"IT" Revealed - (Ginger)

TIME.Com ^ | 12/2/2001 | JOHN HEILEMANN

[Enlightiator]

The Time article:

"Reinventing the Wheel"

The "flash" view.

[Bommer]

The point it that your taking this thing at face value, instead of its potential use in other areas. You guys see it as a jerk water scooter. This was a demenstration of a product in its initial genesis. In a few years when greater minds get involved, its potential will be reveiled!

[George Smiley]

It doesn't levitate up the stairs with a hydrogen engine? I was surprised to find out it was battery powered- I had read articles indicating that it would be hydrogen powered. Maybe thats a future model ...;) I believe that the levitating (or "hovering") version is a future model as well, like another 100 years into the future, lol...

The reason you're only seeing front and front-quarter views is that "It" is actually methane-powered.

[syriacus]

Kind of neat but you can't carry anything much. I don't see a typical soccer mom going grocery shopping on it.

I can see more non-driving nannies and other workers being able to get places that bus routes don't go to.

[gnarledmaw]

"at 17 mph, cities will NOT permit them to be used on sidewalks"

I think they will. As soon as a city bans them, new models will have an "Urban package" installed. Local gov installs transmitters under each of the corner cameras that acts as a governor set to 5(?)mph. Its a great chance to raise taxes "for your saftey".

Or maybe they will just get some Revenue Enhancement Officers to chase you up the street on their souped up 20mph units and give you speeding tickets.

[seoseo]

One word----spellcheck!

[syriacus]

HAHAHA...sorry but we have crossed a threshold and I must call this comment what it really is...STUPID! Ignorant comments like this demonstrate EXACTLY why Fascism, Socialism and Communism MUST fail!

Get back to me after you visit a few convalescent homes.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Unreal. Make something the feds will reimburse you for.

And people bitchnmoan about Microsoft.

[Renatus]

Is it equipped with a fogger or something to keep the mosquitoes away. What about stray dogs that always attack!

[gridlock]

How many minutes before every municipality in the United States passes a law saying you cannot operate this vehicle on a sidewalk. Then how many minutes after that before these same municipalities pass a law saying you cannot operate it on a street either, because it does not have turn signals, 12" wheels, brake lights, etc... etc...

Oh yeah, and you better be wearing a helmet!

[Renatus]

What does "reveiled" mean?

[isthisnickcool]

It uses solid-state gyros

That's what cool about it, uh, IT..

[ppaul]

The environmental wackos in the media make a BIG DEAL about anything that they think might "get people out of their cars to use more 'environmentally friendly' modes of transportation." The fact is, however, few are going to give up the convenience, comfort, and safety of their automobiles for such silly toys, or for sitting next to some drunk transient with body odor for an hour-long trip that could otherwise be made in a half-hour in a car. At $3,000 a pop, no one is going to give up their car for the "It." It will just be another, albeit EXPENSIVE, fad that will fade away as soon as the next big media hype comes along.

[gridlock]

No engine. Just like walking is a "controlled fall", this thing is actually powered by the force of gravity produced by leaning the way you want to go.

I don't care how brilliant this Kamen guy is, he can not break the laws of thermodynamics. Energy is conserved, period. (And I'm not talking about eco-greenie energy conservation, either)

[Ol' Sox]

If you haven't seen IT work yet, check out this video on the SEGWAY website

Pretty doggone cool.

[ppaul]

They would use "IT" when they'd like to go for a walk.

Why?

[syriacus]

3) You do NOT unveil a product that does NOT demonstrate its potential IMMEDIATELY!

IT already has potential for a person who can't get a driver's license for one reason or another. Or for a person whose legs or heart or lungs are underperforming.

Your idea that greater things will come later when greater minds are involved is a bit naive.

There certainly will be a lot of growth when the other minds get involved. But that is beside the point.

Think of today's cell phones as opposed to those of less than 10 years ago. They were big and expensive. Now kids have their own designer versions to take to school.

I don't think there are too many minds greater than Kamen's though. He strikes me as quite a guy.