Dell Looking to Pick Up Women With New Website

[curnel_D]

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]@Curnel_DThat's crap, dude. I'm offended because a company that I actually quite like has launched a website that manages to patronize an entire gender. The fact that it's my own gender means it's a little closer to the bone but like I said, if they did the same thing to men, I'd have a problem with that, too.[/citation]
Not what I was trying to get across. Do you really care because what dell is doing directly effects you, or do you care because it's something you think you should be caring about?

I agree with you on the point that the dell marketing team dropped the ball in this one. (Then again, they've never really been that fantastic) But in the theme of their feminine direction, where can they actually go with it, for men? They're targeting a specific type of girl with this idea, so if they target a specific kind of man, we'll end up with a site that tells us how easy it is to make flow charts for our weightlifting regimen, how easy it is to hook up our X box to our PC, etc etc etc. And sure, it would look totally stupid to anyone who's not in that specific targeted range of men. But will it offend me? No way! Why should it, unless I take into account the potentially thousands of people I'll never meet in my life who 'might' be offended because they lift weights, play Xbox, and hoped to find something that didn't take their average activities and turn them into something so mind numbingly simple that the only thing to do to make them better is to buy a PC you know nothing about.

Nah, I prefer to save my offense for something more important than something I think I 'should' be offended about.

 

[JMcEntegart]

[citation][nom]Curnel_D[/nom]Not what I was trying to get across. Do you really care because what dell is doing directly effects you, or do you care because it's something you think you should be caring about?I agree with you on the point that the dell marketing team dropped the ball in this one. (Then again, they've never really been that fantastic) But in the theme of their feminine direction, where can they actually go with it, for men? They're targeting a specific type of girl with this idea, so if they target a specific kind of man, we'll end up with a site that tells us how easy it is to make flow charts for our weightlifting regimen, how easy it is to hook up our X box to our PC, etc etc etc. And sure, it would look totally stupid to anyone who's not in that specific targeted range of men. But will it offend me? No way! Why should it, unless I take into account the potentially thousands of people I'll never meet in my life who 'might' be offended because they lift weights, play Xbox, and hoped to find something that didn't take their average activities and turn them into something so mind numbingly simple that the only thing to do to make them better is to buy a PC you know nothing about. Nah, I prefer to save my offense for something more important than something I think I 'should' be offended about.[/citation]

So, do you think people should only care about things that directly affect them?

I wasn't implying they should set up a similar site for men. I'm saying if there was a similar site for men I'd also be annoyed. What's wrong with setting up a genuinely useful site for people (both male and female) who aren't familiar with technology or computing? Segregating the two is always going to lead to stereotypes.

 

[xantech22]

Under ‘Tech Tips’ the site explains how your netbook can help you meditate, “bliss out,” create “soothing” slideshows and, with the help of a program called “Remember the Milk,” track your time, keep lists and “send yourself remembers.” What other tips does Della have for women? Well, did you know that your netbook can also help you find recipes online, store and organize them, watch cooking videos and count calories? You can also download meditation podcasts and watch yoga videos for all those “mini-breaks” you take during the day (which Google Calendars will remind you to take, by the way).

stereotype has always been a marketing strategy. This is an example for women with kitchen stuff, recipies, cooking videos,and other women stuff.

So if this works out, then they'll probably move on to other types:

African Americans: gunshot windows star-up sound,50 cent wallpapers, icons using a mic, turntable, guns, krystal,diamond chains etc. 2pac log-off screens. oh and fill the net books with bullet holes and encrusted fake diamonds. I wouldn't be surprised if dell did this because like Apple they're just trying to be "hip"
but unlike Apple wich is actually an old geezer in trendy clothes.
B.

 

[solymnar]

I personally just get annoyed with the notion of "how increadibly different men and women are" BS.

In general short of a few hormone cascades and the obvious physical differences generated by them, men and women are rediculously similar...which is kind of important because you wouldn't be able reproduce otherwise.

In every well carried out study, the "differences in how men and women think" are trivial and vanish into the margin of error with any training. So while you "may" in general be very slightly more predisposed towards thinking about something x way due to your gender it is far and away more likely to be a product of your upbringing and you're personal non-gender-related genetic makeup.

Men and women are not from mars or venus no matter how much a money marketing and media wants to make off of you.

