Study: More Adults Warming Up To High-Tech GadgetsStudy: More Adults Warming Up To High-Tech Gadgets

Adults appear to be warming up to new technology, with nearly 3 in 10 saying they've become more accepting of the latest gadgets and computers over the last year, a research firm said Tuesday. While about two-thirds of adults surveyed said their attitudes toward technology hadn't changed, 28 percent said they're more ready to try something new, and less than 4 percent said they were more skeptical, Harris Interactive said.

“These results may suggest that the number of early technology adopters is on the rise,” Joe Porus, chief architect of the technology research practice at Harris, said in a statement.

Driving this upbeat attitude are the high-quality products being delivered by the industry, Porus said. However, this trend could eventually lead to vendors having to compete through lower prices, if more consumers begin to see all technology products as the same in quality.

"If consumers begin to look at all technology products this way, they may look beyond the product features and go right to the price, creating an even more price sensitive market,” Porus said.

The top five technology items for the home that consumers are most likely to buy in the next six months are a home computer, printer, TV/home theatre, a TV content provider and gaming console. Top five mobile technology items are cellular phone, digital camera, laptop, personal music device and video camera.

Factors considered by a majority of consumers when making a technology purchase include ease of use, customer service, no-hassle installation and getting a thorough understanding on how it works, the research firm said. These factors had the most impact on purchase decision.

The Harris study was based on an online survey in September of 1,174 U.S. adults.