Apple's MacBooks: Still the most reliable

ZDNet — Storage Bits ^ | May 26, 2017 — 12:07 GMT (05:07 PDT) | By Robin Harris

[Swordmaker]

It's popular to decry the "Apple tax" - the mythical premium Apple customers pay for Macs. But few look at the other side of the coins: what you get for your money. In Apple's case: the best reliability and tech support.

Consumer Reports surveys its subscribers annually to learn about their experience with cars, appliances, retailers, and computers.

In their latest survey, almost 83,000 readers shared their experiences with computers. Not everyone was pleased.

WINNERS AND LOSERS

In laptops and desktops Apple was the most reliable. Plus it's tech support was - by far - the highest rated. Is it any surprise that Apple customers are satisfied?

Since I last wrote about CR's results, their survey has used a broader definition of problems. According to CR's James McQueen they now ask people:

. . . to recall if their laptop has broken or stopped working as well in the past couple years since they bought it. Specifically, we ask about laptops that have been purchased new from 2012 through 2016, and predict the breakage rates at 3 years of ownership.

Laptops

Among the top laptop brands, Apple's "broken or not working as well" percentage is 17. Other brand percentages: Samsung 27; Dell 29; HP 30; Lenovo 31; and Asus 33.

Desktops

Among desktops Apple's trouble rate is 15 percent. Other brands: Lenovo 24; Samsung 25; Dell 27; HP 27; and Asus 29.

CR cautions that differences of 5 percentage points are not significant. Essentially, there's Apple and then everybody else.

Tech support

The differences are even more stark on tech support. 9,756 Consumer Reports subscribers also weighed in on their 2016 Technical Support Survey, covering support experiences with 14,889 desktop, laptop, 2-in-1 PCs, and Chromebook computers.

The reader score for Apple was 82, while number 2 Microsoft earned a 68, with Dell at 56. A reader score of 80, means respondents are very satisfied on average; 60, fairly well-satisfied; and 40, somewhat dissatisfied. Differences of fewer than 4 points are not meaningful.

What surprised me is that people said that Apple solved their problem 79 percent of the time, while Microsoft managed a near statistical tie at 74 percent. So MS is almost as good as Apple at solutions, but make their customers significantly less happy in the process.

Another surprise: Apple's Genius Bars were tied with independent computer stores for in-store satisfaction. So if you must have Wintel, find a good local computer store.

The myth of the Apple tax

As I noted in my recent piece, the tiny MacBook is competitively priced with similarly spec'd Wintel Ultrabooks.

Likewise, the iMac is competitive with Wintel all-in-ones with similar specs. Which shouldn't be too surprising since Apple's limited number of models enables them to buy in huge volumes, cutting component costs, and they cut the fat out of the supply chain at every step.

The Mac Pro and Mac Mini are overpriced for what you get, but they don't have the volume. On the other hand, they still offer Apple's excellent reliability. How do you put a price on that?

The Storage Bits take

Personally, I put a premium on reliability because I'm cheap. Stuff that doesn't break - and need replacement - is much cheaper in time and money than stuff that does.

Here in a not-affluent corner of Arizona, I regularly see people who have and use 10-15 year old Macs. Check out the prices of used Apple gear on Craigslist and you'll see the other benefit of reliability: resale value.

So the CR survey results prove a key point around Apple's $800 billion market cap: they produce quality products. They aren't perfect, but they consistenly outperform the Mac's competition on reliability and support.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

If that’s all you need fine. But you can buy Office instead of subscriptions.

Everyone uses Office anyway. It’s ubiquitous.

Also you need to consider Office an subscription gives you 3 licenses, a spreadsheet, email, database, PowerPoint(ugh).

It’s all just choices and Apple is no bargain.

[Loud Mime]

My MacBook Pro is a little over a year old; I’ve had Macs for about three years now. At home I have a screaming dual monitor windows10 desktop computer with three hard drives.

I own both systems and have invested in software for each, including the Adobe suite, CS3 CS4 and CC.

All in all, software and performance, Mac has been the better investment.

[BestPresidentEver]

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-2-duo-2.0-20-inch-aluminum-specs.html

This is the model I owned. On the inside its all laptop parts except the hard drive which eventually died from the heat.

[Swordmaker]

This is the model I owned. On the inside its all laptop parts except the hard drive which eventually died from the heat.

I'll l grant you the Intell Core 2 Duo T7700 processor in that iMac was also used in Apple's LATER MacBook Pro laptop, but the iMac's logic board, fans, speaker system, optical drive system, power supply, graphics board were NOT THE SAME as were installed inside that far lower powered MacBook Pro which for most things would be clocked slower to conserve battery life something totally unnecessary on an iMac . . . and that MacBook Pro retailed for a starting price of $2799 compared to $1199 for your iMac.

That iMac had THREE cooling fans counting the one on the processor, a fact you seem to be totall ignorant of. Oh, wait, make that four. . . Forgot the fan in the internal switching power supply.

2007 20" iMac internal components which ARE NOT LAPTOP PARTS

This is the internals of a 15" MacBook Pro:

I've maintained well over 120 Macs and iMacs over the past 18 years in my office and had only ONE hard drive failure and it was not due to heat. You do not have a clue what you are talking about!

Essentially, Apple is NOT going to put the componrnts of a $2800 laptop into a $1200 desktop, because that's what was being claimed!

