Jeff Bertolucci reports for PCWorld, “Each year we survey thousands of our readers to find out which hardware manufacturers have the best–and worst–product reliability and customer service and support. This year’s response was unprecedented: 79,000 of you rated the tech products you use. With such a large pool of survey data, we learned a great deal about the companies that make laptops, desktops, smartphones, HDTVs, cameras, and printers.”
“Apple once again smoked the competition in the desktop, notebook, and smartphone categories, winning high praise from customers in all reliability and service categories,” Bertolucci reports. “The Macintosh and iPhone maker did so well that virtually all its scores were above average.”
“Can Apple do no wrong? Indeed, 2010 was a remarkable year for the world’s highest-valued tech company. In addition to unveiling the iPad, a touchscreen tablet that launched a new genre of mobile computing devices, Apple enjoyed record sales and profits,” Bertolucci reports. “And now it’s won the trifecta by smoking the competition in our reader poll.”
Bertolucci reports, “IDC computer analyst Bob O’Donnell attributes Apple’s popularity to the company’s stylish, well-made computers and its easy-to-use operating system. ‘It’s a combination of having high-quality hardware–you pay a premium for it–and a software experience that’s more straightforward,’ he says. ‘And if you have fewer questions, you typically have fewer problems.’ Apple is very good at offering extras too. ‘You have things like the Genius Bar at all the Apple stores. People literally walk in with their systems, and the [support] guy sits there and says, ‘Oh, yeah, you’ve got to do this, this, and this,” O’Donnell adds. ‘It gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling: ‘They’re taking care of me.’ Nobody has anything close to that on the PC side.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The last line we quoted says it all: “Nobody has anything close to that on the PC side.”
But Consumer Reports can’t recommend the new iPhone…
“And now it’s won the trifecta by smoking the competition in our reader poll.”
Pineapple Express much?
Apple products have been very reliable for me over the past 15 years. I did return an iPod nano for a partially failed click wheel. And, back in the 1990’s, I bought an AppleVision AV monitor that ended up having a design flaw (Apple fixed it out of warranty).
Other than that, all of my issues have been with limited life parts. I had a laptop battery fail after five years (2009) and a couple of HDDs fail after about six years – one in 2002 and one in 2010.
I expect Apple products to last, and I have seldom been disappointed.
Hey Consumer Reports, U & Monkey Boy Can “Bite Me”
Their survey was about “the companies that make laptops, desktops, smartphones, HDTVs, cameras, and printers.” Maybe next year, just for a laugh, tablets should be added to the survey. We all know how that will total up.
Hay Google and Microsoft (including you Steve Ballmer), how is that tablet OS coming along with the R&D group. Think something will be ready for 2011 or maybe 2012?
“…high-quality hardware–you pay a premium for it….”
I do not think you are paying a premium for Apple products to work for years compared to other tech industry competitors products. I’m with King Mel, my Apple products since 1989 always work. I replaced a hard drive because it was near capacity, it still worked. I received a new MBP battery because the Apple Genius said I needed one. I had a battery on a 2nd generation iPod replace and that’s about it. Great products Apple! Now please, get the iPhone to T-Mobile.
Can you all visualize all the IT leaders seeing the PCWorld results and knowing that if you can’t keep talking you boss into WindowsPC’s, 9 out of 10 of your team will be laid off as your company goes Apple! And, if he sees the report, you maybe the first to go!
Been using Apple products since 1984 and I have never needed warranty work done on any purchase.
I have never paid for an extended warranty either.
My family of six has only owned apple products for 18 years. I have had plenty of repairs and problems with computers, ipods, and phones. I can only think of a couple of cases that apple has not replaced or repaired for free. Even with a lemon of a G5 that needed 2 logic boards, 2 power supplies and a hard drive. The last logic board was replaced for free almost 4 years after purchase–I will never buy anything but apple. I guess we are hard on our things though with 3 teenagers and moving with the military every couple of years (which is bad on computers). Just today apple replaced my laptop charging cord for free–I had had it 4 months when it quit working. If when there are problems they are fantastic to work with.
@Al,
Me neither.
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I have a 2 1/2 year old 17″MBP, which after a recent software update showed the battery needed servicing. I rang Apple, they went through a few tests over the phone and after talking to a supervisor I got a new battery free of charge. He added the inquiry into the system and I went to my local Apple store the next day for the replacement battery. A wonderful experience from all the people I encountered at Apple.
Say, it ain’t so, Joe! Crapple Suxs!
I love reading comments for some of PCWorld’s and PC Magazine’s articles. Windows sufferers get apoplectic over all the positive articles in “their” magazines.
I fire up my “Black Bird” PowerBook (540?) every once in a while to see my old Mosaic browser, and to savor how far we’ve come. It is slow, heavy and has a tiny screen by today’s standards, but it still runs like it did when new.
@Mr Reeee
Yeah, and their spelling Sux too.
I’m confused: During “the worse recession since the Great Depression, the premium brand continues to smoke its competitors that often sells stuff for half the price.
And now the brand that “you pay a premium for” has introduced a new category defining device that cheap knock offs like Samsung can’t touch on price.
Strange days indeed.
Apple should quit selling Iphones and Ipads until they can do a backup and new system update in less than 100 hours. I am so sorry I ever bought the stuff.
The ridiculous computer warz troll rants continue on as ever in the comments section of the source article. Life is choice. Sadly, many ill people choose to spend their lives making miserable those who made better choices. The tyranny of mediocrity.
You should head over to PC World to see some of the comments.
One idiot suggest that a survey of 79,000 shows PC World’s bias towards Apple What?
I like to think my fellow Apple users are a little smarter, a little kinder, a little… yeah, I’ll say it… better.
Not to mention, no Mac viruses. Shhhhhhhhhhh
The PC world must be really, REALLY bad then. I state this because I never purchase an Apple product without Applecare because I use the applecare at least once or twice for repairs years 2 and 3.
Every. Single. Apple Product.
And I’m not hard on my Apple gear. In fact, I treat it with kid gloves (no dropping laptops or cell phones, banging things into my desktop or moving it around a lot, etc.)
Now I am not whining because I so enjoy the way Apple treats me each time I need service. But their products are not problem-free by any stretch of the imagination.
@spark
hah! I can remember that model. XD Mine’s stashed away in the basement, I can’t recall it ever having stopped working.
@Steve Frost
I’m not entirely sure what you’re talking about, but I know enough that I can tell you to fsck off comfortably.