Dyson Designs a Clunker
Dont get me wrong - most Dyson designs are amazing. He revolutionized vacuum cleaners (though personally - I would give the biggest credit to iRobot and the Roomba, which I have much love for), he developed a completely amazing hand dryer that fixed a problem I did not realize annoyed me that much until I had used the "blade" in some random airport somewhere, and he recently re-invented handheld vacuum cleaners with the highest RPM engine in any consumer product.
However, he just released a real clunker. In terms of fail, this one is going to be up there with the Segway (though obviously, not really, because the Segway had more hype than a boxing match between Don King and George Lucas).
It is this:
What is it? Its a $300 "bladeless fan".
What does it do? It blows air at you.
How does it do it? Inside that little base is the high-rpm engine which does so much for Dyson, it sucks in air then blows it out around the edges of the circle (as far as I can tell). This high speed air brings other air with it, creating a nice breeze.
What is the benefit? It is "98% more efficient than air conditioning," and gets rid of that annoying "buffeting" caused by normal fans... yeah... oh that buffeting, how it drives me crazy....
Why is it a clunker? Because it is 10x more expensive than an expensive desk fan, it has no appreciable benefit other than looking cool, and it does not solve a problem which exists in the first place. Sure it is 98% more efficient than AC... but what about versus... oh.. I dont know... a fan? I bet it is less efficient (high RPM motor moving small amount of air very fast? Probably less efficient than a low-speed motor moving more air more slowly). And as for "buffeting" - yeah, I feel that when I turn my box fan on high and shove my face into it, but other than that, not really a problem. Right now I have a $20 "Hawaiian Breeze" stand up fan (the tower kind with vertical blades inside) circulating the air in my office. It does a great job, I dont feel buffeted, and I assume it is pretty efficient.
So, sorry Dyson. I love the design, I love your quest for making everyday things better - but in this case, you missed the mark. Charge $70 for it, and you might be able to sell some on sheer looks alone. But for $300? Sven from the Svedish Design House Sven and Svenson might get one to go with his Macbook Air and his Bang & Olufsen desk phone, but that's about it.
However, he just released a real clunker. In terms of fail, this one is going to be up there with the Segway (though obviously, not really, because the Segway had more hype than a boxing match between Don King and George Lucas).
It is this:
What is it? Its a $300 "bladeless fan".
What does it do? It blows air at you.
How does it do it? Inside that little base is the high-rpm engine which does so much for Dyson, it sucks in air then blows it out around the edges of the circle (as far as I can tell). This high speed air brings other air with it, creating a nice breeze.
What is the benefit? It is "98% more efficient than air conditioning," and gets rid of that annoying "buffeting" caused by normal fans... yeah... oh that buffeting, how it drives me crazy....
Why is it a clunker? Because it is 10x more expensive than an expensive desk fan, it has no appreciable benefit other than looking cool, and it does not solve a problem which exists in the first place. Sure it is 98% more efficient than AC... but what about versus... oh.. I dont know... a fan? I bet it is less efficient (high RPM motor moving small amount of air very fast? Probably less efficient than a low-speed motor moving more air more slowly). And as for "buffeting" - yeah, I feel that when I turn my box fan on high and shove my face into it, but other than that, not really a problem. Right now I have a $20 "Hawaiian Breeze" stand up fan (the tower kind with vertical blades inside) circulating the air in my office. It does a great job, I dont feel buffeted, and I assume it is pretty efficient.
So, sorry Dyson. I love the design, I love your quest for making everyday things better - but in this case, you missed the mark. Charge $70 for it, and you might be able to sell some on sheer looks alone. But for $300? Sven from the Svedish Design House Sven and Svenson might get one to go with his Macbook Air and his Bang & Olufsen desk phone, but that's about it.
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