2008 UVA Freshmen computer survey released...

College Life
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<p>The fall 2008 UVA first year student computer/electronic device survey has been released. 3071 students answered the survey (approximately 95% of the total incoming class). Only one student showed up without a computer. Highlights of the results:</p>

<p>Of 3070 freshmen students:</p>

<p>3034 had laptops
36 had desktops
17 had Tablet PCs
93 had two computers</p>

<p>Operating systems:</p>

<p>Windows Vista: 1696
Windows XP : 213
Windows (other): 2
Windows (Mac): 42 (dual boot)
Windows has a 62% operating share</p>

<p>Mac OSX: 1095
Mac OSX has a 37% operating share</p>

<p>Linux and other: 8</p>

<p>Game Consoles: 277 (9%)</p>

<p>Printers: 2577 (84%)</p>

<p>Some conclusions:
Windows, while in a slow decline over the past couple of years, still remains the dominate operating system (62% or 64% if you include Macs with a Windows partition). Mac OSX continues to increase its share of first year students at 37%. Despite questions about desktop computers in college, only 36 were actually brought to campus which amounts to ½ % of all computers for the 2008 freshmen class. It would be fair to say that desktops are a negligible part of the computing landscape. Students continue to bring printers to school (84%) and gaming consoles only make up some 9% of all electronic devices brought to campus.</p>

<p>See:
[UVa</a> First-Year Student Computer Inventory: Year-to-Year Comparisons](<a href=“ITSWeb Home - UVA ITS”>ITSWeb Home - UVA ITS)</p>

<p>[UVa</a> First-Year Student Computer Inventory, Fall 2008](<a href=“ITSWeb Home - UVA ITS”>ITSWeb Home - UVA ITS)</p>

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<p>For some reason, my school (within the University) suggests a Tablet PC. Thankfully, they aren’t required, as I do not like them at all!</p>

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<p>^ I like the idea of them, but I don’t think the technology is quite there yet. They’re rather bulky for my preferences.</p>

<p>I think in the future though, that many laptops will have at least some tablet features to them.</p>

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<p>Touch screen phones, yes. Laptops, not really. The screens get covered in greasy fingerprints and, believe it or not, user interaction data says it’s more efficient to use a mouse except for certain kinds of actions in certain applications. It’s not like you’re using your personal machine as a POS terminal.</p>