Palm Computing claims that their ad is designed to show the correlation between the sleek lines of the female form and those of its Palm Pilot. If Palm Computing's marketing team were functioning with above average intelligence they might have even suggested that the campaign was also focusing on the need for very little beyond the palm Pilot itself. Hell, if I've got a Palm Pilot I really don't need clothes...I don't need pockets (that's obvious) so why even bother putting pants on. Owen Thomas of suck.com fame, in an editorial appearing in Maxi Magazine, states that he sees these ads as an unwelcome precedent in the male-dominated technology industry.

Owen might want to wake up some time this year or at least attempt to feign consciousness when constructing editorial. I won't disagree with him that the technology market is a male dominated but I am a little curious what his feelings are about soap ads and body lotion ads. Personally, I think the bar soap market is far too male dominated. I am also completely appalled at the use of "pornography" in the bar soap ad campaigns. Should we expect American families to stand by and watch this "filth" day in and day out.

Readers - please note tone of sarcasm above. Also, Id like to mention that this diatribe is in no way a negative statement directed at the marvelous job the folks at Maxi Mag have been doing. If you haven't checked it out before - go ahead. I might also ad that no one ever had to buy any piece of computing equipment, or any product for that matter, if they are offended by the politics involved with its manufacture, production, or sale. I am, this very second, wondering if Owen has purchased any equipment recently from within this male dominated technology market???

Owen Thomas also makes mention in his editorial that there are many similar devices on the market that offer the Windows CE OS and Microsoft has not stooped to sexist practices to sell these products. Hmmmm....given the choice of a naked body in an advertisement - which , by the way, the American public is not completely unfamiliar with even during prime time - or a company claiming to care about its customers, employees, and healthy competition in the free marketplace, all the while stomping all over them (hello Bill, are you there?)...I'll take naked people, thank you.

Maybe there is a solution here for Palm Computing. This I will offer free of charge...Spend the next week putting together the new series of ads and display a naked male figure. This way there can be no more accusations of sexism and the original explanations and reasoning for the campaign can still apply. You may even be able to target an entirely new demographic, bringing yourself away from sales within the male dominated technology market. And as far as Owen Thomas is concerned - Instead of replicating the ads in the pages of your web editorials page, thus disseminating the imagery to which you are so vehemently opposed, why not volunteer to pose for an ad yourself. And remember Owen, if you are naked and all you have is a Palm Pilot, and no pockets to carry it in, and find you need your hands free I can think of lots of places you can stuff it.