The Wrinkle Effect: iPads and middle aged Women
She reminded me of an older, modern-day Peggy Olsen. She rode the tram into Melbourne CBD, appropriately dressed for work in her suit skirt, blouse and predictable sneakers in the place of heels awaiting under-the-desk transformation.
But instead of a paperback Stieg Larsson or a Womens Weekly on her lap, she bears a surprising accessory inside her handbag.
She was the first person I saw using an iPad back in June, and I chalked it up to a funny coincidence.
When I went over to America for the holidays, Best Buy was full of the same breed, bombarding tech-savvy salesmen with elementary questions about the definition of 3G and how many photos fit on 16gigs.
Back at my mom’s house, she marveled over my new shiny toy while she read her latest novel on her Kindle for her book club.
Why do they love it so much, I wonder?
Is it because it fits in their purse? Are they trying to fit into this new tech-saavy generation, or is it just because it is pretty?
Radhika Godkhindi, 55, who splits her time between Melbourne and Dubai, loves her ipad. She mentions the portability and user-friendliness (with the exception of the annoying and unreliable predictive text), and sees it as a way to keep up with new technological trends. In the three months that she has had it, she has used it primarily for communication but hopes to get her feet wet with applications soon. “You have to keep up with new technology, if not, you get left behind. I encourage myself to keep up, with the help of more savvy people” she said. She sees the i-pad as perhaps a more female-friendly technology, with men preferring their laptops with their full functionality and file storage.
Kite, salesperson at Dick Smith on Swanston and Bourke streets in Melbourne CBD, says he has seen a trend in i-pad purchases in both middle-aged men and women, and perhaps the difference is the way they are using it. “Women want it as an e-reader that they can use on the go, while men prefer the i-pad for media use at home in a comfy chair.”
It seems the i-pad has already come a long way from the initial frenzy full of 20-something techy trend-setters and gamers. With people of all ages now drinking the apple flavoured kool-aid, will this tech company a la mode continue to keep its cool?
