Does it pass the wife check?

The idea of checking with a mate before purchasing a big-ticket item may not be a new idea, but its name, spouse acceptance factor — usually called wife acceptance factor for the greater number of men interested in electronics — is building steam among technology gurus and electronics manufacturers.

DUUUUHHHH! The Chief could have told ’em about this one LONG ago!

Women control 88 percent of electronics purchases, whether they make the purchase or influence what their spouse buys, according to research by the Consumer Electronics Association. Whether an item passes the wife acceptance factor, or WAF, typically depends on price, design and complexity.

Most women like technology, but in a different way that men do, said Michelle Miller, a marketing consultant and partner at Wizard of Ads marketing firm in Scottsdale, Ariz. Men like hearing about a product’s speed, size, strength and accessories from salespeople, Ms. Miller said. “But if you talk about what technology does for [women’s] lives, they love it,” she said, adding that women relate to technology in terms of how it can make their lives better.

That’s making it FAR too complex (even if it is true, in a way). The Chief can summarize it much mores simply: “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”