Budget PC brands see biggest gains in consumer satisfaction
In a poor economy, some budget PC brands are finding its customers happier than ever, according to this year's installment of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, an annual study completed by the University of Michigan each year.
In the 2009 rankings for PC makers, which are set to be released Tuesday, the brands whose rankings saw the most improvement were Compaq and Gateway. Compaq's score of 74 represented an increase of 5.7 percent, the largest gain among computer makers in the last year, and equaling the highest customer satisfaction ranking for the brand--owned by Hewlett-Packard--since 1996. The Acer-owned Gateway brand also saw an uptick in satisfied customers, attaining a score of 74, a 2.8 percent increase from last year.
"My guess is price has something to do with it," said Claes Fornell, director of the National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan, which conducts the study. "(Compaq and Gateway) machines are typically priced somewhat below competition. Other than that things are stalling a bit in the industry, not moving one way or another."
The study asks 80,000 consumers to rank brands based on expectations of the product, previous experience, and comparison to an ideal version of the product. For PCs, a score of 78 out of 100 is considered good.
Despite those gains by Compaq and Gateway, the 2009 ACSI scores show that Apple continues to lead the pack by a mile, with a score of 84. Its next closest competitor, Dell, stands at 75, which was also the average score for all PC makers. HP moved from 73 to 74. Apple did see a slight decrease (from 85 last year), and on average all PC makers saw a 1.3 percent increase from 74 last year to 75 in 2009, reflecting an overall satisfied customer base, as well as very little change in dynamics in consumers' experience with their computers.
With an 11-point lead, Apple is one of only two companies evaluated by ACSI that dominates its category so totally, according to Fornell.
"It's unusual in any industry to have a lead like the one Apple has," he said. "Google has a similar lead."
His explanation is that compared to others in their respective categories, both are "better at marketing what they have to offer to the public."
That marketing, besides drumming up good feelings in consumers, is also pushing up Apple's bottom line. The company just recorded its best non-holiday quarter in its history, selling 2.6 million Macs, a 4 percent increase from the same quarter a year ago. PC makers, on average, saw their sales dip 3.1 percent for the same quarter, according to IDC.
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur. E-mail Erica. 
Apple has great marketing, but this is customer satisfaction, as in- after the marketing helped in making your purchase. Customer satisfaction is using the product over a period of time.
Those poor souls that paid all that money to Upgrade to Vista, now have to shell out even more money for another Operating system that requires even MORE.
Microsoft should of stayed with windows 3.1
"on average all PC makers saw a 1.3 percent increase from 74 last year to 75 in 2009, reflecting an overall satisfied customer base, as well as very little change in dynamics in consumers' experience with their computers."
In other words, satisfaction with Vista-based PCs INCREASED within the last year. Therefore, I seriously don't see them breaking 75 in the coming years of Windows 7. Like Windows XP, I don't see Windows 7 replacing Vista. If what some people who make comments on C-Net articles is true, Vista is really not the enemy here. And against popular belief, I don't think there's going to be this huge movement of people purchasing "7" and making the upgrade.
I have to disagree.
How exactly does it require more if Vista couldn't run on netbooks without killing them but Windows 7 can run on netbooks with performance comparable to XP. O_o
I'm not being snarky. I really do want to know. Which PC laptop has an all aluminum unibody, backlit keyboard, magsafe power adapter, and a HUGE multitouch trackpad that is also the left and right mouse button?
Amen
on the inside
its the same crap thats in every other computer
Yes and they have the stalling hard drives and the failing video chip sets....etc ..etc..etc
Back lit keyboard Toshiba E105, AlienWare M17, Gateway MC780
Almost all PC Laptops have two buttons on there keypads? I know apple typically only has one?
Dell and a few others also make aluminum body ultra thin laptops
The power adapter, I am trying to justify spending 2-3 times the price of the other laptops for the power adapter which is ranked as one of the poorest apple innovations, it has been nothing but a pain in the back side for apple.
So yes its a nice bundle the marketing has done wonders to overshadow the issues with the Video, Faulty displays, clicking hard rives, fraying shorting adapter. But when I way it out, I can buy 3 comparable laptops for the same price.
Amen
on the inside
its the same crap thats in every other computer"
Well "inside" is a good place for a backlit keyboard, multitouch trackpad, and magsafe power adapter.
Anyway, even if the myth of the exactly the same components were true (it isn't) you forgot the much superior OSX.
"With an 11-point lead, Apple is one of only two companies evaluated by ACSI that dominates its category so totally, according to Fornell.
