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ISSN: 1646-0006 · Editor: Filipe Miguel Tavares

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28
Jun

Segway
[email protected] 14:55

Back from our mini-vacations, I finally tried a Segway... first impressions follow.

A week by Spain's hot sun (yes I'm a bit tanned to prove it!) couldn't prepare me for the weather we would find in Viana do Castelo, a town up north Portugal. I mean, man it was HOT! The wind ocasionally said hello, but the only place nice was in the shadow...

We had lunch in Tromba Rija by the river (nice, but nevertheless a franchise from the original in Leiria) and wait... what's that? a guy in a Segway... I glued at the window... I had to try it :-)

Pedro already told me that he'd let me take it for a spin - and I will Pedro :-), but for the moment, Santiago was right there...

I settled for the 15 minutes ride, and they flew right over. Man, it's fantastic. The usual (it seems) 3/4 minutes just to get it right and off we went. I have to admit the manual turn control isn't very intuitive, but one gets used to it. I guess the new i2 model, with it's swivelling turns, it's far more natural.

Despite that, usability was all over it. I mean, it has a screen that somehow gives feedback, but I only saw a smilling face. All the rest of the interface was... well... me. Lean forward, goes forward, lean back, goes back. Turn the fist, it turns in that direction. Wanna stop? Ride off. Wanna fall? Sorry, you can't :-)

It's amazing... you have to try it. Me? Well, one of this days I'll take my wife for a ride in one of Santiago's tours in Porto. I hope I don't have the "need" to buy one, I have an iPhone in my shopping list already ;-)