Don't think pink when it comes to 'girl tech'

By Suzanne Choney

Some women like pink, but many don't care for that color when it comes to their personal gadgets. So says a new study that could help when you're out shopping for a high-tech?Valentine's Day present for your gal pal or spouse.

"Forget pink. Women don?t want to be catered to with ultra-feminine looking products; they simply prefer lightweight devices that can fit smaller hands and smaller body frames," said Jessica Boothe, the Consumer Electronics Association's manager of strategic research, in a new report, "Women in Consumer Electronics."

The finding meshes with another recent study that said "gender priming ? subjecting women to gender cues, including pink ads ? actually makes women less likely to donate to women-specific cancer research and less likely to think they'll get breast cancer."

Live Poll

Here's where I stand on pink tech:

• 175243

  1. It's sexy.

  12%

• 175244

  2. Nothing wrong with it! Right, Hello Kitty?

  19%

• 175245

  3. My grandma loves it.

  4%

• 175246

  4. It's a gender stereotype.

  65%

VoteTotal Votes: 307

The CEA?? they're the folks behind the big, annual Consumer Electronics Show extravaganza ? also said in its report says that while men continue to outspend women on consumer electronics purchases, "the gap between genders is shrinking."

Women are also starting to spend more on consumer electronics than in past years, the CEA study said. "On average, men spent $728 on CE purchases in the past 12 months, while women spent $667 during that same time period, a difference of $61." In a similar study done in 2007, the "spending gap between men and women was closer to $200."

After price, "ease of use, warranty and multiple functionality are the next most important purchasing factors among both sexes," the study finds. "Also important to women is product size and weight, something that generally is less of a concern among men. Color ranks near the bottom as a factor among women when buying electronics."

While 6 in 10 women "initiate or are involved in the process in which a CE product is actually purchased," they're more likely to consider devices like TVs and DVD players as "household" items rather than their own personal gadgets. But, when it comes smartphones, laptops and e-readers, "women were more likely than men to claim sole ownership."

So, no need for pink phones or laptops this year when you're shopping for your sweetie. If she wants a pink case, that's another story. Those are as changeable as a pair of sneakers or heels.

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Source: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/06/10331990-dont-think-pink-when-it-comes-to-girl-tech

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