PC Ownership Rises But Usage Falls.

While PC ownership has increased by 25 percent over the last four years, regular PC usage has dropped by 37 percent in the same time, according to Arbitron New Media. The study found that the rate of PC ownership in the US is currently at 54 percent, up from 29 percent in 1995. In contrast, the number of people that say they use their machine regularly has dropped from 90 percent to 53 percent. In addition, the number of PC owners that have an Internet subscription has quadrupled since 1995, with just 66 percent of these subscribers regularly using the Internet. The study attributes the low rate of usage to two main reasons. First, the survey excluded users under the age of 16, and second, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people buying PCs because they are cheap rather than because they are avid computer users. The findings are based on a survey of US consumers over the age 16.