The majority of UK corporations plan to replace their current computer systems in the near future, but many are unsure of which processor chip to use. According to a survey by PBA Marketing Ltd, commissioned by Maidenhead, Berkshire-based Commodore Business Machines (UK) Ltd, the 386SX is the processor of choice, with 47% of the 2,000 buyers surveyed plumping for 386-based personal computers when installing a new system. Only 7% would choose a 486 processor, with 5% favouring a 286-based computer. Nonetheless, over 40% of respondents say they are unsure which processor meets their requirements. 51% of respondents have future purchasing plans, half of those planning to buy in the near future. The vast majority, almost two-thirds, say that their purchasing decisions remain unaffected by any external influences, while 75% continue to buy through indirect channels. Despite the increasing number of computers in the office environment, the survey claims that, on average, the corporate system is used for just three or four applications word processing, accounts, databases and desktop publishing. MS-DOS remains the most popular operating system, used by 97% of companies, while 55% have networked their personal computers. Windows and OS/2 represent 3% each and Unix is a pipsqueak ahead, used by 4% of those surveyed.
