True, but you also wrote "So there may be a way to capture more of the market Segway hoped to reach [by redesigning it to make the operator look more active]".
In all honesty, for how many people do you think "how I look while riding it" is the single factor stopping them from buying a Segway? Your statement implies that this is not the vanishingly small number of people I would expect it to be.
"capture more of the market Segway hoped to reach"
instead of
"capture the market Segway hoped to reach"
I know firsthand that Segways aren't that useful, because for a couple years I could ride the Segwell whenever I wanted, and all I ever did with it was tool around on the street in front of YC. That is why I qualified these passages the way I did. And that's enough; I'm not going to start cluttering essays with clauses to head off every misinterpretation someone might post on a forum.
I suppose I could create a separate page for each essay, answering in advance all the mistaken objections I knew people would raise about it. ("Note that I did not claim that this is the main problem with the Segway, just one of many" etc, etc.) It seems like a waste of time, but it would take less than this discussion has.
"Note that I did not claim that this is the main problem with the Segway, just one of many"
I think the title of the essay (The Trouble with the Segway) kinda does imply that this is the main problem. The title suggests that the essay will explain the Segway's lack of success. Perhaps a different title would have prepared the reader for what was actually in the essay. How about "The Segway's other problem". Personally, I'm starting to think that the real problem is this: it lacks dignity.
I'd wager responding to the vultures is unproductive. The majority of readers follow your point. Respoding just fuels their linguistics lawyering further.
People do consider other people's reactions. Since people riding a Segway are seen as "uncool", many people won't even consider buying one. They don't get to the point where they're looking at pros and cons; buying one isn't even a consideration.
That isn't true and that's easy to prove: old ladies don't care what anyone thinks about those upright cloth shopping carts with the little wheels they use, I don't even know what the right name for them is. The Segway could be a motorized one of them.
Hip urban web 2.0 Ruby rockstar ninjas are not the only market for tech.
From a utility standpoint a Segway's would be perfect for traveling around a Zoo / Disneyland. Rent them for ~30$ a day and it could be vary popular and profitable.
However, there seems to be little gain from owning one because they have the same downsides of a bike. Plus, you need to charge them, and you need to more concerned with them getting stolen.
So, the consumer Segway market is basically an expensive vanity item. But, few people actually want to be seen on them due to look and feel issues.
There are city tours that use Segways (see http://citysegwaytours.com for instance). The dork factor isn't that big of a deal if you're already easily flagged as being a tourist (fanny pack, camera hanging off your neck, etc.).
It also makes a lot of sense in that it allows you to cover significantly more territory than you'd otherwise be able to on foot and you're not trapped in the same kind of bubble as you would be on a tour bus.
When you add up the negatives, the cost, the limited range, the fact that it's awkward in many common situations, and it's going to make you look like a dork... I think that's one of the things that would tip the balance for me.
Of course I wouldn't even consider a segway, because the range and cargo capacity are not sufficient for a motor vehicle; and I prefer a bike for local motion.
I don't think anyone would have that thought process. However, if it was released initially without a pole and ridden sideways it would have been taken up by a young early adopter base who would have made it seem cool. People aren't immune from cultural effects, and for most people the thing the segway has over walking is being fun, cool and futuristic.
> In all honesty, for how many people do you think "how I look while riding it" is the single factor stopping them from buying a Segway?
Many people, especially those in the market for a new form of walking (people with serious dough), will spend money on impulse, not based on practical utility. Image is a huge selling point for most consumers, though they may not acknowledge it.
Image is a huge selling point for most consumers, though they may not acknowledge it.
Agreed. I mean, look at Macs. Granted, Macs have technical merit, but how many people who use Macs actually bought them for technical superiority and how many others bought them because Apple makes them look cool?
"There are several reasons why, but one is that people don't want to be seen riding them."
instead of
"The reason is that people don't want to be seen riding them."