For every gadget there's a guy who needs it
Gaurav Kanchan wants a Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3). He owns a Sony PlayStation 2 but wants the next generation gaming console because his friends have told him that the graphics on the PS3 are 'awesome'.
Ben Thomas, on the other hand, wants to get himself a PlayStation portable Slim and Lite. He already owns a Playstation3. Ben is a twenty-something public relations manager and he's British. Gaurav, an 11-year old sixth grader, is Indian.
Ali Khan, a 33-year old media professional, however, prefers the XBox 360 Ultimate. "This is an amazing console equipped with the PowerPC processor and dedicated graphics from ATI. It plays games such as Halo 3, Gears of War and my favourite First Person Shooter games.
"If you slot in Forza Motorsport, you can also burn rubber on all your favourite tracks in a Honda NSX. It also has a hard disk capacity of 120GB to save your games and download entertainment content from Microsoft. This is one must-have for any serious gamer."
Their lists don't stop at gaming consoles. Kanchan wants the Motorola Rockr E6 and a Hummer when he turns 18.
Thomas wants to get an Audi TT R8, a Nikon D40 Digital SLR Camera, a Logitech Di Novo Edge keyboard (to go with his PS3), and the iPhone, not necessarily in that order. Khan wants a Panasonic Lumix DMC L1 digital SLR camera.
"It has a retro look and takes great pictures. I also want the iTouch, which has a revolutionary multi-touch interface and 3.5-inch wide screen display."
The similarity in their tastes (cars, cameras and electronic gadgets) is not uncommon, and has more to do with their gender than it does with their age or cultural backgrounds.
Research has proved that even as children, boys love cars, sports equipment, electronic gadgets and action figures. Girls prefer dolls, jewellery and books. And that's just the way it is, or so it seems to Kanchan, who says that girls his age love Barbie dolls and are not interested in football and other sports.
Major influences
Niloy Nag, a marketing manager in the telecommunication sector, feels that this happens because a person's upbringing and socialisation shapes their needs and wants to a great extent.
"As little boys, you rough it out on the football field and play with toy cars and guns, tool sets and robots, whereas girls are expected to play with dolls and soft toys. In addition, people around you also act as influencers," he says.
Nag's next purchase, he says, will be a digital SLR despite his love for his trusty Nikon F-55 SLR camera.
Thomas says that 'gadget envy' has also motivated many a hi-tech gizmo purchase.
"While buying lunch recently, I stopped and just stared at another man's iPhone. In my opinion, gadget envy and competition are now a way of life with men desperately trying to outdo each other with the latest phones, entertainment systems, the biggest TV and the flashiest car (especially in the UAE)," says Thomas.
However, regardless of this trend, men have a penchant for certain products, and high-tech mobile phones are one of them, especially for executives and businessmen.
Rizwan Sajan, Chairman of Danube, a UAE-based construction material supplier, says, "My favourite electronic gadget - which I can't do without even for a minute - is my Nokia 9500. I change my phone every year, but I buy the same model.
"I love this phone because it makes conducting business easier. I can receive emails/faxes, send an sms, store data and stay connected with my business wherever I go. I will be very happy to get an upgraded version of my Nokia 9500 because my current phone often hangs due to excessive use and overloading of files."
Ivan Ducournau, HP's Middle East PSG Category Manager for business notebooks and handhelds, says that the acceptance of electronic gadgets from professional consumers or 'pro-sumers' depends on four criteria.
"First, we are always looking for more power, resolution, graphics and more performance. Then, we need innovative features that make our lives simpler such as voice commands for example. The third criterion is reliability. We seek more robust products that lag less, freeze less and fail less. Finally, we want more while not compromising on the ease of use."
Ducournau's favourite hi-tech communication device is the HP iPAQ 514 voice messenger.
"I love it because it offers me everything I need from a GSM-based device along with innovative features. It is light at 102 grams, and offers me a long battery life - up to 6.5 hours talk time.
