ForeverGeek » user surveys

Do You Read Manuals Before Using Your New Gadgets?

Noemi Twigg — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:26:13 +0000

If the recent survey by Gadget Helpline is to be believed, you will answer no to that question if you are a guy. If you are a woman, then your answer will be yes. BBC ran a story on the survey, which took into account the “gadget habits” of men and women. It brought to mind what happens in my own home.

Hubby tears apart the wrapping of a gift, then carefully opens the box. The gadget will be handled lovingly, plugged in, and then this pensive look appears on his face. Where would I be during all this? You got it – leafing through the thick manual, because I know that at some point, I will be asked a question or two about what to do because something’s not right.

That’s exactly what the survey found out (data courtesy of BBC):

• The service found that 64% of its male callers and 24% of its female callers had not read the instruction manual before ringing up.
• 12% of male and 7% of female customers simply needed to plug in or turn on their appliance.
• Women spent 32% longer on the phone to their helpers than men – but 66% of the helpline staff preferred speaking to them, the survey found.

I could have told you the exact same thing based on observation and experience – minus the figures, of course.

Now you tell me – do you read the manual before you get all frustrated? Do you even KNOW there is a manual included in the box? ;)

Retrevo’s Take On iPhone Users

Noemi Twigg — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:33:20 +0000

Are you crushing on someone who cannot be seen without his (or her) iPhone? Are you looking for ways to get his (or her) attention? Maybe capture his (or her) heart? Well, trust Retrevo to get you where you want to be. They conducted a “Gadgetology study,” where they were able to figure out what goes on in the brains of iPhone users. Here are some of the results to help you score.

Don’t strive too hard for that college degree – iPhone users place more value on the cool gadgets that you own anyway. If you were thinking to impress that guy or girl with a degree with lots of fancy words, chuck the idea. Just work hard to get money saved up to buy yourself a plethora of cool gadgets!

On a similar note, if you have “out-of-date” gadgets, forget your chances with an iPhone owner. The survey found out that one in three iPhone owners find old gadgets a turn off. So make sure you do not bring out that brick of a cell phone in front of them! Then again, perhaps you should just get an iPhone and forget all about everything else.

How’s this for irony: one out of four iPhone owners broke up with their partner for the simple reason that that partner spent too much time on his/her mobile device! I honestly don’t get this. I would have thought that the iPhone user would be spending way too much time on his/her toy as well.

For more of these “facts,” visit the whole article here.