The notebook has evolved into the essential digital device to manage multimedia, and is now being used for far more than just mobile working, according to research issued today by Toshiba Computer Systems Division. The research, conducted amongst 3,300 UK consumers, also revealed that 65 percent of those questioned thought the content of their laptop was worth less than £1,000, despite them using it to store their entire music and photo collection.
With approximately one in twenty adults in the UK owning a digital music player, each with at around two thousand songs on them the content of a laptop could to be worth at least £2,500, without including the cost of digital music videos, podcasts, audio books and priceless personal items such as photos and contact details.
“It is surprising that the public doesn’t put a greater value on the content of their laptop. As more people own digital devices such as cameras and MP3 players, the storage of their music and photo collection has moved from the shelves of their living room onto their laptops,” said Steve Crawley, head of mobility strategy at Toshiba. “If people are going to rely on their laptop as a storage device for their multi-media files they need to ensure that it is well protected.”
The research went on to reveal the following:
- Almost 80 percent of respondents use their notebook for multimedia management activities with just ten percent using the device solely for work related activities
- A quarter of respondents were most worried about losing personal data such as contact details, pictures and music should their machines be lost or stolen, although the cost of replacing the laptop was the greatest concern (40 percent)
- 19 percent of consumers feel that they couldn’t put a price on the personal content of their notebook – content such as pictures, music and contacts would simply be too difficult to replace
- Price (77 percent), portability (67 percent) and power (53 percent) were the main criteria upon which users are based their notebook purchasing decisions.
- However, price is also the number one inhibitor to owning a notebook, with over half citing it as the reason for not having a personal notebook, despite the devices now being available for as little as £499
- 78 percent of consumers use their notebooks for managing digital libraries. 38 percent use their devices for storing pictures, 21 percent for downloading and managing music and 19 percent for watching films
The study also showed that notebook users are taking advantage of the increased availability of broadband and wireless technology in the home, with 55 percent of respondents rating it as the place they most often take advantage of their wirelessly enabled products.
“This is the next step in the evolution of the PC,” added Crawley. “We’ve seen revolutions in portable computing thanks to battery technology and wireless connectivity. Now digital storage and management has become the big motivator for consumers investing in mobile devices. The last 18 months has seen the emergence of portable PCs that are specifically designed to meet all the home entertainment needs of today’s computer users. It’s a matter of time until the notebook becomes as pervasive in UK homes as televisions or cookers.”
The research went on to identify that despite the installation of wireless technology in countless locations across the UK, users are still reticent about using it. Only 11 percent of consumers make use of them in hotels, 7 percent on trains and 3 percent in coffee shops. 23 percent of users with wirelessly equipped notebooks stated they didn't use the technology because they don’t want to pay for it with 19 percent stating that security concerns prevented them using it. A further 19 percent claimed they simply didn’t know how to use the wireless functions of their notebook and 15 percent claimed there are not enough wireless locations for them to truly capitalise on wireless technology, despite there being over 10,000 WiFi locations in the UK. Fear of theft (35 percent) and privacy fears (27 percent) were also given as reasons for not using mobile PCs in public.
When using their notebooks for work, many of those questioned felt that it meant more was expected from them. Nearly 90 percent of those questioned believed that owning a laptop meant that they worked more hours, with the majority claiming to work between one and two hours a week extra. Nearly a fifth said that notebooks make them work more than ten hours a week – as much as 40 hours extra a month.
“Many users appear to be failing to capitalise on the opportunities presented to them through mobility,” concluded Crawley. “Getting the most out of mobility is about sensible use. This means using the technology when you have the opportunity, whilst ensuring you control when and where devices are used to minimise the impact on work/life balance. Consumers that are only using their devices in the home are missing out on huge opportunities to benefit technologies which can dramatically improve their working lives.”
The survey, commissioned by Toshiba Computer Systems Division, was carried out by Tickbox amongst 3,307 adults in the UK.
About Toshiba
The Computer Systems Division of Toshiba Europe GmbH is a leading vendor for mobile computing solutions. Headquartered in Neuss, Germany, the Computer Systems Division of Toshiba Europe GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toshiba Corporation, the world's eighth-largest computer and electronics company.
Toshiba Corporation is a leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products and power systems. The company's integration of these wide-ranging capabilities assures its position as an innovator in advanced components, products and systems. Toshiba has more than 161,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of US$53 billion (FY2003).
