http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/ Engadget Comments for Memorex hears the cry of underserved female gadget hounds, delivers the pink http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 2:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 3:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 13th 2009 12:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
CEO: Find some people who don't know any better.

VP Marketing: I'm on it... we'll make it look like we're serving that market and people will have gratitude to us. ]]>Jul 10th 2009 9:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 15th 2009 3:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 2:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 2:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 2:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 2:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
But I must agree w/ the Times of London quote of most women just want a taste. More than 95% of the women that I've come across don't want to hear it or drown out my voice when I start getting techie.]]>Jul 10th 2009 3:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Solution: Electronics companies make stuff pink.

How can you argue with that kind of logic?]]>Jul 10th 2009 4:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/As a "gadget hound" woman I'm more likely NOT to buy items that aren't garishly pink, and I think most of my "girlie" friends will avoid this crap too. I do admit to buying a purple iPhone case though :S]]>Jul 10th 2009 8:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
I'd say no. What women want it is highly functional items so they can get on with their lives. More men have a higher tolerance for "wasting time" tinkering with why something doesn't work or how to get it to work, because these men find the tinkering entertaining. (So do I, along with probably 100% of Engadget readers.)

Frankly, a lot of men also want good and intuitive design, so it's a win for the manufacturer all around.

What is female-specific design? Gadgets not designed specifically to fit in a man-sized pocket or get clipped to a belt. Gadgets that can fit in a tiny clutch that goes with that cocktail dress. Interfaces that are easier to navigate when you have longer nails. Gadgets that stand up to the abuse that happens when a toddler grabs it out of a purse. Gadgets that are ergonomic with smaller hands and proportionally longer fingers. Et cetera, et cetera.

Pink? Meh. ]]>Jul 13th 2009 9:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/I mean what exactly is changed, and how?]]>Jul 10th 2009 3:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
I quite like pink, but I won't buy crappy tech just for the colour (well, not often).

Seriously though, it’s nonsense like this that keeps the whole sexism thing in existence. I'm so sick of being spoken to like I'm some dumb simpleton when I visit a hi-fi shop, garage, computer shop etc.

Of course, it’s usually amusing when it turns out that I’m far more knowledgeable than the pimply sales guy who doesn’t know his ohms from his amperes.
]]>Jul 10th 2009 3:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 6:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
Sounds good. Want to swap?]]>Jul 10th 2009 6:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/]]>Jul 10th 2009 3:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 3:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
Pink... seriously. Just make better gadgets. And offer more than fingerprint magnet black.]]>Jul 10th 2009 3:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 3:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
Do some research into pink/blue. It is a post 2nd world war invention. Apparently blue was originally a girl colour cause it was soft and the whole christian Mary thing. Pink was for boys cause it was a watered down red indicating strength for your tyke. Women also got married in light blue traditionally in Europe because white was very difficult and expensive to make.]]>Jul 10th 2009 4:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/]]>Jul 10th 2009 5:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Plus you are referring to european legacy, but worldwide companies are dealing with a whole world population, and since there are more asians than caucasians you'd have to refer to their traditional colors if you talked history and gadget color.
]]>Jul 10th 2009 5:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
Thanks for the great comment conversation.

I didn't see it on the TV nor did I read it in Wikipedia. I actually read an extensive report on it by a university researcher in the USA. One of the 'proposed' reasons for the shift was to do with communist colours, the other was to do with visual tagging of people by the Nazi's, such as the yellow star, apparently (and I wasn't there to Know) homosexuals wore a pink symbol.

The point is, that it isn't 200 years ago, nor 100, its actually a very recent social imposition. I will look into traditional colours for Asians, that is a very interesting angle, thanks for the idea.

I have no interest in "living in the past" as you aggress, rather an interest in being aware of Why things are, because with that awareness you can make Choice. A great example is in farming where the word "traditional" is now used to refer to industrial broad acre cropping which is about as far from "traditional" as can be had.

Curiously you angle about believing in some old thing but then reference media driven modern belief systems as the way to go because its now. There is a great book called 1984, I recommend you read it, you will find it highlights the social dangers of your approach.]]>Jul 10th 2009 6:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
Thanks, that reply made my day.]]>Jul 10th 2009 8:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
With respect to your discourse about the color pink, I learned the same thing in college. Pink was originally a masculine color. However, sometime around the early 1800s, women adopted the color pink so they could demonstrate to society that they were also worthy of the color.

