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Apple tops Consumer Reports tech support list

updated 07:05 pm EDT, Mon May 5, 2008

Apple tops tech support

Apple recently topped Consumer Reports' list of hardware manufacturers technical support services in a recent study. Consumer Reports says that while the industry standard solve-rate for technical issues sits at around 60-percent, while Apple's phone support yielded an 80-percent solve-rate, and the company's Genius bars accounted for a 90-percent solve-rate. The statistics were discovered through a survey of over 10,000 desktop and laptop computers.

Consumer Reports believes that while extended warranties are normally not worth it in the long run, the "elite" service that Apple provides for full three years for subscribers to the AppleCare plan far outweighs the cost.

 
Previous Comments

Yet more positive buzz

05/05, 08:08pm reply

Yet more positive buzz for Apple. A warranty that is actually worth buying. Who'd a thunk it? The question is, when will Apple hit the 10% market share threshold?

Between PC magazine claiming the iMac beats all the competition, consumer reports praising apple, Ballmer using a Mac for his most recent keynote and the swilling crud that is Vista, it can't be too far in the offing.

Monde

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2004

+1

testudo ....

05/06, 02:04am (1 reply) reply

.... come out to comment ...

Monde, how do you know Ballmer used a Mac?

MacnnChester

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2007

+1

Years on the top

05/06, 07:21am reply

Actually, Apple has excelled on the top of Consumer Reports tech support list for several years. This is hardly news.

syzygi

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2008

+1

For MacnnChester

05/06, 08:45am reply

A clandestine photo shot at the last MS developers conference gave Ballmer away. Posted to Maclife, formerly Macaddict. Still there.

Monde

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2004

+1

The link

05/06, 08:49am reply

In fairness, I doubt this was Ballmer's first choice of laptop, but hey, Macs do run Windows better than any other platform out there. Here is the link.

http://www.maclife.com/article/ballmerslaptopof_choice

Monde

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2004

+1

linky no worky

05/06, 10:01am reply

.

climacs

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

+1

here I am!

05/06, 11:27am reply

Woohoo!

What do you want me to say? I know, it's got to be deprecating to Apple. Something like "Well, isn't that like saying 'Time Warner' is the best of all large cable companies?"

Nah, it's not really comparing services here. How about "Sure, Apple's service is Elite. But as we all know, Americans don't like Elitism. We want everyone to be just down-to-earth, not a bunch of snobs!" Oh, that's not bad, with a little political annoyance in there to rile up the troops.

Maybe something like "It generally makes sense to get the extended warranty for any computer (mac or PC) that has a built-in LCD. And being that accounts for most Macs, it just adds to the cost".

Nah, that's not good enough. How about "Gee, just goes to show you how crappy Apple's products are that Consumer Reports actually recommends you get the extended warranty!"

Oh, snap! That's got to be it!

(BTW, 16 month-old MacBook Pro, and the battery has decided it doesn't want to work too hard anymore. Thank goodness I've got that extended warranty!)

testudo

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

-2

eh, i'm pretty sure

05/06, 01:57pm (1 reply) reply

your extended warranty doesn't cover a battery over 1 year old. It's generally considered a "consumable" and is usually only covered for the first year you have it.

Good luck though. :)

Flying Meat

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2007

+1

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