Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Tech Tuesday: I Dream of Genea-Computer

The survey results are in on several computer-related questions that were posted over at Facebook Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers.  Here is a summary of how readers answered:

Are you considering purchasing a new PC this holiday season?
Yes - 16%
No - upgrade current system 4%
Maybe - 8%
I wish - 8%
No - 62%

New PC: Windows Vista or MAC OS?
Windows Vista - 37%
Mac OS - 18%
Other - 43%

New PC: Desktop or Laptop?
Desktop - 31%
Laptop - 68%

New PC: Monitor
Flat Screen LCD - 52%
Use current monitor - 29%
Other - 17%

New PC: Memory (hard drive and RAM)
Hard Drive 80gb or more - 85%
Hard Drive 80gb or less - 14%
RAM 2gb or less - 7%
RAM 2gb or more - 78%

New PC: Wish List
External Hard Drive - 61%
Wireless Network - 55%
Highspeed Internet - 55%
Wireless Keyboard or Mouse - 22%
Web Camera - 16%
Headset (for telephone or media) - 16%
Printer - 22%
Photo or Document Scanner - 38%
Slide or Negative Scanner - 22%
Combo Device (fax, printer, scanner, copier) - 22%
Other - 0%
(note: results will not add up to 100% since voters could select more than one item)

So what can we deduce from the information above and what kind of computer would most genea-bloggers purchase?

Well it seems that most of us are willing to hold on to what we have, we prefer laptops over desktops for their portability, most of us are still using Windows XP rather than Vista, and we like lots of memory.  And #1 on our wish list is an external hard drive!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I missed participating in the survey, and am glad to see the results. For my 2 cents, I am looking at a laptap that meets three criteria: small, light, genea-capable. I want to run Legacy, a word processor, surf the web, and use a webcam. Possibly a 9-inch "netbook" or the old 13-inch MacBook. I'd love to hear if anyone has experience with a netbook. --
p.s. - Santa always leaves the tech-shopping to me; guess he thinks I am "picky."