Dell gets a sex change to Della
By Nicole Kobie in Editorial
Posted in Uncategorized on
Apparently Dell was worried the sheer masculinity of its main retail site was scaring away sensitive female buyers, as the PC firm has created one just for the ladies — and named it Della.
(Does this mean women get to call the firm’s CEO Michelle Della, now? Because I’m going to.)
The unsurprisingly pink microsite (with a very odd logo) is pushing Dell/Della’s netbook lineup. The main page offers no information about the specs of said netbooks, but does push a “stylish sleeve” to help it “match your lifestyle.” Who cares if it works, so long as it matches my shoes, and goes well with a latte, right ladies?
Della’s main sections feature the “products”, as well as recycling tips, a random style journalist (who, among other things, is a columnist at Ty Pennington at Home) and a few “tech tips.”
At the moment, the tech tips tell how modern women like myself could use a netbook as an e-reader (OMG, you can like, read words on them?! I hope they have the Shopaholic series!) and go online to book a vacation (oh I won’t need that, I always get a man to book my trips!).
Dell/a also tells how such technology can be used to find workout advice (thank god for that! I need to lose weight — do you think my MacBook makes my butt look big?) and point out that netbooks are mobile devices, which means you can take them places. Like, around and stuff.
If you think that’s bad — and you should — it used to be worse. The current edition of the tech tips page is actually an edited one. Underneath the heading “five ways to use a netbook”, there’s now a note saying:
Editors Note: Some of you have read this article over the last several days & will notice a few modifications. You spoke, we listened. Thank you for your ongoing feedback.
The previous version of the page, according to the wonderfully sarcastic Register, had two more tips, one of which told us ladies that a netbook can be used to “find recipes online, store and organize them, and watch cooking videos.” Watch. Cooking. Videos. My god, the internet is fabulous! If I’d only known there were cooking videos out there! Because I spend my whole life cooking, and then working out! That’s all I want to do, because I have a uterus. (Edit: Kate wrote in with more details of the deleted garbage here.)
Not that there’s anything wrong with cooking, but does Dell/a have any women who aren’t housewives working for them? Maybe in sales or reception? You know they won’t have any in IT…
Despite the fact that I’m a woman, I do actually know what a netbook is — and I don’t need one to organise my recipes and workouts, thanks. Guess I better buy from someone else, then.
Rated: 80% (8 votes)
Loading ...Comment by - May 14, 2009 on 4:06 pm
Nice to get some coverage from a female tech journalist on this! El Reg was a little too tongue-in-cheek for my tastes. Anyway, my and others’ letters (see http://ktscm.net/della) seems to have got some bits removed, but it is still pretty patronising!
Comment by - May 14, 2009 on 4:12 pm
Nicole, this is what happens when a company runs out of ideas in a commodity market where customer loyalty is defined by discounts and freebies.
Dell is desperate to appeal to anyone with a pulse. Apparently marketing has decided to use the equivalent of a dating site profile that says “wanted, submissive, slim, attractive woman who can cook and clean”. We know how that story ends.
Pingback by - May 14, 2009 on 5:11 pm
[…] (Nicole Kobie, from our sister-site (no pun intended) also has an excellent summary of the Della fiasco) […]
Comment by ITGirl - May 19, 2009 on 1:35 am
I liked most of this article, except for the snark at the end that “you know they won’t have any in IT”. As if it’s somehow Dell’s fault that there aren’t more female technologists out there.
As a female technologist, I can tell you that many tech-oriented companies are screaming to hire technical women, but there just aren’t that many of us available. Far too many women go into reception or PR, and more go into management. The reasons for this are many and varied, but at least in the company I work with (as one of a dozen female employees), I can personally vouch for the fact that there are far fewer skilled women than men. This needs to change, obviously, but it isn’t Dell’s fault.
Comment by keynet - June 25, 2009 on 9:09 am
Don’t forget:
a) Dell is based in Texas
b) There’s been a steady diet of “Mad Men” on TV of late.
‘nuf said.
Comment by Gridlock - July 30, 2009 on 12:08 pm
My wife uses her netbook in the kitchen all the time. And she does about 12 times more online shopping/research than I do.
Are you arguing that the kind of woman (non-tech savvy, maybe a housemaker) doesn’t exist, or that Dell shouldn’t try to market to them?
I don’t see them banning you from their original website?
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