in brief: company launches epad femme (a tablet for women)

A Middle-Eastern company, Eurostar, has finally filled the technology void that has threatened delicate women for too long. The recently released “ePad Femme” is ‘the world’s first tablet made exclusively for women’. It’s pink, and comes complete with apps for cooking, clothing size conversion, yoga for women, and perfume.

Announced in October 2012, the ePad was promoted in February as a ‘perfect Valentine’s gift’. An article by The Jerusalem Post claimed many ‘wives’ in Dubai were ‘thrilled’ to receive the 8-inch tablet last month. In the article, Mani Nair, the Associate Vice President for Marketing at Eurostar denies any sexist intent behind the tablet’s design.

‘Whether you talk about Google or the Internet, an ocean of information is available,’ he said. ‘Eurostar is now focusing on pre-loaded applications, which makes it easy for the user to buy the gadget and have it ready for use.’

The subtext in this is that apps are too difficult to download, so Eurostar has saved us the trouble by preparing the tablet with things we really need as women – information about dieting and cooking. It’s like the ’50s have appeared through a shiny magic window.

The tablet has earned online attention in the last week. Commentators from Time to America’s ABC News highlighted the dangers of the reductive thought that leads to such products. The 2012 Bic “Pens for Her” debacle was also recalled. The furore over Bic’s incredibly crass decision to make a pen “for women” (it came in pink and purple! YAY!) should have served as a warning to Eurostar, but apparently not. Lindy West from Jezebel aptly described it as ‘like a regular tablet, but more bullshitty.’

The Tablet is Wi-Fi enabled and comes with a USB Cable and an HDMI cable meaning it can be hooked up directly to the television. It has multi-language support including Arabic, English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.

The ePad Femme is for sale in the Middle East and parts of Asia. Women struggling with technology in Australia can turn to the Sony VAIO E Series or the Fujitsu Floral Kiss, which both conveniently come in pink. Because getting a computer to match your nails is really half the battle.

Image Credit