Age may just be a number, but for the Mac market, it’s a fact of life according to Metafacts. A recent report from the market research firm says that nearly half of Apple’s customers are 55 or older.
If true, Metafacts’ contention that 46 percent of Apple customers are at least 55 years old would run contrary to the company’s image as a hip purveyor of cutting edge products. The figure would also stand in stark contrast to the perceived popularity of products like the iPod among younger generations.
For its part, Apple disputes Metafacts’ claim. “MetaFacts data is incorrect,” Apple spokesperson Bill Evans told Macworld . “Our customer data shows that only around 20 percent of Mac users are over the age of 55. The Mac is more popular than ever, and we are thrilled that our products appeal to people of age 1 to 100.”
The same Metafacts report also says that 25.2 percent of PC users are over the age of 55.
The report, which focuses on mobile computing data, says that in Apple households, more than half (52 percent) of the personal computers are notebooks. This compares to 16.1 percent for HP/Compaq and 46.1 percent for Dell.
“Apple can claim long-time loyalists, but its future among the young technoliterati is an interesting dynamic,” said Dan Ness, principal at MetaFacts. “Gateway has the lead among the 18 to 24 year olds, with a higher-than-average share of U.S. homes’ primary PC users falling into this age group.”