Anyone who seriously thinks gender roles have been erased and kids are free to be anything they want doesn't spend much time in toy stores. Oh, sure, maybe things have improved a little, but the Barbie aisle is still a blinding wall of pink while the action figure aisle features a slew of pro wrestlers and comic book superheroes, heavily armed and ready to kick the Dread Butt of Evil. Show me someone who can walk through a Toys 'R' Us and say that the majority of toys aren't rigidly marketed to one gender or the other and we'll show you someone who's either blind, clueless, or lying.

So is it any surprise that when Mattel builds personal computers for children, they produce a Barbie model and a Hot Wheels one? Check it out-- the base units are the same, but the Barbie model is silver with pink flowers, while the Hot Wheels one is blue and yellow, complete with flame detailing. And while the Barbie system comes preloaded with stuff like fashion designer software and a "learn to type" application, the Hot Wheels one includes "Hot Wheels Custom Car Designer." Also, in the photo, it also looks as though the Hot Wheels system comes with a larger, "manlier" monitor-- though that could just be an illusion. Still, as Salon's Janelle Brown notes, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out which of these computers is for boys and which is for girls. Personally, we prefer a nice, gender-neutral iMac (well, okay, Strawberry's a bit "Hello Kitty," but you can buy Lime instead) that will encourage kids to do whatever their hearts desire, without pressuring them about what's expected of them based on the presence or absence of a Y chromosome.

All gender issues aside, though, isn't it interesting that Mattel's decidedly consumer-targeted computers feature lots of curves, bright colors, and a handle? They also apparently lack "legacy" ports and slots in favor of USB. Sound familiar? The new systems aren't exactly up to the iMac's level of tight integration and sleek design, but we have to admit-- the Hot Wheels computer is definitely one of the coolest looking Wintel systems we've ever seen, even though the Compaqesque bulges at the rear of the system mar the overall effect. Still, if we had to use a PC, big yellow flames on the side would make the ordeal less painful.