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Lower PC Prices Fail to Entice the Laggards

Laptops have yet to attract the late-adopting market segments in the U.S., according to an upcoming report from Parks Associates that found only 2 percent of the 10.5 million households planning on buying a notebook are technology latecomers.

These technology "laggards," defined in the report "Multimedia Trends: Segmenting the U.S. Consumer Population" as households that have an Internet connection but seldom engage in online activities, show little to no interest in purchasing a laptop, despite falling prices. By comparison, a majority of the households planning on buying a laptop computer in the next 12 months already own one, with early-adopter households accounting for 29 percent of these households.

"The laptop market is a mile wide and an inch deep," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. "New notebook computers can be found for less than $500, but it's not the latecomers who are taking advantage of falling prices. The early adopters are getting a laptop to complement their existing desktop or laptop computer."

"Multimedia Trends: Segmenting the U.S. Consumer Population" is an in-depth analysis of households by their proclivity to adopt technology products and services. It is based on three nationwide surveys and responses collected from over 8,000 households.

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