Busiest PC Users Are Single Young Males

The Busiest PC Users Are Busy Juggling Devices, Not Focusing

A MetaFacts TUPdate by Dan Ness, Principal Analyst

The busiest PC users are not only busy in hours; they spend a lot of time moving from one PC to another and also between other devices.

This is important because for years, various pundits have foreseen the widespread abandonment of PCs for smartphones, tablets, or other emerging devices. In fact, just the opposite is happening.

Averaging 2.9 PCs, more of the busiest PC users use Home PCs, Work PCs, and Shared/Public PCs than less-active users. Their Desktop usage rate shows this is the main type of PCs used, similar to less-busy users. Their use of Notebook PCs is higher than among other users, although still behind Desktop use.

Almost nine out of ten (86%) of the busiest PC users use two or more PCs, and over half (54%) use three or more PCs.

For this analysis, MetaFacts identifies the busiest PC users as those who spend 60 or more hours per week across all the PCs they use within a 90 day period. This hyperactive group numbers 33.5 million adults, for almost one in five (19%) of online adults.

Why is this important?

Popular media and many recent product launches might leave the impression that PCs have been replaced by smartphones, tablets, and netbooks. However, media attention changes faster than actual usage.

It’s unlikely the busiest PC users will give up their PCs for Smartphones anytime soon. Even the busiest PC users who have Smartphones use their PCs for more activities than the busiest users with basic mobile phones.

While communication activities might seem like the most natural challenger in a one-device scenario, in fact communication PC activities are the second-highest category of activities for the busiest PC users.

The busiest PC users are also the most active with their mobile phones – both Smartphones and Basic Mobile Phones. A higher share of the busiest PC users use their phones for text messaging, email, calendars, playing games, and web browsing than other PC users.

That the busiest PC users are accumulators of multiple devices is probably helped by their physical demographic – young and male. Also, marital status is correlated, although we wouldn’t go so far as to say there is a causal link in either direction. Over four in ten (41%) of the busiest PC users are single, versus 30% of the least-busy PC users.

It’s also telling by what the busiest PC users don’t do – watch much TV. Three in four (75%) of the busiest PC users say they use their PC more than watching TV versus 41% of the least busy. Fun is a key motivation, where 72% of the busiest say they keep finding new ways to use the Internet for fun vs. 42% of the least-busy.

The above analysis is based on people who use PCs to go online, which is the majority. Looking a little more deeply into the possibility of a sizable market being missed, our 1st phase offline survey helped us determine that 14.9% of adults use a mobile phone and do not actively use a PC to go online. While this mobile-phone-only segment has grown, most growth has come from the fully-offline segment. The 5.5% of adults who do not use a mobile phone or online PC at all are slowly shrinking, particularly as handset prices drop and carriers offer prepaid plans.

For the next five years, MetaFacts expects the busiest technology accumulators to continue to use multiple PCs in addition to mobile phones and other devices, and not to fully quit PC use. Since nearly half (46%) of the busiest users have used a PC for 13 or more years, versus the one-third (34%) of the least-busy who are similarly experienced, they are likely to master cloud-based storage and synchronization services to keep their content accessible as they traverse between their various platforms. In this multi-screen world, developers and services will need to support a wide variety of platforms, many of which may not be the newest technology or operating systems.

Looking ahead, the busiest users will likely be noticed by how aptly they can juggle their various and many devices.

Source

The findings in this TUPdate are drawn from the MetaFacts Technology User Profile Survey. In each wave of Technology User Profile, we survey a representative sample of respondents about their use of mobile phones, computers, technology attitudes, and many other consumer electronics products and services, behavioral and socioeconomic factors. Current TUP subscribers can access and drill down more deeply into this phenomenon using TUP Interactive Access or with their datasets.

We began the above analysis by first looking at the answers from nearly 10,000 respondents in the Technology User Profile service and then drilled down further into their profiles to get a more complete picture.

To see other research coverage of Internet products and activities – from smartphones to feature phones, desktops to notebooks, social networking, demographics, and attitudes – see the many other questions TUP answers on www.technologyuser.com. Tech market research professionals can license direct access to TUP.

About TUPdates

MetaFacts releases ongoing syndicated original research on the market shifts, trends and consumer profiles for Smartphones, Netbooks, Mobile PCs, Workplace PCs, Home PCs, Web Creators, Broadband, and many other technology products and services. These TUPdates are short analytical articles in a series of specific topics utilizing the Technology User Profile Annual Edition study, which reveals the changing patterns of technology adoption around the world. Interested technology professionals can sign up at www.metafacts.com for complimentary TUPdates – periodic snapshots of technology markets.

About MetaFacts

MetaFacts helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers. MetaFacts’ Technology User Profile (TUP) survey is the longest-running, large-scale comprehensive study of its kind, conducted continuously since 1983, the year before Apple released the Apple Macintosh. The detailed results are a primary market sizing and segmentation resource for leading companies providing consumer-oriented technology products and services, such as PCs, printers, software applications, peripherals, consumer electronics, mobile computing, and related services and products. TUP analyzes key trends and the data-rich source can be dived into more deeply for custom analysis. For more information about the syndicated research service, analysis tools, publications and datasets, contact MetaFacts at 1-760-635-4300.

A MetaFacts TUPdate by Dan Ness, Principal Analyst

Ink refill usage is substantial, especially among some leading-edge market segments.

There’s an old marketing adage about giving away the razor to make it up selling razor blades. In the PC printer business, printer ink pays a lot of the bills, yet is increasingly at risk.

In our most recent wave of Technology User Profile, American adults told us they continue to prefer original ink versus compatible or refilled cartridges. However, the ink loyalty rate varies by PC printer brand and market segment. One bellwether segment is decidedly using refills or sharing photos online.

We started this analysis by first looking at the answers from 8,175 U.S. respondents in the Technology User Profile service and then drilled down further into their profiles including factors such as their printer brand, type of ink used, years of PC experience, and age. We also compared usage from our prior waves, including results from our identical surveys across nine other countries.

In U.S. homes, original is strongest. Kodak & Lexmark have the highest ink loyalty, at 81% and 79%, respectively. Eight in ten adults who use these PC printer brands as their primary printer used an original ink cartridge by the same manufacturer as the printer.

Ink Type by Printer Brand

HP’s ink loyalty rate is not the strongest, with HP ranked third. HP is maintaining its strength: its ink loyalty rate at 73% is slightly up from 70% the prior year.

