• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, August 30, 2005

According to the finding of a recent BURST! Media survey of 13,000 web users, 14 yrs. and older, the personal computer is rapidly replacing other ubiquitous appliances such as the telephone, radio and television as the household's tool of choice. Entertainment that used to be accessed on separate appliances is increasingly being played on the computer.

Of the respondents 24 years and younger:

• 39.1% say the Internet is the primary way they listen to music - and another 9.3% say it will be in the future
• 31.2% say the Internet is the primary way they play games - and 11.6% say it will be in the future
• 53.3% say they use the Internet to watch movies and other video programming, v. 27.6% of all other age groups
• 76.5% say they listen to music over the Internet
• 65.4% say they play Internet games

There are significant differences in the responses of respondents who connect to the Internet through a broadband connection versus those who use a standard dial-up connection. Broadband respondents are more likely than dial-up respondents to use the Internet to listen to music (58.7% v. 40.2%), to play Internet games (53.4% v. 43.9%), and to watch movies and other video programs (31.7% v. 17.1%).

Four out of five (86%) respondents said their daily routine would be disrupted if their home computer were taken away and not available for one week. Interestingly, 42.1% said their daily routine would be disrupted "significantly."

Chuck Moran, Manager of Market Research for BURST! Media, said “Along with VoIP and streaming video, this is just the beginning of a centralization of most communication and entertainment functions in the home into a single appliance."

And CEO & President of BURST! Media, Jarvis Coffin, says. “The new media environment centered around the … PC, is a boon for advertisers who now have expanded opportunities to cross-sell their products…”

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