Across Europe, we are transforming into a continent of content-craving 'connect-aholics', according to the findings of the AMD European Connectivity Study of over 5,000 online respondents. Sponsored by AMD, in conjunction with independent research company, YouGov, 77% of respondents said they could not live without daily access to the internet.

This was higher than any other item including access to a car (54%) and to a washing machine (61%). This trend follows the findings of an earlier AMD survey* which stated that almost all (99%) of the respondents would rather part with their digital camera, Blackberry, or MP3 player than their notebook.

All of the research indicates that consumers have a primary use in mind when considering the purchase of either a notebook or desktop PC. Providing a balanced platform that is optimized for these different usage models - specifically activities that focus on home, work and play - will likely be key in addressing the needs of consumers tomorrow. Notebooks are no longer just about flexibility or working on the go, they are about delivering a true HD multimedia experience to the user. As performance and computer processing accelerates, society can expect to see a fusion of quality multimedia content and connectivity. The results of the survey show that AMD has chosen the right strategy so far and that, as technology develops, it is ready to continue to deliver The Ultimate Visual Experience(TM) and high performance for multi-tasking to its customers, said Nigel Dessau, SVP and CMO, AMD.

Content-craving

A major factor fuelling this connection-addiction seems to be the thirst for content. Europeans are now clicking the mouse shortly after clicking the camera, with 81% of respondents saying that they have uploaded digital photos in the past year. This trend for consuming and sharing content is also reflected in videos and music. Across Europe, 77% had watched videos on YouTube or similar sites, and 66% had downloaded music.

This visual appetite can in part be explained by Europeans' love for gaming. 76% of the respondents said that they had engaged in gaming over the last year on either a notebook or a desktop PC. Furthermore, 51% had downloaded and 43% had streamed films over the last year. In addition, 14% of the respondents said that they watch Blu-ray films, indicating that this technology is gaining momentum across Europe.

'The PC as the ultimate digital entertainment device has become ubiquitous as consumers recognise the value of having one central appliance to both manage and interact with the vast array of content included in today's full entertainment library. Be it desktop or notebook, the capabilities of the modern PC allows for a 'one device for all' philosophy and the potential replacement of TVs in the future is not as far-fetched as we might once have believed,' said Jochen Polster, director, marketing, EMEA at AMD.

Focus on Enhanced Visual Quality

The findings from the survey also suggest that consumers are looking for an HD visual experience from their notebooks. Almost half (46%) of the respondents said that graphics play a large part in their purchasing decision when choosing a notebook with males more likely to expect to have a better visual experience (51%) compared to females (37%). Interestingly, 59% of 18-24 year olds surveyed said that one of their considerations for purchasing a notebook is the graphics quality.

Generation Y uses their notebook in a different way than today's average consumer, with an expectation that it will deliver the stunning visuals they are accustomed to in everyday life, specifically for content like high-end PC gaming and watching movies. AMD is focused on enabling Hollywood feature-film quality realism without compromising performance to redefine the mobile computing experience for the next generation of consumers, said Jochen Polster, AMD.

Price Performance

The variety of activities that consumers are carrying out on their notebooks mean that people are now treating them as a serious purchase, expecting choice based on a variety of performance factors. As wallets tighten across Europe, consumers are expecting high performance but for a good price, as 80% said that cost would affect their purchasing decision. Surprisingly, the respondents also revealed that they would be willing to spend more on a new desktop computer than a notebook, with the average estimate across Europe for the price of their next desktop being EUR792 compared to just EUR713 for a notebook.

Historically notebooks have been more expensive than a desktop equivalent, but now the market has evened out with our survey results showing that it is now desktops where the consumer is willing to invest, said Jochen Polster, AMD. Consumers have started to perceive the desktop PC as a multifunctional alternative to PVRs, Blu-ray players and TVs. We are now in the era of the PC home hub, where media centre PC systems are central to the digital home of the future, providing a simple way to create, access, share and consume entertainment.

Overall Growth of Notebook Sales

IDC's latest market report(1) confirmed that PC shipments recorded a 27% increase in EMEA in the third quarter of 2008 compared with the same quarter last year. The report concluded that notebooks continued to drive market overall growth by 52% as consumer demand in Western Europe showed no signs of slowing down. The AMD European Connectivity Study backs up this report as, when asked what they would prefer as their next home computer, 48% of respondents said a notebook, 32% said a desktop PC and 14% said a netbook (mini notebook). This data would also suggest that while demand remains strong across all formats, only 6% did not know or had no preference when it came to their next computer purchase, the notebook is still viewed as the most popular device.

Usage patterns of desktops and notebooks are changing dramatically. While desktops are being embraced as a home entertainment hub, notebooks are increasingly chosen to enable a rich media experience on the go, said Eszter Morvay, Senior Research Analyst, European Personal Computing at IDC. With consumers becoming more and more educated, purchase decisions are more frequently driven by the best value for money. Design, content and ease of use are at the top of consumers' minds when buying a new notebook. Therefore they will have to offer a rich feature set for a reasonable price.

About the Survey

YouGov interviewed 5148 respondents online between September 17th- September 30th. Respondents were interviewed from France, Germany, Russia, Spain and the UK. The survey asked respondents questions about their computing habits, specifically looking at notebook usage and connectivity.

2005 AMD Survey* Survey methodology: Research was carried out for AMD by Benchmark Research Ltd. The survey comprised 516 interviews in September 2005 across five European countries - Sweden, Germany, UK, France and Italy. The online survey targeted home PC users who are involved in the decisions made by the household over which PC to buy and who regularly use their PC to download, create and manipulate digital content. The executive summary of the survey results can be obtained from AMD.

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(1) IDC EMEA PC Tracker, Preliminary Data Q3 2008, October 2008