When it comes to high-tech gadgets, there are two kinds of women: Those who not only drool over the newest handheld computer and compact wireless phone, but also go out and buy them. And then there are those who wouldn’t be caught with anything resembling a Palm-Pilot, even if it cooked dinner, programmed a VCR and organized closets with the push of a single button. Talk about a digital divide.
If you line up on the side that loves gadgets, though, stick around, because the choices are multiplying and improving with age.
The big names in electronics–Casio, Sharp, Nokia, Canon, Motorola, Epson, Kodak, Audiovox–are unleashing a constant stream of products designed to grab your attention-and, yes, your money. Most of these devices don’t come cheap. Even on the low end, prices start at around $100. But right now, with the economy going strong and the gadgets so cool, sleek and portable, you don’t hear too many people crying about price.
The latest incarnations of personal tech gadgets–handheld computers, personal organizers, wireless phones, digital sound players (or MP3 players), digital cameras, mobile navigational units, two-way pagers–are not only aesthetic eye-catchers (and conversation pieces), many are designed to take advantage of an expanding galaxy of Internet-based technologies.
The beauty of all this? Gadgets can give you immediate gratification. Why go home or to the office to check your e-mail? Why stop at the service station to ask directions? Why wait to have your film developed?
If you’re the kind of woman who loves gadgets, you won’t.