"It's unusual in any industry to have a lead like the one Apple has," he said."
Amen
Your frugalness, frugality, etc. is admirable. There is nothing wrong with being practical. I do enjoy having nice things too. I like picking something up and feeling the quality. It's really nice to be able to scroll a window all the way across the screen on a huge trackpad without reaching the edge and picking your finger up to do it again. I appreciate the fact that when I trip over my power cord, my laptop stays on the table and doesn't hit the hardwood floors. But you are right. You can accomplish the same tasks with another computer for less. We all must learn to live within our means. Sometimes, we need to be practical. And that's okay too.
Amen
If any PC maker produced a product with the failure rate apple has had, Video Issues, the stuttering drives, and power adapter. They would be crucified. I had a friend here who had a MacBook, it kept cutting his wrists, so he took a file to the case to clean up the edges...... over the corse of 1 year he send back his 15' unit 3 times for LCD Screen issues. Was he alone, no, looking at the forums they are full of similar complaints.
You can even find them outlined on appledefects
The same component part is not a myth.
They use the exact same Intel Chipset, they use the exact same processor, they have been using the same Video Chipset that plagued HP, and Sony, same Hitachi drive as the others. So yes they use the same components.
Amen
I am not a Mac user but if the over all experience of users was as you stated then the numbers WOULD NOT BE THAT high! Come on use your brain! Apple products are very good products albeit not perfect, just well built and thought out. I have a very strong feeling the friend you stated is what I would call a phantom or exagerated story. Am I to say it did not happen but I can say this is not happening on Mass, if it was the ratings would not be as high as they are. PERIOD!! It only takes child like brain power to rationalize that one. Geesh!
I am using a very sexy AlienWare laptop which I love but I have seen many friends use Apple MacBooks and iMacs with out any of the issues and as far as I know they are all very very happy with their hardware.
Every company, whether it is Apple, Ford, Chrysler, Microsoft, Dell, Cisco, whatever has its faults - MOST logical and level headed users of these products have the ability to admit their beloved companies have faults - apart from those in the "I'm a Mac" camp can actually admit that when asked.
I've never seen such denial that a problem/defect exists as I do from the Mac crowd here.
I manage a network that uses a whole slew of different suppliers: Microsoft, HP Procurve, Apple, BlackBerry, Linux and Unix - the only groups I see from those groups unwilling to admit their beloved machines have issues (and ALL do) are those from the Mac camp - and to some extent the Linux camp - though the Linux camp is a very small minority of militants that just espouse hate towards anything other than Linux.
As you mentioned, many of their problems stem from third party video, batteries, etc. And since they use all the same internal components as other PC companies, they suffer from them the same way.
But the numbers don't lie. Number one in customer satisfaction year after year. Argue all you want. Get mad! It's okay. I accept you for who you are.
Amen
"the stuff inside them is only a few years old"??? LMAO! Really? ... oh why am I wasting my time...
My iMac, however... uses all 4 Gb of ram.. and is more responsive than the XPS. I've tried changing the colors of the cool LEDs on the XPS.. but that didn't improve performance for some reason. Hummm.
While an inexpensive system works fine now, it won't last you as long as a higher end system. If you think about a mainstream system from 3 or 4 years ago, it was not designed to do all the things we now do on our computers. Youtube, BluRay, HD, photos, Facebook, etc. didn't even exist! I've never heard anyone say they wish the had bought a slower computer... #upgrade
Amen
How is it that Dell can have the average score of all PC makers (75) when only one (Mac) is above them. That must not be the mean of all PC makers' scores. Perhaps it is the mean score of all 80,000 respondents? If so, that would indicate that the score is weighted for larger companies. It doesn't add up that the mean would be that high unless things were WAY skewed. Think about it.
CNET - would you please explain this to us
y = x
xy = x^2 ;multiply by x
xy - y^2 = x^2 - y^2 ;subtract y^2
y(x-y) = (x+y)(x-y) ;factor out
y = (x+y) ;divide by x-y
y = y + y ;substitue from the top y = x
y = 2y ;now divide by y
1 = 2
You just have to know how to mess with the numbers, that's all.
And BTW... quit spitting on me. I hate people who spit when they spew.
Amen
This is not surprising as Compaq was swallowed up by HP a few years ago.
Now that PCs have caught up Win 7 seems primetime.
- by markathome99 August 23, 2009 7:07 PM PDT
- Apple has a 'budget' PC?
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