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Technology User Profile®
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Are Apple, Dell & Sony users smarter and
wealthier? |
| Dan
Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, April 2, 2004 |
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| The next
time you hear someone say that all PCs are commodities, let them know that
PC buyers don’t agree. Even looking at the most basic demographic indicators
demonstrates that companies such as Apple and Sony have sought out the
elite, while eMachines and HP/Compaq have achieved the greatest social good
in closing up the digital divide among the less advantaged. Consider the
latest research from MetaFacts, Inc. where 11,175 computer users were ranked
on demographic factors such as education and household income. According to
the Brand Profile Report from the 2003 edition of Technology User Profile,
it is clear that users of Apple, Sony and Dell home PCs have much higher
household incomes and educational levels than average, and well above the
levels of Gateway and eMachines users. |
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| Apple users
are among the educational-elite with 44% above-average education levels (16
years or more education, equivalent to college graduate and post-graduate).
Sony and Dell users are also in this upper echelon group with 34% and 20%
above-average education ratings respectively. Gateway and IBM users round
out this category with 6% and 5% above-average scores. On the opposite side
of the educational spectrum were users of eMachines branded computers, with
a 39% above-average index in the 12 years or less education segment. (See
table below). |
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| The
breakdown of income by PC brand reveals a similar trend. Users of Apple,
Sony and Dell PCs tend to have above-average incomes than compared to users
of the other major brands. In the highest income segment of $75,000 or more
household income, Sony users had 45% higher than average index. Users of
Dell and Apple computers are also among the wealthiest users with indexes of
35% and 20% above-average indexes respectively. On the lower end of the
income scale were users of eMachines and HP/Compaq branded computers with
17% and 7% better than average indexes in the lowest household income
bracket of $39,900 or less. |
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Income and Education Index by Major PC Brand
(% of Projected Installed Home PCs) |
|
Education Level |
Apple |
Sony |
Dell |
Gateway |
IBM |
HP or Compaq |
eMachines |
|
High (16+ Years) |
144 |
134 |
121 |
107 |
106 |
88 |
79 |
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Medium (13-15 Years) |
73 |
74 |
87 |
93 |
92 |
110 |
101 |
|
Low (12 Years or Less) |
63 |
80 |
83 |
98 |
101 |
104 |
137 |
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Income Level |
Sony |
Dell |
Apple |
IBM |
Gateway |
HP or Compaq |
eMachines |
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High ($75k or higher) |
145 |
135 |
120 |
116 |
114 |
94 |
80 |
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Medium ($40k-$74.9k) |
96 |
95 |
104 |
84 |
96 |
99 |
101 |
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Low ($39.9k or lower) |
61 |
72 |
76 |
102 |
91 |
107 |
117 |
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| Source: MetaFacts, Inc. – Technology User Profile – 2003 |
| Does this study mean that by purchasing an
Apple, Sony or Dell computer will somehow lead you to become rich and
scholarly? Absolutely not. The research does indicate that with
above-average income and education levels, users of certain brands of
computers present a very attractive target for marketers. It’s important to
note however that lower price points result in a broadening of the audience
that is likely to buy and therefore make an attractive target as well. |
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Background & Methodology |
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Factual, decision-making information like this is only found in one
place, Technology User Profile from MetaFacts. The Technology User
Profile market research information service is based on extensive primary
research selected and balanced to represent the American population -
including technology users and non-technology users. Drawn from more than
10,000 surveys per year reporting on over 250 questions, it is the most
comprehensive total market technology study available. TUPdates are brief
summaries of information contained in Technology User
Profile. |
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Current Technology User Profile subscribers may be interested in
the following links with related, more detailed or updated information:
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