Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, OS, Switchers, Apple
MetaFacts report finds that AAPL popular with the AARP crowd
According to MetaFacts 2006 Home PC Brand Profile Report, 46% of Apple's base is over the age of 55, compared with 25.2% of other platforms. The Home PC Brand Profile Report is "one of a series of summary reports on specific topics based on the results of MetaFacts' 2006 Technology User Profile (TUP) study, which reveal the changing patterns of technology adoption and use in American households and businesses."Dan Ness of MetaFacts says "Apple can claim long-time loyalists, but its future among the young technoliterati is an interesting dynamic, with a higher-than-average share of US home's primary PC users falling into this age group."
I say "With age, comes wisdom."
Other interesting tidbits in the report include the fact that Apple users are buying more portables than desktops, even as their primary home computer, which isn't as surprising as it used to be. Why tether yourself to a desk when the couch is so much more comfy?
All you have to do now is teach Grandma that the Internet and the application used to browse the Internet are not one and the same and you'll both be set.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dru said 9:43PM on 11-30-2006
LOL... so true. We used to call ProCare "ElderCare" at the Apple Store I used to work at. It seemed a good 75% of the folks that bought it needed to put on coke-bottle reading glasses to fill out the paper work. Sweetest people in the World, though. And man oh man could they milk the value of an eMac for all it was worth. I still can't figure out how most of them were able to get those things out of their cars when they got home.
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Dirk Karl Maat said 7:54PM on 12-02-2006
A very interesting site, I think. The Idea of Technometry was new for me but worth to be read and thought abot it (although I'm not a native english-speaker and have some difficulties whith this language)
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Pete said 10:09PM on 11-30-2006
"Apple users are buying more portables than desktops, even as their primary home computer, which isn't as surprising as it used to be. Why tether yourself to a desk when the couch is so much more comfy?"
Maybe, and maybe it's just that their only desktop options are the relatively slow mini, the all-too-integrated iMac (might as well get a laptop...) and the ultra-expensive models.
Where's the cheap, medium-fast, headless and upgradeable desktop that PC users have taken for granted for many years now? Or just a mac mini pro -- slightly larger with separate graphics and faster hard-drive...
I just got into photo editing and so need much more than my G4 mini, but there's no really significant desktop upgrade out there (intel mini is too slow, iMac too expensive in the long run and mac pro waaay out of my price league).
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Josh said 10:37PM on 11-30-2006
I can't begin to count how many times I've asked people to use the mouse to click an icon and they hold it up the screen and click. The sad part is that some of them are under 30 and college grads. At least the AARP crowd knows that they don't know everything and actually listen to the reason why things work (or don't) they way that they do.
And laptops as primaries are so much more convenient. Couch, bed, desk, toilet, kitchen, stoop, fire escape...they can go wherever you can, and the battery life ain't that bad unless you're watching a DVD.
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SubGenius said 11:19PM on 11-30-2006
The resolution independent GUI of Leopard is going to sway even more seniors.
The #1 problem almost every older computer user faces is being able to see the damn screen.
Apple would sell a lot more iBooks if they made one with a 15" or 17" screen.
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pacifica said 1:48AM on 12-01-2006
Let's distinguish between the generations here... I realize that if you're under 30 that everybody a decade or two older than you tends to blend together, but 55 is not 85. People in their 50s (like me) are not necessarily technologically challenged... how old do you think Steve Jobs is, anyway? My generation has plenty of musicians, designers, artists, film-makers, photographers... in other words, just the demographic that you usually associate with the mac, and who were more than ready to embrace the new technology (such as the mac) that showed up in the 80s to expand their creative possibilites. I used to do phone support at Adobe, and I don't mean to be snarky, but the truth is that I'd get plenty of laughs from the tech-cluelessness of some of the younger people who called in...
Anyway, all I ask is that you don't judge everybody over 50 by the tech awareness of the members of your own family, lol.
Peace,
Pacifica
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DWizzy said 2:51AM on 12-01-2006
AARP will be an American term, so I'll ignore that part ;-)
Two of my grandparents asked me for advise on (new) computers and though I'm always reluctant to tell people what to do, I advised them Apple.
The first one will buy a windows laptop, though. Because her friends use Windows and because Apple doesn't offer a 17" laptop for under 900 euros.
Oh, and a laptop because when the sun is too bright in her living room, she can move to the bedroom to see the screen better.
The second one mailed me an advert out the newspaper, for what basically is a thinclient with a really restricted menu and Firefox, OpenOffice, Evolution, Skype and aMSN. Instead, I suggested she'd buy an iMac and let me set her up with Gmail, saving her 10 euro a month on subscription.
