Gateway Leads in Media Metrix' New Convergence Index
Business Wire - June 15, 1998 16:46
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 1998--
Convergence Index to Track Progress of the Converged TV and PC
According to Media Metrix' new semi-annual Convergence Index, the installed base of all US consumer PCs is about half way to becoming fully interactive systems, with full audio and video capability over a communications network such as the Internet. Out of a perfect score of 1,000, where all PCs in US households can support fully interactive content with full motion video and audio over a high speed communications link, the current Media Metrix Convergence Index rating for all PCs stands at 541.
Gateway leads the Top 10 installed base brands with a Media Metrix Convergence Index rating of 665. This means the installed base of Gateway PCs is 23% higher in overall technology and communications power than the average U.S. household PC -- it has a larger installed base of Pentium/586 PCs, faster processors, audio capability, higher speed modems, etc.
The Media Metrix Convergence Index uses the following ten installed base technology elements that the Media Metrix Technology Division tracks for US consumer PCs: processor type, processor speed, RAM size, hard disk storage, optical drive speed, graphics resolution, color depth, audio processor, external communications speed and operating system. Each category has a weight applied to the importance of each category, for example, communications speed is rated higher than CD-ROM speed. In addition, a rating is applied to the installed base of each technology sub-segment, for example, 200MHz Pentium processors are rated higher than 100MHz Pentium processors.
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Media Metrix, The PC Meter Company
Convergence Index
First Half 1998
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Ranking PC Brand Index
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1 Gateway 665
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2 HP 635
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3 Acer 617
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4 Compaq 611
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5 NEC 588
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6 Dell 586
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7 AST 569
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8 Packard Bell 548
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9 IBM 502
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10 Tandy 399
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All Others 610
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All PCs 541
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"We developed the Convergence Index to establish a simple gauge of how fast U.S. consumers are moving at acquiring the technology that will allow their PCs to be fully interactive information and entertainment systems with full audio and video capability," says Bruce Ryon, General Manager and Chief Technology Analyst of the Technology Division of Media Metrix, Inc. "In light of the tremendous growth in the use of the Internet the big question remains as to how quickly consumers will upgrade their PCs to be fully on par with the dream of interactive television."
About Media Metrix Technology Measurement
The Media Metrix Technology Group provides data from the first ever on-going effort to electronically scan and monitor actual PC usage and ownership in a demographically balanced sample of households. The PCs in these households are equipped with Media Metrix' proprietary, patented PC Meter software, which runs continuously to track real-time PC usage. Media Metrix is the only audience measurement company which tracks and measures all usage activity taking place on the PC, not just on the web. Data collected electronically with the Media Metrix PC Meter is far more reliable than information gathered in surveys, which rely on the respondents' ability to recall or even understand survey questions. The Media Metrix Convergence Index is derived from the information in the Media Metrix PC Meter Report Series HardScan(tm) report, which covers hardware ownership, peripheral ownership and branding information data. Other Media Metrix technology oriented reports include the SoftScan(tm) which reports on software ownership information - application and system software, and the SoftUsage(tm) reports which contain software usage data. Media Metrix also provides Linkage(tm) reports which combine any two of the technology reports or link with Media Metrix' World Wide Web Audience Measurement Reports. Linkage reports provide unique information on the relationships between hardware, software, media, ownership and usage. The PC Meter Report Series is derived from the Media Metrix At Home sample of 28,000 PC users.
About Media Metrix
Media Metrix, The PC Meter Company, is the recognized world leader in the field of usage measurement services for new interactive media and digital technologies. Media Metrix measures real-time, actual usage of the complete digital universe, including the World Wide Web, proprietary online services, computer hardware, computer software and other new interactive technologies in the home and at work. Media Metrix has more than 150 clients, including leading advertising agencies, new and traditional media companies, marketers, financial institutions and technology companies.
Information on Media Metrix, Inc. is available on the company's World Wide Web site: mediametrix.com. |
