This looks interesting.

flecc · Dec 17, 2013

This thread is about it.

It's been done before, including the extravagant claims, but these one wheel "solutions" will never succeed for a variety of reasons.

mike killay · Dec 17, 2013

Sounds a good idea to use a smartphone to control it.
If you've got one!
Why build in complexity? Why build in redundancy?
I suspect that the manufacturers are doing a cheapy here, they could just as easily provide a remote control, even use a TV one.
If support for the smartphone vanishes, what do you do?

(Written by someone currently struggling with the idiotic Windows 8)

flecc · Dec 17, 2013

OxygenJames said:
Oops I meant 2009.

Claimed one wheel solutions go back a long way. A decade or so ago the Birkestrand Corporation of the USA marketed the regenerating "Motorised Wheel" but it wasn't a success there. The hub motor part which was basically sound was bought from them by Sanyo who used it as a non-regen hub motor, and this was later bought from Sanyo by Giant for their Twist 1 and 2 regenerating e-bikes from 2007. Later they too dropped the regen.

trex · Dec 17, 2013

all in one solutions are going against the grain. While wheels have to be light, heavy batteries added to motor wheels impair handling. The motor has also to be placed at the centre of the wheels, forcing the heavy batteries to the periphery, this increases the momentum of inertia and waste a fair amount of energy when braking unless you have excellent built-in regen circuit, that in itself causes drag when pedalling without power. Again, difficulty with bringing cables out of the rotating wheel, reducing the choice of motor to inrunners and communications to cordless. Attractive on paper, difficult to get right.

Blew it · Dec 17, 2013

mike killay said:
(Written by someone currently struggling with the idiotic Windows 8)

You and me both, it's certainly different from 7. I'm currently running 8·1 (beta). Stick with it Mike, It's actually quite good once the idea of charms and widgets is understood. Lots of bugs at the mo, but they are working on fixes...almost daily updates now.

mike killay · Dec 17, 2013

At the root of it is the realisation that Windows 8 appears to have been changed for no reason and to the worse as well.
Apparently, they thought that they would have one OS for computers, tablets, phones etc.
Problem is that most people do not like touch screens for large computers. Back in the 1990's we had these in work and soon people began complaining and going off sick because of the physical effort of waving your arms about for an 8 hour shift compared to using a mouse.
Just like this wheel, it looked good in theory but was hopeless in practice.
Putting it all in the wheel is not a new idea at all.
113 years ago, Singer brought out a tricycle with a petrol engine in the front wheel.

Blew it · Dec 17, 2013

mike killay said:
Problem is that most people do not like touch screens for large computers. Back in the 1990's we had these in work and soon people began complaining and going off sick because of the physical effort of waving your arms about for an 8 hour shift compared to using a mouse.

No such problems with my new all-in-one. 23·5" touch-screen, but also came with wireless keyboard and mouse.

Why did you purchase a PC if you dislike Windows so much?

As for the Copenhagen Wheel, it's just another "why-we-deserve-your-adulation" effort from MIT.

mike killay · Dec 17, 2013

Blew it said:
No such problems with my new all-in-one. 23·5" touch-screen, but also came with wireless keyboard and mouse.

Why did you purchase a PC if you dislike Windows so much?

As for the Copenhagen Wheel, it's just another "why-we-deserve-your-adulation" effort from MIT.

I assumed that Windows 8 would be very much like Windows 7.
I don't need anything 'more' or innovative etc.
If I buy a new car, I expect that the steering wheel will not be on the roof, the clutch in the boot and the dials hidden out of sight.

jackhandy · Dec 17, 2013

I must admit to not liking windows 8.1

My 17" i5 laptop came with it as standard, but I prefer windows7

Geebee · Dec 17, 2013

Switch windows 8.1 to desktop mode, it is very similar to win 7 except the start screen, you can do the same with win 8 but you have to hit the desktop button at startup.
Win 8 is faster, users less resources and often requires no external drivers loaded at setup, people don't like change

Blew it · Dec 18, 2013

Spot on, when I first clapped eyes on that boot-up screen full of "charms" ? I very quickly switched to the familiar desktop. It's exactly the same as 7 with everything in the same place. Still a few bugs with Youtube playback though.

I'm a little surprised that members of a forum which strongly recommends "try before you buy" an E-bike, go out and purchase a PC without trying it first.

Blew it · Dec 18, 2013

Windows 8·1 Desktop mode

flecc · Dec 18, 2013

What's wrong with Windows 8? It's what's been wrong with all the NT OSes, it's in the way all the time, constantly interfering.

A good operating system should be almost completely invisible to all senses, just enabling programs to operate perfectly.

I'm still waiting for someone to create one, but on present indications it won't be in my lifetime.

mike killay · Dec 18, 2013

Blew it said:
Spot on, when I first clapped eyes on that boot-up screen full of "charms" ? I very quickly switched to the familiar desktop. It's exactly the same as 7 with everything in the same place. Still a few bugs with Youtube playback though.

I'm a little surprised that members of a forum which strongly recommends "try before you buy" an E-bike, go out and purchase a PC without trying it first.

I am still getting a lot of problems with youtube. Playback constantly stops and I get the 'Windows is searching for an answer etc.'
So, what is supposedly good about W8 for the home user?
I have not noticed it going any faster, and what is more, do not need it to go faster.
Also, you cannot 'try before you buy'
Other than Apple, all the PC's are W8
All the games on W7 are gone on W8 and the damn thing keeps trying to get me to join x box. I don't want this sort of thing
Personally, I hope that sooner or later they bring out an empty computer and you just buy the programs (Oh, sorry, they have now changed that to Apps) that you want.
W8 just tries to be too helpful and gets in the way.

peerjay56 · Dec 18, 2013

mike killay said:
...

Personally, I hope that sooner or later they bring out an empty computer and you just buy the programs (Oh, sorry, they have now changed that to Apps) that you want.
W8 just tries to be too helpful and gets in the way.

You can buy many pcs and laptops without an operating system, and install the one you want. You can pick up Win 7 and XP still, or even better, try opensource. Ubuntu (a linux 'flavour' is pretty well self installing now), you can put one of the versions of openoffice on it and be able to do nearly everything you can in Microsh!te Office.
I had a laptop (an old Acer travelmate), running Win XP, whose battery had apparently ceased to hold a charge.

Couldn't get a new battery for it (plenty of replacement batteries, but all apparently manufactured about the same time the model was current*), so I got a new laptop with win 7 installed (even though win 8 was the current MS offering), and then put Ubuntu on the old laptop with the intention of 'messing around' with it. Surprise surprise, the battery is now capable of running the laptop for over an hour and a half.

That suggests a problem with MS power management routines. Probably the biggest, but by no means the best

*Edit: This was prior to finding this forum. Now I am tempted to have a go at re-celling the battery myself!

This looks interesting.

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