Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Desktops, Hardware
Apple drops to number two in reliability
RescueCom is a company that provides tech support and help from a 1-800 number, and they've released the latest version of their computer reliability report. This thing is actually pretty well done -- it examines just which brands and makes of computers are getting the most support calls, and then compares it to the average US market share for each brand. For example, if XYZ brand computers are getting a lot of calls, but they're also selling like hotcakes, it won't rate quite as high as ABC brand, which is only selling a few computers, almost all of which are breaking down.There's bad news, however, for Apple, in this quarter's report: they've fallen to spot number two. For the overall year of 2008, Apple reigned supreme in terms of reliability. But in the first quarter of this year, Asus and IBM's Lenovo have had their numbers rise above -- both of their shares of the US market are smaller than Apple's 6%, according to this report, but Apple's 2% of calls to RescueCom still means Asus and IBM/Lenovo have them beat in overall reliability. Unfortunately, they don't show us the fun side of the chart: HP/Compaq end up in the fifth spot, but their 17.9% of all the calls to RescueCom is only the fifth most reliable, not the worst.
Apple still probably doesn't have too much to worry about -- as Wired notes, these are only quarterly scores, and don't forget that this is the quarter in which many people were still learning how to use their iPhones, iPod touches, and the App Store. But this might be an early sign that as Apple grows, it'll be tougher for them to guarantee reliability in their products.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
thomasdavies said 7:23AM on 3-26-2009
I hope that iPhone excuse is supposed to be a joke! I pay more for Apple products and therefore demand better service than I get from other companies. I hope this is just a quarterly blip.
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daggerjones said 7:38AM on 3-26-2009
I just asked around thirty people here in the office if they had ever called "RescueCom" for technical support and no one had even heard of it. Wouldn't you call Apple if you had a problem with a Mac or iPhone? This is a meaningless metric.
Also, thomasdavies, your righteous indignation makes me giggle, you fatuous buffoon. Good day, sir!
I said, good day!
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Izzy said 7:52AM on 3-26-2009
They might subcontract for one or more of the computer companies. I actually sub-sub contract for Dell to do their field work (on my MacBook).
freakyp said 7:41AM on 3-26-2009
I think it has to do with peeps like my dad making the switch to Apple. Alot of folks were turned off of PCs by Vista, they saw the OS X ads about life is easier on a mac, and switched. Truth is, these folks shouldn't be near any computer. I think people who used to be the mac users were much more tech savvy than the people who are coming over to apple. But with the new customer base coming over from Vista fallout, we'll start seeing more issues come up. Not b/c the software is bad, but due to user error. In my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
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threegs said 7:47AM on 3-26-2009
Enough of the Apple excuses. I've owned a dozen Macs since the Plus and I've watch the quality slide. My new MacBook has been exchanged once (still has issues) and my iPhone has been exchanged five times (that's five!). If this trend continues they've lost my loyalty. Period.
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antiorario said 7:49AM on 3-26-2009
Heh. You can always buy Psystar.
chrismusaf said 2:43PM on 3-26-2009
You are an exception to the rule, not THE rule. It's unfortunate what you've been through, but just like this study, it's too small of a sample size to make a determination. Anecdotal evidence does not attest to overall quality.
Sebastian said 3:01PM on 3-26-2009
@chrismusaf: Why do you even bother stating things like that?
Unless you have intimate knowledge of current Apple RMAs, you have no idea whether threegs is right or wrong. He is just speculating based on his experience. You however, seem to think that *your* own experience is obviously equal to the majority - yet in all probability you have absolutely no idea.
Repeat after me: Apple is just another company that is interested in increasing their bottom line. Like any other company, they still have flaws...
chrismusaf said 3:13PM on 3-26-2009
@Sebastian:
When exactly in my post did I say anything resembling "You however, seem to think that *your* own experience is obviously equal to the majority - yet in all probability you have absolutely no idea." WHERE DID I SAY THAT? No where, you conclusion-jumping moron. My only point was that you can't go around saying "Oh, I had a Chevy in 1986 and it was a lemon... don't ever buy a Chevy!" You can't take your own experience and assume it represents a whole company. Don't put words in my mouth.
