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Updated statement from MetaFacts
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Our following press release generated a lot of
interest and some surprise,
curiosity, and headscratching in the Apple community.
MetaFacts does not intend to cause
confusion, but instead strives to serve as an independent reality check.
We know that percentages can be reported in
many ways, as % of households, % of computers, % of users, % of recently
sold computers, and so on. They're all valid measures, but just measures of
different things.
Specifically, installed
base percentages are very different than recent purchase percentages.
- The installed base is what's in actual
use and may have been bought at any time. Also, many computers in the
installed base were acquired used or received as a gift. These represent
history up through the recent past. This is a snapshot measurement at a
particular point in time.
- Recent Purchases only reflect a small
portion of the installed base. These give some indication of the future.
- Recent Sales are another measure, such
as those sold through retail outlets or sold online. These, too,
represent only part of the true total marketplace.
- A Primary Home Computer is the one used most often. Many
homes have more than one home computer.
The following press release focused on one aspect that ordinarily
doesn't come to light. MetaFacts released information about the installed
base of computers, and split these out by the brand of the primary
home computer. Households with Apple as their primary home computer
aren't the same households as those that have a Windows PC as well as an
Apple computer. As has been the case for several years, Apple notebooks have
made inroads into many homes that already have Windows computers. Take the
example of a student who has an Apple Notebook in a home where his parents
each have their own HP computer: in this case, if the respondent is one of
the parents, they will report survey results about their own computer, which
in this example might be an HP desktop.
Oftentimes, the kind of market research that gets reported publicly is
about Recent Purchases or Recent Sales, because those give a
hint about the future. They also let companies like Apple know how well
their advertising is working to attract their target audience. However,
these are not the same measure as Installed Base. They're just
different statistics, sort of like comparing inches to kilograms.
Sometimes, too, there are surveys done of groups of enthusiasts, such
as readers of a certain magazines, blogs,
or that attend certain conferences. These survey
results, as valid as they probably are, represent whoever was surveyed, and
likely don't represent every single Apple user.
The Technology User Profile survey has been conducted since 1983. For
most of the last two decades, Apple has commanded the strongest brand
loyalty of any computer company. Consequently, it shouldn't be a surprise
that many of Apple's most loyal customers have also aged during those years.
Indeed, it is good news for Apple that they can attract young new buyers
while still holding on to its long-loyal customer base. Perhaps the biggest
question might be about that group in the middle. One of Apple's future
challenges will be to hold on to their younger customers of today as those
customers themselves age and grow.
We invite anyone with
interest in a more detailed Apples to Apples comparison (sorry for the pun,
we couldn't resist) to send a request so
we can provide further details. Just
send a request or visit this page in the near future.
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Original Press Release Follows
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November 29, 2006
08:30
AM US Pacific Timezone
Mobile Computers on the Increase in US Homes,
According to MetaFacts 2006 Home PC Brand Profile Report
Comparing Installed Bases of Major PC Brands Yields Interesting
Results - Half of Apple Home Users Now Notebooks, While Dell is Nearing the
Half-Way Mark
| ENCINITAS,
Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Homes are embracing notebook
computers, with nearly 52 million as the home’s primary
computers, according to analysis released in the 2006 Home
PC Brand Profile Report from MetaFacts, Inc. These 51.8
million notebooks are 30.2% of US primary home computers.
Not all brands are equal when it comes to mobilizing their
customers. In Apple households, over half (52%) of the
personal computers are notebooks. In HP/Compaq households,
just under one in six (16.1%) are notebook computers, while
46.1% of Dell PCs at home are notebooks. Dell continues to
lead in sheer numbers with just over 24 million Dell
notebooks in U.S. households, a 46.1% share of the home
notebook PC market. The Home PC Brand Profile Report is
one of a series of summary reports on specific topics based
on the results of MetaFacts’ 2006 Technology User Profile (TUP)
study, which reveal the changing patterns of technology
adoption and use in American households and businesses. The
Home PC Brand Profile Report includes findings on PC types
in homes, year purchased, age/gender of users, where home
computers are used (respondents reported using them outside
the home from cybercafés to copy shops), PC activities,
Internet use, shopping and buying behavior, purchasing
channels, printer use and more. The results are reported for
all home PCs users in total, as well as separately by major
PC brand (Apple, Dell, Gateway/eMachines, HP/Compaq, and
other brands).
Newer computer models are now in almost half of homes,
with 49.3% purchased since 2004. More than two-thirds of
Apple and half of Dell and HP/Compaq primary home computers
are less than 2 ½ years old. “A substantial number of home
computers are considered new enough that it's likely to
cause resistance for home consumers to replace their PCs,”
said Dan Ness, principal at MetaFacts. “This will have
implications for releases of new applications and operating
systems like Microsoft Vista.”
Among other findings in the Home PC Brand Profile Report
are age and gender of home PC users. Nearly half (46%) of
Apple's base is age 55 and older, almost double the share of
average home PC users (25.2%). “Apple can claim long-time
loyalists, but its future among the young technoliterati is
an interesting dynamic,” said Ness. “Gateway has the lead
among the 18-24 year olds,” he continued, “with a
higher-than-average share of US home’s primary PC users
falling into this age group.”
In addition to the Home PC Brand Profile Report,
MetaFacts has recently produced the Workplace PC Brand
Profile Report, which focuses on PCs used in the Workplace,
and the Mobile PC Profile Report, which profiles notebook
and tablet PC use.
TUP Profile Reports are one distribution format of TUP
findings, offering the benefit of a research study focusing
on a specific market segment or technology, with impactful
analysis tapping into the nationally-representative surveys
in each TUP Full Edition. Companies can also subscribe to
the TUP Full Edition to receive complete survey results.
Those new to the information provided in TUP can sign up at
www.metafacts.com for complimentary TUPdates, which give
insights on topics and findings in the full Technology User
Profile. Finally, companies who need to delve further into
findings can engage MetaFacts for a TUP Custom Re-Contact
Study that further probes TUP respondents on issues relative
to their specific industry, markets, and products.
About MetaFacts
MetaFacts, Inc. is a national market research firm
focusing exclusively on the technology industries.
MetaFacts' Technology User Profile survey is the
longest-running, largest, and most comprehensive study of
its kind, conducted continuously since 1983. The detailed
results are widely recognized as a primary marketing
resource for Fortune 1000 companies providing
consumer-oriented technology products and services, such as
PCs, printers, mobile devices, and related services and
products. For more information, contact MetaFacts at
1-760-635-4300, sales@metafacts.com, or
www.metafacts.com. |
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Contacts: |
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MetaFacts Inc., Encinitas
Dan Ness, 760/635-4306 or
760/635-4300
760/635-4303 (fax)
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See Also: Available Resources |
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