May 4 - 10:20pm EDT   A recent Consumer Reports issue compared a variety of computer systems, giving high ranks to Apple in several categories. MacBooks received top honors in the 13-inch category, the 14-inch to 16-inch range and the 17-inch lineup. The 15-inch MacBook Pro established the highest score, with 75 out of 100, while the Toshiba Satellite was given a score of 64. Dell and HP devices also established a number of the higher ranks. [full story]

December 16 - 4:40pm EST   BlackJack II tops Consumer Reports rankings Consumer Reports has published ratings of new smartphones, cellphones and US wireless carriers in their January 2009 issue, giving the highest honors in the smarthphone category to the Samsung BlackJack II. The second highest rated phone was the T-Mobile Wing, followed by the Motorola Q9C, T-Mobile Shadow and BlackBerry Pearl Flip. Just two point behind the Flip, at 61, was the iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1, tied at 61. The latest round of Consumer Reports ratings did not include the BlackBerry Bold or Storm, however, nor the Samsung Omnia or any version of the HTC Pro handset. [full story]

November 26 - 11:30pm EST   Just in time for Black Friday shoppers, Consumer Reports has released its guide to recommended electronics gifts, with Apple receiving several nods from the list. The independent non-profit organization tests and rates products, and has set up a web page grouping ratings for HDTVs, digital cameras, blu-ray disk players and more. Each section highlights best values and highest rated performers and links to full reviews of the products. [full story]

May 5 - 7:05pm EDT   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. [full story]