Are Women As Geeky As Men?

[Brad Adrian]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.channelline.com/daily_brief.cfm?brief=BRI011504-04' target='_blank'>http://www.channelline.com/daily_br...ef=BRI011504-04</a><br /><br /></div>A new survey, conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association, indicates that men may no longer have the geek market cornered. <a href="http://www.integratedmar.com/newsmain.cfm">ChannelLine.com</a> reports that last year:<br /><br />"In total, women accounted for $55 billion of the $96 billion (U.S.) spent on electronics equipment in the U.S. last year, but three out of four women surveyed complained of being ignored or patronized by electronics stores that cater mostly to men and assume women aren't interested in their wares."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/ce_logo.jpg" /><br /> <br />The report goes on to say that only one percent of the poll's respondents feel that manufacturers have women in mind when developing their gadgets.<br /><br />This brings up a few questions in my mind:<br /><br />1. Are women really using all these gadgets themselves, or simply buying them for their geeky men?<br />2. Why do salespeople assume that women aren't interested in geeky toys?<br />3. There's obviously a real market for electronic gadgets that are designed specifically for women. Besides painting them pink, what Pocket PC design features would make them more appealing to women?

[surur]

Let me look at my wife's tech purchases:

She bought a 17" LCD monitor (as a gift for me)
She bought tom-tom navigator gps receiver and maps (as a gift for me)
She bought a digital camera (as a gift for me)


She knows if she really wants to make me happy with a present, it should be electronic is some way. She herself however knows not much about the latest gadgets, and would spend piles of money one something thats behind the curve (and always buys the insurance the salespeople push). So she would buy a GPS receiver, in stead of the bluetooth version. And she would buy a 2 mega-pixel camera when 4 mega-pixel are out already.

On the other hand, when I buy clothes for her, she often ends up exchanging it. Of course more men buy flowers, but that does not mean they love flowers (or have become less geeky :) )

So in my experience at least, it probably only indicates an increase in the acceptability of gadgets as presents (I bet many many Ipods were given this christmas, most likely to men from women)

Surur

[yvilla]

Down with pink :!:

[GoldKey]

but three out of four women surveyed complained of being ignored or patronized by electronics stores that cater mostly to men and assume women aren't interested in their wares."


Actually, most of the bigger electronics stores are pretty good at ignoring or patronizing all of their customers, not just the female ones.

[Ken Mattern]

Down with pink :!:

I agree, that is stereotyping :evil:

My girlfriend has a Jornada, Franklin translator (she is Korean), a better computer than I have (though I have more computers (5 to 1 :lol: ). She is an auditor for the U.S. Army and understands technology. She likes gadgets and if she doesn't know enough to make a sound decision she will do the research, then ask my opinion and then do what she wants!

I believe that more and more professional women are using gadgets because they find them useful in their work, and leisure.

One very nice thing about my girlfriend and her understanding is that she is an excellent tester of my Pocket PC software and makes excellent suggestions.

[cyclist]

Not all geeks are men and not all men are geeks. But men are far more likely to be geeks than women are; I'd hazard a guess at a 20:1 ratio from my experience.

I buy some gadgets for me, and some for my husband. My experience of sales people is mixed but reasonably positive. I always head straight for the saleswoman if there is one, as she will be far less likely to patronise me than a salesman. In general I've found geek salespeople fairly open minded; they respond at the technical level of the questions I ask. If I go gadget shopping with my husband and I ask questions then I get the answers not him, unlike when we got car shopping.

A pink gadget sounds truly awful, I wouldn't buy it and I suspect other women wouldn't either. The style range of mobile phones is fairly restricted, but women don't seem to have problems with those. It would be nice if the built in themes on a PPC included at least one slightly feminine one - I'm partial to McDeb's various flowers.

I don't see any fundamental difference in the things I want from a PPC. I might want an app for recipes to look up what recipes I have with ingredients x and y in, but that 's just a particular database app. It isn't really any different to a database of music which might be thought of as a more male application. But then I already bought a PPC, so I don't need them to be made more appealing to me. My basic motivation for purchase was email anywhere so I bought an XDA, and then found that I use it more for other things, especially the reader.

[richland8787]

My husband is totally useless tech wise, its me that has the PDA, the computer the gameboy the playstation and knows how to use and programme them.

[shlide]

What an excellent news post just 4 hours after saying that no woman would like the geeky car and that it was actually "anti-woman". Seems like you aren't quite settled on your opinion of women and geekiness.

and my wife has 1 more computer than me (though she killed one of mine to take the lead). She has a Tablet, I have a PPC. I think I win that one so we're about even now.

[The Yaz]

I know that my wife is not adverse to purchasing technology, but will not buy it unless it does what she needs and is extremely portable. When I first got my Casio E-125, she would just as readily pick it up off of the cradle and look up phone numbers or addresses as if this was nothing special.