These high ink loyalty rates may be satisfactory enough for some printer manufacturers, yet as consumers change their printing behaviors, and even non-printing behaviors, these rates are likely to change as well.

Use of refilled ink is highest for Dell and Brother, both with 27% of adult printer users. Due to HP’s dominant market share, the number of users of refills for HP printers is almost equal to users of refills for all other brands combined.

The refilled market is broad and diverse, so unlikely to change overnight. It it served by a diverse group – spanning drug stores such as Walgreens, franchises like Cartridge World, to a small army of entrepreneurs and do-it-yourselfers with pliers and squeeze bottles.

Direct competition is strong, although compatible inks trail refills as the least-preferred option across most brands. Use of competitive compatible inks is highest for Epson and Brother, at 19% and 18%, respectively.

Compared with many other developed countries, the U.S. has some of the most ink-loyal consumers. Our prior wave of Technology User Profile across key countries revealed that ink loyalty rates are strongest in Japan and the US and weakest in Germany and the UK, and that use of refills is highest in South Korea and Germany.

Home Photo Printing - Ink & Options

Looking ahead, the ink business continues to face challenges both from within the printer and ink industry as well as from substitutes.

Printer manufacturers hoping to reclaim refill customers face an uphill battle beyond pricing, since a higher rate of refill users share photos online and a lower rate print photos. Adults who use refills have higher rates of using online photo-sharing services, sharing images across a social network, sharing on their own websites or blogs, and sharing folders online through a cloud storage service. They are an attractive segment, though, because when they print, they print at higher volumes.

To the extent that younger users are bellwether of future buyers, it’s important to note that younger adults use refills at a higher rate than older adults.

Looking further ahead, increased online collaboration is expected to continue the erosion of home-printing photos. Of the 70.9 million adults with a home printer which they don’t use to print photos, most of their sharing is done online. The greatest upside is likely to come from the broad general increase in images from user’s own smartphones, feature phones and cameras, as well as the many photos they receive online from friends and others.

Source

The results in this TUPdate are drawn from the MetaFacts Technology User Profile Survey. Results specific to this topic can be obtained through a customized report and analysis. The MetaFacts Technology User Profile Overview Edition report is available immediately on www.metafactsstore.com, which covers the broader range of key trends. View findings in 25 pages of executive summary analysis, 200+ pages of charts and graphs, all supported by 95+ pages of detailed tables. The complete, 300+ page report is delivered to you electronically. This edition is for the U.S. based on the 2010 wave of Technology User Profile gathered among a scrupulously selected set of representative respondents, surveyed both online and offline.

To see other research coverage of Internet products and activities – from smartphones to feature phones, desktops to notebooks, social networking, demographics, and attitudes – see the many other questions TUP answers on www.technologyuser.com. Tech market research professionals who want a solid resource they can use immediately after industry events such as mergers, or even use prior to anticipated events, can license direct access to TUP.

About TUPdates

MetaFacts releases ongoing research on the market shifts and profiles for Smartphones, Netbooks, Mobile PCs, Workplace PCs, Home PCs, Web Creators, Broadband, and many other technology industry trends and facts. These TUPdates are short analytical articles in a series of specific topics utilizing the Technology User Profile Annual Edition study, which reveals the changing patterns of technology adoption around the world. Interested technology professionals can sign up at www.metafacts.com for complimentary TUPdates – periodic snapshots of technology markets.

About MetaFacts

MetaFacts, Inc. is a market research firm focusing exclusively on the technology industries. MetaFacts’ Technology User Profile (TUP) survey is the longest-running, large-scale comprehensive study of its kind, conducted continuously since 1983, the year before Apple released the Apple Macintosh. The detailed results are a primary market sizing and segmentation resource for leading companies providing consumer-oriented technology products and services, such as PCs, printers, software applications, peripherals, consumer electronics, mobile computing, and related services and products. TUP analyzes key trends and the data-rich source can be dived into more deeply for custom analysis. For more information about the syndicated research service, analysis tools, publications and datasets, contact MetaFacts at 1-760-635-4300.

Extensive solid information about multi-platform usage shifts–who accesses what technology, and where and how they do it–is available in TUP – Technology User Profile.

As consumers’ options for communication, entertainment, and organization grow, one thing seems to stay the same:  change. The more choices that choosy consumers have, the more choices they want, and if they can get it all in one package–even better. But that may not mean that smartphones are replacing PCs–when you can have all the options in one place, certain consumers prefer a few devices to choose between.

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to the multi-platform reality. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece, since it provides dynamic data to answer the following key questions, as well as many others.

