GeekSugar

Not So Pretty In Pink: Women Say No To 'Girlie' Gadgets

GeekSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:00:02 -0700

When it comes to women and pink electronics the debate, accusations and "studies" seem unending. First the New York Times confirms that in order to appeal to women, manufacturers need to go way beyond pink (we agree!), then people start talking about the fact that women may be hardwired to prefer pink (what?!) and now we are back at square one with a study that says women routinely say no to the color.

Advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi recently polled female internet users in the UK and found that most of them believe manufacturers and retailers don't understand what they care about and don't view them as a relevant group of customers, according to Register Hardware.

On average the women polled said they spend about £321 (or $651USD) on personal technology every year. Wired got a closer look at the study and noted that only 9 percent of the women polled want products that "look feminine," like a pink Playstation or Hello Kitty keyboards. The remaining 91 percent said they like "sleek and sophisticated, more boardroom than teenage bedroom."

I'm assuming they won't be purchasing the new pink Sony "Jet Juke." And yes, I would have told them the same thing.

Would You Buy A Peripheral Made For Women?

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:00:44 -0700

Designers, manufacturers and brand managers seem to be in a constant flux about what it is that makes gadgets appealing to women. Sometimes they take the pretty in pink approach, splashing Pepto Bismol-color all over mice, laptops and MP3 players. Sometimes they ignore the fact that women have different wants and needs. Either way, it's hard to find a healthy medium of a quality product that hasn't been dumbed down to suit it's audience's perceived needs.

Despite the challenge, a new company called G Cube hopes to break the traditional gender mold and create peripherals tactfully geared toward feminine tastes. Their website claims they recognize the "computer peripheral market in particular and the electronic category as a whole, has traditionally catered to the masses which results in products that leaves consumers with little choice in the aesthetics and totally expressionless."

The company's Travel Tini Collection and Lux Leopard Collection are available at OfficeMax now and other items will begin selling at Staples this fall. It includes cutesy Heart & Soul mice, colorful keyboard and mice sets and even colorful web cameras. Bright, hued gadgets seem to always be a hit with you readers so I suspect the company is on the mark.

Who Cares More About The iPhone: Men or Women?

GeekSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:30:18 -0700

I'm usually opposed to dividing the sexes when it comes to gadget talk, but while wandering the line at last week's iPhone launch I couldn't help but notice the crowd was lacking a strong feminine presence. In fact, I estimate that for every 30 men in line there was one woman. It's a phenomenon I can't easily explain without falling into an archaic and general stereotype that men care more about gadgets while women care more about shopping for say, shoes. While the popularity of the iPod has proven there is no gender gap when it comes to Apple products and techie toys, I chose to think that men are more apt to be early adopters to technology while women tend to be safer tech shoppers. What do you think attributed to such a small ratio of women at the downtown San Francisco iPhone launch?

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