the sinclair c5 - 20 years ahead of its time ?

nickj_2

for those who can remember back to the 80's
was the sinclair c5 way way ahead of its time . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_C5
when it was introduced , how we all laughed and mocked , if i remember rightly it was unreliable , looked wierd and if it rained you got soaked etc - but in those days there was no congestion charges , petrol was probably only 20 or 30p per litre... sob sob ... it may have even been sold in gallons and you didn't wince as you filled your car at the pumps .
if you think how over the last 20 years items such as cars / computers etc have evolved and improved then surely the c5 would have been developed into something much better than it was then

geordie_joe

I think you may be right, but it's downfall was it's design. It just didn't look safe.

Browntoa

rumours are Dyson are working on something along these lines

geordie_joe

Browntoa wrote: »

rumours are Dyson are working on something along these lines

A yellow C5 with transparent bits, it'll never catch on!

Then again, if they can get it to suck up litter too, without loss of suction, then the councils might buy it

Cardew

Actually I doubt that technology would have made it any better.

The problem is that(affordable) rechargeable batteries have not really improved a great deal since 1995.

They are still too heavy and do not hold sufficient charge to be really practical for transportation; which is why hybrid cars exist.

Incidentally when the C5 was launched petrol was 44p a litre!

Browntoa

lets hope it looks better than this


In 1978 James Dyson, who had already succeeded in "reinventing" the wheelbarrow with his Ballbarrow, set out to try and change that. His "big idea" was to scrap the bag and filter in favour of a system that used centrifugal force to separate dirt from air.

weegie.geek

A ballbarrow you say...?

nickj_2

Cardew wrote: »

Actually I doubt that technology would have made it any better.

The problem is that(affordable) rechargeable batteries have not really improved a great deal since 1995.

They are still too heavy and do not hold sufficient charge to be really practical for transportation; which is why hybrid cars exist.

Incidentally when the C5 was launched petrol was 44p a litre!

that's probably because there's nothing quite like £1-20 per litre to focus your mind on non petrol transport
if you take the 1st mobile phones - the batteries were huge .. now look at the size of them

geordie_joe

Browntoa wrote: »

lets hope it looks better than this


In 1978 James Dyson, who had already succeeded in "reinventing" the wheelbarrow with his Ballbarrow, set out to try and change that. His "big idea" was to scrap the bag and filter in favour of a system that used centrifugal force to separate dirt from air.

He didn't completely give up on that idea, I've seen him on the telly with his hoover with a ball on it.

Sorry for the use of the word "hoover", I'm from the generation that hoovered their carpets, although I did hear that the posh people vacuumed theirs.

globalds

This might just be able to catch the fuel protesting truckers on their motorway go slow ..
.

I just hope they don't plan on stopping them with a road block ..:)

geordie_joe

Cardew wrote: »

Actually I doubt that technology would have made it any better.

The problem is that(affordable) rechargeable batteries have not really improved a great deal since 1995.

They are still too heavy and do not hold sufficient charge to be really practical for transportation; which is why hybrid cars exist.

Incidentally when the C5 was launched petrol was 44p a litre!

Why insert the word "affordable"? Does this indicate that better rechargeable batteries are available, but cost to much?

If this is the case then if the C5 had of caught on then the price of those batteries would have come down by now. Also more companies would have seen a market for them and put more effort into improving them.

I think hybrid cars exist because they are trying to be two things at once, a fast car capable of traveling long distances and an economical car which should only be used around town.

I think electric cars should be seen for what they are, something to get you to work, or the shops and not something to speed of half way across the country.

Unfortunately most people need a car capable of doing both, and I haven't figured out the solution to that yet. But when I do I can assure you it won't be yellow and have a ball on the front. Nor will it be bagless