The NPD Group has just published a report entitled "Kids & Gaming," and it was revealed that children today are getting more into gaming thanks to starting kid-friendly systems. It was also discovered that the PC was the most widely used gaming platform for kids from ages 2-17 (children play games earlier), and exhibited the longest utility lifespan with kids than any other system - 11 years of gaming attachment.

NPD reported that after playing with kid-friendly platforms, children moved on to more advanced gaming systems. Baseline PCs are often the first, then when introduced to Plug & Play systems and dedicated gaming boxes, children moved over to those. NPD points out that at the age of 10, when cell phone gaming enters their lives, they tend to lean for the portable console versions (handhelds) later. Then they move on to the major gaming consoles as they grow older.

Online play was also key in attracting the rise of gaming kids, though it was mostly because online gaming companies offered gameplay for free. Some 91% of the children only played online simply because there were no subscription charges, though 9% of the children - those from higher income families - would soon enter pay-to-play services.

Girls were also found to enter gaming through the kid-friendly spectrum, though as they grow up they eventually drop off "the gaming wagon." NPD reports that online play was especially significant in attracting girls to gaming, but they also claimed, "Although three groups are all in the same category of spending a higher percent of their gaming time on online, somewhere along the way girls, especially older girls, drop off." Funny, it was previously claimed they dominated online gaming in later ages.

According to numbers released by the NPD Group, the worldwide market of laptop notebooks saw a 14% rise in Apple shipments since last month. And better yet for the Cupertino-based company, 14% of all notebook computers sold last month were also Apple-branded.

Analysts believe that this may be an indication that the laptop community is embracing more and more of Apple, despite being only fourth place in the current generation laptop race in the U.S. Hewlett-Packard, Gateway, and Toshiba sit at spots above Steve Jobs' company, as reported.

Further consideration of Apple's year-on-year growth, however, may drive the company to steal the third spot. The May figures actually represent a 65% jump from Apple's figure last year, and if Apple can keep that year-on-year rate up for the next month, the numbers would spring the modest 14% to a proud 20% in just thirty days.

You probably knew this one for years now, but a study conducted by NPD just had to make it official: The average age when children start using consumer electronics has dropped from 8.1 years to 6.7 years, with the majority getting into computers and mobile phones in the early goings.

According to the study, children get into the usage of these products due to educational and entertainment reasons. Most schools now teach kids computer subjects, allowing them to gain a headstart and start using their home computers, which a lot of American families already have.

In addition to PCs, cellular phones and digital media players are carried by children when they're out of the household. Mobile phones have been marketed on the ground of keeping track of children, and parents have caught on to the idea quickly with the security of their little ones in mind.

Video games are also popular with children. Some of these can be accessed and enjoyed by kids even before they learn to read, often with engrossing results. In addition to popular consoles such as the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and  the Sony PlayStation 3, handheld game machines such as the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP are also favorites in the youthful demographic.

The exact impact of this trend on how society as a whole behaves is still unknown, but some psychologists suggest usage in moderation for children when it comes to consumer electronics to allow kids to develop in a more well-rounded fashion.

 

In a study conducted by the NPD Group, a consumer and retail information company, it was discovered that more than 29 million consumers play video games on their mobile phones and more than seven million download games to mobile devices. Most would be expecting that the teenagers form the majority market of the group, but the study has shown otherwise.

NPD has said that mobile users aged 25 to 34 download more games than any other age group, play them more, and are more likely to plan to purchase additional games in the future. Half of these play games on their mobile device at least once a day, a feat only 41% of teens exhibited.

Anita Frazier, an industry analyst for The NPD Group, gave an explanation on the findings stating that "while teens definitely have a higher incidence than adults for mobile gaming, they still play second fiddle to their older counterparts in overall game play and downloading," adding that "while it's true that adults currently control the lion's share of mobile game downloads and play, as more teens enter the mobile subscriber base we’ll see these numbers start to reach parity."

So apparently the main reason teens have not trumped their adult counterparts is because there are not as many teen cell phone subscribers as there are adult subscribers. NPD did compare the share of game downloads to the share of subscribers in each age group. It showed that teens are still the most likely to download games.

Did Microsoft software got too expensive that even the French government couldn't afford it anymore? Not that they really couldn't, but they are soon switching to open-source software because they're thinking Microsoft stuff is a waste of money.

Beginning June 2007, the French government would require members of parliament and their staff to use desktops and servers running on Linux, Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and OpenOffice.org. The latter is currently in version 2.0.4, and in direct competition to Microsoft Office System.

Given the nature of open-source software, it looks like their government would indeed save some money because of the switch. However, some software research groups are advising that it may prove to be costly as well. "There has been some evidence that companies have to spend a good deal on training and support after you deploy the operating system," explains Chris Swenson, Director of Software Industry Analysis for NPD.

The total cost, Swenson added, would be dependent on which flavor of Linux the French are planning to use. "If you buy your software from a Linux vendor, you obviously have to pay for licenses, support, and maintenance. The average company or organization can probably save some money by switching to Linux, but deploying software from an established Linux vendor certainly isn't free," argues Swenson.