A survey conducted by consultants ICM found that men and women over 55 have different attitudes when it comes to the net.

Men prefer to use it to pursue hobbies and find out information whereas women see the net as an alternative to the telephone, using it to chat with friends and families.

One thing is true of both men and women though. Once they use the web they become hooked, with two-thirds agreeing that it had had a positive impact on their lives.

Knowledge is power

The trend towards silver surfing is also turning the older generation into techies, with 77% of those with a PC also likely to own a mobile phone.

All retired people should have a PC simply because it gives you knowledge and knowledge is power

Val Frances

They are also twice as likely to catch the texting bug along with their grandchildren.

Tony Frances and his wife Val are both 65 years old and typical of the new generation of silver surfers.

Mr Frances bought a computer to use as a joint hobby when he retired.

"My wife is better at picking things up than me. She e-mails people all the time," he said.

"I tend to search around looking up history and geography sites and spend hours restoring family photographs."

For Mrs Frances, the internet has an important lesson to teach her generation.

"I think absolutely all retired people should have a PC simply because it gives you knowledge and knowledge is power," she said.

Sceptical generation

There is some way to go to convince older people of the relevance of the net.

Elderly women like e-mail

Two-thirds of those surveyed did not have access to the internet and two-thirds of those had no intention of going online.

One factor which was persuading older people to get wired was those with friends and family overseas for whom the internet had become an invaluable way of staying in touch the survey found.

The study is part of a three-year partnership between Age Concern and Barclays to bring technology to older people and ensure they are not excluded from the digital revolution.

The next phase will be to provide internet taster sessions at day centres and residential homes, starting in Devon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Enfield.