• Is the smartphone killing PC shopping?
• Which segments are keeping their files, calendars, or other information synchronized or backed up online?
• How are users communicating, given all their communication options?
• Primacy – what is the center of the user’s world? Their home PC, work PC, mobile phone? Is it one device or many?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?
• Are PC users primarily accessing the Internet at home, in the workplace, using friends or neighbor’s computers, or in public places such as libraries or cybercafés? Which users use other’s PCs and which have many to choose from? Are smartphones or netbooks changing this?
• What is the mix of communication products and services – landline, wireless, email, IM, etc. – by segment?
• Who is videoconferencing, and using which platform?
• Which segments are the most music-intensive? What is the overlap of music-centered products and services by segment?
• To what extent does game-playing drive online usage specifically and tech usage overall?
• How many and which segments are watching and renting movies on which platforms?
• Netbooks – how soon and with which market segments?
• Multitasking – who’s using lots of devices for lots of apps, few devices many apps, etc.?
• What is the impact on privacy in use of social networking?
• Who is using mobile payments?
• How have PC/Online & Mobile Phone activities changed? How might this affect apps?
• Do game players bring their gaming with them into the workplace? To what extent? Which market segment does this the most?
• Who are the true early adopters and laggards? How does this vary by actual usage of specific products and technologies?
• Which smartphone OS is leading, and with which market segments?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• What do most people do with their mobile phone as compared to their PC? Which align with which platforms?
• What do users sync or store in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• When do you grow up and give up on your Apple? When do get one again, if you do?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• Netbooks – are they replacing notebooks? Stalling smartphones? Withering?
• Which segments are using which devices & carriers? For which activities?
• Age-related market adoption – which products and services are age-skewed? Which are skewed toward older rather than younger users?
• Who is buying the highest-end PCs? Are there brand differences? What else do users buy and what else do they use?
• What other activities are just outside the box for gamers? Online dating? Social Networking? Music? Movies? Entertainment in general?
• Most-mobile customers – where do they go and what do they do?
• iPhone users – who are they really? How do they compare with Android, Windows, and Blackberry users?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many?
• Which devices and services, and among which segments?
• What types and combinations of consumer electronics are homes using and planning to use?
• In reality, how deeply has the Apple iPod penetrated the market, and into which market segments?
• How many people use calendars on their PC, their mobile phone, or both? Which types of people are these?
• How are smartphones challenging mobile PCs? Which market segments are coalescing around which platforms?
• Is email being replaced by alternatives such as social networking, texting, or IM?
• How prominent is Home PC renting versus outright purchase?
• Have game-players been the first to adopt new products such as the Apple iPhone? Or, are they generally later adopters?
• Is it really one to a customer? How often are PCs shared? Which market segments use more than one PC?
• What are the overall future trends for the Internet?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• Which operating systems dominate within which segments?
• How much of the game-playing population is older versus younger?
• Special printer paper? Who uses it and what for? Is it only photos, or something else?
• How are users incorporating digital images, through the use of digital cameras, scanners, downloading images, as well as how are they producing output?
• What makes a smartphone a smartphone in the consumer’s eyes? How does usage compare to basic mobile phones? What are the user segments?
• Which market segments are dating online? What else do they frequently do online?
• What about the anti-social – those that aren’t in an online social network? Who are they?
• How does the life and lifespan of a PC vary by form factor? Does it vary by brand? By user segment?
• How prominent is printing images from mobile phones?
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• Which segments are utilizing the cloud? For which activities?
• Navigation, online maps, location-based mobile phone services, and GPS – who’s getting directions?
• Are mobile computers used longer or shorter than desktops? If so, what’s the difference, and who uses them longest?
• What are consumers planning to buy? (in consumer electronics, connected home, computers, Internet, etc.)
• How much is assisted navigation part of life – and on which platform?
• Do users find their PCs to be more useful or less useful? Which users are the most practically-oriented?
• How tech-experienced are game-players?
• Which market segments are renting movies? Are they renting DVDs at a retailer, by mail, or at a kiosk? Do they watch them online?
• What happens to old PCs? Are they dumped? Recycled? Sold? Which segments dispose in which way?
• What are the major activities that people do with their printers?
• What is the tech-owning profile of active gamers? High-bandwidth or dial-up? Many consumer electronics entertainment products or focused on gaming? Many computers or few? How does this vary by segment?
• How rich is the user’s printing experience? Do they use only one printer or more than one? For multi-printer users, which ones do they use? Who are the most-active printer users?
• Do PC users behave differently as they gain more experience? Are Newbies or Vets mostly focusing on certain activities versus a broad mixture?
• How do the market segments of mobile phone platforms vary?
• How social-network active are the various tiers of gamers?
• How central is game-playing to the general population? How about within certain key market segments?

If solid answers any of these questions would help your work in creating the future, please contact MetaFacts.

MetaFacts, Inc. helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers.

Current subscribers of Technology User Profile may obtain this information directly from MetaFacts, as well as additional customized drilling down into the full dataset.

For more information on the results delivered in TUP and about how to subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.

The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.

Today’s media-savvy consumers may want their MTV, but they might seek alternative methods to get it.  Advertising seems to have become an option for the consumer, who today is able to bypass commercials, salespeople, and even email in favor of social networking and other sites.  Advertisers in this day and age have to be both flexible and targeted while ubiquitous in order to get their message across.

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to tech media, advertising, and television. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece, since it delivers solid answers to the following questions, and more.

• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• Which segments are the most music-intensive? What is the overlap of music-centered products and services by segment?
• What is the impact on privacy in use of social networking?
• Most-mobile customers – where do they go and what do they do?
• Who are the people who shop for technology products on the web, but purchase at a local retail outlet?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?
• How many and which segments are watching and renting movies on which platforms?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many? Which devices and services, and among which segments?
• Which smartphone OS is leading, and with which market segments?
• Online shoppers – are they everyone, or unique?
• How do online shopping activities differ between Hewlett Packard, Apple and Dell customers?
• What do users sync or store in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• Who is videoconferencing, and using which platform?
• How prominent is Home PC renting versus outright purchase?
• How much of the game-playing population is older versus younger?
• In reality, how deeply has the Apple iPod penetrated the market, and into which market segments?
• Are PC users primarily accessing the Internet at home, in the workplace, using friends or neighbor’s computers, or in public places such as libraries or cybercafés? Which users use other’s PCs and which have many to choose from? Are smartphones or netbooks changing this?
• Which market segments are blogging? How do they compare to social networkers?
• Who are the true early adopters and laggards? How does this vary by actual usage of specific products and technologies?
• What makes a smartphone a smartphone in the consumer’s eyes? How does usage compare to basic mobile phones? What are the user segments?
• Who is buying the highest-end PCs? Are there brand differences? What else do users buy and what else do they use?
• How have PC/Online & Mobile Phone activities changed? How might this affect apps?
• Primacy – what is the center of the user’s world? Their home PC, work PC, mobile phone? Is it one device or many?
• How does the life and lifespan of a PC vary by form factor? Does it vary by brand? By user segment?
• Which PC brands dominate the PC market? How does this vary within brand segment?
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• Is email dying being replaced by alternatives such as social networking, texting, or IM?
• Which market segments are renting movies? Are they renting DVDs at a retailer, by mail, or at a kiosk? Do they watch them online?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• How rich is the user’s printing experience? Do they use only one printer or more than one? For multi-printer users, which ones do they use? Who are the most-active printer users?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• What about the anti-social – those that aren’t in an online social network? Who are they?
• What are consumers planning to buy? (in consumer electronics, connected home, computers, Internet, etc.)
• Are Apple’s best customers really unique?
• Beyond paper or plastic: which types of ink & toner are printer users buying? New or refilled? Original or competitor?
• Which social networking sites are used most frequently by which segments?
• What are the overall future trends for the Internet?
• What about the unemployed? Are they more or are they less tech-focused?
• What channels do people use for buying PCs? How about printers and printer supplies?
• How tech-sophisticated are game-players, within key gaming segments?
• What do most people do with their mobile phone as compared to their PC? Which align with which platforms?
• Which industry groups have varied levels of adoption?
• Where are printer users buying their printer supplies? Are these the same channels as where they buy their printers?
• Do PC users behave differently as they gain more experience? Are Newbies or Vets mostly focusing on certain activities versus a broad mixture?
• How are smartphones challenging mobile PCs? Which market segments are coalescing around which platforms?
  Used/Refurbished PCs – who buys them?
• Which activities are different for dial-up than broadband? What’s driving bandwidth needs?
• Which segments are using which devices & carriers? For which activities?
• Which segments have recently paid for a downloaded mobile phone app?
• Which market segments are dating online? What else do they frequently do online?
• When do you grow up and give up on your Apple? When do get one again, if you do?
• How many seniors are online? How is their behavior different than younger online users?
• How important is privacy when getting rid of old computers?
• Is it really one to a customer? How often are PCs shared? Which market segments use more than one PC?
• Do users find their PCs to be more useful or less useful? Which users are the most practically-oriented?
• How prominent is printing images from mobile phones?
• Who is using mobile payments?
• Is the smartphone killing PC shopping?
• Netbooks – how soon and with which market segments?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• Do game players bring their gaming with them into the workplace? To what extent? Which market segment does this the most?
• To what extent have Dell and Lexmark penetrated the printer market? Which segments have they penetrated?
• What is Hewlett Packard’s share among Dell computer owners and Dell or Lexmark printer owners and has this changed?
• How do the market segments of mobile phone platforms vary?
• How social-network active are the various tiers of gamers?
• How are users communicating, given all their communication options?