Drives me nuts when I see friends in relationships and they buy into the BS and say things like "well he/she just doesn't understand/doesn't get it, typical guy/girl". And I'm like "you're an idiot, how about you try talking with them and work out a compromise instead of hoping the magically develope telepathic powers?"

Its amazing how little someone's partner understands if the other one doesn't actually bother voicing any thoughts and concerns directly. And their gender gets blamed instead of poor communication. Just retarded.

Yes in fact I DO in fact want to know if my wife is having a particularly bad period and how it makes her feel so that I can adjust how I work with her accordingly. Sometimes its not a big deal, other times it is. Knowing makes it easier to understand and work with.

I was raised to be all stoic and "manly" and never complain. This doesn't serve me very well if I've got a major headache and am stressed out focusing hard on a reactor equation in the back of my mind causing my patience to be very thin. If I don't bother explaining this then who's fault is it if my wife has no idea what I'm in an easily upsetable mood and doesn't treat me accordingly when I'm trying to unwind?

So, while I don't take della personally, the idea promoted by it (men and women fundamentally different etc.) bothers me on a regular basis and causes problems at all levels of society and relationships.

When you had to hunt for your food it made sense to have separations in gender due to physique (muscle and knee/hip spacing relation) and the not so minor detail of giving birth.

For a long time I feel its been more about tradition, power, control and marketing and gets perpetuated and trained into people their whole life.

You're milage and degree of getting blasted by sources telling you what your gender should mean to you may vary.

 

[cruiseoveride]

Patronising

 

[bill gates is your daddy]

this is getting boring...let's talk about vaginas...I'm sorry, vaginae again.

 

[stlunatic]

Vaginae are resorved for people with some sense of decorum.

Which I has loads btw... So vaginas plz +1 this

 

[joebob2000]

And the "Authored a post longer than the story they were supposed to be posting about" award goes to...

solymnar! Congrats, pick up your prize on your way out.

 

[stlunatic]

Hes clearly trying to rob Jane of her job.

 

[stlunatic]

I wonder if solymnar has a vagina... :s

 

[JMcEntegart]

[citation][nom]stlunatic[/nom]I wonder if solyIt'smnar has a vagina... :s[/citation]

It's not a requirement.

 

[solymnar]

Yeah...sometimes I get a bit long in hopes that it won't be taken the wrong way. Which often fails. But hey, I try.

[citation][nom]stlunatic[/nom]I wonder if solymnar has a vagina... :s[/citation]
Hrm...I think I'm only legally responsible for half of my wife's?

Greedy bastard that I am though I prefer to take advantage of the whole thing.

I can haz...vaginae?

 

[stlunatic]

I can haz...vaginae?

Well that just sums up Dells idea with the new site/brand.

 

[the_one111]

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom] I am not a feminist but I think it's wrong to suggest that women are the only ones with problems understanding tech.[/citation]
Agreed, Dell needs to target the whole of the ignorant masses, not just one gender of them. There are pretty much just as many men that don't know crap about tech as women.

And yes, I am a guy.

 

[goryachev]

[citation][nom]stlunatic[/nom]Did you do the research to claim that the OP claimed that on the general level?[/citation]

I didn't do any research. I just say, that everyone here say, that women probably are not the majority of the users, which don't know how to use computers. You can't claim that.

 

[goryachev]

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]Majorities aside, don't you think that Dell should be catering to everyone?[/citation]
Maybe. Maybe Dell is working on that, we can't know.
I sure agree, that it's a mistake to categorize all the women as interested in callories, yoga, etc.

 

[goryachev]

[citation][nom]keither5150[/nom]@goryachevAre you asking if I keep score of all the dumb questions that I am asked on a daily basis? The answer is no.Call it years of experience dealing with ignorant users. In my office the 3 most hopeless users are men. The 3 most knowledgeable users in my office are also men.At work the women out number the men by about 3/2. I base my statement on 9 years of dealing with over 100 users.Okay, I agree with you that Dell most likely did some research. I simply don't agree with Dells conclusions.[/citation]

I have the most respect for your experience, but you are basing your conclusion on a closed group. In my office all the users are experienced ones (I am a software engineer), and still I can't claim anything about "Software engineers vs. computer usage". Because I personally know a person, which doesn't work with me, he is a software engineer, and besides opening development environment and do the programming, he doesn't know that much about using a computer.

To sum it up, in order to claim something from statistic point of view, the testing group must be chosen with regards to some rules (I don't remember now, it's something I learned a long time ago).