When I asked her if I should buy her one, her comment was it was too bulky to carry in her purse on a regular basis. Yet when we go on vacation, she's the one who remembers to pack it with the cf modem so we can check our aol account when we are away.

Now that the form factor has improved so greatly, I thought she would now consideran HP 19XX series, but she said she would rather wait for the new Motorola Smartphones to come out since she could solve two issues with one package.

Steve 8)

[Jimmy Dodd]

Most of the women I know who use high-tech stuff aren't really geeky. They tend to approach it from a practical standpoint, a definite non-geeky attribute. Being geeky would imply a love of technical gadgets for their own sake, not for any practical reason, i.e. having a GPS in your car when you never travel anywhere you haven't been before, or having a Blackberry to read email that has no real time urgency to it.

It reminds me of my roomates in college who were ham radio geeks. They constantly worked on and talked on their radios. What did they talk about on their radios? They talked to other people about their radios and the quality of reception they were getting.

Sort of like me using my Pocket PC with a WiFi card to log in to Pocket PC Thoughts to read about Pocket PCs. :lol:

[blang]

I'm a geek and I am proud of it!

My husband is very jealous that I have a Scott-E-Vest and he doesn't. But of course he laughs at me everytime I can't get to my cell phone because I can't remember which pocket it is in.

[Candygogo]

It's funny that this subject comes up. I believe that woman do tend to be forgotton as far as marketing electronics/tech gear/etc... goes. One example is magazines.

Most of the mags labled towards women have mostly relationship, nutturing and like themes. Most of the ones labled towards men have tons of 'tech toys' and the like (along with scantily clad women) amongst it's pages. It's so weird being a woman and reading magazines where every few pages have a woman's crotch or breast staring at me--but that same mag may have some cool articles on the latest gizmoes coming out.

--Well, I DO read them for the articles.... :wink:

[possmann]

I'd love to meet a good looking woman that shares my passion for technology... alas I continue the search - :lol:

[Jimmy Dodd]

--Well, I DO read them for the articles.... :wink:

Uhh, yeah. Me, too. The articles. That's right. :oops:

[Steven Cedrone]

Most of the mags labled towards women have mostly relationship, nutturing and like themes. Most of the ones labled towards men have tons of 'tech toys' and the like (along with scantily clad women) amongst it's pages.

Not to drag this off-topic...

But, I recently saw a copy of Cosmo. Some of the stuff in there could make a sailor blush... :oops:

O.K., now back on topic... :wink:

Steve

[Kati Compton]

But, I recently saw a copy of Cosmo. Some of the stuff in there could make a sailor blush... :oops:

Yeah... Usually in cases like that it's more "Don't you wish you looked like THIS?"

Anyway - my husband and I are equally geeky, though sometimes in slightly different ways. It works pretty well, though. ;)

[Steven Cedrone]

Yeah... Usually in cases like that it's more "Don't you wish you looked like THIS?"

Nah, I'm talking articles. Well tutorials actually, on how to do certain things...

Yikes... 8O

Bought a copy for my wife though... :wink:

Steve

[Steven Cedrone]

O.K. mods...

Get back on topic...

It just had to be said... :wink:

Steve

[Korlon]

Yeah... Usually in cases like that it's more "Don't you wish you looked like THIS?"

Nah, I'm talking articles. Well tutorials actually, on how to do certain things...

Yikes... 8O

Bought a copy for my wife though... :wink:

Steve


O.K. mods...

Get back on topic...

It just had to be said...

Steve


Maybe there needs to be a new thread for discussing the risque nature of modern publications? :wink:

To save you the trouble, this is for me for chiming in off-topic... :twak:

[karinatwork]

I too stand quite alone with my gadgets. My husband can turn things off and on, but that's about it.

I can't imagine why sales are higher for women, other than that they probably are buying it for gifts. The gift thing is tricky though. I wouldn't let my husband buy me a techno/gadget gift UNLESS he's carrying the exact item # and product code to the store. He would buy me something completely useless if I didn't give him EXACT indications.

So if sales are higher for women, and if that is because women buy geeky toys for men, then either they know very well what they are doing (so they are equally geeky), or they have been given exact instructions by their spouses (which makes the spouses geekier), or they buy something and the spouse really doesn't care what they bring home (which makes the wife and the husband equally NOT geeky). Makes sense? :)

K.

P.S.: I don't like pink either. (Except as a colour for nail polish or a lipstick)

[Brad Adrian]

What an excellent news post just 4 hours after saying that no woman would like the geeky car and that it was actually "anti-woman". Seems like you aren't quite settled on your opinion of women and geekiness.
Oh, I have absolutely NO opinion on the state of female geekiness...at least until my wife gives it to me!

