Looking at the habits of notebook computer users
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Dec 8, 2006 at 7:28am
Most mobile computers, although portable, are used in only two locations, and are used very differently than desktop computers, according to the “2006 Mobile PC Profile Report” from MetaFacts, a national market research firm focusing exclusively on the technology industries. Most employer-owned mobile computers stay in the workplace, although when mobilized, are often used in hotels, home offices and client locations.
Home-owned mobile personal computers spend more time outside the home than work mobile computers do outside the workplace. Besides various rooms of the home, such as adult bedrooms, living rooms and home offices, home-owned computers are used twice as often as work mobile computers in a school, at the library, in a cybercafé, or at a restaurant.
“Notebook and tablet personal computers are bought for the promise of portability and freedom, yet only get used in a couple types of locations,” says Dan Ness, Principal Analyst at MetaFacts. “Even though mobile personal computers are more powerful and lighter than ever, Americans seek the convenience of always on and always connected. Also, someone you see using a notebook in public is probably using their home, not work, computer.”
Mobile computers also have some surprisingly different uses than desktops, he says. Mobile computers are used three times more often than desktops for online betting, and two times more often to create presentations, write blogs, access community/social networking groups like Friendster or LinkedIn, and watch DVDs. Work mobile computers are more likely to be used for CAD/CAM design. Report results also indicate that mobile computers are used more by the 18-34 group than among the 55-plus group.
“Mobile computers users are highly sought by both online and brick-and-mortar retailers, because they’re more active buyers than desktop users,” says Dan Ness, principal analyst at MetaFacts. “Also, mobile computers users shop at different locations. They’re twice as often as desktop computers users to have recently shopped or purchased in person at an Apple or Sony store, and online from BJ’s, CompUSA, Fry’s Electronics, Apple, Staples, Radio Shack, Office Depot, Borders, Dell, or Costco.”
Other findings in the “Mobile PC Profile Report” involve consumer electronics use. “Mobile PC users enjoy their nomadic lifestyle, being twice as likely as desktop PC users to be using a handheld GPS, Apple iPod, other portable MP3 player or digital camcorder,” says Ness.
Article Information
Comment on this Article Print this Article Email this Article Digg This
Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