Later, when Apple wanted to make an entry level iMac, they did indeed offer a low end intro model iMac with an M Class Intel processor, the same as they put in the MacBook Air, with low end specs, which they could sell for under $1000. It's essentially a Mac mini with a built in screen. However, it is not representative of the entire iMac line, as was being implied.

[AbolishCSEU]

Everyone says Apple products are “intuitive.” Personally I don’t find that to be so. I find Linux O/S to be more intuitive. Everytime I’m asked to set something up on an Ipad, my eyes glaze over.
Sadly I’ve found that almost every Apple product owner/user thinks they are a genius and can screw up a Microsoft product faster than a cat can claw up a sofa.

[Darnright]

Typing this on a 2012 vintage Macbook. Still doggedly running Snow Leopard (Luddites of the world, unite!!!)

[Darnright]

>Everyone says Apple products are “intuitive.” Personally I don’t find that to be so. I find Linux O/S to be more intuitive.<

Even though (at least the old) O/S runs over a dedicated version of Unix? Trying to learn, not be trollish. I’ve learned a few commands on the Terminal, and most of them I got through reading about Linux.

[roadcat]

Here's the menu caption on the Apple Store page I just captured... perhaps they have accidentally posted it in anticipation of a release next week's WWDC and announcements then?

Although the Apple Store page has said "New" in regards to the MacBook Pro for a while, I noticed no changes until today. The model offerings are indeed updated from those earlier in the week. Low-end 15-inch with 512GB SSD has the 2.7GHz processor boost to 3.6 at $2799, high-end is 2.9GHz processor boost to 3.8 at $2999. Different than earlier in the week. Based on what I ordered a couple weeks ago, I thought I was getting a 2.7GHz. But they shipped me a 2.9GHz model at the lower price point. Nice! So you're right, newer models now offered although the web site was slow to post the newer offerings.

[Swordmaker]

Thanks for the validation. . . I thought it was updated. I was noticing the faster speeds and lower pricing on some models.

[BestPresidentEver]

https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/23049/smcfancontrol

The hard drive died from heat. Before it went completely dead it would work when the computer was cold and then stop when it heated up enough. Afterwards I found this freeware which lets you override the default fan settings, it kept the replacement drive alive. I think part of the problem is I used it for gaming and that made it hotter than most iMacs which never get used for that.

[AbolishCSEU]

I was referring to the Apple GUI not the terminal/command line as being less than intuitive—then again that’s because I’m MS-centric

[TheStickman]

“You are buying all your software from Apple written specifically for Apple and priced by Apple.”

Not really.

On my Mac Pro there is one program I bought from Apple & that’s Logic Pro X. I have over a hundred programs & plugins that are not from Apple, nor are they priced by Apple.

Just in the realm of pro-audio there are 1000’s of programs written by people/companies other than Apple for macOS.

[TheStickman]

“So everyone who buys an apple must pay their exorbitant ram price for because you’re stuck with it.”

Depends on the Mac. The 27” iMac allows you to purchase & install 32gb of the ram of your choice.

[Swordmaker]

The hard drive died from heat. Before it went completely dead it would work when the computer was cold and then stop when it heated up enough. Afterwards I found this freeware which lets you override the default fan settings, it kept the replacement drive alive. I think part of the problem is I used it for gaming and that made it hotter than most iMacs which never get used for that.

Your linked third party app is intended for MacBook laptops, not iMacs, nor does Apple recommend its usage as it will make the fans run at full speed when they are not necessary.

You keep right on dancing with your claims about iMacs being made of laptop components in desktop cases. I posted PHOTOS of the internal components of the very computer you claimed was laptop components proving YOU WRONG. You can make those false claims but they are just that FALSE. Hard drives can fail for many reasons. They have a "mean time between failures" but that does not mean there are not some that fail right out of the box. Your claims that Apple puts laptop components in all iMacs, especially the one you had as you specified, does not hold true.

[Swordmaker]

So everyone who buys an apple must pay their exorbitant ram price for because you’re stuck with it.

I have managed hundreds of Macs over the years and upgraded the memory in them. I have NEVER bought memory from Apple. Why should I when it is merely high quality memory from standard supplier, unlike your lying claims.

[caltaxed]

My upgraded PCs required extensive case modifications to accommodate new hardware.

The hammer bulged/tig welded covers were a bear to install and looked like hell.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I think your are stretching the truth here a little bit by saying Macs and not the far more popular MacBooks since 2012.

[Swordmaker]

I think your are stretching the truth here a little bit by saying Macs and not the far more popular MacBooks since 2012.

You have zero clues about the relative numbers of iMacs to MacBooks sold. You pull facturds out and post them. I post facts. Replaceable memory on Macs is industry standard and can be purchased anywhere, not just from Apple. I prefer Crucial memory.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

With a 3-4 year refresh cycle it’s not hard to figure out.

I put Crucial in my 2011 MBP and it worked fine. The SSD was another story.

The Cable from Apple didn’t have the bandwidth so I had to buy another one.

Then Yosemite killed Trim.

[Swordmaker]

Then Yosemite killed Trim.

Yosemite didn't require Trim. In fact, it was incompatible with Trim. You just had to uninstall it and allow OS X to manage third party SSDs. You don't pay attention, do you? Or you do and just like throwing your feces against the walls in Apple threads.