Computers as ‘social sharing’ tools give Europeans new source of pride

AMD-sponsored survey shows new benefits, social pressures as the computer-based digital era evolves

London, UK -- 11/20/2005 -- A new European survey shows that as technology allows new forms of “social sharing,” it also creates new sources of personal pride. In addition to sharing their cooking tips or holiday photo albums around the kitchen table, people are sending recipes and photos to friends and family via the Internet.

Sponsored by AMD¹ (NYSE: AMD), the survey shows that instinctive social pressures are already part of the new digital era. More than 60 percent of respondents found a new source of pride by emailing great photographs to friends, but sharing digital content also raises concerns over electronic etiquette. More than half of the people interviewed by Benchmark Research Ltd. admitted they would like help to avoid being embarrassed by how other people view what they send.

“We are seeing a dramatic social transformation as we connect more often, connect to more people and connect to more information. The world is evolving into a constantly-connected society,” said Stephen DiFranco, vice president of consumer sales and marketing, AMD. “The new digital era will be as much about our social interactions as it is about technological advancements.”

In spite of historic frustrations people claimed to have with technology, the survey shows that the computer has clearly confirmed its role within the home digital sharing environment. Responses show that two-thirds of people believe digital technology has changed their lives. Nearly all (99 percent) of total respondents said they would rather part with their digital camera, MP3 player, BlackBerry/PDA, landline or mobile phone than sacrifice their notebook or desktop PC. With computers so widely accepted, the focus is shifting to what people do with them and what this says about them.

Electronic etiquette in the new digital era - regional diversity revealed
A significant number of the people surveyed were worried about how recipients of their photos will view them. Men are just as likely to worry as women. Italians are by far the most socially self-conscious when it comes to how they are judged by the content they share, the survey shows. Swedes and Germans are the least concerned.
Perhaps because they traditionally adapt first to technology, men tend to be a little more critical of those who send badly formatted content. Italians are likely to be the most truly offended by being sent badly formatted or overly large files. They wondered if senders could not be bothered, did not care about them, or were just wasting their time. Germans, Swedes and the British were more likely than others to consider that senders of sloppy content were simply behind the times. French people wondered if senders of bad digital content simply could not be bothered to format it correctly.
Regionally, Italians found the idea of receiving help with establishing electronic etiquette most attractive (82 percent), compared with 58 percent in the UK, 55 percent in Germany and 49 percent in France. Swedes were the least concerned (37 percent) by the issue of etiquette.

The more content people can share, the more they do
A snapshot of the online habits of PC users across Europe reveals a substantial number of people now exchange a wide variety of digital information on a frequent basis. In addition to photos and cooking recipes, this includes videos and music, as well as electronic birthday or Christmas cards.
The survey also opened a window on differences in digital social behaviour across Europe. Online gambling is popular in Sweden (46 percent of respondents) and also among the young (25 percent of respondents under 25 years old). In France, more people (35 percent) frequently share recipes and cooking tips than in other countries surveyed. And 53 percent of Italians were particularly fond of sharing music. In Germany, the exchange of electronic birthday and Christmas cards was important to 41 percent of respondents, compared to just 16 percent of respondents in the UK, where exchanging digital photographs was given highest priority.

What more can technology do for you?
Men expressed more frustration at slow PCs and were more eager to get their hands on a more powerful PC, as were the younger respondents. In contrast, older respondents to the survey tended to wish they knew how to get more out of their existing computing capacity rather than expressing a desire for a more powerful PC.
Cultural differences abound here as elsewhere. The French most frequently acknowledged that they were stressed by the fact that technology makes it easier for people to contact them, while the British and Swedes most often expressed frustration at the time they spent waiting for their PC to catch up. Italians most frequently wished they knew how to get the best out of their PCs.

AMD64 technology is designed to meet the needs of the new Digital Era
AMD sponsored the technology social sharing survey as part of its ongoing commitment to explore and adapt to how people evolve with technology. AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual-core processors help technology social sharers keep pace with their creative flow and realize their potential. AMD64 dual-core technology allows users to create, re-touch and share photos, videos and music with friends while at the same time their anti-virus software and firewall run in the background. For those consumers who want to enjoy digital content on the go, AMD Turion™ 64 mobile technology brings AMD64 performance to thinner and lighter notebook PCs.

About AMD
AMD (NYSE:AMD) designs and produces innovative microprocessors, Flash memory devices and low-power processor solutions for the computer, communications and consumer electronics industries. AMD is dedicated to delivering standards-based, customer-focused solutions for technology users, ranging from enterprises and governments to individual consumers. For more information visit www.amd.com.

¹Survey methodology: Research was carried out for AMD by Benchmark Research Ltd. The survey comprised 516 interviews in September 2005 across five European countries – Sweden, Germany, UK, France and Italy. The online survey targeted home PC users who are involved in the decisions made by the household over which PC to buy and who regularly use their PC to download, create and manipulate digital content. The executive summary of the survey results can be obtained from AMD.

©2005 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon, AMD Turion, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.