Big time. Maybe it was the fact that the styling landed it somewhere between a cheap toy and plasticky medical equipment. A very "velcro orthorpedic mall-walking shoe" kind of look. From my cultural perspective, the closest current thing to Segway-level dorky is a riding a tiny-wheeled folding bike with a huge mushroom helmet in staid business casual. Folding bikes and helmets are both fantastically useful objects— I would say more useful than a Segway to most— but they are dorky as all getout. (I'll refrain from commenting on business casual.)
The people who say "who cares if you look like a dork" either have a less-important use case for their own public-facing image than others, or exist in a cultural facet that perceives those things as more culturally acceptable. Even some people whose personal appearance is extremely professionally important— lawyers for example— can withstand looking really square because the cultural context they exist in calls for it. If a bouncer at a nightclub looked as square as a lawyer, their job would be a lot harder. A lawyer would get raked over the coals for wearing a club bouncer's poorly-tailored polyester suit. Your appearance influences most people's perception of you, and their appearance influences your perception of them, whether you care to admit it or not.
I mean, I know some people who thought google glass looked cool. I wouldn't wear google glass if it could make me fly.
Speaking of which, now that the Segways are done for, I wonder if Google Glass will overtake them as the cultural icon for dorkiness in the aughts? I heard people explain google glass as being like "a Segway for your face." I wonder if now Segways are going to be "like Google Glass you could ride."
The people who say "who cares if you look like a dork" either have a less-important use case for their own public-facing image than others, or exist in a cultural facet that perceives those things as more culturally acceptable. Even some people whose personal appearance is extremely professionally important— lawyers for example— can withstand looking really square because the cultural context they exist in calls for it. If a bouncer at a nightclub looked as square as a lawyer, their job would be a lot harder. A lawyer would get raked over the coals for wearing a club bouncer's poorly-tailored polyester suit. Your appearance influences most people's perception of you, and their appearance influences your perception of them, whether you care to admit it or not.
I mean, I know some people who thought google glass looked cool. I wouldn't wear google glass if it could make me fly.
Speaking of which, now that the Segways are done for, I wonder if Google Glass will overtake them as the cultural icon for dorkiness in the aughts? I heard people explain google glass as being like "a Segway for your face." I wonder if now Segways are going to be "like Google Glass you could ride."