If solid answers any of these questions would help your work in creating the future, please contact MetaFacts.

MetaFacts, Inc. helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers.

For more information on the results delivered in TUP and about how to subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.

The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.

The market for changing technologies is always in flux, and mobile PCs are not exception to the rule. It’s important to know your market, and know it well–is the coffee-shop CEO the leader of the mobile PC pack, or is it the high-school gamer?

Oftentimes the original die-hards for a product are no longer its current audience.  Strong research on changing demographics brings the new market to the forefront.

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to the mobile PC market. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece, since it provide solid answers to the following questions as well as many others.

• What do most people do with their mobile phone as compared to their PC? Which align with which platforms?
• Netbooks – how soon and with which market segments?
• Are mobile computers used longer or shorter than desktops? If so, what’s the difference, and who uses them longest?
• Primacy – what is the center of the user’s world? Their home PC, work PC, mobile phone? Is it one device or many?
• How are smartphones challenging mobile PCs? Which market segments are coalescing around which platforms?
• How does PC and online usage vary cross segments such as workplace company size or industry?
• Most-mobile customers – where do they go and what do they do?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• Used/Refurbished PCs – who buys them?
• Who is buying the highest-end PCs? Are there brand differences? What else do users buy and what else do they use?
• What are the leading PC brands among Hewlett Packard printer users?  How does this differ for the other major printer vendors?
• How have PC/Online & Mobile Phone activities changed? How might this affect apps?
• What channels do people use for buying PCs? How about printers and printer supplies?
• Age-related market adoption – which products and services are age-skewed? Which are skewed toward older rather than younger users?
• Do PC users behave differently as they gain more experience? Are Newbies or Vets mostly focusing on certain activities versus a broad mixture?
• How does the life and lifespan of a PC vary by form factor? Does it vary by brand? By user segment?
• Which industry groups have varied levels of adoption?
• Do users find their PCs to be more useful or less useful? Which users are the most practically-oriented?
• Who is using mobile payments?
• What is the impact on privacy in use of social networking?
• How is HP’s PC penetration within the overall HP footprint?
• Birth order = brand order? Does top brand have similar draw cross-countries?
• Who is videoconferencing, and using which platform?
• Netbooks – are they replacing notebooks? Stalling smartphones? Withering?
• Which segments are keeping their files, calendars, or other information synchronized or backed up online?
• Do game players bring their gaming with them into the workplace? To what extent? Which market segment does this the most?
• Which operating systems dominate within which segments?
• What are the overall future trends for the Internet?
• iPhone users – who are they really? How do they compare with Android, Windows and Blackberry users?
• What’s typically bundled with a PC?
• Are PC users primarily accessing the Internet at home, in the workplace, using friends or neighbor’s computers, or in public places such as libraries or cybercafés? Which users use other’s PCs and which have many to choose from? Are smartphones or netbooks changing this?
• When do you grow up and give up on your Apple? When do get one again, if you do?
• Which PC brands dominate the PC market? How does this vary within brand segment?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?
• How much is assisted navigation part of life – and on which platform?
• To what extent have Dell and Lexmark penetrated the printer market? Which segments have they penetrated?
• What is Hewlett Packard’s share among Dell computer owners and Dell or Lexmark printer owners and has this changed?
• How prominent is printing images from mobile phones?
• How do consumer attitudes about purchasing technology differ between Apple, Hewlett Packard and Dell customers?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many? Which devices and services, and among which segments?
• What is the mix of communication products and services – landline, wireless, email, IM, etc. – by segment?
• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• How are users communicating, given all their communication options?
• What do users sync or store in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• Multitasking – who’s using lots of devices for lots of apps, few devices many apps, etc.?
• Which segments are utilizing the cloud? For which activities?
• Is it really one to a customer? How often are PCs shared? Which market segments use more than one PC?
• Which segments are using which devices & carriers?  For which activities?
• What other activities are just outside the box for gamers? Online dating? Social Networking? Music? Movies? Entertainment in general?
• How does Hewlett Packard’s market share differ between the different types of printers (inkjet, multifunction, laser, etc.)?
• What other items (printers, software, monitors/displays, extended service plan, etc.) do people typically buy with their PC purchase?
• Which market segments are renting movies? Are they renting DVDs at a retailer, by mail, or at a kiosk? Do they watch them online?
• What’s the likely near-term outcome for an OS upgrade?
• Which segments are the most music-intensive? What is the overlap of music-centered products and services by segment?
• Which activities are different for dial-up than broadband? What’s driving bandwidth needs?
• Are Apple’s best customers really unique?
• What happens to old PCs? Are they dumped? Recycled? Sold? Which segments dispose in which way?
• Which market segments are dating online? What else do they frequently do online?
• How many and which segments are watching and renting movies on which platforms?
• How social-network active are the various tiers of gamers?
• Special printer paper? Who uses it and what for? Is it only photos, or something else?
• Who are the true early adopters and laggards? How does this vary by actual usage of specific products and technologies?
• What makes a smartphone a smartphone in the consumer’s eyes? How does usage compare to basic mobile phones? What are the user segments?
• Is the smartphone killing PC shopping?
• Which social networking sites are used most frequently by which segments?
• What are consumers planning to buy? (in consumer electronics, connected home, computers, Internet, etc.)
• To what extent does game-playing drive online usage specifically and tech usage overall?
• Which segments have recently paid for a downloaded mobile phone app?
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• How many people use calendars on their PC, their mobile phone, or both? Which types of people are these?
• Navigation, online maps, location-based mobile phone services, and GPS – who’s getting directions?
• How do ad volumes affect usage?
• Which market segments are blogging? How do they compare to social networkers?
• How tech-sophisticated are game-players, within key gaming segments?
• How do online shopping activities differ between Hewlett Packard, Apple and Dell customers?
• Is social networking only for certain age groups?
• How many seniors are online? How is their behavior different than younger online users?
• What is the tech-owning profile of active gamers? High-bandwidth or dial-up? Many consumer electronics entertainment products or focused on gaming? Many computers or few? How does this vary by segment?

