MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile analysis results for subscribers
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, October 17, 2020 Fewer online Americans were regularly using a PC in mid-2020 than in mid-2019. This MetaFAQs splits PC penetration rates by ethnic/Hispanic groups. About MetaFAQs MetaFAQs are answers to frequently asked questions about technology users. The research results showcase the TUP/Technology User Profile study, MetaFacts’ survey of a…
Are smartphones mostly being used by higher income Americans? Is there a digital divide by ethnic/Hispanic group within upper and lower income groups? This MetaFAQs looks at the market penetration of smartphones, PCs, tablets, and feature/basic cell phones among White/non-Hispanic, Black/non-Hispanic, Asian/non-Hispanic, Hispanic, and other groups. About MetaFAQsMetaFAQs are answers to frequently asked questions about…
The home PC has been a central part of the American technology user’s world for years, and while remaining so for many, the home PC is slowly losing its primacy among some market segments.
Home PCs have been challenged by the emerging use of smartphones and tablets, not only among younger Americans. Older Americans have also rapidly adopted smartphones and are starting to discover how to use them well. Home PC makers, software developers, and service providers have worked hard to keep the home PC as a central device, or at least one that is included.
The home PC is not down and out – not by a long shot. The humble PC is in use by most online Americans. In 2020, 75% of online adults in the US actively used a home PC. From 2015 to 2019, this level was effectively flat at 80%.
Does having a college education or not coupled with ethnic/Hispanic group make a difference in the market penetration of key connected devices? Do White/non-Hispanic college graduates have higher levels of device use then Black/non-Hispanic or other groups? Does this vary by device type? This MetaFAQs reports on the active penetration of smartphones, PCs, tablets, and…
Is there a divide in which ethnic/Hispanic group of Americans use connected devices? Do some groups use smartphones or PCs at a higher or lower rate than others? Do tablets or feature/basic cell phones have a higher or lower penetration rate? This MetaFAQs reports on the usage of connected devices by type among online Americans…
Are you reading this from home? That makes you one of the 391 million online adults working remotely we found in our TUP/Technology User Profile survey across 6 countries. If you are like the average employee around the world, you are also reading this on your own PC, tablet, or smartphone, and not one provided by your employer.
Home PCs are the new work PCs
By Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts
Working from home. While it is a blessing for some and may feel like a curse for others, only a few get the privilege. Being able to work from home during widespread public health safety shutdowns has sustained employment for many employees. It has also brought new challenges for those with school-age children or insufficient technology. It has also brought about faster adoption of certain technology products and services while revealing long-present sociological differences. The differences may persist while many of the technological changes will be temporary and evolutionary, not revolutionary.
Ageism is widespread in the tech industry. Many younger computer experts had a good laugh when a recent call went out for COBOL programmers, piling snark on classic tools as passe. That was until these relative newbies realized how many citizens would be left waiting for financial support after the recent surge in demand for unemployment checks. Younger computer experts were even more chagrined when they heard about the hiring bonuses being offered and realized they did not have relevant skills.
The pandemic has strongly impacted parents, and TUP research reports how parents are managing their home technology.
Home PCs are very much alive and being well-used. Home PC usage rates are stable, both in overall penetration and in the number being used. Nearly all online American adults regularly use a home PC, yet they see them differently. Younger Americans see them as adding to their entertainment, while for older adults it helps…