 

[blarneypete]

After reading a gigantic string of comments - nearly half of them by Jane herself - I have to say:

Jane, just let it go. If there are women that will buy a pink dell computer because they want to bliss out, let them. If too few people decide they want that pink computer from the pink website, then Dell will rethink their tactics and make a change.

This has become not much more than a festival of inane remarks from both sides of the issue. Let's be bigger than that, okay?

 

[JMcEntegart]

[citation][nom]blarneypete[/nom]After reading a gigantic string of comments - nearly half of them by Jane herself - I have to say:Jane, just let it go. If there are women that will buy a pink dell computer because they want to bliss out, let them. If too few people decide they want that pink computer from the pink website, then Dell will rethink their tactics and make a change.This has become not much more than a festival of inane remarks from both sides of the issue. Let's be bigger than that, okay?[/citation]

Taking part in the discussions is part of my job, dude. I'm paid to be this small.

 

[michaelahess]

All you GUYS do know that PINK used to be a MALE color right? Grow up and stop bikering about the colors used on the site. I think it's sexest of Dell to do this BTW....

 

[Luscious]

Nice job Jane - you've made my day reading these comments already. Never imagined seeing the word "vagina" come up so many times...

Dirty thoughts aside, this is hilarious!

 

[eklipz330]

[citation][nom]bill gates is your daddy[/nom]Is it going to help them to remember to get in the kitchen and make my dinner?[/citation]

WHY in god's name do you have +20? are there that many single men that hate their x's on toms these days?

and yes its largely inappropriate other than the fact that most women dont give a fuck about technology, and need someone to hold their hand when buying something that uses electricity. If your not liek that, than congratulations, your more like a man. I never said its a bad thing, unless you think being a man is a bad thing. than your the sexist.


^you see what i did there? =]

 

[croc]

"Jane, you ignorant slut."

I've always wanted to use that quote...
Dell is at least trying to 'connect' with the female market. On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give them a 5 for trying, but a 1 for execution. OTOH, their HQ is in Austin, TX... World reknowned for Big Hair, Sexy College Babes, etc. Maybe their test marketing was confined to Austin.

As to why there is no comparable site for guys, have you ever tried to tell a guy how to drive from point A to point B? Doesn't work, right? He still gets lost, right? 'Nuff said.

 

[cyberkuberiah]

[citation][nom]ceteras[/nom]Jane, that vagina should not be the only thing defining you. You also have a Brain, and I hope you enjoy using it!I understand your point of view, but I'd like to see the results of a poll asking women how they feel about that site. I'm sure more than 51% would say they loved it. And this site is for them.I remember selling a pink Dell laptop to a young and very bright female client. She instantly fell in love with the machine, and only after 5 minutes begun asking questions about it's features... So yeah, the color is crucial.Also, men don't need a special site for the uneducated. They ask a friend, or come to Anandtech to read your articles![/citation]

+1 ! for this colours thing . women just prefer pink .

 

[neiroatopelcc]

[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]Taking part in the discussions is part of my job, dude. I'm paid to be this small.[/citation]
And that's why we like you. But perhaps you're defending your opinion a bit too much here. I'm aware of an article for some holliday season a while back, where the author concluded that 'for women' merely meant 'in pink' by most companies definition. Now Dell has proven that they don't just think about the obvious bimbo stuff, but go a bit deeper. That's progress really. Perhaps you even wrote the original article? I don't remember the author.

[citation][nom]Article[/nom]Surely there are men who know very little about computers too, right?[/citation]
Jane I'd expect you to be rather smart, so you should've already figured this out. But there's a very simple set of reasons why a ignorant-men site isn't needed.
1) If men don't know something, they don't wnat to admit it and go to such site.
2) If men don't know something, they'll ask some other male person who they think does. And thus get the needed information discretely.
3) If men acknowledge to not knowing something, the woman in the relationship will automaticly promote themselves to the one in charge, and thus need a site aimed for women. if FemaleKnowledgeLevel >= MaleKnowledgeLevel then Female buys

Now that's generalization, but since nobody can cater to every one of the 5 billion inhabitans individually that is needed to cover a broad base with relative ease.

[citation][nom]cyberkuberiah[/nom]+1 ! for this colours thing . women just prefer pink .[/citation]
Not all women do. However some men do too, but they'll settle for purple to avoid painting an unconfortable target on his forehead.