Some demographics and details about the AP-Ipsos poll on attitudes about high-tech gadgets and services. The results are taken from a poll of 1,006 adults, conducted Dec. 13-15 by the international polling firm Ipsos. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Here’s a look at who is most likely to have each of these items:
Cell phones. About three-fourths of American households have cell phones. They are distributed across most age groups, although those 65 and over were less likely to have them. Suburban dwellers, 80 percent, were more likely than those in rural areas, 68 percent. Married people were more likely than single people to have them. Those who make $75,000 a year, 94 percent, were more likely than those who make less than $25,000 a year, 55 percent.
About four in 10 cell phone owners said they can’t imagine life without it. Those over 65, 29 percent, were less likely than other age groups to feel this way.
The poll did not contact people on cell phones, and more than 6 percent of households have no landline, but only a cell phone, according to industry estimates earlier this year.
Personal computers. About three-fourths of American households have personal computers. Men, 80 percent, were more likely than women, 70 percent, to say they own a PC. Ownership of PCs was spread across all age groups, though seniors were less likely to have one, 50 percent. Whites, 78 percent, were more likely than nonwhites, 66 percent, to have a PC. Those who make $50,000 a year or more were more likely to have a PC, more than 90 percent, that those who make less than that, two-thirds or less.
Almost half of PC owners, 46 percent, say they can’t imagine life without it. PC owners with college degrees were more likely than those with less education to say they couldn’t do without their PCs.
Internet access. About two-thirds of American households have Internet access. Men, 74 percent, were more likely than women, 62 percent, to say they have it at home. Internet access was spread across all age groups, but seniors, 45 percent, were less likely to have it. Whites, 71 percent, were more likely than nonwhites, 60 percent, to have access. Three-fourths or more of married people have it, higher than the roughly six in 10 singles who have it. Those who make more than $50,000 a year were more likely to have Internet access than those who make less than that.
More than a third of Americans say their homes have high-speed Internet access and many of those people, 38 percent, say they can’t imagine life without it.
MP3 players. About a fourth of American households have an MP3 player. Men, 30 percent, were more likely than women, 18 percent, to say they have one. People from 18-50 were more likely to have one than people older than 50. College grads and those who make more than $50,000 a year were more likely to have one.
Cable and satellite TV. Half of American households have cable TV, about evenly split between digital cable and regular cable. An additional fourth have satellite TV. Those 50 and over were more likely to say they have cable TV than those who are younger.
Gaming console. About four in 10 American households have an electronic gaming console like the Xbox. Adults 18-29 were most likely to say they have them, 64 percent, and the ownership of these consoles declines steadily among older age groups. Married people with children, 61 percent, were also very likely to own them.
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