Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Dyson is in the news frequently and so a dedicated thread.

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Hello DIB:

Years and years ago, I had a retired insurance company executive as a professor for my first college level marketing course.  He said that you can invent a better mousetrap and wait for people to beat a path to your door to buy it.  Or, you can advertise, hire a team of sales people and sell it.  James Spangler invented the first portable upright vacuum cleaner in 1907.  But, it wasn't called a Spangler, it is called a HOOVER.  

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Carmine,

Your still guessing of the facts and assuming Dyson did not correspond in a smart, kind, business manner with the politicians and others.  He did.  And he backed it up with much money and time too.  Look around, do you see any other inventors that have been asked by the British Government to build such a school?

The project was doomed from the beginning due to the unelected "Heritage" powers (servants to historical structures, not building economies, etc.) that had much say in the matter.  These delay tactics worked, eventually the Government (federal?) gave up and pulled out, Dyson then voiced his frustrated concerns for his countries lack of inventiveness and influencing kids (future students) to this end.

After Sir James was treated grievously early on in the developing process, I was surprised to see him continue to trust (the city officials and powers) that it would all work out (for the kids).  The City of Bath's greater majority mostly wanted the school in their city, it was the old buildings and constructing new buildings that were at issue (from what I understood, it is an old, quite city).  The City of Swindon’s mayor (if memory is correct) scoffed in disbelief at how the City of Bath was treating Sir James and tried to woo Mr. Dyson to his city.  But Dyson had his heart set on Bath.

The only pulse a politician has a feel for in these modern times are results from polling and alike.  The intuitive or God-led or greater-good and not poll-driven politician is now a rare breed.

DIB

Much pent up hostility.  And naivete.  A simple fact:  Historical significance always trumps all other causes.  Nothing is more sacrosanct than history.  James chose the wrong site.  Basta, end of story.  Blame it on poor advice and/or lack of planning.  Whatever.  James didn't know when to cut his losses [contra rotating washer].  When defeat is inevitable, accept it graciously. 

On a similar note, follow the "Trumpster's" efforts and actions to get a luxury golf course/retreat in the historic wild life preserve of Ireland's serene untouched countryside.  Do you think inventing is creating business opportunities from scratch where no one else dares to tread?  Like say Las Vegas?    It takes guts, gusto and a get it done attitude.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, business smarts.  The Donald has it!  

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Carmine,

Your professor was dead wrong of “wait[ing]”, but of course he is an insurance man and is subject to an insurance mans mentality.  After he misinformed a young person (you), did he then try to convince you of the infinite and sweet upsides to the many worthless insurance products he sold/once sold.

DIB

Hello DIB:

His point was you can't sit back and wait.  You have to get out and sell. 

He was not in the sales end, he was part of upper management.  Tho, he held sales persons in all fields in the highest esteem.

I wasn't so young at the time.  I was one of the older crowd in class.  He respected and liked me because I was in business before becoming a college student. 

Carmine D.

DysonInventsBig wrote:

Thanks for pointing this change out. The use of Flash to present information like this is usually tedious at best, but this Dyson example is quite good.

There's lots of stuff there that even a borderline Dyson obsessive like myself didn't know. If you're new to the world of Dyson, you could literally spend hours here.

Points :-

Videos of dust mites
http://www.dyson.co.uk/insidedyson/#dustmitezoo

See them move and everything!

Things we never launched
The Dyson tank vac:-
http://www.dyson.co.uk/insidedyson/#thingsweneverlaunched

Our family had a VAX 'tank' cleaner at about the time Dyson were looking in to this area. They were popular, the tagline from the TV adverts "The best selling vacuum cleaner that Washes, washes, washes...." True to the write up, the novelty of waiting until the summer to shampoo your carpets soon wore off.

DC06 robot vac
http://www.dyson.co.uk/insidedyson/#dc06

Really good segment, with a number of videos of the machine that haven't been seen before.

Inventions
http://www.dyson.co.uk/insidedyson/default.asp#inventions

Sound absorbent screens, developed by Dyson engineers to filter out human voices - crazy! Dunno about the implied fact that only James Dyson's thumbprint has access all areas around the HQ - but it's certainly true that the workforce as a whole is kept isolated. For example, if you were working in marketing on a certain product, you'd be allowed access to 'the basement' to talk to the people working on your product, but you wouldn't be able to see what else might be going on.

Research, design and development
http://www.dyson.co.uk/insidedyson/default.asp#rdd

Nice video - 'gotta love that giant robot arm!

Dyson HQ
http://www.dyson.co.uk/insidedyson/default.asp#dysonhq

'...there's no air conditioning - displacement ventilation is used to blow cool air in at floor level while warm air naturally rises and is dispersed through vents in the roof'

I remember some years back, the account of a journalist who turned up to interview James Dyson, who was witness to an air conditioning engineer protesting that it wasn't possible to do what James was asking. James was proclaiming "But we want FRESH air", before asking him to go off and think about it again. Clearly, it was somehow resolved!

I haven't been around for a months.. Anything new from Dyson regarding a Stick, Robotic vacuum and a washing machine?

During the recent  HSN airing of DC21, the dyson Dave guy stated several times that dyson is not just a vacuum inventor but a problem solutions inventor.  He followed the statement with the stat that dyson's work force is comprised one third of engineers and has filed over 635 patents.  Sounds like a patent record.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Dyson is the worlds leader in vacuum cleaner technology, yet they sound insecure when they speak of their total world patents when interviewed and/or selling on HSN, this huge patent total can be interpreted as a total of U.S. patents.  I do not believe Dyson has 500 plus engineers and scientists and wonder if this too is an insecure statement (“engineer” is a UK term for a repair technician).  They have other ways of describing themselves that could/would establish themselves as worlds leaders.  Sir James should always be confident and not say anything that can undo his companies/his products integrity, his changing life via his/his people innovations speaks for itself.  Let his innovative lazy competitors hype their tired wares, people are smart enough and will/should see this as nothing but hype (no innovations).  Oreck Canada for example hypes their company as being on the cutting [innovation] edge yet their lack of patents and/or lack of new utility patents tell the reverse story.  Typical to see a vac mfg's. revert to hype when they have nothing new.

DIB

According to recent dyson product literature, and I quote:  "Dyson has over 450 engineers and scientists obsessed with developing new and better products and technology." 

"Obsessed " is a poor choice of words IMHO.  As is the lack of a direct link of these pros to vacuum products and technology, its primary business.   As a consumer for a $500 plus household vacuum, I  really don't care/want to know that hundreds of dyson engineers and scientists are obsessed with better products and technology .............that may be totally unrelated to vacuums.  Or that the company filed 635 patents, many of which are unrelated to the vacuum I'm thinking about purchasing.  And that the company is not an inventor of vacuums but a problem solver.  In other words:  Is this hype, unrelated to the vacuum's performance, substitutes for: Never clogs, never loses suction?

Carmine D