Microsoft's consumer appeal on the rise, YouGov says

Much (digital) ink has been spilled in the tech press over the past several years, proclaiming that Microsoft is "cool" again, thanks in large part to the company's work on Surface and Xbox. According to a new report from YouGov, that idea may be sticking with the general public as well.

According to YouGov, Microsoft's impression score, which it says tracks the "overall positive or negative impression of a particular brand" among consumers, has hit its highest point of in the last two years. Among the general public, the score has moved upward from 36 to 40, as measured on a scale ranging from -100 to +100, between March and April. When broken down to specific demographics, Microsoft is most favored among those aged 18-34, with a score of 44. Those older than 35 came in at an overall rating of 39.

According to YouGov's data, the 18-34 group is also more likely to use cloud storage than those over 35. Those with a positive impression of Microsoft are also more likely to believe AI will "help humans in most of their daily tasks" in the future. All of this data is based on YouGov's BrandIndex, through which it says it conducts 2.5 million interviews per year on national and international levels.

Still, it's worth taking this data with the requisite grain of salt. YouGov's exact sample size is unclear, and it doesn't give a rundown in its report. When we asked for its sample size, a YouGov spokesperson responded: "To generate this report, YouGov conducted approximately 75,000 interviews with US consumers aged 18+ between May 2016 and April 2018."