Report: Apple Mac on the Rise Among College Students

Recently saw this on MacDailyNews:

Apple Mac on the rise among U.S. college students

According to a recent survey by SurveyU.com, Dell is currently the most popular computer brand among college students while Apple is building momentum due to the strength of their student purchase program and the halo-effect of the iPod.

SurveyU is a survey research organization that has established a representative panel of college students within the United States who share their opinions on a wide range of issues. The SurveyU community has been meticulously constructed within the United States. Our bottom-up methodology enables levels of accuracy on campus, state, regional and national levels that were previously impractical - either online or offline.

The success of Apple’s student program is a significant contributor to its on-campus momentum, with more than 4 out of 5 (83%) of Mac-owning students having purchased
their Mac under a student plan that includes an iPod with Mac computers sold to students. Slightly less than a third (30%) of Dell’s collegiate sales are made under a student plan, while the remaining computer manufacturers have not fully leveraged the power of student purchase programs.

The impact of the iPod on computer purchase decision-making is undeniable, with current iPod owners more likely to be current Mac users (29% versus 23%) as well as future Mac purchasers (52% versus 44%). Computer brand choice varies by gender, with female collegians more likely to choose Apple, Sony and Toshiba and male college students preferring Alienware, Dell and Lenovo brands. College students are mobile and their choice of desktop versus laptop reflects their demand for portability. More than 4 out of 5 college students use a laptop as their primary computer.

“US College students have spent an average of $1,290 on their computers, resulting in more than $22 billion spent by those currently in college.” said Dan Coates, co- founder of SurveyU, in the press release. ‘”Given that colleges are swelling to accommodate the massive Millennial generation, PC manufacturers would do well to get in front of this critical consumer segment."

One thousand online interviews were conducted between Thursday, October 18th 2007 and Sunday, October 21st, 2007. Respondents participate in the SurveyU panel of U.S. college students which has been meticulously constructed to represent college students nationally. Results were weighted to reflect the demographic composition of college students nationwide according to statistics published by the NCES (National Center for Educational Statistics).
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When I was selling Macs at BSU I did indeed notice more people switching over from PCs, as I did myself a little over a year ago. Apple is definitely doing something right reaching the college market.