Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 06:17 pm

Google tops Apple, Facebook in popularity poll

By AppleInsider Staff

An ABC News/Washington Post poll released last week showed that of the top four U.S. tech companies; Google, Apple, Facebook and Twitter, the ubiquitous internet search engine took the crown as "most favorable."

Pulling from a random phone sampling of 1,007 U.S. adults, the poll saw 82 percent of respondents view Google in a favorable light compared to Apple's 74 percent. Facebook and Twitter trailed the pack with 58 percent and 34 percent, respectively.

Google has followed up its vast lead in internet search and advertising with online and mobile technology software, among an array of other initiatives.

"Google has followed up its vast lead in internet search and advertising with onlineand mobile technology software, among an array of other initiatives," pollsters found. The report goes on to note Google's side initiatives like Project Glass, the augmented reality heads-up display device currently in beta testing, add to the company's popularity.

Interestingly, Apple's traditionally fervent proponents were outdone by Google supporters as 53 percent of those polled exhibited a strong favorable impression of the Mountain View, Calif., company. The number is 16 points higher than Apple's score of 37 percent. Only 5 percent found Google to be somewhat unfavorable, compared to Apple's 8 percent. Both companies received a 4 percent share of strongly unfavorable responses.


Speaking to the demographics polled, 31 percent of respondents felt unprepared to pass judgement on Twitter while Google, Apple and Facebook were more well-known and only saw 10 percent, 14 percent and 14 percent of "no opinion" responses, respectively.

Among households making $100,000 and above, the favorability of both Google and Apple skyrocketed to 93 and 91 percent, respectively. Of those under 30 years old, the numbers remain steady for Google with 92 percent, but Apple takes a hit and drops down to 81 percent.


The affluent find Google and Apple most favorable, though among young adults the points skew toward the search giant, leaving the iPhone maker 34 points behind.

The survey was conducted by Langer Research Associates on behalf of ABC News and has a 3.5 point margin of error.