If solid answers any of these questions would help your work in creating the future, please contact MetaFacts.

MetaFacts, Inc. helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers.

Current subscribers of  Technology User Profile may obtain this information directly from MetaFacts, as well as additional customized drilling down into the full dataset.

For more information on the results delivered in TUP and about how to subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.

The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.

It’s been decades since Marvin Gaye “heard it through the grapevine,” and there are more “grapevines” today than you can shake a stick at.  It’s important to know which one your target audience uses–social networking, email, texting?  Do they grab their cellphone or type a text or email? How do they combine or trade off these modes of communication? TUP’s research gives you demographic and market details that might easily be overlooked, and that can be the difference between having a well-defined market or missing out.

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to communication. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece, since it offers ready, solid answers to the following and many other key questions.

• What is the mix of communication products and services – landline, wireless, email, IM, etc. – by segment?
• Who is videoconferencing, and using which platform?
• What makes a smartphone a smartphone in the consumer’s eyes? How does usage compare to basic mobile phones? What are the user segments?
• How do the market segments of mobile phone platforms vary?
• How are users communicating, given all their communication options?
• Is email dying because of ads? Being replaced by alternatives such as social networking, texting, or IM?
• iPhone users – who are they really? How do they compare with Android, Windows and Blackberry users?
• How do ad volumes affect usage?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?
• How are smartphones challenging mobile PCs? Which market segments are coalescing around which platforms?
• Are PC users primarily accessing the Internet at home, in the workplace, using friends or neighbor’s computers, or in public places such as libraries or cybercafés? Which users use other’s PCs and which have many to choose from? Are smartphones or netbooks changing this?
• Netbooks – are they replacing notebooks? Stalling smartphones? Withering?
• Primacy – what is the center of the user’s world? Their home PC, work PC, mobile phone? Is it one device or many?
• Which smartphone OS is leading, and with which market segments?
• What is the impact on privacy in use of social networking?
• Which segments are using which devices & carriers? For which activities?
• What about the anti-social – those that aren’t in an online social network? Who are they?
• Most-mobile customers – where do they go and what do they do?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• How do Verizon’s subscribers compare to AT&T’s?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many? Which devices and services, and among which segments?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• Which social networking sites are used most frequently by which segments?
• Multitasking – who’s using lots of devices for lots of apps, few devices many apps, etc.?
• Which market segments are blogging? How do they compare to social networkers?
• Is social networking only for certain age groups?
• Have game-players been the first to adopt new products such as the Apple iPhone? Or, are they generally later adopters?
• How have PC/Online & Mobile Phone activities changed? How might this affect apps?
• Age-related market adoption – which products and services are age-skewed? Which are skewed toward older rather than younger users?
• Which segments have recently paid for a downloaded mobile phone app?
• How do countries vary in demand opportunities for tech products and services?
• In reality, how deeply has the Apple iPod penetrated the market, and into which market segments?
• Which segments are keeping their files, calendars, or other information synchronized or backed up online?
• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• What are the overall future trends for the Internet?
• Do PC users behave differently as they gain more experience? Are Newbies or Vets mostly focusing on certain activities versus a broad mixture?
• Special printer paper? Who uses it and what for? Is it only photos, or something else?
• Who are the true early adopters and laggards? How does this vary by actual usage of specific products and technologies?
• How prominent is printing images from mobile phones?
• Which activities are different for dial-up than broadband? What’s driving bandwidth needs?
• Who is buying the highest-end PCs? Are there brand differences? What else do users buy and what else do they use?
• What do users sync or store in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• How many seniors are online? How is their behavior different than younger online users?
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• What do most people do with their mobile phone as compared to their PC? Which align with which platforms?
• Do users find their PCs to be more useful or less useful? Which users are the most practically-oriented?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• Which market segments are dating online? What else do they frequently do online?
• How many and which segments are watching and renting movies on which platforms?
• Netbooks – how soon and with which market segments?
• What other activities are just outside the box for gamers? Online dating? Social Networking? Music? Movies? Entertainment in general?
• How rich is the user’s printing experience? Do they use only one printer or more than one? For multi-printer users, which ones do they use? Who are the most-active printer users?
• What are the most common documents (maps, spreadsheets, photos, etc.) that consumers print on their ink-jet printers? How about their laser printers?
• How social-network active are the various tiers of gamers?
• Which segments are utilizing the cloud? For which activities?
• How are users incorporating digital images, through the use of digital cameras, scanners, downloading images, as well as how are they producing output?

If solid answers any of these questions would help your work in creating the future, please contact MetaFacts.

MetaFacts, Inc. helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers.

Current subscribers of the Technology User Profile Global Insights Edition may obtain this information directly from MetaFacts, as well as additional customized drilling down into the full dataset.

For more information on the results delivered in TUP and about how to subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.

The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.

Both smartphone and basic feature phones today are much more than a phone.  At least, they can be.  With all the capabilities of the modern mobile device, it can be difficult to discern what exactly which consumers are after which capabilities, and what they ultimately use.  Do they use their phone for the texting, for the web, or as a PDA?  As a camera or a gaming tool?  Or do they use it mostly as a traditional telephone?  These questions beg for extensive answers that only careful, detailed market research can provide.

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to mobile phones. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece, since it provides answers to these and many other key questions.

