The French bought nearly 5 million PCs in 2007
| Corrigendum: Contrary to information published Tuesday, January 22 at 9:55, sales of external hard drives in France amounted to 3 million units in 2007, not 4.5 million as indicated below. |
The personal computer is becoming commonplace in France. In 2007, the French bought not less than 4.9 million, almost as much as the number of digital cameras sold, according to the Gfk Panorama of the micro and the Internet, presented this Tuesday morning at the press. According to this annual survey, the rate of French personal computer equipment (desktops and laptops) is now 60%, or 15.5 million homes. This is twice more than in 2000.
For the first time, sales of desktop PCs have reigned in France. It sold 1.9 million against 2.1 million in 2006. A trend that benefits the laptop. More affordable, more efficient and better equipped in terms of connectivity (Wi-fi, Bluetooth, 3G, TNT tuner, etc.), the "notebooks" have passed 3 million copies, a growth of 31% in one year. This is, according to Gfk, three times more devices than for the entire French market in 2002.
On average, French consumers spent in 2007 about 860 euros including the purchase of a laptop. The average buyer also has more technical knowledge: nearly half of the sodes feel able to perform updates without outside help.
The equipment rate, however, remains quite heterogeneous. "The computerization of seniors remains very low, with less than one in four homes equipped for 65 years and older," notes the study, "while it is 80% among 25-34 years."
The number of households connected to the Internet is also increasing: 12.6 million households are connected to the Web, mostly in broadband. The PC has even become inseparable from the internet use Gfk emphasizes. For 85% of equipped households, the Internet represents the main use of the computer, in front of the office uses (78%), the storage of multimedia contents (54%), the photo processing (50%) and the listening of music (50%).
Among the most common uses of surfing, electronic messaging and the search for information stand out very clearly. These activities account for 77% of home Internet use. Next come online shopping (38%), communication and exchange with other Internet users (31%), leisure organization (30%) and day-to-day management (29%). Activities related to Web 2.0 (blogs, chats, social networks) mainly affect people under 25 years old.
As for downloading, they concern 18% of households. 38% of them (900,000 households) declare downloading legal and paid content. A figure roughly equivalent to the number of homes that admit to download illegally. The practice, whether legal or not, has benefited the storage market: 4.5 million external hard drives were sold in 2007, 50% more than in 2006.
For 2008, the craze for laptops should continue and bring in its wake other mobile devices. "Already, in 2007, consumers have spent 10 billion euros to buy mobile devices, more than 42 million terminals on the perimeter of portable music players, laptops, cameras and mobile phones" notes François Klipfel , director of the IT / Telecom department at GfK, "they are now integrating features previously reserved for microcomputers."
To follow this year, the mobile phones "performing", to become, according to Gfk, the "PC that fits in the pocket" and replace the laptop in some mobility situations.
This Gfk study was conducted in December 2007 on a sample of 1,042 representative households of the French population.
Website: www.gfk.fr
