@thomasfuchs RIght, I think the hype was entirely from... the makers. I don't know if that counts as “cool” in the traditional sense. For example, I don't think anyone ever looked cool riding one. Also, remember that 2001 meant it had contemporaries like the iMac and the iPod. Things that normal people actually considered "cool", so its hard to think that in the year of the iPod, the Segway is a standout "cool" technology. But perhaps we're just splitting hairs over "hype" and "cool" now.