• iPhone users – who are they really? How do they compare with Android, Windows and Blackberry users?
• How do the market segments of mobile phone platforms vary?
• How are smartphones challenging mobile PCs? Which market segments are coalescing around which platforms?
• What makes a smartphone a smartphone in the consumer’s eyes? How does usage compare to basic mobile phones? What are the user segments?
• Which segments have recently paid for a downloaded mobile phone app?
• Which smartphone OS is leading, and with which market segments?
• Who is using mobile payments?
• Which segments are the most music-intensive? What is the overlap of music-centered products and services by segment?
• How have PC/Online & Mobile Phone activities changed? How might this affect apps?
• What is the mix of communication products and services – landline, wireless, email, IM, etc. – by segment?
• How many and which segments are watching and renting movies on which platforms?
• What is the impact on privacy in use of social networking?
• Most-mobile customers – where do they go and what do they do?
• Who is videoconferencing, and using which platform?
• What do most people do with their mobile phone as compared to their PC? Which align with which platforms?
• Is email dying because of ads? Being replaced by alternatives such as social networking, texting, or IM?
• Are Apple’s best customers really unique?
• Who are the true early adopters and laggards? How does this vary by actual usage of specific products and technologies?
• Is the smartphone killing PC shopping?
• Which segments are using which devices & carriers? For which activities?
• What’s the expected market demand for a Google Droid – Verizon – Motorola trio?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• Multitasking – who’s using lots of devices for lots of apps, few devices many apps, etc.?
• Have game-players been the first to adopt new products such as the Apple iPhone? Or, are they generally later adopters?
• What is surprisingly strong “killer app” on both basic mobile phones and smartphones?
• How are users communicating, given all their communication options?
• How do Verizon’s subscribers compare to AT&T’s?
• How prominent is Home PC renting versus outright purchase?
• How prominent is printing images from mobile phones?
• Netbooks – are they replacing notebooks? Stalling smartphones? Withering?
• Are mobile computers used longer or shorter than desktops? If so, what’s the difference, and who uses them longest?
• What about the anti-social – those that aren’t in an online social network? Who are they?
• Primacy – what is the center of the user’s world? Their home PC, work PC, mobile phone? Is it one device or many?
• Age-related market adoption – which products and services are age-skewed? Which are skewed toward older rather than younger users?
• To what extent does game-playing drive online usage specifically and tech usage overall?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?
• How strong is name-brand dominance?
• How social-network active are the various tiers of gamers?
• Which social networking sites are used most frequently by which segments?
• Do PC users behave differently as they gain more experience? Are Newbies or Vets mostly focusing on certain activities versus a broad mixture?
• What do users sync or “store” in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• Which market segments are dating online? What else do they frequently do online?
• Which market segments are renting movies? Are they renting DVDs at a retailer, by mail, or at a kiosk? Do they watch them online?
• What about the unemployed? Are they more or are they less tech-focused?
• How many seniors are online? How is their behavior different than younger online users?
• How tech-sophisticated are game-players, within key gaming segments?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many? Which devices and services, and among which segments?
• Which industry groups have varied levels of adoption?
• In reality, how deeply has the Apple iPod penetrated the market, and into which market segments?
• Which segments are keeping their files, calendars, or other information synchronized or backed up online?
• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• Is social networking only for certain age groups?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• How much of the game-playing population is older versus younger?
• Special printer paper? Who uses it and what for? Is it only photos, or something else?
• Online shoppers – are they everyone, or unique?
• How many people use calendars on their PC, their mobile phone, or both? Which types of people are these?
• How much is assisted navigation part of life – and on which platform?
• What is the tech-owning profile of active gamers? High-bandwidth or dial-up? Many consumer electronics entertainment products or focused on gaming? Many computers or few? How does this vary by segment?
  What are consumers planning to buy? (in consumer electronics, connected home, computers, Internet, etc.)
• Do game players bring their gaming with them into the workplace? To what extent? Which market segment does this the most?
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• Navigation, online maps, location-based mobile phone services, and GPS – who’s getting directions?
• What are the overall future trends for the Internet?
• How are users incorporating digital images, through the use of digital cameras, scanners, downloading images, as well as how are they producing output?
• Are PC users primarily accessing the Internet at home, in the workplace, using friends or neighbor’s computers, or in public places such as libraries or cybercafés? Which users use other’s PCs and which have many to choose from? Are smartphones or netbooks changing this?
• Netbooks – how soon and with which market segments?
• What other activities are just outside the box for gamers? Online dating? Social Networking? Music? Movies? Entertainment in general?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• Which market segments are blogging? How do they compare to social networkers?

If solid answers any of these questions would help your work in creating the future, please contact MetaFacts.

MetaFacts, Inc. helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers.

Current subscribers of Technology User Profile may obtain this information directly from MetaFacts, as well as additional customized drilling down into the full dataset.

For more information on the results delivered in TUP and about how to subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.

The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.

Social networking, like other forms of communication and community, is what makes technology usage expand.  People will always be on the lookout for new ways to communicate, whether it be with friends, strangers, or prospective colleagues.  The popularity of social networking sites can make ordinary phones and email less interesting to the modern consumer, increasing demand for smarter smartphones and faster Internet connections.

At the same time, privacy concerns, information overload, and innocent and criminal abuses can dampen the enthusiasm or participation for some market segments.

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to social networking. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece; it’s a resource that can answer these and other key questions.

