BOISE, Idaho, Aug. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite more
than half of Americans believing they're ahead of or aligned with
current tech trends, nearly 75 percent have "no idea" what computer
memory is, according to a new study by GMI Research. The irony in
these findings: Slow and poor-performing PCs and Macs that have put
62 percent of Americans in a bad mood and made 93 percent of
millennials experience "computer rage," can often be easily
improved by installing a memory (DRAM) upgrade. Exploring
Americans' technological aptitudes, the independent research
commissioned by Crucial.com aims to help Americans understand how a
computer memory upgrade can help save time and money in the long
run. Detailed findings from the research include:
Memory Misconceptions
- Nearly 75 percent of Americans have no idea what computer
memory is. Almost half believe it's where computer files live
(49%).
- Memory is a component in your computer that allows for
short-term data access. It's what allows your computer to perform
many of the everyday tasks you rely on to work more efficiently –
like browsing the web, using Word and Excel, having multiple
programs open at once and being able to multitask.
- Seventy three percent of Americans surveyed said they wouldn't
upgrade their memory because of assumed stressors.
The Five Minute Upgrade
- Only 10 percent of Americans believe a memory upgrade can be
achieved in 5 minutes or less, with nearly a quarter of respondents
believing it takes an hour or more to complete. A computer memory
upgrade, on average, can take approximately five minutes.
- Despite 91 percent of Americans admitting it can take up to an
hour longer to perform tasks on a slower computer, only 4 percent
upgrade their memory when their computer slows down.
- 49 percent scan for viruses and 26 percent "just deal with it"
or put it off for a little while and then return to work.
Gender/Generations
- Men are more likely to upgrade than women – only 29 percent of
women had attempted a memory upgrade, compared to 54 percent of
men.
- This makes sense considering 80 percent of women are uncertain
what computer memory actually is, as opposed to 62 percent of
men.
Opportunity to Upgrade & Save Money
- 61 percent of Americans have old computers and laptops that are
currently not in use.
- 67 percent of millennials stash old computers and laptops in
their closet
- Nearly half of Americans (46%) surveyed have paid up to
$200 dollars on computer repairs;
baby boomers are more likely to pay a professional to fix a
computer than millennials.
- When asked, "Why wouldn't you upgrade your computer memory?" 25
percent of Americans said it was because they believed it would be
"too much money," even though the average memory upgrade costs
about $50.
"We rely so heavily on our devices to maintain our productivity
levels and time management that in times of frustration we often
forget that our devices rely on us, too, to stay functional and
efficient," said Crucial.com Marketing Manager Ed Walker. "A memory upgrade is a simple
solution. It can be done in less than 5 minutes, costs around
$50 (potentially saving hundreds to
thousands of dollars on buying a new device) and helps shave off
hours of time waiting for a slow computer to load."
For additional information about Crucial or computer memory
upgrades, please visit Crucial.com.
Research findings are based on a survey conducted in the US
in April 2015, which polled 1,000 adults aged 18-65 about
their tech aptitude. The survey was completed through GMI's Global
Test Market double opted in panelists who have registered to
participate in online surveys. Respondents who were invited to
participate in this survey were split equally on gender.
Differential sampling was done to account for response rate
differences by demographics. Quotas were also set in the survey to
ensure that over representation of the age and gender groups
involved did not occur.
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About Crucial
Crucial is a global brand of
Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial products include award-winning
solid state drives (SSDs) and memory upgrades (DRAM) for more than
100,000 desktops, laptops, servers, workstations, and other
systems. Crucial products are available worldwide at leading retail
and e-tail stores, commercial resellers, and system integrators
that can be found at www.crucialproducts.com. For more
information or support, visit www.crucial.com.
About Micron
Micron Technology, Inc. is one of
the world's leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions.
Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets a
full range of DRAM, NAND and NOR flash memory, as well as other
innovative memory technologies, packaging solutions and
semiconductor systems for use in leading-edge computing, consumer,
networking, embedded and mobile products. Micron's common stock is
traded on the NASDAQ under the MU symbol. To learn more about
Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com
©2015 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information
is subject to change without notice. Micron and the Micron logo are
registered trademarks of Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial and the
Crucial logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Micron
Technology, Inc. All other trademarks and service are the property
of their respective owners. Neither Crucial nor Micron Technology
is responsible for omissions or errors in typography or
photography.
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SOURCE Micron Technology, Inc.