Europe is Turning into a Continent of Content-Craving 'Connect-Aholics'

London, November 17 (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Results of Major AMD European Survey Into Notebook Usage,
Content and Connectivity

Across Europe, we are transforming into a continent of
content-craving 'connect-aholics', according to the findings of the
AMD European Connectivity Study of over 5,000 online respondents.
Sponsored by AMD (NYSE: AMD), in conjunction with independent
research company, YouGov, 77% of respondents said they could not live
without daily access to the internet.

This was higher than any other item including access to a car
(54%) and to a washing machine (61%). This trend follows the findings
of an earlier AMD survey* which stated that almost all (99%) of the
respondents would rather part with their digital camera, Blackberry,
or MP3 player than their notebook.

"All of the research indicates that consumers have a primary use
in mind when considering the purchase of either a notebook or desktop
PC. Providing a balanced platform that is optimized for these
different usage models - specifically activities that focus on home,
work and play - will likely be key in addressing the needs of
consumers tomorrow. Notebooks are no longer just about flexibility or
working on the go, they are about delivering a true HD multimedia
experience to the user. As performance and computer processing
accelerates, society can expect to see a fusion of quality multimedia
content and connectivity. The results of the survey show that AMD has
chosen the right strategy so far and that, as technology develops, it
is ready to continue to deliver The Ultimate Visual Experience(TM)
and high performance for multi-tasking to its customers," said Nigel
Dessau, SVP and CMO, AMD.

Content-craving

A major factor fuelling this connection-addiction seems to be the
thirst for content. Europeans are now clicking the mouse shortly
after clicking the camera, with 81% of respondents saying that they
have uploaded digital photos in the past year. This trend for
consuming and sharing content is also reflected in videos and music.
Across Europe, 77% had watched videos on YouTube or similar sites,
and 66% had downloaded music.

This visual appetite can in part be explained by Europeans' love
for gaming. 76% of the respondents said that they had engaged in
gaming over the last year on either a notebook or a desktop PC.
Furthermore, 51% had downloaded and 43% had streamed films over the
last year. In addition, 14% of the respondents said that they watch
Blu-ray films, indicating that this technology is gaining momentum
across Europe.

'The PC as the ultimate digital entertainment device has become
ubiquitous as consumers recognise the value of having one central
appliance to both manage and interact with the vast array of content
included in today's full entertainment library. Be it desktop or
notebook, the capabilities of the modern PC allows for a 'one device
for all' philosophy and the potential replacement of TVs in the
future is not as far-fetched as we might once have believed,' said
Jochen Polster, director, marketing, EMEA at AMD.

Focus on Enhanced Visual Quality

The findings from the survey also suggest that consumers are
looking for an HD visual experience from their notebooks. Almost half
(46%) of the respondents said that graphics play a large part in
their purchasing decision when choosing a notebook with males more
likely to expect to have a better visual experience (51%) compared to
females (37%). Interestingly, 59% of 18-24 year olds surveyed said
that one of their considerations for purchasing a notebook is the
graphics quality.

"Generation Y uses their notebook in a different way to today's
average consumer, with an expectation that it will deliver the
stunning visuals they are accustomed to in everyday life,
specifically for content like high-end PC gaming and watching movies.
AMD is focused on enabling Hollywood feature-film quality realism
without compromising performance to redefine the mobile computing
experience for the next generation of consumers," said Jochen
Polster, AMD.

Price Performance

The variety of activities that consumers are carrying out on
their notebooks mean that people are now treating them as a serious
purchase, expecting choice based on a variety of performance factors.
As wallets tighten across Europe, consumers are expecting high
performance but for a good price, as 80% said that cost would affect
their purchasing decision. Surprisingly, the respondents also
revealed that they would be willing to spend more on a new desktop
computer than a notebook, with the average estimate across Europe for
the price of their next desktop being EUR792 compared to just EUR713
for a notebook.

"Historically notebooks have been more expensive than a desktop
equivalent, but now the market has evened out with our survey results
showing that it is now desktops where the consumer is willing to
invest," said Jochen Polster, AMD. "Consumers have started to
perceive the desktop PC as a multifunctional alternative to PVRs,
Blu-ray players and TVs. We are now in the era of the PC home hub,
where media centre PC systems are central to the digital home of the
future, providing a simple way to create, access, share and consume
entertainment."

Overall Growth of Notebook Sales

IDC's latest market report(1) confirmed that PC shipments
recorded a 27% increase in EMEA in the third quarter of 2008 compared
with the same quarter last year. The report concluded that notebooks
continued to drive market overall growth by 52% as consumer demand in
Western Europe showed no signs of slowing down. The AMD European
Connectivity Study backs up this report as, when asked what they
would prefer as their next home computer, 48% of respondents said a
notebook, 32% said a desktop PC and 14% said a netbook (mini
notebook). This data would also suggest that while demand remains
strong across all formats, only 6% did not know or had no preference
when it came to their next computer purchase, the notebook is still
viewed as the most popular device.

"Usage patterns of desktops and notebooks are changing
dramatically. While desktops are being embraced as a home
entertainment hub, notebooks are increasingly chosen to enable a rich
media experience on the go," said Eszter Morvay, Senior Research
Analyst, European Personal Computing at IDC. "With consumers becoming
more and more educated, purchase decisions are more frequently driven
by the best value for money. Design, content and ease of use are at
the top of consumers' minds when buying a new notebook. Therefore
they will have to offer a rich feature set for a reasonable price."

For further information and full report findings on the AMD
European Connectivity Study, please contact the press office on
+44(0)20-8834-3411 or amdemea_consumer@bitepr.com.

About the Survey

YouGov interviewed 5148 respondents online between September
17th- September 30th. Respondents were interviewed from France,
Germany, Russia, Spain and the UK. The survey asked respondents
questions about their computing habits, specifically looking at
notebook usage and connectivity.

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology
company dedicated to collaborating with customers and partners to
ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at
work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

(c)2008 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo,
ATI, the ATI logo, Radeon, The Ultimate Visual Experience and
combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks
of their respective owners.

2005 AMD Survey* Survey methodology: Research was carried out for
AMD by Benchmark Research Ltd. The survey comprised 516 interviews in
September 2005 across five European countries - Sweden, Germany, UK,
France and Italy. The online survey targeted home PC users who are
involved in the decisions made by the household over which PC to buy
and who regularly use their PC to download, create and manipulate
digital content. The executive summary of the survey results can be
obtained from AMD.

---------------------------------

(1) IDC EMEA PC Tracker, Preliminary Data Q3 2008, October 2008

Contact:
Katy Cook/Sally Plant
Bite PR
+44(0)20-8834-3411/+44(0)208-834-3406
amdEMEA_consumer@bitepr.com

ots Originaltext: AMD
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Contact:
Contact: Katy Cook/Sally Plant, Bite PR,
+44(0)20-8834-3411/+44(0)208-834-3406, amdEMEA_consumer@bitepr.com