• Which social networking sites are used most frequently by which segments?
• What is the impact on privacy concerns in use of social networking?
• How do ad volumes affect usage?
• Is social networking only for certain age groups? How different are usage patterns by age?
• How social-network active are the various tiers of gamers?
• Who is videoconferencing, and using which platform?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many? Which devices and services, and among which segments?
• Is email being replaced by alternatives such as social networking, texting, or IM?
• Which market segments are dating online? What else do they frequently do online?
• What about the anti-social – those that aren’t in an online social network? Who are they?
• Which social networking sites dominate? How does this vary by country and demographic group?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• What is the mix of communication products and services – landline, wireless, email, IM, etc. – by segment?
• iPhone users – who are they really? How do they compare with Android, Windows and Blackberry users?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?
• Are PC users primarily accessing the Internet at home, in the workplace, using friends or neighbor’s computers, or in public places such as libraries or cybercafés? Which users use other’s PCs and which have many to choose from? Are smartphones or netbooks changing this?
• Multitasking – who’s using lots of devices for lots of apps, few devices many apps, etc.?
• How many online adults use dial-up to go online, and which countries stand out?
• Which market segments are blogging? How do they compare to social networkers?
• How much of the game-playing population is older versus younger?
• How are users communicating, given all their communication options?
• Do game players bring their gaming with them into the workplace? To what extent? Which market segment does this the most?
• Age-related market adoption – which products and services are age-skewed? Which are skewed toward older rather than younger users?
• What do users sync or “store” in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• Most-mobile customers – where they go and what they do
• Is it really one to a customer? How often are PCs shared? Which market segments use more than one PC?
• What about the unemployed? Are they more or are they less tech-focused?
• Which smartphone OS is leading, and with which market segments?
• How tech-sophisticated are game-players, within key gaming segments?
• Which activities are different for dial-up than broadband? What’s driving bandwidth needs?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• How central is game-playing to the general population? How about within certain key market segments?
• How many seniors are online? How is their behavior different than younger online users?
• To what extent does game-playing drive online usage specifically and tech usage overall?
• Who is buying the highest-end PCs? Are there brand differences? What else do users buy and what else do they use?
• Which segments are utilizing the cloud? For which activities?
• What do most people do with their mobile phone as compared to their PC? Which align with which platforms?
• Which segments have recently paid for a downloaded mobile phone app?
• How important is privacy when getting rid of old computers?
• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• How many and which segments are watching and renting movies on which platforms?
• How are smartphones challenging mobile PCs? Which market segments are coalescing around which platforms?
• Primacy – what is the center of the user’s world? Their home PC, work PC, mobile phone? Is it one device or many?
• Special printer paper? Who uses it and what for? Is it only photos, or something else?
• Online shoppers – are they everyone, or unique?
• How are users incorporating digital images, through the use of digital cameras, scanners, downloading images, as well as how are they producing output?
• What are consumers planning to buy? (in consumer electronics, connected home, computers, Internet, etc.)
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• How have PC/Online & Mobile Phone activities changed? How might this affect apps?
• What is the tech-owning profile of active gamers? High-bandwidth or dial-up? Many consumer electronics entertainment products or focused on gaming? Many computers or few? How does this vary by segment?
• Do users find their PCs to be more useful or less useful? Which users are the most practically-oriented?
• How do online shopping activities differ between Hewlett Packard, Apple and Dell customers?
• Who is using mobile payments?
• Which industry groups have varied levels of adoption?
• Netbooks – how soon and with which market segments?
• When do you grow up and give up on your Apple? When do get one again, if you do?
• How do the market segments of mobile phone platforms vary?
• What other activities are just outside the box for gamers? Online dating? Social Networking? Music? Movies? Entertainment in general?
• Which market segments are renting movies? Are they renting DVDs at a retailer, by mail, or at a kiosk? Do they watch them online?

If solid answers any of these questions would help your work in creating the future, please contact MetaFacts.

MetaFacts, Inc. helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers.

Current subscribers of Technology User Profile may obtain this information directly from MetaFacts, as well as additional customized drilling down into the full dataset.

For more information on the results delivered in TUP and about how to subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.

The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.

Not all access to the Internet is equal and consumers know it – voting with their fingers. In today’s multi-platform age, computers are not the only way online, and email may be losing ground as the king of activities.  Are fun, compelling, and emerging technologies making PCs a thing of the past?  Is social networking replacing snailish email?

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to internet use. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece, since it provides a comprehensive source to answer the following questions, as well as many others.

• How many and which segments are watching and renting movies on which platforms?
• Which activities are different for dial-up than broadband? What’s driving bandwidth needs?
• What is the mix of communication products and services – landline, wireless, email, IM, etc. – by segment?
• Who is videoconferencing, and using which platform?
• What are the overall future trends for the Internet?
• Which segments are keeping their files, calendars, or other information synchronized or backed up online?
• How have PC/Online & Mobile Phone activities changed? How might this affect apps?
• iPhone users – who are they really? How do they compare with Droid and blackberry users?
• To what extent does game-playing drive online usage specifically and tech usage overall?
• Are PC users primarily accessing the Internet at home, in the workplace, using friends or neighbor’s computers, or in public places such as libraries or cybercafés? Which users use other’s PCs and which have many to choose from? Are smartphones or netbooks changing this?
• Netbooks – how soon and with which market segments?
• Is email dying because of ads? Being replaced by alternatives such as social networking, texting, or IM?
• Which industry groups have varied levels of adoption?
• Most-mobile customers – where do they go and what do they do?
• Who is using mobile payments?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• What is the impact on privacy in use of social networking?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• What about the unemployed? Are they more or are they less tech-focused?
• What makes a smartphone a smartphone in the consumer’s eyes? How does usage compare to basic mobile phones? What are the user segments?
• What do most people do with their mobile phone as compared to their PC? Which align with which platforms?
• What do users sync or “store” in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• Which market segments are dating online? What else do they frequently do online?
• How do ad volumes affect usage?
• How are smartphones challenging mobile PCs? Which market segments are coalescing around which platforms?
• Is social networking only for certain age groups?
• How are users communicating, given all their communication options?
• What is the tech-owning profile of active gamers? High-bandwidth or dial-up? Many consumer electronics entertainment products or focused on gaming? Many computers or few? How does this vary by segment?
• Which segments have recently paid for a downloaded mobile phone app?
• Do PC users behave differently as they gain more experience? Are Newbies or Vets mostly focusing on certain activities versus a broad mixture?
• Age-related market adoption – which products and services are age-skewed? Which are skewed toward older rather than younger users?
• Multitasking – who’s using lots of devices for lots of apps, few devices many apps, etc.?
• Which market segments are blogging? How do they compare to social networkers?
• Netbooks – are they replacing notebooks? Stalling smartphones? Withering?
• What other activities are just outside the box for gamers? Online dating? Social Networking? Music? Movies? Entertainment in general?
• Which segments are using which devices & carriers?  For which activities?
• Which segments are the most music-intensive? What is the overlap of music-centered products and services by segment?
• Who is buying the highest-end PCs? Are there brand differences? What else do users buy and what else do they use?
• How prominent is printing images from mobile phones?
• How many people use calendars on their PC, their mobile phone, or both? Which types of people are these?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many?
• Which devices and services, and among which segments?
• Which segments are utilizing the cloud? For which activities?
• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• Primacy – what is the center of the user’s world? Their home PC, work PC, mobile phone? Is it one device or many?
• How much of the game-playing population is older versus younger?
• How social-network active are the various tiers of gamers?
• In reality, how deeply has the Apple iPod penetrated the market, and into which market segments?
• What types and combinations of consumer electronics are homes using and planning to use?
• How are users incorporating digital images, through the use of digital cameras, scanners, downloading images, as well as how are they producing output?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• Which market segments are renting movies? Are they renting DVDs at a retailer, by mail, or at a kiosk? Do they watch them online?
• Which types of software (packages and SaaS) are used and intended for near-term use? (apps, appstore)
• Special printer paper? Who uses it and what for? Is it only photos, or something else?
• What are consumers planning to buy? (in consumer electronics, connected home, computers, Internet, etc.)
• Online shoppers – are they everyone, or unique?
• How do online shopping activities differ between Hewlett Packard, Apple and Dell customers?
• What about the anti-social – those that aren’t in an online social network? Who are they?
• How does the life and lifespan of a PC vary by form factor? Does it vary by brand? By user segment?
• How many seniors are online? How is their behavior different than younger online users?
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• Is the smartphone killing PC shopping?
• Is it really one to a customer? How often are PCs shared? Which market segments use more than one PC?
• Which social networking sites are used most frequently by which segments?
• Do users find their PCs to be more useful or less useful? Which users are the most practically-oriented?
• Who are the people who shop for technology products on the web, but purchase at a local retail outlet?
• Which smartphone OS is leading, and with which market segments?
• How tech-sophisticated are game-players, within key gaming segments?
• Do game players bring their gaming with them into the workplace? To what extent? Which market segment does this the most?
• Who are the true early adopters and laggards? How does this vary by actual usage of specific products and technologies?
• How rich is the user’s printing experience? Do they use only one printer or more than one? For multi-printer users, which ones do they use? Who are the most-active printer users?
• How do the market segments of mobile phone platforms vary?
• How tech-experienced are game-players?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?

