| Maybe
when the bugs are squashed. |
40% |
| No,
Windows forever. |
31% |
| Yes
-- embrace the Penguin! |
24% |
| Mac!
We Mac users will never change. |
5% |
| How many security utilities do you run on your
computer?
| Antivirus, firewall, and
antispyware |
69% |
| Antivirus and firewall |
19% |
| Antivirus only |
9% |
| None--I live dangerously! |
2% |
|
| How
old is your primary home PC?
| 1
to 3 years |
51% |
| Less
than a year |
25% |
| 3
to 5 years |
18% |
| 5-plus
years |
6% |
|
| Is
that a camera on your cell phone?
| No,
it's a *phone* - why tack on a cheesy digicam? |
66% |
| Not
soon - I'm stuck with my no-cam phone for a while. |
14% |
| Yes
- I like having sound *and* pictures. |
13% |
| Not
yet - But I've got my eye on a cool camera phone. |
7% |
|
| Is
it ever acceptable to download copyrighted music from a
peer-to-peer network?
| Yes:
the genie's out of the bottle, get any song you wish! |
48% |
| Maybe:
but only to sample an artist before you buy the CD. |
33% |
| No:
thou shall not swap. |
19% |
|
| Do you mix TV with your
PC?
| Never -- They're separate machines, separate
activities |
36% |
| Sort of -- I surf the Web while I watch
TV |
30% |
| Yes -- I watch TV on my
computer |
18% |
| Maybe later -- I expect both will be tightly
integrated |
16% |
|
| What's
your experience been with computer viruses?
| Not
bad--My virus protection rarely even flags one. |
62% |
| Annoying--I
have to remove them occasionally. |
25% |
| Obnoxious--They've
wasted time and spammed my friends. |
8% |
| A
nightmare--They've done serious damage to my system. |
6% |
|
| Are you filing your taxes online this year?
| Yes - Paper tax forms are history! |
61% |
| No - Why mess with tradition (anyone got a stamp)? |
29% |
| Maybe - I'm still wary of computer glitches and security. |
10% |
|
| How
do you deal with e-mail spam?
| I
delete all of it manually one message at a time. |
43% |
| I
delete all of it automatically with a rule in my e-mail
software. |
26% |
| I
use third-party add-in software. |
20% |
| I
get hardly any spam. |
11% |
|
| Do
you Wi-Fi?
| Never
- My data stays on land, thank you. |
34% |
| Later
- I've got my eye on a Wi-Fi device. |
24% |
| Sometimes
- I'm always snooping for a hotspot. |
23% |
| Always
- I say no to network cables. |
19% |
|
| Do
you own a DVD burner?
| Yes -- I live large, and so do my files! |
44% |
| Not yet -- I'm still waiting for a format to be standardized. |
31% |
| No -- Anything I burn can fit on a CD-R. |
21% |
| What? -- You can burn DVDs? |
4% |
|
| Do you leave your computer on all the time?
| OFF when I'm not using it. The components need a break. |
40% |
| BOTH -- sometimes I leave it on all night, sometimes I shut it down. |
34% |
| ON all the time -- it's better for the PC. |
26% |
|
| How often do you install Microsoft Windows' critical updates?
| Always -- I update my PC regularly. |
85% |
| Occasionally -- I grab the latest patch when I hear about a virus. |
11% |
| No -- I don't have time to constantly update Windows |
2% |
| Never -- I didn't realize that I have to update Windows. |
2% |
|
| Have you ever seen the inside of your computer?
| I can make minor hardware upgrades myself. |
45% |
| I built the thing myself. |
40% |
| Yes,
just to clean out the dust bunnies. |
8% |
| No,
I'm afraid to look. |
7% |
|
| What steps do you take to back up your data?
| I
back up only important files to CD or another media. |
52% |
| I
don't make backups, I live dangerously. |
21% |
| I
copy files to another drive on the same computer. |
14% |
| I
do full system backups. |
13% |
|
| How many partitions does your hard drive have?
| One:
Partitions? I don't need no stinkin' partitions. |
47% |
| Two:
One for the OS, and one for the rest. |
28% |
|
few: They help to sort out my various projects. |
18% |
| Lots:
I have a big drive, so I need lots of neighborhoods. |
7% |
|
| How often do you defrag your hard disk?
| Every
month or two: It helps my system run faster. |
55% |
| Every
week: I work with large files, so my PC requires constant |
31% |
| Every
year: Just a little spring-cleaning works fine. |
10% |
| Never:
Sounds dangerous, and my machine runs fine without
it. |
4% |
|
| When did you first start using computers?
| The
1980s (Mac vs. PC) |
34% |
| The
1970s (Atari and Apple IIe) |
28% |
| The
1990s (Pentium, G4, and a little thing called the
World Wide Web) |
23% |
| The
1960s (peace, love, and room-size mainframes) |
11% |
| The
2000s (How did people live before 2GHz wireless notebooks?) |
4% |
|
| How
concerned are you about Web sites using cookies to track
your usage and store registration info?
| Very
concerned: Keep those privacy-plundering pastries
off my drive! |
66% |
| Not
too concerned: They're pretty benign from what I've
heard. |
26% |
| Bring
'em on: They save me from having to retype my passwords
at lots of sites. |
8% |
|
| What do you use IM (instant messaging) for?
