 10y ago
  Take a look at the links. They're not really comparable. They don't go as fast and are designed to be pedal-assisted—that is, without pedaling, nothing happens. The basic frame is a bike frame, not a motorcycle frame. And so on. Ebikes provide assistance but are not designed for high-speed riding or conventional freeways or that sort of thing.
- detaro 10y ago
  In addition, electric-assist bikes potentially (e.g. in EU they have a power limit, and can only supply power if you move the pedals) count as bicycles, so you can use cycle lanes or restricted paths, don't need a license or insurance...

Shivetya 10y ago

Well if we got arcologies or such, then maybe. I never understood the hype. If anything all we saw of it in my city were overweight city employees zipping around with them. It you had a massive weather controlled area, a domed city, then yeah you could design around them but if you are going the domed city route I am quite sure part of the planning would involve good use of moving walkways and similar. Who would want to dodge a bunch of people of Segways?