If solid answers any of these questions would help your work in creating the future, please contact MetaFacts.

MetaFacts, Inc. helps technology marketers find and measure their best and future customers.

Current subscribers of Technology User Profile may obtain this information directly from MetaFacts, as well as additional customized drilling down into the full dataset.

For more information on the results delivered in TUP and about how to subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.

The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.

Consumer opinions on imaging and printing can urge a market toward higher-level technologies in what once seemed like unexpected places for imaging, such as mobile devices.  An increase in camera phone use, or printing images from one’s mobile device might signal both digital camera and smartphone developers to step it up a notch.

Below are a few examples of questions addressed in TUP related to technology consumer demographics. The full TUP service enables drilling down beyond the answers to these questions to identify which other technologies, services and behaviors are disruptive and to profile which market segments are and aren’t adopting. TUP is much more than a one-dimensional market view or opinion piece.

• To what extent have Dell and Lexmark penetrated the printer market? Which segments have they penetrated?
• What is Hewlett Packard’s share among Dell computer owners and Dell or Lexmark printer owners and has this changed?
• What is the breakdown of printer types and brands among workplace PCs users? How does this compare to printers used in the home?
• How is HP’s PC penetration within the overall HP market footprint?
• How rich is the user’s printing experience? Do they use only one printer or more than one? For multi-printer users, which ones do they use? Who are the most-active printer users?
• Tech adoption cycles may not be as fast as the tech-focused think. How many and which users still use film cameras?
• Special printer paper? Who uses it and what for? Is it only photos, or something else?
• Where are printer users buying their printer supplies? Are these the same channels as where they buy their printers?
• How does PC and online usage vary cross segments such as workplace company size or industry?
• Where do people buy their printer supplies?
• What is the frequency of printer consumables purchased?
• Who are the people moving from ink-jet printers to laser printers? How about the other way around? Are these new printers replacement printers, or additional printers?
• What are the leading PC brands among Hewlett Packard printer users? How does this differ for the other major printer vendors?
• What do users sync or “store” in the cloud? How does this differ between mobile phones and PCs? How do users share images – social networking sites or photo-specific sites? Which users are the most active?
• What are the major activities that people do with their printers?
• Who are the people who shop for technology products on the web, but purchase at a local retail outlet?
• What are the most common documents (maps, spreadsheets, photos, etc.) that consumers print on their ink-jet printers? How about their laser printers?
• How prominent is printing images from mobile phones?
• Beyond paper or plastic: which types of ink & toner are printer users buying? New or refilled? Original or competitor?
• How does Hewlett Packard’s market share differ between the different types of printers (inkjet, multifunction, laser, etc.)?
• How much have PC users integrated PCs into their personal lives?
• What other items (printers, software, monitors/displays, extended service plan, etc.) do people typically buy with their PC purchase?
• Which tech buyers focus more on retail than shopping online and vice versa?
• How are users incorporating digital images, through the use of digital cameras, scanners, downloading images, as well as how are they producing output?
• What channels do people use for buying PCs? How about printers and printer supplies?
• How do online shopping activities differ between Hewlett Packard, Apple and Dell customers?
• What peripherals and options do users purchase before they purchase their PC, with their PC, and after they’ve purchased their PC?
• How has the division of work vs. personal use of technology products continued to blur?
• Who is buying the highest-end PCs? Are there brand differences? What else do users buy and what else do they use?
• Entertainment primacy – what is the center of the user’s home entertainment world? Is it one device or many?
• Which segments are keeping their files, calendars, or other information synchronized or backed up online?
• Which segments are utilizing the cloud? For which activities? Image sharing? Storage?
• Do PC users behave differently as they gain more experience? Are Newbies or Vets mostly focusing on certain activities versus a broad mixture? Do they print differently?
• What are the overall future trends for the Internet?
• Who’s busiest – desktop users or notebook users? How do their profiles differ?
• What are consumers planning to buy? (in consumer electronics, connected home, computers, Internet, etc.)
• Is it really one to a customer? How often are PCs shared? Which market segments use more than one PC?
• Is social networking only for certain age groups?
• Do users find their PCs to be more useful or less useful? Which users are the most practically-oriented?
• Which smartphone OS is leading, and with which market segments?
• What about the anti-social – those that aren’t in an online social network? Who are they?
• What’s typically bundled with a PC?
• How many screens do people view? Which market segments view more screens than other segments?

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The above questions are answered with the TUP 2010 edition, and even more questions are answered in the TUP 2011 edition.