"Its full connectivity allows me to connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi spots when travelling and use any type of Bluetooth accessory.
"GPRS and push email give me the possibility to carry my inbox with me wherever I go. The HP iPAQ 514 voice messenger, in fact, is my phone, my 'pocket secretary,' my mobile gateway to the Internet and my mailbox."
Most coveted
The trendy iPhone is also catching on in popularity. Simeon Miranda, a graphic designer, loves his 'unofficial' eight-gigabyte Apple iPhone.
"With this model, Apple has set a benchmark yet again in creating a super multimedia gadget. It's the most 'fun' handheld device I've ever owned. It has a great browsing interface that makes you want to tinker with it all the time. It's almost addictive."
Laptops also make the list of 'must-haves'. Saif Ahmad Belhasa, Chairman of Saif Belhasa Group of Companies, says his favourite gadget is Dialogue Technology Corp's Flybook. "I love it because it accommodates all the latest technology including mobile calls with Mnet and GPRS," he says.
Khan says that he wants the Macbook Pro. "I love it because it has the Leopard operating system, and is capable of running Vista - the two most user-friendly operating systems. The laptop is enclosed in an aluminium chassis, and is one of the sleekest in the market.
"It runs on the fastest Intel Core 2 Duo processors with a dedicated nVidia graphics processor, a double layer super drive and is Wi-Fi ready for people who want to get online on the go."
Entertainment systems and high definition TVs are also quite a hit with men. Ducournau, for instance, plans to buy himself an HD DVD/ Blu-Ray reader in order to fully exploit the resolution of his high definition television.
"In terms of technology, I am eager to see the rise of the wireless power transfer technology. Imagine a future where wireless power transfer is feasible.
"We would no more need power cables to recharge our phones, notebooks, electronic gadgets in general and at last have the chance to set up a home theatre in our living room without wondering about where the power plug is situated. This future is closer than we think; just recently, a team at the Masschusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated wireless power transfer," he says.
Ducournau's excitement is just as infectious as is Thomas' glee at having got himself a big HD TV (32-inch R Series Samsung with 5.1 surround sound) when he moved into a new flat recently.
"We didn't have a sofa or a bed, but as long as we had a really cool TV we knew we would be fine.
"I love it because I can hook my PlayStation 3 up to it and can watch awesome high definition movies, play all my music through it and use it to go online." Nag, like the other men, is also partial to his Harman/Kardon home theatre system.
Not everyone, however, craves just hi-tech gadgets, some men love cars. Sunil Almeida, an IT professional, says, "Despite the fact that I am surrounded by the latest technologies and gadgets at work. I consider myself a low-tech guy with little interest in gadgets and gizmos.
"I don't fancy the latest mobiles, mp3 players or high-end sound systems. In fact, the only gadget I have is a standard-issue BlackBerry, which I have to carry to work. My dream machine, though, is a supercharged Range Rover Sport.
"I am a big Range Rover fan - I find them powerful, sleek and classy. They are one of the best SUVs around." Miranda, on the other hand, wants a sports bike.
"I want the Suzuki GSX-R750 - a light-handling, well balanced head turner with 600cc of torque. I've ridden the Suzuki GSX-600 (2003 model), and it was a mind-blowing experience. So I am looking forward to seeing what the Japanese have come up with in the GSX-R750."
The adrenaline rush that comes with driving a powerful bike or car can be exhilarating and is strong enough to motivate men to go out and get something just because they fancy it. But is it practical?
While some of these gizmos are bought for the sheer love of the experience or pride of ownership, some of these gadgets can also be categorised as need-based - or so men claim.
Thomas gives us his version on that issue: "Men get obsessed by things they think they need - things that claim to make their lives easier. It boils down to two questions: Do I need that? (If the answer is yes, then buy it), or do I really want it (even though I have no real need for it)?
"If the answer is yes - you wait till you can't bear to live without it and then buy it and live off the adrenaline for a few hours or days or until your interest cools."
