The research, 'PC Users in South Africa 2006', has for the first time provided a clear picture of the size of the PC user base in South Africa, according to researchers Kirsty Laschinger and Arthur Goldstuck.
"We found that PCs have a life span ranging three to six years, while laptop computers tend to be used for only up to three years," says Laschinger, who interviewed most of the country's major PC manufacturers and distributors for the project.
"It was an eye-opener how many vendors of computers expect all users to replace their PCs every two to three years, when the reality is many users 'sweating their assets' to get maximum value from the purchase."
The result is that booming sales in PCs means not only more people than ever before using new PCs, but also that PCs already in the field will remain in use for a longer period, further boosting the user base.
This trend, however, may change once laptop computers overtake desktop PCs in popularity - a real possibility in the coming year or two.
"Laptop computers cannot be upgraded as easily or as cheaply as desktop PCs, so they have a shorter useful life," says Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx.
"You can upgrade a PC bought more than five years ago to accommodate current software, but it's unlikely you could do that with most laptops. The result is that old laptops are more likely to be discarded than passed on, while old PCs are more likely to have a second life once the user upgrades."
According to World Wide Worx, the net result is that booming laptop sales will not have the same cumulative effect on the total user base as do PC sales. Nevertheless, growth will continue, but at a slower pace, in subsequent years.
Factors that will drive this growth include:
