GENERATION X EMBRACING THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION.

Generation X has embraced the increasingly mobile and digital technological world--in some ways, even more than generations with considerably more disposable income. Gen-Xers are expected to spend $8,500,000,000 on select electronics/computing products in the next 12 months, according to a survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA). Use of audio and computing products is especially high for Gen-X, defined as the 48,000,000 Americans born between 1967 and 1979.

"Considering that so much is vying for the attention and dollar of the active Generation Xer, it's exciting to see their strong interest in, and use of, entertainment, communication, and computing products," says CEMA president Gary Shapiro. "The buying habits and preferences of Gen-X--the first generation to come of age during the digital revolution--will help shape our industry as we head into the new millennium."

Listening to music from home and on the road is a top priority for Gen-Xers. Eighty-six percent own an audio CD player, compared to 69% of the over-all population. The disparity is even greater for portable boombox players: 66% of Gen-Xers have one, compared to 30% over all. Eighty-three percent of Gen-Xers indicate they listen to music every day and insist that "quality of sound is very important to me." The median number of CDs owned by a Gen-Xer is 50, while one in four own more than 100.

Nearly one in three...