Internet-enabled Canadians are moving towards a new era of computing, says a just-released survey.
Canadian consumers are using home computers more equally for work, communication and entertainment, according to the Ipsos-Reid/Microsoft Canada PC marketplace survey.
The survey found 40 per cent of wired Canadians have e-mailed pictures to friends and family; 68 per cent have played online games and 59 per cent have downloaded digital audio files. One in three Canadians have taken part in an online chat session, and 12 per cent have even placed an Internet telephone call vs. seven per cent last year.
“The PC is very much evolving. It has become a necessary component of everyday life, and now more than ever before, the computer is playing a central role in the vast majority of Canadian homes,” said Chris Ferneyhough, vice-president, Ipsos-Reid Canada.
Small and medium-sized enterprises also expect more use out of their computers, says the survey. Topping their list of needs is improved reliability, followed by device driver compatibility tools (which allow peripheral devices to run smoothly with their operating system). Third on their list is application compatibility tools that allow older software applications to run on newer systems.
The survey also confirms that Canada is one of the most wired nations in the world.
About 70 per cent of Canadian adults have Internet access, which puts Canada in a fight for the lead with the United States and Sweden. According to the survey, 30 per cent have either cable access (20 per cent) or DSL (10 per cent).This percentage leads the world.
“With . . . widening broadband access and wireless networking in the near future, the world of technology is poised for a fundamental shift,” says Erik Moll, Windows XP product manager, Microsoft Canada.
“The alignment of significant technologies and the shifting attitudes towards the role of the computer are coming together and re-invigorating the PC. The end result is a fundamentally more compelling computing experience,” Moll says.
A total of 400 consumers and 400 information technology decision makers across Canada (200 from small organizations, or SORGS; and 200 from medium-sized organizations, or MORGS) were interviewed by telephone in a two-week period last spring.
A sample size of 400 consumers is considered accurate to within plus or minus 4.9 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Samples of 200 SORGS and 200 MORGS are considered accurate to within plus or minus 6.9 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
