More than 80 percent of Americans now have a computer in their homes, and of those, almost 92 percent have internet access, according to a detailed report on home internet access prepared by Nielsen.  One year earlier, computer ownership stood at 77.9 percent.
Using data collected from its national and local television panels, the quarterly Home Technology phone survey and the Nielsen Claritas 2008 Convergence Audit survey, the report provides a detailed look at how Americans are getting on the internet and the differences by various demographic breaks.
Key findings of the …

With double-digit growth across most categories measured, South Africans continued to take to the Internet in 2008, and the profile of those doing so is evolving.
Andrew Felbert, of Nielsen Online, said, “Not only are there more people online in South Africa, but they are spending more time online and viewing more content.  Companies and advertisers wishing to get their products and services in front of consumers can no longer ignore the power of the Internet.”
According to the new research:
•    The number of unique browsers and pages viewed increased by 25% …

Web surfing is booming in China.  The New York Times and CNN.com reported Friday that China recently surpassed the U.S. to become the world’s biggest Internet population. 
In June, there were 253 million people online in China, the government reported Friday.  The new figures indicate that China’s Internet population grew by 56% in the last year. 
In comparison, the stories noted that the U.S. had approximately 223.1 million Internet users in June, according to Nielsen Online.