Are gadget makers such as PalmOne and Apple turning a blind eye on elderly people and in general on people with disabilities? You don't have to be old to find it a struggle to read the tiny type on your iPod, PDA or cell phone, but aging doesn't help matters.
Today I stumbled over the
following article from Marketwatch analyzing the situation:
Quote:
As much of today's advertising makes clear, product makers are intent on getting young, tech-savvy trendsetters to buy their goods.
That may be a mistake, given that the 50-plus market controls as much as $750 billion to $2 trillion in discretionary income, according to market researcher Brent Green, author of "Marketing to Leading-Edge Baby Boomers."
"Companies are doing themselves a disservice if they don't go after" older Americans, said Danielle Levitas, a senior analyst with IDC, a technology-research firm in Framingham, Mass. "It's a demographic with disposable income and ... it's ripe for the opportunity.
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PalmOne is taking notice:
Quote:
When surveying its customers, PalmOne found about one-third of those over age 50 are new adopters of handhelds and smart phones.
"They are for the first time purchasing these handhelds and smart phones, which makes a lot of sense as technology is becoming more and more a part of our lives," said Rose Rodd, director of product line marketing at PalmOne.
PalmOne (PLMO: news, chart, profile) is responding by making easy-to-read screens and products that are simple to use out of the box, she said.
PalmOne handhelds come with a "setup poster with just three steps, large type, large pictures, very simple language," she said.
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