[xendula]

Most of the ones labled towards men have tons of 'tech toys' and the like (along with scantily clad women) amongst it's pages. It's so weird being a woman and reading magazines where every few pages have a woman's crotch or breast staring at me--but that same mag may have some cool articles on the latest gizmoes coming out.
Maybe Germany is different in that, over here, neither ads nor the PC magazines are directed towards a specific gender. No flesh in our magazines :wink: In this type of magazines, that is.

As to patronizing salesMEN (it seems that store managers have no faith in women, thus only men are allowed to sell tech toys in Germany) - I get that ever time I go to an electronics store, even though they usually know sh** about the products they are selling. Sometimes it is so bad I just HAVE TO contradict them - but that tends to make them really aggressive.

[disconnected]

I don't think I'm a geek by nature, it's more that I'm somewhat forced into it because technology isn't as user-friendly as it should be. Setting up and using VCRs is a common example of this problem.

I got my first Pocket PC primarily because I wanted portable internet access. Three and a half years later I finally feel like I've gotten close to that with an iPaq 5555 with WiFi and a Sprint bluetooth phone, although Pocket IE still leaves a lot to be desired, and Sprint's so-called third or 2.5 generation speed is still very slow. Along the way I've had to learn a lot more than I ever wanted to about how to set up various WiFi, modem, and cell phone connections (and I'm still not good at any of it; thank goodness for Pocketpcthoughts forums).

I've come to rely on the Pocket PC for ebooks, calendar, navigation (connected to bluetooth GPS receiver), information (Vindigo and Zagat), contacts, and silly games. I'd never want to be without it, but if I could have all of the functionality with less of the pain I'd be even happier.

I know many other people (male and female) that would also like a lot of this functionality, but I can't honestly recommend a Pocket PC to them, because I know they'd be unwilling to put up with all the care and feeding of it.

As far as pink is concerned, sure it's a stereotype, but I would definitely like more case choices, the more styles and colors the better!

[xendula]

oh and pink --> :pukeface:

[D.psi]

How can you gauge geekiness? Is it based on the number of electrically powered devices you carry daily, or your general interest in things electronic?

My wife and I got into Palm-sized PCs and Pocket PCs due to my knowledge, and her needs. She's the administrator for a university department (Systems and Computer Engineering), whereas I work at a significant Canadian Military electronics firm. We're both technologically aware, but I'm slightly more in touch.

She carries her cell phone, and Ipaq, as frequently as I do. So we're equal there. She sometimes borrows the work laptop, and has recently gotten a remote access program to access her work from home. I've had dial in access to work for some time, and so has she (primarily for E-mail).

She lets me choose the devices, so long as they meet her needs. She's come a long way since I urged her to get away from a paper day-timer. After all electronic media is searchable, a major advantage when trying to run a university department.

D.psi

[Jeff Rutledge]

How can you gauge geekiness? Is it based on the number of electrically powered devices you carry daily, or your general interest in things electronic?

Someone should create a geek-gauge. Then my wife could tell all of her friends that she's "7 less geeky" than me. 8)

[possmann]

Hey how about posting a date thread so those of us guys who are single can find a date that will be able to hold a conversation about technology and gadgets? :lol:

does that sound too desperate or what :oops:

[D.psi]

Someone should create a geek-gauge. Then my wife could tell all of her friends that she's "7 less geeky" than me. 8)

Here's a start:

Geek Quotient:

i + l + n + 1.5*m + q / 3000mAh

i: Number of Computers owned
l: Number of PDAs owned (list only PDAs here not smartphones)
n: Number of cell phones owned (list only phones here not smartphones)
m: Number of smartphones owned
q: Average battery capacity(phones, PDAs, laptops) carried daily

Geek scale:
1-3 non-geek
4-7 technologically aware
8-13 leaning toward geek-dom
14-19 definite geek
20+ seeking alpha-geek status

How's that?

D.psi

[Jimmy Dodd]

Someone should create a geek-gauge. Then my wife could tell all of her friends that she's "7 less geeky" than me. 8)

Here's a start:

...snip...

How's that?

D.psi

A good start, but you are leaving out the most important factor: human-to-human interface time vs. human-to-gadget interface time. Bonus points should be awarded for discussing human-to-gadget issues during human-to-human interface time. Super-bonus for boring a normal (non-geek) human so much that their eyes roll back in their head so far that you can only see white. Mega-bonus for actually having normal humans obviously avoid you when they see you (e.g. duck through a doorway, pretend not to see you from across a room).

[bjornkeizers]

Geek Quotient:


Let's see...

i: 1 [laptop
l: Let's make it an even 10 [Ipaq 1910, T|E, Clie, Revo, IIIC, Rex, etc.]
n: 5 [Nokia 3510i, Samsung A, C and T100, SE T300]
m: 0!
q: Lots.


