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Europeans love the Net

It's a way of life don't you know

Almost two thirds of European Net users would prefer an Internet-enabled PC instead of a TV or telephone if they were ever stranded on a desert island.

Putting aside the pedantic practicalities of the being in such a situation with said machine this little titbit of information is, no doubt, meant to demonstrate just how much a part of our lives the Net has become.

Indeed, AOL Europe has gone to some length to show that despite the lack of fizz in the dotcom sector, consumer interest in the sector is far from flat.

Today it published the findings of its first European "Cyberstudy" along with analysts Roper Starch. The companies have been tracking the behaviour of online behaviour in the US since 1998 but this is the first time such a survey has been conducted in Europe.

However, it seems a bit rich calling this a "European" study when only three countries (France, Germany and the UK) were targeted - even if they are the biggest markets in Europe. By their nature, how can these major markets be representative of "European" behaviour? No matter.

Here's a selection stuff just in case you're interested:

Over one-third (36 per cent) of online consumers in the UK, France and Germany started using the medium in the last twelve months, and 20 per cent logged on for the first time from home in just the last six months.

More than two thirds of those who have been going online for more than three years said that going online has made their lives better.

French Net users are more likely than UK and German users to look up local entertainment information, use instant messaging and meet people with like interests online.

German online consumers engage in more finance related online activities than their counterparts in the UK and in France.

UK online consumers are more likely than their French and German counterparts to engage in e-commerce related activities. ®

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