| Nothing--my phone and e-mail are enough! |
43% |
| Chatting with friends. |
42% |
| Both business and personal. |
11% |
| Meeting new people. |
2% |
| Business. |
2% |
|
| What
do you do when your computer stops working?
| Find
a working PC and surf the Web for a solution. |
43% |
| Ask
a friend or a family member for help. |
26% |
| Does
that ever really happen? |
20% |
| Take
it to a repair shop. |
14% |
| Buy
a new computer and start over. |
3% |
|
| What's your favorite desktop OS?
| Windows
95/98/2000/XP |
78% |
| Macintosh
9 or X |
9% |
| Linux |
8% |
| None
of the above |
3% |
| What's
an OS? |
2% |
|
| How
do you connect to the Internet?
| Cable |
44% |
| DSL |
31% |
| Dial-up |
18% |
| T1/T3 |
3% |
| Satellite |
2% |
| ISDN |
1% |
| Enhanced
dial-up (such as NetZero HiSpeed, and so on) |
1% |
|
| Now
that it's back-to-school season, what kind of PC are you
buying for yourself (or your kids) this fall?
| Neither:
I can get another year or two out of my old machine |
65% |
| Desktop:
the maximum bang for the buck |
18% |
| Notebook:
gotta have mobility |
17% |
|
| How
do you keep track of your passwords?
| It's
all in here, baby (pointing to brain) |
23% |
| Write
them down |
22% |
| More
than one of the above |
21% |
| Easy,
I use one password for everything! |
20% |
| Password-tracking
software |
11% |
| None
of the above |
3% |
|
| On
average, how many hours a day do you spend on the computer?
| 3
to 6: civilized being |
47% |
| 7
to 10: evolved life form |
28% |
| 11
or more: assimilated |
15% |
| 2
or less: primitive human |
10% |
|
| How much do you pay each month for Internet access?
| $31 to $50 |
49% |
| $11 to $30 |
30% |
| $51 or more |
11% |
| $10 or less |
7% |
| I get it free (work, hot spots, and so on) |
3% |
|
| How do you print your digital photos?
| I use my own printer. |
60% |
| I don't have or use a digital camera. |
12% |
| I never print my digital photos. |
11% |
| I take them to the drugstore or wherever there's a cheap photo printer. |
8% |
| I upload my images to an online printing service. |
6% |
| I take them to a fancy photo lab. |
3% |
|
| With the election coming up, how do you get in-depth information on the candidates?
| I use the Internet. |
27% |
| I watch television. |
25% |
| I don't, politics is not my cup of tea. |
20% |
| I read newspapers/magazines. |
15% |
| I listen to the radio. |
9% |
| I subscribe to online newsletters. |
3% |
| I join discussion groups online. |
1% |
|
| Which operating system do you use?
| Windows XP |
73% |
| Windows 98 |
11% |
| Windows 2000 |
7% |
| Windows Me |
5% |
| I don't use Windows |
3% |
| Windows 95 |
.5% |
| Windows NT |
.5% |
|
| Which music-player software do you use? Discuss this poll here
| Windows Media Player |
43% |
| Winamp |
18% |
| Musicmatch |
14% |
| iTunes |
10% |
| RealPlayer |
10% |
| Other |
4% |
| QuickTime |
1% |
|
| What's your source for digital music? Discuss this poll here
| I don't download music |
42% |
| File-sharing networks |
29% |
| Free music Web sites |
11% |
| Online music stores |
10% |
| Friends and family |
5% |
| Newsgroups |
3% |
|
| What's
the biggest scourge of the Internet? Discuss this poll here
| Spam/spyware |
43% |
| Viruses/hackers |
35% |
| Pornography |
12% |
| Music
industry lawsuits |
3% |
| Fraud |
3% |
| Terrorist
networks |
2% |
| Copyright
violations |
1% |
| Other |
1% |
|
What was the reason the last time you reinstalled your OS from scratch?
Discuss this poll here
| Other
system problem |
25% |
| Viruses/spyware
made a mess |
22% |
| Upgraded/switched
to a new OS |
16% |
| New
hard drive |
11% |
| To
increase performance |
11% |
| I've
never found it necessary |
9% |
| I've
never done it because I wouldn't know where to start |
4% |
| Just
for fun |
2% |
|
| Have
you installed Windows XP SP2? Discuss this poll here
| Yes,
but it doesn't seem any different. |
33% |
| Yes,
it's a big improvement. |
18% |
| Yes,
and it's causing problems. |
14% |
| No,
I'm waiting until most bugs are fixed. |
12% |
| No,
I'm waiting until it is absolutely necessary. |
8% |
| I
don't use XP. |
8% |
| What
the heck is SP2? |
3% |
| No,
I don't need it |
2% |
| I
don't do Windows, remember? |
2% |
|
| If you were on a desert island with only one type of digital entertainment, which would you choose? Discuss this poll here
| Neither:
Computer with an Internet connection |
88% |
| HDTV with satellite service |
12% |
|
| What
do you do when you receive a chain letter in your e-mail? Discuss this poll here
| Read
it and delete it. |
46% |
| Delete
it before reading it. |
44% |
| Report
the sender as spam, even if that person is your mom. |
5% |
| Read
it and reply to sender to tell him or her to stop
sending spam. |
3% |
| Read
it and forward it on as instructed. |
2% |
|
Help.com Quick Poll archive