Drawing a Blank: Americans Have "No Clue" What Computer Memory Is

BOISE, Idaho, Aug. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite more than half of Americans believing they're ahead of or aligned with current tech trends, nearly 75 percent have "no idea" what computer memory is, according to a new study by GMI Research. The irony in these findings: Slow and poor-performing PCs and Macs that have put 62 percent of Americans in a bad mood and made 93 percent of millennials experience "computer rage," can often be easily improved by installing a memory (DRAM) upgrade. Exploring Americans' technological aptitudes, the independent research commissioned by Crucial.com aims to help Americans understand how a computer memory upgrade can help save time and money in the long run. Detailed findings from the research include:

Memory Misconceptions

• Nearly 75 percent of Americans have no idea what computer memory is. Almost half believe it's where computer files live (49%).
  • Memory is a component in your computer that allows for short-term data access. It's what allows your computer to perform many of the everyday tasks you rely on to work more efficiently – like browsing the web, using Word and Excel, having multiple programs open at once and being able to multitask.
• Seventy three percent of Americans surveyed said they wouldn't upgrade their memory because of assumed stressors.

The Five Minute Upgrade

• Only 10 percent of Americans believe a memory upgrade can be achieved in 5 minutes or less, with nearly a quarter of respondents believing it takes an hour or more to complete. A computer memory upgrade, on average, can take approximately five minutes.
• Despite 91 percent of Americans admitting it can take up to an hour longer to perform tasks on a slower computer, only 4 percent upgrade their memory when their computer slows down.
  • 49 percent scan for viruses and 26 percent "just deal with it" or put it off for a little while and then return to work.

Gender/Generations

• Men are more likely to upgrade than women – only 29 percent of women had attempted a memory upgrade, compared to 54 percent of men.
  • This makes sense considering 80 percent of women are uncertain what computer memory actually is, as opposed to 62 percent of men.

Opportunity to Upgrade & Save Money

• 61 percent of Americans have old computers and laptops that are currently not in use.
  • 67 percent of millennials stash old computers and laptops in their closet
• Nearly half of Americans (46%) surveyed have paid up to $200 dollars on computer repairs; baby boomers are more likely to pay a professional to fix a computer than millennials.
• When asked, "Why wouldn't you upgrade your computer memory?" 25 percent of Americans said it was because they believed it would be "too much money," even though the average memory upgrade costs about $50.

"We rely so heavily on our devices to maintain our productivity levels and time management that in times of frustration we often forget that our devices rely on us, too, to stay functional and efficient," said Crucial.com Marketing Manager Ed Walker. "A memory upgrade is a simple solution. It can be done in less than 5 minutes, costs around $50 (potentially saving hundreds to thousands of dollars on buying a new device) and helps shave off hours of time waiting for a slow computer to load."

For additional information about Crucial or computer memory upgrades, please visit Crucial.com.

Research findings are based on a survey conducted in the US in April 2015, which polled 1,000 adults aged 18-65 about their tech aptitude. The survey was completed through GMI's Global Test Market double opted in panelists who have registered to participate in online surveys. Respondents who were invited to participate in this survey were split equally on gender. Differential sampling was done to account for response rate differences by demographics. Quotas were also set in the survey to ensure that over representation of the age and gender groups involved did not occur.

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About Crucial 
Crucial is a global brand of Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial products include award-winning solid state drives (SSDs) and memory upgrades (DRAM) for more than 100,000 desktops, laptops, servers, workstations, and other systems. Crucial products are available worldwide at leading retail and e-tail stores, commercial resellers, and system integrators that can be found at www.crucialproducts.com. For more information or support, visit www.crucial.com.

About Micron 
Micron Technology, Inc. is one of the world's leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets a full range of DRAM, NAND and NOR flash memory, as well as other innovative memory technologies, packaging solutions and semiconductor systems for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, embedded and mobile products. Micron's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com

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