Nasdaq.com Writes on the Results of 2009 Q3 Computer Reliability Report

By Steve Monfort, nasdaq.com
December 7, 2009

Apple computers reliable and popular in October, data shows

Separate reports revealed this weekend that Apple computers led the pack in both reliability and popularity among desktop and laptop models.

Rescuecom, a Syracuse-based computer repair franchiser, said that Apple computers were the least likely to need repair within three years of purchase. The company issues a quarterly reliability ranking; for the third quarter, Apple was in the lead, ahead of Lenovo and Asus.

And in remarks last week to CNET, market research firm The NPD Group said that Apple had both the best-selling laptop and best-selling desktop for October. The laptop was the $1,199 MacBook Pro and the desktop was the recently released 21-inch iMac.

But both reports suggested that Apple's successes were due in large part to failures by computer companies that use Microsoft Windows. Apple took the crown in Rescuecom's ranking because Asus computers' reliability plummeted. In addition, Stephen Baker, The NPD Group's vice president of industry analysis, said that October was "a down month on the Windows side because [PC manufacturers] were working through inventory" before the launch of Microsoft's Windows 7.

Apple computers make up just 9 percent of the market, a distant second to Microsoft Windows-equipped PCs.