NEW YORK, NY, July 17, 2006 - Growing availability to low cost, high-speed and often wireless Internet service appears to be propelling laptop and notebook sales around the world, helping close the so-called "digital divide" between technology's haves and have-nots, say researchers from Ipsos Insight in their annual The Face of The Web study of global Internet trends.

Global notebook PC ownership grew a healthy eight percentage points in 2005, while desktop PC ownership growth stagnated around the world for the first time. At the end of 2005, 34% of households globally owned a notebook or tablet PC compared with 20% in 2003. Meanwhile, global desktop PC ownership remained unchanged between 2004 and 2005 at 60%, and may be signaling a "changing of the guard" in the PC category overall.

Given the surge in ownership, it is becoming increasingly clear that notebook PCs will become a driving change agent in consumers' PC usage and Internet behavior, particularly in more developed global markets with greater access to wireless networks in the home and in public places.

"The continued popularity of notebook PCs, coupled with growing public access, means that a wireless Internet world is rapidly approaching reality, particularly in North America. Widespread wireless Internet will revolutionize consumption models for many different industry sectors - decisions like where to eat lunch, where to shop, where to entertain ourselves," said Brian Cruikshank, Senior Vice President & Managing Director of Ipsos Insight's Technology & Communications practice.

"Many consumers around the world already own a desktop PC and are now acquiring their first notebook PCs, which are built to handle a whole new generation of applications, devices and content. The technologies that support mobile notebook usage are poised for very strong growth in the future as consumers begin to learn how to utilize these new wireless platforms along with their existing desktops."

To peruse the full release, with charts, please go to:

http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=3135

Adam Wright Ipsos Insight
    612.573.8536
    adam.wright@ipsos-na.com