Via Sociological Images I find this delightful Dell website for women computer shoppers.
Apparently women shopping for computers care about (1) style– whether or not it matches their outfits, (2) how light it is to carry around when they hang out with equally-coordinated friends and their laptops, and (3) the ability to check movie times, and restaurant directions whenever you need to.
It takes 3 clicks to even get to anything about the actual computers’ processor speed, RAM, hard drive capacity etc.
I am so offended.
You know what? I’d like computer accessories in different colors. I hate that my wheeled laptop case was only available in black. That I tote around a black laptop with a gray mouse in a square black case. Color is good. Style is good.
Why do I have to choose between INCREDIBLY DUMBED DOWN and ugly and utilitarian? Are geek men so fearful of feminization that color must be banned?
I can choose color and styling details on my car while still shopping for safety, reliability, horsepower, and gas mileage. I should be able to choose color and styling on my laptop without being made to sit in the girl corner.
OK, just to play devil’s advocate here for a minute….. You can get all the info you need on the Mini directly from the Dell home page. You have to specifically click on the Della link to get taken to that page. Even so, there’s a link on the Della home page (conveniently not displayed on the Sociological Images page) that takes you directly to an order page that displays the processor, OS, memory, and HD size and allows you to configure the system for purchase. Granted, the first configuration item is color, but that’s the first configuration item from the main page as well, it’s not specific to the Della page….. So going to the Della page is a CHOICE, not something you are forced into. I’m sure the Della page will be advertised in Ladies Home Journal, and O… where it will find a receptive audience. If you wanna be a geek, go to the Dell home page instead and make exactly the same choices.
Except that those things are hidden and downplayed. And look at the tech tips page, where you will learn that computers can HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT!
Hidden? The link is right there on the front page, the same size and shape as the other links. And they’ve responded to complaints by changing the tech tips page.
Since the site has been modified since it was originally posted on Sociological Images I can’t say whether the link to the configuration page was there originally, but it is there now.
Now WHY Dell thinks it needs to market a special page for women is a whole ‘nother question……
This reminds me of a sarcastic comedy bit about a revolutionary computer designed just for women:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qptvCqtMg_o
I totally read Hell Dates Women.
Different post, that.
arrgh! this kind of thing totally pisses me off!
another example, from the sports world, is the sports team gear for women that is in pink and white, instead of in the actual team colors.
Running in that theme….
Did you know you could buy a pink rifle with Hello Kitty on it?
My husband’s grandfather has a beautiful Smith and Wesson over/under 12 guage that has a rosewood stock with mother-of-pearl inlay and gold etching. It’s gorgeous. But it’s not a chick-gun.
Style and color have nothing to do with just ‘chicks’. I mean, it was only a few hundred years ago that men were wearing velvet and hose…and carried purses. Really. I don’t get how beautiful and stylish equates to unmanly and feminine.
As for computers….the heck with it. I’m just going to join the geek squad and get an Alienware next year. I might not be able to choose a million colors, but it will be chrome and shiny and play my games faster. 🙂