Human Transporter Sales Move Slowly

from the not-very-compelling dept

I recently got into an argument with someone, explaining to them why I didn't think Segway would survive in its current form. The person was shocked (and confused) when I then told him that I still wanted one - but not for the price they're charging. People are beginning to notice that, despite the hype, no one is actually buying a Segway. We've had a few articles on this topic before, but now that the consumer versions are actually out there, you would think there would be some sort of real effort to court new buyers. Instead, there's just more executive turnover at Segway headquarters. It turns out that buying a $4,000 scooter just isn't that compelling for most people. It seems to be considered a "luxury item" by many people. It would be nice to have one, certainly, but it simply can't be justified with its current limitations. That's not to say there aren't good uses of the Segway, or people who find them very useful, but reaching a mass market seems very unlikely at this point - unless the company makes some drastic changes.