Apple has risen to fourth place in the home notebook PC market, driven by its success at attracting younger, more highly educated, and higher-income households, as well as the self-employed, a research firm said Wednesday.

In a survey of 10,000 U.S. adults, MetaFacts found that Apple is entering households as the second or third home computer. As the third computer, a sweet spot for the computer maker, Apple ranks fifth with 8% of the market. In home notebooks alone, Apple is fourth, also at 8% of the installed base.

MetaFacts also found a strong brand loyalty among households with Apple products. More than four in five households with Apple as their primary home PC planned to buy the same brand for their next computer.

In addition, Apple PCs are used differently than Windows home PCs. The former is more often used for Web content creation, graphics, and personal activities, MetaFacts said. Also, 21% of Apple home computers are used in public places, nearly double the 12% of Windows home PCs.

"If you look around at a Starbucks or cybercafe, you might think the whole world's gone to Apple," MetaFacts analyst Dan Ness said in a statement. "Apple users are very active and use their notebooks in more locations than Windows notebook users."

The Apple Profile Report 2008 also found that Apple dominated five occupational groups: teacher, artist/designer/performer, management, clerical, and consultants.

Other findings included that Apple's retail stores are attracting many non-Apple households, and that those households tend to have many more children, both strong positive future signs for Apple. Finally, the survey found that Apple households shop differently than non-Apple households and are more likely to be in a Barnes & Noble or Borders bookstore or in a Target store, and less likely to be in a Wal-Mart store.