Apple Drops to Second Place in Reliability Report

Results are in from the latest RESCUECOM Computer Reliability Report, which recently increased the frequency of releasing its data from an annual to quarterly basis. An unbiased analysis that compares computer vendors' market share with consumer service calls from RESCUECOM's 1-800-RESCUE-PC call center, the report revealed a new leader in reliable personal computers. At the close of 2008, Apple had secured the lead with the fewest number of service calls. However, Apple slipped into second place while ASUS made a surprise leap into the top spot, with IBM/LENOVO sharing the lead.

The RESCUECOM Computer Reliability Report calculated PC reliability scores based on a sample of 15,000+ calls throughout the quarter. The report reveals the two most important measures of reliability:

The quality of the components and software used in manufacturing the computer.
The after-the-sale support the manufacturer provides to its customers.
The higher the score, the better the reliability of the brand. The PCs reported to have the strongest reliability scores are as follows:


ASUS (972)* & IBM/LENOVO (348)
APPLE (324)
TOSHIBA (172)
ACER (151)
HP/COMPAQ (142)

*In late September 2008, ASUS started shipping a new version of its EEE laptop. ASUS's shipping numbers skyrocketed in the last few months of 2008, yet RESCUECOM received a disproportionately small number of calls to 1-800-RESCUE-PC for help with this product.

"The results are in, and although ASUS is the leader this quarter with a reliability score of 972, ASUS's reliability score should be taken with a grain of salt, even though it was more than 600 points ahead of IBM/LENOVO. We look forward to seeing if ASUS is able to maintain the same demand and reliability over the coming quarters," says David A. Milman, RESCUECOM's founder and CEO.

RESCUECOM's next report, which may reveal evidence of whether ASUS sustains its reliability momentum, is due out next quarter.


"In this economy, consumers and business owners want to know a computer is reliable before they invest hard-earned dollars," Milman says. "Our reports are intended to empower consumers when they head out to make purchasing decisions. Since technology develops at a rapid pace, our quarterly analyses provide a timely resource."

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