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my_name_is_tudor said 3:27AM on 12-01-2006
After working in computing (or the beginings of it) for the RAF during World War 2, and then working for Ferranti afterwards, when the 'modern' world of computing came along my Grandfather stuck with Apple till the end.
In my opinion it shows the respectability of the Mac platform that someone who worked for Ferranti helping build the first commercial computers EVER could use it exclusively ever since.
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Joo Carlos de Pinho said 4:16AM on 12-01-2006
Do you guys seriously believe this crap?
Is almost HALF of the WHOLE Mac user base over the age of 55?
Just look at you friends, look at your work colleagues. Is half of them over the age of 55?
How could you guys believe in such bullshit?
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OrangeCrane said 8:47AM on 12-01-2006
Via the user manual for the mac mini, they're probably killing their wireless signal (if they have one) by placing a lamp on top of their mini--not to mention crushing the optical drive.
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Brent said 8:25AM on 12-01-2006
"I say 'With age, comes wisdom.'"
Those pre-teen years are awkward, Laurie. Don't worry - you'll grow out of them.
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Edsel said 12:17PM on 12-01-2006
Just maybe, Apple should create a new .Mac page for us Seniors. We could share Widgets designed just for us (virtual pill minders, meal planning, memory games).
Perhaps some bright young whipper-snapper could develop a blood pressure machine with a OSX interface, or design a WiFi/heart pacemaker interface to make our lives more interesting.
Heck, I'd be thrilled for a program to simply tell me where I misplaced my wireless mouse. Oops, gota run, the Art Linkletter TV reruns are on.....
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jason said 3:15PM on 12-01-2006
There are some funny numbers going on. Apple is #1 in the education market in UK, and #2 in the US (slightly behind Dell). Next place after Apple and Dell are HP and Sony. Now I could be wrong, but "education" buyers are usually in the 18-25 age range.
Now I *do* have at least 3 baby-boomer friends who have bought a machine for a college-aged kid, and who told me their kid wanted a Mac. So *maybe* this survey went by the age of the cardholder, as opposed to the age of the person who the machine is for?
The fact that Gateway (i.e. eMachines) is the one that has top place because this is the first time I've seen the word "Gateway" in years, never mind on a list that starts with the word "top" or "number one".
I guess it's *possible* that while most college students own a Mac or a Dell, 95% of all college aged kids who DON'T go to college buy Gateway, but that just doesn't jive with my having actually seen a "new" Gateway computer in the wild for quite a while.
So my question then is "who paid for this report?". They're either knowingly playing with numbers, or their source data is pretty mess.
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Al Willis said 2:25AM on 12-02-2006
This is no surprise to anyone who's ever attended a Mac user group meeting. I know many Mac users that are either retired or close to it.
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victor said 6:14PM on 12-07-2006
sure, but first someone here around has to be reminded that the (worldwide) web is not internet, and that such program browses the web, not the internet! :)
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will sours said 3:43PM on 12-21-2006
I cant even begin to understand what goes on inside the mind of a potential mac buyer, or current mac owner. Its like trying to imagine being a schizophrenic, or having multiple personalities, from the constraints of a normal persons mind. Very difficulet to comprehend, if not impossible.
But seriously (only a baby-crawl forward that is), I read this article for some reason, and proceeded to read the obviously mac user comments that were the majority of what was posted. And I have a few things to comment on. Please keep in mind, I’m a computer hobbyist of over 14-15years, in my late 20’s, and most importantly and relevantly I have been in the computer/IT support field for nearly 8 years ranging from desktop support to network engineering and consulting. Here’s my take:
First, Apple computers, including their proprietary, over-priced, and software-limited systems, account for a mere 3.5ish percent of the market share of ALL computers (references at bottom). So most importantly, apple computers are essentially a dead platform, only still in mind and physical existence, because for some reason 3.5ish percent of the people that buy computers are for some reason either cohersed into their purchase by family, friends or “tech people” that are mac loyal, or, they are just die-hard mac lovers who don’t like PC’s, or, are mac users that are unwilling or unable to learn how to use a different operating system, or, a small percentage are driven toward their purchase by some other odd reason that’s unclassifiable.
There were a couple people that mentioned they couldn’t believe gateway is still thriving, however, Toshiba, outsold apple computers in 2005. And I have only seen a Toshiba laptop used in a business environment ONCE in my career (because they have a bullet-proof laptop for law enforcement). I don’t see gateways often in businesses. But here and there. Dell is most defenitly the first supplier most IT people look to when they’re looking for new computers (or servers, network storage, etc).
