"IT" Revealed - (Ginger)

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

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Yawn is right. Just what Americans need. A new way to avoid exercise.
And what's up with the "intelligent key" to thwart would be thieves? Why can't an "intelligent thief" just pick up the bugger and have off with it?

[US_MilitaryRules]

What! NO Helmet? Sick the demonRATS on this guy!

[xm177e2]

One thing I will say, walking is good for people. You can get a bit of exercise, it seems silly to jet on a powered scooter to the gym to work out and then jet back. And you KNOW that's how some people will use this thing!

[rintense]

I'd like to see some hoo ha try using that thing in Michigan in January. Does it come with the optional snow tires and front plow?

[Kozak]

Wow I am soooooo excited....so this is going to replace the car? Hehe nothing looks lamer then someone wearing a bike helmet.

Reallly? I know what looks lamer, someone who suffered a serious head injury from bouncing their skull off the pavement and needs a helper to spoon the jello into his mouth. Now thats lame.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Couldn't he have duplicated this "Ginger"? What a waste.

[Reaganesque]

Let me guess. It goes about 5 mph and has a battery that lasts about as long as a laptop battery, right? Yipee.

[monkeyshine]

Probably not. But they said it comes with 5 Gyros, so if you get hungry en route at least you have something to tide you over.

[Enlightiator]

It doesn't hover? LOL? Are you kidding?

Some people were claiming that "IT" would hover - I kid you not. Drudge just made the claim on his radio show tonight, the darned idiot. See Drudge Radio.......12/2/01. See also the www.ginger-chat.com site (link in my original post above). Personally, I thought IT was a personal mars transporter...;)

[ladyinred]

That's It?

[monkeyshine]

And no cigarette lighter.

[Bogey78O]

Well it's not impresive. But then again neither was the first computer. It's the technology behind it that is amazing. Lean forward and this thing uses your weight to propel itself. Give the technology 10 years to fully develop. It'll never replace the car but it could make the urban bike obsolete.

It has a future.

[Taylor42]

I want in on the settlement when one of these things loses an argument with a SUV.

[Enlightiator]

Already posted in about a half-dozen other threads, yawn.

Incorrect. Speculation had been out for days, but the Time article was only recently posted just a bit ago, and I searched and found no other post linking the Time article. Originally Drudge had reported that TIME would reaveal "IT" at midnight on Time.com, but obviously they put it out early.

[BushCountry]

Whether anyone likes the idea of this device or not, they do have to admit that it is an engineering marvel, even sight unseen (picture doesn't show much). It flippin runs all day on five cents of electricity at a comfortable walking speed? Make larger industrail versions and use solid state electronics for steering you would have some very cheap cargo movers in airports, factories, etc.. My prediction is that there is actually going to be thousands of unattended uses for these things once the technogy is exploited. Makes a great base for robots, hee, hee...

[billbears]

Agreed, if this thing can't top 120 or do a quarter in under 11, who'd want it? LOL!!

[Eska]

From my limited tarsyn experience, I quickly realized gyros are very dirt & shock sensitive. Just imagine the constant abuse they would see on sidewalk America. No way.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Well people in the US might not like it but think of that country you see everyone riding around on bicycles. China. Got about a billion potential customers there ;)

How are they going to buy one if Americans have to pay $3000? I guess we'll have to subsidize it for the commies. I think they make about $100 a year. Just think if they all get a moped. My gosh just think of the pollution! And it will be the Americans fault. sarcasm to the max.

[BansheeBill]

One thing I will say, walking is good for people. You can get a bit of exercise, it seems silly to jet on a powered scooter to the gym to work out and then jet back. And you KNOW that's how some people will use this thing!

At the gym I go to, it seems like half the patrons cruise around the huge parking lot looking for a space as close to the door as possible, while there are literally hundreds of spaces available 150 feet away.

I'm guessing that "IT" is going to be really quiet with the electric motors and all the high tech design, but even though it says that if "IT" hits a pedestrian it will be like walking into someone, who walks at 17 miles per hour? If you walk out of a downtown building and can't hear "IT" coming and you don't look for it, the hit you take would be like a football hit. I have distracted cell phone talkers almost walk into me all the time in crowded downtown Boston......I smell LAWSUITS...I can see the ambulance chaser TV ads now:

"Have you been injured by the operator of a Segway. Call us and we'll get you the settlement you deserve."

[lelio]

Didn't even think of that: if they had a rental in an airport for a couple bucks I would do it.