Forbes

Parks Associates surveyed 2,500 consumers to determine what brands do they have in mind to purchase over the holiday season. Across the board Apple is the number 1 pick for tablets, smartphones, desktop and notebook computers and streaming media devices

“Apple topped the list of intended brands for desktop purchases for the first time this year,” said John Barrett, director, Consumer Analytics, Parks Associates. “In 2011 and 2012, Dell DELL NaN% was the top desktop brand, bu ...read more

That’s partly because for much of the last decade, the megapixel race promoted by camera makers has insured that the first – and often only spec – most buyers consider when purchasing a camera is how large its images are. Consumers were told that more megapixels made for a better image. It turns out though that beyond a certain point, increasing the pixel count can actually lead to a lower quality image. Nonetheless, this megapixel myth ensured upgrade envy among a wide range of ...read more

With Hulu Plus now joining the Netflix app, Google’s latest entry into the streaming video market becomes a much more usable option for consumers who can now watch current network TV episodes in addition to Netflix’s offerings.

Savvy readers will note of course that this was already possible even without a Hulu Plus subscription and indeed a recent survey conducted by Parks Associates found that a significant number of Chromecast users have been streaming Hulu content from t ...read more

After Google supremo Larry Page and YouTube content chief Robert Kynci powwowed with NFL boss Roger Goodall late last August there speculation that Google/YouTube would snatch NFL’s Sunday Ticket package away from DirecTV’s deal. That deal come due after the 2014 season. Here’s why Google should just do it.

1. The NFL Ticket package, an endless stream of games from around the nation, in Google’s grip immediately catapults YouTube into millions of new living rooms. “Over-the- ...read more

Of course, how this lone outpost performs is only one indicator of the consumer appeal that BlackBerry has steadily, yet stunningly, lost over the last few years. Whether Heins and his totally reformulated leadership team have the strategy and wherewithal to pull out a comeback seemingly remains an open issue only to them. Most industry analysts already have essentially thrown a sheet over the body, saying that BlackBerry is finished as a consumer brand.

“That’s the way I se ...read more

“Instead of ending support of customers after they buy individual game titles, game companies now focus on building gamer communities and developing ongoing relationships with their customers,” Parks Associates research analyst and study author Pietro Macchiarella told Venturebeat. “The positive effect of this approach is that game monetization can be extended beyond the point of sale. Unlike traditional offline games, the online world allows the industry to earn revenue even wh ...read more

Last month Parks Associates forecast that revenues in the social gaming market will increase five-fold from 2010 to 2015, due in large part to advertising and sales of virtual items. Lady Gaga is hardly the first to leverage these platforms, the firm noted: McDonald’s and 7-Eleven have carried out cross-promotions with existing social games, campaigns that have in part accounted for the $1 billion in revenues social gaming realized in 2010.

From the article, "Lady Gaga + Far ...read more

According to a 2010 survey by Parks Associates, more than 50 percent of Americans with Internet service look to their broadband provider as their first or second choice in solving their home computer-related technical issues. Additionally, 75 percent of those surveyed prefer to receive all of their technical support services from a single vendor.

From the article, "Anytime-Anywhere Streaming Sails Comcast To $30" by Trefis Team.