Reviewers are weighing in on the newest external hard drive – the just released Verbatim InSight portable USB drive. With two models sporting capacities of 300 gigabytes and 500 gigabytes for under $200, the drive is relatively competitive. At approximately six inches by three and a half inches, and weighing around six ounces, it’s also very portable. An even more useful feature is a display window that shows the remaining free space. Plus it comes with BackItUp software. And anyone who’s ever experienced a computer crash knows the value of this software.
For now, the Verbatim people thought it would be a nice thing to highlight the sleek, piano black exterior of this gadget. No word on whether a pink version is on the way. This brings to mind another big discussion about making products specifically for women. Some companies think that women, who account for around 40 percent of consumer electronics spending, will be more likely to purchase technology if it’s pink. Or heart-shaped. Or if it has Swarovski crystals.
A company called ChicBuds, a woman-owned marketing firm has a line earphones with Swarovski crystals. It also has a “pinktooth” version of the Bluetooth wireless headset. Perhaps someone is also considering a “Yellowtooth,” version for transgender users. Though yellow and tooth don’t really have a pleasant connotation.
Meanwhile, it’s barely a year since Verbatim released its 160 gig portable hard drive which received good reviews. Now with this new drive it shows a commitment to continuous improvement and competition in the marketplace. And really, it would seem that what women really want from their technology is performance first and if a few candy-colored computers come along – why not?
