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By Graham Hayday, 13 January 2003 15:15

NEWS The Italians reckon they're the most proficient technology users in Europe, according to a new survey. The Digital Lifestyle Study, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Dell and Microsoft, found that over half (54 per cent) of Italians think they're familiar with all or most of the features on their technology products, compared to 47 per cent of Germans and 39 per cent of UK IT users. While the Italians may think they can use their digital goods with aplomb, the Germans (59 per cent) think they're the most knowledgeable about technology in general, compared to 49 per cent of UK tech owners and 46 per cent of the people polled in Italy and Spain. The Spanish are the most confident when it comes to setting up a PC, with 50 per cent of respondents claiming proficiency in this area. The Italians struggle here, with only 26 per cent saying they're able to get a PC up and running. In the UK, the figure is 40 per cent. But the UK leads the pack when it comes to PDAs: 24 per cent of UK respondents said they could configure a handheld device, compared to a meagre 13 per cent of Italians. Sixty-seven per cent of Germans and 66 per cent of UK users feel they don't need to phone customer support with tech-related problems. This compares to 37 per cent of Italians and 53 per cent of Spaniards. The survey also found that UK people are the most likely to shop online, with 19 per cent expressing a fondness for ecommerce. That compares with just eight per cent of the French respondents. Harris Interactive conducted 1,500 interviews among computer and digital technology owners (age 18+) in August and September, 2002. Telephone interviews were conducted among 1,000 owners in the US and 100 owners in each of the following countries: France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK.