"It" invention is revealed

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

― Kerry, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

New answers, old hype.

― Kerry, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I can see where it might be useful, but all the hype about it being "bigger than the internet" seems a bit rich now. I just can't see huge numbers of people using it for transport, at least in the United States. There are too many people with an irrational and pathetic attachment to the motor vehicle for that.

― Nicole, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

At last America has its own C5!

― Tom, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

try fitting a family of 6 on that and see where it gets you.

― geoff, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Well, you could always drag the brats behind you.

It'll never work, because 1) much of the U.S. is very cold 2) you have to stand up = it makes more 'work' than an automobile.

I see it as an alternative to walking - the 'legless' wonder, if you will. It is expensive, which ought to appeal to the conspicuous consumption crowd a la $2,000 mountain bikes. I could see yuppies trying to take this thing out on the bike paths, which are crowded enough, thank you.

― Kerry, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Well, if the price is $3000...*thinks*...let's put it this way; if there wasn't a mass transit system where I lived, however basic, I might actually consider it. But as it is, buses keep me shielded from the rain and have heat and air conditioning. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I thnnk it looks pretty cool . I wish people would use it instead of cars because it would pollute less.

― Mike Hanle y, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

dud. how do you carry groceries home or take your pets to the vet? I regularly travel more than 17 miles just to go eat/shopping/visit people so would rarely use this. The instances when I would use it I might as well ride a bike!

― Samantha, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

we were promised jetpacks and hover-rails!!

― mark s, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

and cities under the sea!!

― mark s, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

And moons made of cheese!

And what do we get: A MOTORISED SCOOTER! WOOHOO!

― RickyT, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I thought we'd figured out that it was a motorized scooter a couple of weeks after "Ginger" first came up.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Yeah, I heard about that too. The surprise would have been if it wasn't one.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i thought that with all this hype the thing would last longer on a charge and go faster..maybe even cost a reasonable price..and work in the snow. the only thing i will be happy with is those flying skateboards from back to the furure.

― kevin enas, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Yeah, it's not that cool or useful really. I had heard it was somehow and antigravity scooter or jetpack. It's pretty odd that people have such high hopes for a scooter that looks like a rotary push-mower. I can't even see why the USPS would want them. They already have one set of handlebars on the mailcarts they push around.

― Nude Spock, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

What are its security features? I'd be worried about getting 'Ginger'- jacked.

― Nancy Drew, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

still do not believe that it's just a scooter. It's about how it's fuled and how efficient it is. It's a toy for consumers to spread a kind of technology that will have other applications, although how i don't know.

― badger, Monday, 3 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I'd rather have a vespa :)

― Menelaus Darcy, Tuesday, 4 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/23155.html

― Mike Hanle y, Tuesday, 4 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

It does never fall over and possess telepathy. And run on 3 cents of electricity a day. If they could ramp the speed & range a bit, I might almost consider it.

― Sterling Clover, Tuesday, 4 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Has anyone seen it in action? It looks amazing. What Sterling said is right - apparently you just "think" back, forward, turn, etc and it happens. Old biddies were doing 360s on an incline after being on one for 5 minutes. People who can't afford cars and whose travel needs are less than 15 miles a day = a LOT of people (worldwide). I hope it takes off.

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 4 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

QUICK POINT:

Hijacking this thing would be EASY. If a club and alarm and lo-jack can't stop a car from being stolen, what are you gonna put on IT?

― Nude Spock, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I'm wondering how easy it is to steal this thing. Personally, I'm sticking to my bike: it uses *no* electricity and repairs are usually self-explanatory.

― Kerry, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Also, there are a lot of people who can't afford cars but who can't afford this, either. If they live in cities, they could just use public transportation - they never 'needed' a car, anyway. I think an artificial need is being created here in some respects.

― Kerry, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.