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Dropping prices for systems has made a difference in Americans willing to commit to home computers, which means good news for the online realty industry and e-commerce in general. The percentage of U.S. homes that now have a home computer finally hit 50 percent in 1998, according to Dataquest, a market research firm. Prices have dipped well under $1,000 while the quality and performance of available machines has improved. In 1995, just 27 percent of homes had computers and in 1997 the figure was 43 percent. "The PC penetration rate continues to increase at a healthy clip, showing that the PC is rapidly becoming a standard household appliance," said Van Baker, head of Dataquest's consumer market. "There is evidence that the first-time buyers are coming from households in the lower socioeconomic levels, however the increase in penetration is across all segments." With rising penetration of home computers into households, more modems and Internet surfing can't be far behind. |
