79000 PC World readers were surveyed.
– Put simply, products made by Apple, Asus, Brother, and Canon are typically reliable and well supported.
– Products made by Dell and Hewlett-Packard often aren’t, especially if you’re a home user.
– Laptops are slightly more reliable than before, and have fewer serious problems than desktops.
– Business PC customers are generally more satisfied than their consumer counterparts.
Apple once again smoked the competition in the desktop, notebook, and smartphone categories, winning high praise from customers in all reliability and service categories. The Macintosh and iPhone maker did so well that virtually all its scores were above average. Apple’s only average scores were related to the company’s deftness at replacing failed notebook components, and in two areas pertaining to serious problems with the iPhone, the latter perhaps stemming from the iPhone 4’s well-publicized antenna issue that resulted in dropped calls for some users.
Smartphone users, in addition to praising the iPhone, are particularly happy with Verizon Wireless cell service and with handsets built by HTC. Research In Motion’s BlackBerry phones, however, get low marks for ease of use.
Dell and HP, two of the tech industry’s largest hardware manufacturers, disappointed us this year, particularly in desktops and laptops for home use and printers. (We address these two companies’ dismal showings below.)
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. And now it’s won the trifecta by smoking the competition in our reader poll.
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.“
Apple laptops had another stellar showing in our survey. Apple desktop users gave the company above-average ratings in all five of our reliability measurements, and in all four of our service measurements. Apple laptops got above-average marks in all service measurements, and all but one reliability measurement: users say Apple laptops need components replaced about as often as other laptops do.
And when Apple customers do have problems, they’re generally satisfied with the company’s response. Just under 8 percent of Apple laptop users in our survey report their problem was never resolved by the company’s support team, significantly lower than the industry average.
Apple had another stellar showing in our survey. Apple desktop users gave the company above-average ratings in all five of our reliability measurements, and in all four of our service measurements. And when Apple desktop owners do have problems, they’re generally satisfied with the company’s response. Just under 9 percent of Apple desktop users in our survey report their problem was never resolved by the company’s support team, a figure significantly lower than the 21 percent industry average we found.
Dell and HP: No More Excuses
Combined, Dell and HP ship nearly half of all PCs sold in the U.S. According to tech industry research firm IDC, HP had just over 24 percent of the American PC market and Dell owned 23 percent in the third quarter of 2010. (Apple and Acer placed a distant third and fourth, each holding 10-plus percent.)
Year after year, readers proclaim HP one of the biggest losers in our Reliability and Service Survey. In 2004, for instance, HP and its Compaq brand were rated last in desktops, and next to last in notebooks and digital cameras. The company improved in 2005, earning average grades overall, but then fizzled again in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Dell’s scorecard has varied over the years, but recent trends are troubling. Its second-to-last laptop ranking in 2009 shows a marked decline from 2004 and 2005.
Source: PC World
How clear does it have to be? How many years does Apple have to top the surveys for people to take note?
WHY are people prepared to work so hard in their business and yet skimp on one of the most important aspects – IT?
It doesn’t have to be like this.
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