Daily Internet usage among 1,000 randomly selected Control Engineering readers increased from 35% in 1996, and 44% in 1997, to 52% in 1998. The Cahners Corporate Research released an Internet Readiness Study for Control Engineering Internet Readiness Study measures readers' interest, experiences and plans for Internet usage. The survey questions ranged from demographics to use of personal computers' use of Internet, and awareness of the Control Engineering's web site.

Respondents who work with a PC has remained stable at 97%. A shift in personal operating systems from Windows 3.1 and DOS to Windows 95 continues from 1997 to 1998. Usage of Microsoft Windows 95 has increased to 74% this year from 54% in 1997. Windows NT follows with an increase to 31% this year from 23% last year.

According to the survey, Internet usage increased 14 points to 84% (up 34 points from 1996) from 70%. The average time spent on the Internet stays unchanged at 1.6 hours per week, and the percentage of readers who expect future time to increase in the future remains stable at 67%.

Also, browsers continue to change with use of Microsoft Internet Explorer increasing. In 1997 the usage percentages were: Internet Explorer 26%, Netscape Navigator 46%, and AOL at 17%. But, this year Internet Explorer gained 10 points, moving up to 36%, Netscape losing five points going down to 41%, and AOL going down to 11%.

Among the many functions the Internet and World Wide Web offer, product information and evaluation and electronic mail still top the list. Both operations have had high increases in the past two years. Product information and evaluation rose to 87% this year from 69% in 1996. E-mail usage jumped 11 points to 76% this year. Two uses that followed were competitive information and news. Request of additional company information based on what someone saw on the Internet rose 10 points to 82% this year. The amount of respondents who presently pay for information on the Internet (themselves or their companies) changed slightly—last year it was 8% and this year it is 11%.

Among new areas included in the current survey: one-third of respondents receive customized newsletters regularly, just over six out of ten have completed a web site registration page with 90% completing the form to gather information contained on the web site; 49% of respondents set their home page as their company's intranet.

Awareness of the Control Engineering web site has increased significantly over the past year. The site also has a higher overall usefulness rating of 3.48, up from 2.97, on a scale of one to five, where one is not useful, and five is very useful. Last year the site had an awareness percent of 48%, whereas this year it is at 66%.

Respondents were asked to list their top three areas for product information. Even though there were many topics listed, the most often mentioned areas were application notes, control systems and electronic components.

With the ever increasing use of the Internet and World Wide Web, look to online, www.controleng.com for your online information needs.