Sebastian said 3:33PM on 3-26-2009
@chrismusaf
So accusing people of being 'the exception to the rule' isn't jumping to conclusions? Try not to be hypocritical in your postings.
My main point was that in all likelihood you have no idea whether threegs is the exception to the rule or not - and that point still stands.
antiorario said 7:48AM on 3-26-2009
I can't believe TUAW fell for RescueCom's FUD. Why would you guys give any credit to a company no one has even heard of?
Read RoughlyDrafted:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2009/03/26/ridiculous-rescuecom-statistics-create-apple-reliability-headlines/
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Darrin said 8:40AM on 3-26-2009
I am sure that this was a mistake. I have been a PC user of more than one brand and now that I am an avid Apple customer I can assure you that Apple is top notch in customer service and tech support. I have never had any tech support treat me like I was a person who helped support their company until Apple.
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Eric Warnke said 9:24AM on 3-26-2009
Customer care is not the same as reliability
Tim said 1:39PM on 3-26-2009
Apple's customer service is good, but I think they could make the Genius Bar system work much better. I understand the need for appointments, but I'm effectively shut out once I drop off my machine. I can't call someone actually in the store to see how its going or if it's on schedule, I have to call Apple's tele-robot, get routed to a call center tech, have that tech read off the same things that are on the website to me, then appeal for him to call the store, and then wait for him to relay the status to me. If I could just email the techs, that'd be great.
Eric Warnke said 2:51PM on 3-26-2009
@Tim
Every time I've had mine repaired over the past year they have let me take it hone and wait till all the parts are in. While this might not work in all situations, it's better than nothing. They have been able to turn around the actual repair in no more than 1 business day.
Marcello said 8:50AM on 3-26-2009
excuse me but if both lenovo and asus are "better" than apple shouldn't the title read "Apple drops to number THREE in reliability"?
oh, and by the way, while i have nothing to complain about my old powerbook titanium (beside the fact that the paint was flaking off) i have to say that the new macbook pro is anything but reliable, i had both the superdrive and the battery fail twice and the monitor develop a lot of black spots.
fortunately Apple customer service IS top notch, so i had it serviced within a couple of days, no question asked.
M
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roger said 8:56AM on 3-26-2009
RescueCom's report is so full of holes. RoughlyDrafted summed it up perfectly:
"The news here isn’t that Rescuecom is releasing nearly random numbers and suggesting that they mean something important. The real problem is the media jumping, uncritically, on random numbers and building it into a story that those numbers don’t really support and that no other facts support either, and then assigning it a sensationalist, linkbait headline."
It's a good article, read it.
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Eric Warnke said 9:07AM on 3-26-2009
Hard numbers or not I've been on the receiving end of some bad Apple hardware and the most frustrating thing is dealing with the lies from the Apple store.
MacBookPro2,2.. currently having it's 4th display swapped out. It's had 2 battery replacements as well and virtually the whole insides have been replaced at least once.
Now they are feeding me some line that dust *under* the screen is an environmental issue and it's ineligible for replacement ( from the Apple store manager himself ) he ignored the fact that this will be the 6th or 7th time this unit has been in for any repair. I asked him point blank how a laptop that moves all of 2 feet a day can get dust under a sealed assembly and he had no response.
Having spent a good amount of time a the genius bar I can tell you that I'm not alone. People coming in with obvious hardware issues being turned away or up-sold on goods that will not help them. One example being a new MB where it's hinge was misaligned and causing damage to both the screen and the keys... was told to buy a rubber keyboard cover.
I love the software, but if it can't withstand the "harsh" conditions of an average home then I guess I will have to look elsewhere.
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Dan S. said 9:36AM on 3-26-2009
Call Apple corporate headquarters, speak to the operator and ask for Executive Customer Care. Be sure to have your Serial Number handy (and, if possible, the repair ID numbers. And be polite -- no matter how frustrated you are with the Apple Store people -- the Executive CSRs are the Customer Service equivalent of Ninjas; they're swift and effective.
The number is: 408-996-1010
jeff rica said 9:53AM on 3-26-2009
i dont know
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