Rescuecom, a third-party computer repair firm, fielded the
fewest support calls to repair Asus and Apple PCs on average, said David
Milman, Rescuecom's CEO. The companies offered PCs with high-quality
components and excellent support, reducing the need for consumers to service
PCs through third-party support companies.
The ratings were based on 11,560 support calls fielded by Rescuecom during the
second quarter and adjusted to take into account the market share of each PC
maker. Lenovo, Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard held the third, fourth and fifth
spot respectively in the PC reliability survey.
The study was released on the same day the University of Michigan and other
organizations issued the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, which measures
user satisfaction with products including cars and PCs. Apple topped the
survey with a score of 85, followed by Dell at 75, and a three-way tie between
Hewlett-Packard, HP's Compaq brand, and Acer/Gateway, which scored 74.
Consumers want PCs that require minimal repairs and good support, so the calls
provide a good snapshot of PC reliability, Milman said. Companies that provide
high-quality components tend to rate higher, while bad components and bad
support may force PC owners to call third-party repair companies.
"We review ... a combination of how reliable the components are and how good
the support is from the manufacturer," Milman said. Multiple PC components,
including motherboards, memory and video cards were factored into the survey.
The quality of software bundled by PC makers, including security and office
suites, was also part of the survey.
"If a manufacturer provides quality software that is less trialware,
especially in the area of [security]... it is certainly something that makes
their computer less necessary to be supported," Milman said. Many PC makers
are also bundling one-touch data restore options in PCs, which reduces the
need for customer support.
Asus is relatively new to the study and is reaping the benefit of the recent
craze for products like netbooks in the U.S., Milman said. Many users are
buying Eee PC netbooks, but the company's PC reliability ratings might change
as components start to break down, Milman said.
"Their quality has held up from the last study, but it will be interesting in
two years once the machines age a little bit," he said. Increased support
calls for Asus products may help better evaluate the company's support, Milman
said.
Among the top five PC makers in the U.S., Apple has offered
a steady stream of PCs with quality components and support services, Milman
said.
"With the introduction of their Apple Genius [Bar] in retail stores, they are
offering support that many other manufacturers aren't offering," Milman said.
Apple's margins on the Mac desktop and laptop PCs are much larger compared to
competitors, so Apple can afford to offer free support, Milman said. Many
Rescuecom technicians are certified by Apple to repair Mac computers, Milman
said.
Rescuecom received more support calls for Dell and HP PCs, which were the top
two PC vendors in the U.S. during the second quarter, according to IDC. Dell
rated seventh in Rescuecom's study, with 22.1 percent of the repair calls.
Though HP and Dell held close market shares in PC shipments, Rescuecom
received 18 percent more support calls on Dell PCs than HP.
Rescuecom established a baseline to rate reliability by balancing the number
of support calls with the market share of PC vendors, Milman said. The study
was not commissioned by PC makers, and the company has no support ties with PC
makers.
