Communications of the ACM
Apple Claims Top Spot in Annual Computer Reliability Report
Credit: Apple
Apple personal computers received the highest reliability score in RESCUECOM's Annual 2010 Computer Reliability Report released Monday (February 22). The report gives factual, unbiased data to determine the reliability of today's personal computers.
The top five manufacturers with the best overall computer reliability performances for 2010, and their respective computer reliability scores, are:
- Apple (365)
- Asus (305)
- IBM/Lenovo (305)
- Toshiba (199)
- HP/Compaq (149)
"Before making any computer purchases in 2010, RESCUECOM encourages consumers and businesses alike to consider the reliability of their favorite brands. We are committed to helping you make the best decision on your computer purchases through our Computer Reliability Report," says RESCUECOM CEO David Milman.
In analyzing the last four quarters of computer reliability scores leading to the overall 2010 report, RESCUECOM observed that Asus was the manufacturer to watch in 2009 with a skyrocketing market shipment percentage and a lopsidedly low number of computer support calls. This performance gave Asus a computer reliability score nearly triple the scores of its competitors in Q1 2009. As the year progressed and Asus' numbers leveled out, the company was still able to stay on top in Q2 2009. Apple finished the year with a higher score than Asus; however it was Asus who won the spotlight with its impressive 190.7 percent growth, year over year. Due to Asus'
excellent performance, RESCUECOM has awarded it with second place, even with its tied reliability score to IBM/Lenovo. Conversely, Dell's negative growth and poor reliability scores led to an increased need for Dell customers to seek computer repair. This performance stopped Dell from reaching a top five position.
Stepping back from the major name-brand computer manufacturers, RESCUECOM cited two players worthy of honorable mention for their computer reliability scores. Panasonic and Samsung, although not prominently known for computer market share, have both shown that even with lower market share numbers, they were able to provide excellent computer support for their customers, minimizing the need for them to seek outside services for repair.
RESCUECOM determines the reliability of a manufacturer by comparing its market share of shipped computers, weighed against the percentage of computer support calls RESCUECOM handles for that same manufacturer. Higher scores indicate better reliability. Reliability is attributed to a combination of two areas: quality of components used by a manufacturer, and the success of after sale support provided by the manufacturer. Low-quality components lead to more frequent repairs, and a lack of manufacturer support will lead to customers seeking outside support options, such as RESCUECOM.
The following data was used to calculate reliability scores for the 2010 Computer Reliability Report:
| Manufacturer | U.S. Computer Market Share (percentage Share of computers shipped) |
RESCUECOM Computer Repair Share (percentage of service calls to 1-800-RESCUE-PC) |
Computer Reliability Score |
| Apple | 8.0 percent | 2.2 percent | 365 |
| Asus | 2.7 percent | 0.9 percent | 305 |
| IBM/Lenovo | 3.7 percent | 1.2 percent | 305 |
| Toshiba | 7.7 percent | 3.9 percent | 199 |
| HP/Compaq | 26.9 percent | 18.0 percent | 149 |
Data is a compilation of the scores for all four quarters in 2009.
Source: IDC
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