This paper presents the results of a study on students' appreciation of information and communication technology (ICT) applications in schools for general secondary education. We investigate to what extent students from different gender and ethnic backgrounds appreciate various characteristics of ICT tools. The research question is, "How are students' characteristics related to their appreciation of ICT tools in secondary education?" A survey was conducted on 495 students from schools in the Netherlands. A questionnaire was developed based on the literature on cultural sensitivity and gender-inclusiveness in educational software. The results of the study firstly show that the questionnaire is an appropriate instrument for distinguishing between tools which are positively and negatively evaluated by different groups of students. Secondly, regarding group differences, the results show that girls appreciate applications that deal with an interesting subject, are easy to work with and provide good support. Different appreciations between students from different origins were found in regard to language achievements and ICT skills. The results are discussed, as well as the possible educational implications for the design and selection of ICT tools. (Contains 6 tables and 1 note.)