home computer use in Australia
ela...@harpo.nepean.uws.edu.au
here in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (the government
statistical service) has just released a report on the use of information
technology in Australian households (ABS catalogue number 8128.0).
Following is an outline of the major results -- I would be interested in
any comparable information for other countries.
The ABS collected information on a number of topics relating to the use of
information technologies in the home, including computers, fax machines,
printers, scanners, CD-ROM equipment and modems. Information was also
collected on the use of games machines, types of software packages used,
source of computer training, expenditure and planned expenditure on
selected information technologies, the main use of home computer equipment
and time spent using computer equipment.
In February 1994, a computer was frequently used in 22.9% of Australian
households. Dedicated games machines (Sega/Nintendo-type) were used in
17.8%, and fax machines in 4.4% of Australian households. Printers were
used in 79.7% of the households in which a computer was used. Technologies
which may be only just beginning their adoption by Australian households
are modems (16.9% of households with computers), character or image
readers or scanners (6.3%) and CD-ROM (12.5%).
Among households where a computer is frequently used, wordprocessing
software was in use by 73.9%, games software by 62.1%, spreadsheet
software by 34.3%, integrated packages by 31.7%, database management
software by 17.9%, business software packages by 15.5%, programming
language software by 13.1% and communications software by 10.8%.
Householders were asked to nominate the main use of their home computing
equipment. Education was the leading activity in 24.9% of homes,
entertainment in 22.5%, word processing in 14.6%, taking work home in
13.9%, business records in 12.5%. Small numbers of respondents indicated
that the main use was the family budget or professional writing.
Home-based businesses are conducted by 11.6% of Australian households.
Computers are used in 46.3% of these, fax machines in 25%, modems in 10%
and CD-ROM equipment in 7%.
The average number of hours spent using the computer was between 1 and 5
per week in 42% of households. A further 21.6% used the computer for
between 6 and 10 hours per week. Between 10 and 20 hours per week
accounted for 15.8% of cases, with the remaining 9.7% using the computer
for more than 20 hours per week.
The ABS enquired about prospective purchase of computer equipment. These
figures suggest that the proportion of Australian households owning
computers in February 1995 is likely to be around 32%, if the number
purchasing computers is of a similar magnitude to those who indicate that
they intend to purchase. This rate of adoption is quite capable of taking
the proportion close to the 40% mark by early 1996.