Overall, I find it disgusting that companies like Memorex think offering a color and shape change to an item (that already exists) will appease the female target group. I am a techie-girl. I love gadgets. And nothing repulses me more than a pink electronic device.

What Memorex should consider is offering a clear or neutral color so the consumer can add a skin to the item. With the trend of personalization and miniturization, it seems "plain" is the best path to take.]]>Jul 10th 2009 12:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/And that was my point, that they don't pick they are just reacting to what they think to hear/see, so therefore what was in vogue x years ago would be of interest to them x years ago not now.

Now the question is are they wrong in that observation? I think in japan for instance there is big interest for girls to get pink stuff (correct me if I'm wrong) so on that market they might be right, I think in the west that pink market is mostly very young girls though, but I don't know how many of them have ipods to charge, so if that number is significant then it makes sense to cater to the demand.
And that is different from being someone that actively or even proactively pushes such trends.
So without numbers and knowing what numbers they use it's hard to judge in the end, and although I think it's slightly offensive when it is said 'girls MUST have pink' it's equally offensive to say 'girls can not have pink' if there are many that want it, for whatever reason as long as it's their own choice.
]]>Jul 10th 2009 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/And yet, despite the vast wealth of free information on technology available on the internets, the don't know anything about it.
Someone fucked up his research. Badly.]]>Jul 10th 2009 4:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/It's amazing that stuff still goes on after so many centuries and after attempts to get away from that, the reverse is true too for men incidentally, forced in roles sometimes against their inclination.
There's plenty of room to improve things socially, but instead we are even moving more backwards under the guide of freaking religion and the hankering for living in the 1950's and before, sigh.
]]>Jul 10th 2009 5:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 3:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
And come on... Pink? What does that have to do with femininity? ]]>Jul 10th 2009 6:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/And although people also look at functionality, since most phones have the same basic stuff at some point the decision becomes about looks for people.
]]>Jul 10th 2009 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!]]>Jul 10th 2009 7:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 8:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
"When the queen is happy, the LAAAAND is happy."

(Don't know who to credit for that one, but it's good.)]]>Jul 10th 2009 8:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
Not that I'm exactly an expert on women, far far from it, but I shall have my say dammit :)]]>Jul 10th 2009 2:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 3:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 9:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 9:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 11:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
Seriously folks, it is sarcasm... and the internet... and a slow news day.]]>Jul 10th 2009 3:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
If it was up to me (and it is, damn it), I would say that the reason women feel under served is because technology companies know that men find the cold caress of technology more enticing.

Besides, the only reason women use computers is to play Solitaire. ]]>Jul 10th 2009 9:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
I know few adult women who fawn over pink crap - and several who find it difficult to find things designed for them (especially sporting equipment like wakeboards and lifejackets) that aren't splattered with pink. In fact, they find it more than a little insulting.

Maybe I'm just too male-oriented, but I don't get what is masculine or feminine about a GUI or other interface - human brains are far too similar to design something that works better for men vs. women.

When it comes to products that NEED to be designed for a woman (like a lifejacket) - it gets frustrating very quickly when companies think everything they design for a woman needs to have pink or flowers all over it.]]>Jul 10th 2009 11:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 1:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 10:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/]]>Jul 10th 2009 2:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
I'm by NO means a feminist and my favorite color is pink (not that fugly pepto bismol color pictured) , but I find this very offensive and sexist. Especially since I do know my way around tech, and my job is to help those who don't in a company made up of 90% male.
uh yeah please join us in the 21st century, k thanx.


]]>Jul 10th 2009 11:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/
But most women "simply don't have time or energy to read long instructions and play with cables." WTF?! If you're trying to appeal to true female gadget shoppers, they either won't need the d@mn instruction manual, will glance through it to double-check what they already know, and have no fear of cables. Women want the same thing in gadgets men do, something that's fun, cool, works well, and serves a purpose. Good design is even better, but good design doesn't have to be uber-girly.]]>Jul 10th 2009 1:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/memorex-hears-the-cry-of-underserved-female-gadget-hounds-deliv/Jul 10th 2009 1:05PM