1+10+5+1,5*0=16 and let's say about 3000 mAh :D

Well, I'm not a total uber geek, but I won't be gettin' any any time soon either :D

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

I can't imagine why sales are higher for women, other than that they probably are buying it for gifts. The gift thing is tricky though. I wouldn't let my husband buy me a techno/gadget gift UNLESS he's carrying the exact item # and product code to the store. He would buy me something completely useless if I didn't give him EXACT indications.
I'm quite skeptical of that figure (stating a majority of electronics are purchased by women) myself. Not to say that women can't be as geeky (this board proves otherwise), but it's all about the law of averages and I'd say about a much smaller percentage of the women I know are into electronics compared to men. I think most people believe this to be true and cater their pre-bias based on that belief.

I will say though that I hear more and more often from guys about how they got their new gadgets from their girlfriend or wife as a gift. So perhaps there is something to the gift theory.

[Ken Mattern]

Gaaaaa 25.3 :bawl:

If I add h2h time with my girlfriend it goes way up. But if I subtract her discussions about accounting it evens out.

Thankfully the formula doesn't take into account CF cards, USB hubs, network hubs, wireless routers

Oh, never mind :oops:

[pjtrader]

I have made all the computer purchases in our household, I have installed all the hardware and software. I own the PDA and cellphone. I write websites.

My husband has asserted himself in hooking up the TV, DVD, and VCR, but I usually have to go behind him and remove a half dozen extra cables.

Does that make me a geek...to some. I don't look like a geek though. :lol: (I hope!)

Cheers,
Pam

P.S. His eyes glaze over when I start nattering about SQL, database tables, restore procedures, and gigabytes. It's also the reason why I haven't gotten my Smartphone yet. "So why EXACTLY do you need that?"

[yawanag]

My neighbors call me "Gadget Girl" and I love it!

[ctmagnus]

OT:

How many remember Gadget from Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers?

[Janak Parekh]

How many remember Gadget from Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers?
Not that OT. :) As a kid, I felt bad for Gadget. Chip and Dale (especially Dale, of course) were such neanderthals and she had to fix everything herself... :|

--janak

[Kati Compton]

How many remember Gadget from Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers?
Not that OT. :) As a kid, I felt bad for Gadget. Chip and Dale (especially Dale, of course) were such neanderthals and she had to fix everything herself... :|
When I was a kid I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted Penny's book from Inspector Gadget. I made several...er... "analog" facsimiles to play with.

Of course I also built a "computer" out of a shoebox and turned a piece of string and an inside-out Milk Duds Halloween candy box into a "mouse" for it...

Creative, but not effective. ;)

[KH]

In our house I am the one that buys and installs the PCs, adapters and peripherals, stocks the house with IPAQs (and would NEVER be without mine!) rips the CDs, installs the eBooks, makes DVDs of the kids' horse show videos, programs the VCRs and so on. My husband could... but would rather not. He programs, wired and set up the family network - but he would rather just use the stuff than mess with it. I would get every IPAQ model that comes along - but he wants to wait for more pixels. I've been told I get the geek mother award though - I'm the one that took the kids along on a business trip to Redmond so they could Trick-or-Treat at Microsoft!

[minimage]

i: Number of Computers owned
l: Number of PDAs owned (list only PDAs here not smartphones)
n: Number of cell phones owned (list only phones here not smartphones)
m: Number of smartphones owned
q: Average battery capacity(phones, PDAs, laptops) carried daily

Let's just talk about the ones that are running right now, not the ones that are stacked up around various parts of the house, waiting for me to install KVM switches, etc...

i = 12 l=3 n=1 m=0 q=3 total=19
In reality, "i" would be about twice as large as I've made it, because those computers are awaiting the day when I start trying to carve out a larger computer room for myself in the basement.

Do I get extra points for having a Sun Ultra1, a Color NeXTStation and an RS/6000 (and for giving away a Sparc4 a couple of weeks ago)?

And, unless I meet an untimely end this year (or unless Bill Gates gives me one), I WILL be buying a Tablet!

My husband has two computers and a PIM (not included in the count). I am his technical support. One day, we were cleaning up, and he told me I hadn't finished my part, because there was a computer on the floor in the spare room. I had to remind him that the computer in question was actually his old one!


Geek scale:
1-3 non-geek
4-7 technologically aware
8-13 leaning toward geek-dom
14-19 definite geek
20+ seeking alpha-geek status

[D.psi]

I have to admit that although I came up with the formula, I don't even approach geekdom. My G.Q. ~6.

However some of you do appear to have unusually high GQ's. Do you folks actually ever see sunlight? 8)

D.psi

[minimage]

When we take our annual houseboat trip, no one is allowed to have technology, unless it only takes pictures or plays music. Since I cannot have my computers, I have to get out and play in the water, and there is sunlight out there, too.

When it's warm, I do a couple of hours of yardwork on the weekends.

Other than that, I only get sun driving to and from work. I have no problem with that :D