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Product Assessment
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Product Assessment
Choose a consumer product or service that is on the market today, but is declining in appeal to consumers. This product should be marked for "obsolesces".
Discuss this product or service in terms of its current target demographics using U.S. Census Data.
The product that I would mark for "obsolesces" would be the personal computer or the PC. Sales for the PC were down 14% over the last quarter, the largest in history. (Oremus, 2013) The big three manufacturers of the PC all experienced a drop in sales. The reason being when a new version of Windows is released, sales for the PC increase. However, with Windows 8, the redesign was not easy to grasp. The new Windows 8 made such a negative impact that customers were reluctant to purchase a new PC.
(Oremus, 2013)
The target market that used desktop computers were the workplace, schools, libraries and in households by adults and children. Data from the U. S. Census Bureau shows that over 71% of children had use of a computer and 40% of all working adults use computers on their jobs. Robert Kominski of the U.S. Census data, states that children have more access to a computer at school than at home. (Kominski, 1989) Research data for children, ages 3 to 17 shows computer usage rose from 30% in 1984 to 75% in 2010. Data for 3 to 5 year olds computer usage rose from 8% in 1984 up to 38% in 2010. Statistics show that in 1984, white children were twice as likely as blacks and Hispanics, to own a computer. The reason was that white households were more likely to have higher paying jobs...