Edsel above wrote:
11. Just maybe, Apple should create a new .Mac page for us Seniors. We could share Widgets designed just for us (virtual pill minders, meal planning, memory games).
Perhaps some bright young whipper-snapper could develop a blood pressure machine with a OSX interface, or design a WiFi/heart pacemaker interface to make our lives more interesting.
Heck, I'd be thrilled for a program to simply tell me where I misplaced my wireless mouse. Oops, gota run, the Art Linkletter TV reruns are on.....
I cant say for sure the applications you wanted/hoped for are available or not for mac (doubtful), but I know for fact that there are blood pressure and heart rate monitoring software & sensor packages available for PC. I also personally use meal planning apps, and know there are pill minder apps and a vast number of memory “games” on PC. Since apple accounts for only 2.5ish percent of computers, there is very little reason or incentive for software makers to develop software for them. There’s just very little money in it for them.
I don’t work for Microsoft, but their PC platform is able to run on Toshiba, sony, dell, gateway, now even APPLE computer hardware! So the upper 90% of computer users are wanting to buy software for this platform, or operating system. If you were to create a product to sell to consumers and businesses, what would be the logical choice: a product that appeals to 3.5% of the population, or a product that appeals to 90% of the population? The answer to this, is why there is a VAST amount of nearly anything-you-can-think-of software available for the windows platform, and much of it is available for FREE or low-cost via the internet. Reason being, all that market share, means nearly all developers want to create product for that market share, meaning there will be much more competition for similar products, meaning lower prices for consumers.
Basically, buying a mac is stupid. I don’t mean to insult you mac users, but seriously, if you look at the facts objectively and compare capability, prices, choices, etc. Mac isn’t even a serious option. In addition to my computer/IT work, I also work on my own music, do a little programming, and even some graphic work (currently working on a 3d animation short film). So you cant say PC/windows computers are less suited to artistic types than mac’s. On PC’s you have dozens, even hundreds of choices between software applications to do your graphic,/modeling/rendering work, or music, or whatever. Mac’s have a few. And how many can you download from the internet to try for free?
I’m not trying to talk down to mac users or anything like that. Rather I’d really, seriously and sincerely, like to help educate the public, the people purchasing computers with their hard earned money. To help them to make the best choice for their needs, and find the best deal for it. Not just because I want to help people, but because it also helps me from a consumers standpoint. I’ve also had a couple family members that unfortunately didn’t consult me before purchasing a computer, and got talked into a mac, and they find themselves with little options for software they need, and in some cases NO options, AND, when they need help with it, its much harder to find people that support “niche” products like the mac and so people rarely have the grandkids, or dads, or friends that can fix their mac problems, whereas almost every PC owner, knows someone or is related to someone that is an “expert”.
My last opinion in this ridiculously long post, is that laptops are DUMB PURCHASES! I cant even come close to being able to count the number of times I’ve been asked about my recommendations for a computer purchase, and the person thinks they want a laptop because it would be nice to sit on the couch or toilet or whatever and be able to use their PC.
Unless you’re among the small percentage of people that have a huge amount of disposable income or other monies, or perhaps if you’re a student (in some cases, most students don’t need them either), or a frequent business traveler, you don’t need a laptop, and in most cases you will regret purchasing one. If you’re a business traveler, or any employee that thinks they need a laptop for work; if you’re employer wont provide one, you don’t need it. Laptops are very limited as far as upgradeability, and expansion. They are generally significantly slower to use than a lower-priced desktop, and have smaller screens, awkward keyboard & “mouse”/pointer device, have much less drive space and memory than a lower priced desktop, they’re frequently stolen (if so, just imagine what data / documents / personal info the theif would have access to), need I go on??
Another thing to consider, is if you purchase a desktop PC (not a mac, they don’t have this capability as far as I know), and find that you’d really like to, or benefit from having the ability to surf the web from the couch or toilet, or read up on the health risks of sun exposure while in the pool or beside it, or whatever. You can later purchase a “tablet” type device to add to your computer equipment. They’re similar to a laptop, but even more portable, with longer battery life, and a fraction of the price. Some of these devices are easily able to mirror, or replicate, your desktop PC (or actually, use & control your PC from it. Essentially giving you an extremely portable, wireless device that acts as the monitor/display, keyboard and mouse, and even speakers, of the computer that’s at your desk). Giving you most of the functionality, power, and expandability of a desktop computer, but with a smaller and better than laptop form, and doing it wirelessly.
Anyway my coffee breaks over, so I hope you learned something from this.
a schizofrenic
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