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

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

LONDON, November 17/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

- 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

Source: AMD

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

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