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Space pen
Need a pen that astrounauts use? Space pens have been around since the US astronauts went moon side. You can use it on wet paper, in freezing temperatures, extreme heat and from any angle. According to the boysstuff blurb "One question we're often asked is 'why can't girls have good gadgets too?'" Who writes this stuff and who answers it?
As we all know by now the key to a good gadget is to obviously make it pink. And in this case, make into a proper girly set by adding a penknife. Inspired... not. £34.95 (Out of curiousity, would you buy a gadget purely because it was pink or do you find it patronising? Leave me a comment...) [Camilla Chafer]
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Posted by Camilla C on March 30, 2006 in Random Stuff, Tools | Permalink
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Comments
I'm less patronised by the pink pen, and more bemused by "why can't girls have good gadgets too?"
What's stopping you, love? Go and buy all the gadgets you like, they're not just for men! My handbag, desk and drawers are testament to that. I even have an ottoman full of dead electronics. Go to it! :D
Posted bySara W | March 30, 2006 11:33 AM
Couldn't agree more, Sara! I personally buy gadgets for what it can do rather than because it's pink although it is nice to have a colour range rather than everything being in standard black or silver.
Posted byCamilla C | March 30, 2006 11:39 AM
I agree with the colour range, it just makes everything more fun! But I'm not really a pink kinda girl, must admit, and to a certain extent, it is annoying, especially since sometimes that'll be the only possible other colour (the whole how do you sell this to women? syndrome)
Posted byMarta | March 30, 2006 1:16 PM
Didn't I read somewhere that the concept of a space pen is redundant. When there's no gravity all pens will work. Did I make that up?
Posted byLouise | March 30, 2006 2:00 PM
Marta - I'm in complete agreement. I do like pink but I don't want to be told that it is what I should like and it's the only colour available to me.
Louise - I'll confess I'm not sure... There was a big thing about why spend so much on the pen technology when the Russians quite happily used a pencil!
Posted byCamilla C | March 30, 2006 2:11 PM
well, if it's a good gadget and it comes in pink, then why not get the pink? but i mean, if the gadget sucks anyway, i wouldn't get it.
I would get a gadget no matter what colour it is. as long as it works, who cares. the pink is just a plus :)
Posted bycat | March 30, 2006 4:10 PM
Oh, that Russian pencil thing is just one of those urban legends. See my old post here:
http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2006/01/swiss_army_spac.html
Posted byKatie | March 30, 2006 5:39 PM
I mean Sara's old post that I tampered with - sorry Sara!
Posted byKatie | March 30, 2006 5:40 PM
I have to say I do find the pink thing a bit patronizing. If they are making it pink to attract the female demographic, I think that's stupid. Believe it or not, we do base our opinions on more than whether it is pink or not! Of course, if they are just expanding their range of colors, then go for it.
I'm not saying I hate pink, it's a good colour, I would just like to think I don't HAVE to like it 'cause I have a vagina.
ps... I used that have one of these pens and *loved* it (mine was silver). Worked beautifully... until I lost it in a movie theatre. :-(
Posted bymuggins | March 30, 2006 5:47 PM
I have to say i find the whole "lets make it pink for girls" issue incredibly patronising. To think that the industry assume our female intelligence is so low that we'd base our purchases purely on the colour. I'm not a hard headed feminist or anything I just don't understand why the female stereotype is still being used by the product design industry to sell to women.
I'm in my final year of a product design degree and I have never designed anything for women that was pink!
Posted bymarycub | March 31, 2006 12:45 PM
Incredibly patronizing. I probably wouldn't buy it simply because it screams to me "All women care about it that it's pink!" Plus, I much prefer pastel blue or purple to hot pink.
Posted byAutumnmist | March 31, 2006 5:54 PM
The way I like to think about it is that all gadgets are open to both sexes. The pink stuff is produced for the remaining women who - for whatever reason - don't like black or brushed aluminium, and wouldn't have bought whatever it is were it not pink.
So they aren't tagetting all women with pink - just the daft ones who can't see a decent toy for what it is... Does that make sense?
Posted bySara W | March 31, 2006 7:37 PM
I have at least two space pens laying about, a black one, and one of the first camouflage pattern ones ever made.
My opinion about gadgets and the colour pink is probably not fit to print, but I can say I prefer gadgets from manufacturers who spend their research effort and money on producing something that functions well and has the features I want.
Brushed aluminum works fine for me, so long as it is real (Apple Powerbook vs. Dell Latitude, for example).
Posted byMarina | April 3, 2006 7:30 PM
I love pink gadgets - but partly because I find the very idea of them so ridiculous. I'm nearly always inordinately amused by them for some reason. It's only when you get things like the pink toolbox where the products are obviously pretty crappy that I start to feel annoyed - and patronised. And also when you get a badly designed or ugly product that they've attempted to spruce up with a pink paint job. That's just so cynical - and rude (what, we're supposed to be fooled by the pink paintwork?)
But I think Sara's right - if you want the plain stuff there's plenty out there for you already, but it's nice to have that extra choice. Personally, I'd prefer more green and red stuff, but I do like the pink gadgets too.
Posted byKatie | April 11, 2006 11:14 AM
It drives me crazy that pink is the only color other than black and silver that's offered. The motorola razor has come out in silver, black, gray and two shades of pink so far. Would it have hurt them to skip the extra pink and put out a nice green or blue? Frankly I'm sick of pink electronics. Yes they are better than black or silver, but if you can make one extra color why not a few more? Pink can be cute, but only until you relieze that every other girl in accounting class has a pink cell as well.
Posted byJill | April 19, 2006 9:53 PM
Camilla.c said-I'll confess I'm not sure... There was a big thing about why spend so much on the pen technology when the Russians quite happily used a pencil!
Using pencial in capsule is very danger which could get fire in atmosphere, please refer to read www.koonysun.com/aviator_pens.htm
Posted byDoris | May 19, 2006 7:18 PM
