The PT is engineered with several redundant systems to keep it operational even if some components fail—which is good for users, but not the bottom line of a company that needs to sell new units year after year. It has , miles on it. But the machine itself runs very well. And so when you try to sell new units [to those customers]. Another big problem is that the novelty of the Segway never wore off as it has for other mobility devices such as bikes and scooters.
Over time, that became a barrier to entry. Some people like it. The Segway PT directly and indirectly led to all sorts of funky varieties of self-balancing vehicles, such as hoverboards and one-wheel skateboards. The world got dozens of new iPods and iPhones since , while the Segway never really changed. If your only goal is to cruise at 10 mph instead of walk, a scooter just does that job a lot cheaper than the Segway PT. Sometimes he was told he couldn't use it at all.
Early adopters like Shankman and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak were eager to pick one up. The key point, as Bezos accurately predicted, was: "Are people going to be allowed to use it? The Segway worked as advertised, but it was awkward to use. It was small enough to ride inside a building or into an elevator, but at pounds, it was too heavy to carry up stairs. It also required the rider to be "that guy" and it was almost always a guy , rolling his electric scooter around the lobby and corridors of his office building.
And then you need to park it. It's hard enough to get cities to embrace the bicycle, something that's been around for a century and a half, and to design their streets around it. And, though many bikers look ridiculous in their skin-tight racing outfits, at least they're getting a workout. The Segway was perhaps the laziest mode of transportation around. I got called lazy more times than I could count.
Since , , PTs have been sold, according to a Segway spokesman. The Segway PT found a place in news headlines and Hollywood. President George W. Bush drew attention after falling off one in Earlier that day, Segway employees had visited the Bush compound and taught other members of the Bush family how to ride. Kamen, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, told CNN Business in that Segway continues to be the project that most people know him for.
You can find them on almost any street corner, use them and leave them. Segway used an ownership model and were relatively expensive to acquire. They are really easy to use. Many of the people using the scooters grew up using Razor scooters, without a motor, so the learning curve is negligible. There's really very little to learn to use a scooter. Many people can simply step on and go. Segways require some training to use. The scooters are convenient and fun.
In Raleigh you can find the scooters all over town and be up and riding in moments. Moreover, the scooters are useful but also fun. The Segway was far too expensive and complicated to ever be convenient and rarely seem fun. Not to overemphasize the point, but the scooters are ubiquitous. There's hardly a street corner in Raleigh where you won't trip over three or four scooters.
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