Consumer Reports praises the MBP, but dings Apple laptops for long-term reliability

I was browsing Consumer Reports online, and found that Apple laptops are the most highly rated laptops by Consumer Reports in terms of ergonomics, functionality, screen brightness/clarity, and features. However, Apple laptops are also rated the worst in terms of long-term reliaility by just a hair. Has Apple laptop quality been increasing over the years? I'm hoping that sample is skewed toward older, less-sturdy versions of the laptop line.

 

I'd say its definitely not the worse...I mean, the last generation of Dell Inspirons were terrible. Apple's quality control has declined a bit in the past year, I'd say. Its unfortunate. But one thing that hasn't changed though is customer support, so if anything goes wrong you're always in good hands with Apple's customer support. Still though, I still wouldn't rate it the worst in the whole industry. Seems unlikely to me.

My MacBook has no problems, I've been using it since about April-May 2007.

 

Their QC has declined a lot over the past few years but in general their tech support is pretty good I must say.

 

I've had a bunch of issues with my MBP and it's only been a couple of months. But what they lack in QC they make up for with their superb tech support and Apple Care.

 

The QC is pretty awful these days, no doubt. On the other hand, it's nice to have a physical store to go to during the one year warranty. I just wish they'd start paying attention to their hardware again.

 

Only ever had serious problems with one Mac over the years. Had it not been for all the issues, my MB probably would have been my favorite machine ever. The size and screen were perfect for me. Apple made good on all its responsibilities, but the whole affair was a giant PITA. Ended up with a MBP which has been totally reliable and problem-free, but it ain't no MB. LOL

FWIW: I've probably had six or seven new Macs over the past three or four years, and the MB, much as I liked the machine, was the only one which was just too much trouble to keep. Actually, I went through the original and two replacements before resorting to buying a MBP.

OTOH: Have given away a couple of old PowerBooks as I bought newer machines, and those old notebooks are still plugging away, slowly, but working just fine. So . . . it seems to me that the OP's report has some merit, I'm sorry to say.

 

i think thats partly because of the fact that there are going to be more sales of the other laptops than the macbook line. if the other companies have more machines being sold, they can get away with having more defects because they also have more good ones to get more reviews. i hope what i said came out with some sense it sounded better in my head.

 

I love posts like this!

 

I agree with you 100% there support is great and QC does a pretty good job

 

That's true. However if Apple wants to encourage more people to switch over, or even keep the switchers they get, they really need to do MUCH better than other companies. Apple has more at stake than Dell does. But again... what they lack in QC they make up for three-fold with Apple Care. 3 Year warranty pretty much covers your computer until it's time to replace it. So I guess it's what you prefer... better chance at a perfect computer off the bat, or better protection over 3 years. Honestly I actually prefer being protected for 3 years, and having some issues off the start. It's a pain, but it's more of a pain to have something pop up after the year warranty is done and spend money to fix it.

 

Nah, I have to disagree. How does Apple have more at stake than Dell? Don't forget Dell was so worried they would lose their client base due to Vista that they gave new buyers the option to have XP and many of their computers are currently installed with XP by default.
I think you are just looking at the market share. The Macintosh is not a new platform and it's not skating on thin ice whereas if a customer is not happy with Apple they will just go buy a Dell. NOT. It doesn't work that way, we get used to using a platform and we have bought software for it you can't just drop it like Windows has more significance.

In terms of Dell, HP, Sony and the rest of the Windows PC manufacturers each has their own market share to build so don't say Apple has more at stake, they can afford to make some mistakes and not lose one customer.

Lastly, although Consumer Reports is very reputable they can't stop me from buying my favorite product due to their negative ratings.

 

But if word starts to spread that Mac's have QC problems eventually that word will spread around and most will not pay the premium for a Mac except for it's diehard fans, and that will affect the growth of Apple.

-Mike

 

True, mike, but as Sam pointed out, Apple's CS is still top-notch and that counts for a lot in my own mind.

 

disagree.

Quality Control is different than quality. Apple undisputedly has an inordinate degree of quality in the laptops and other hardware they sell. The truth of the matter is that if you get a defective machine, they hand you another one.

Its not the end of the world or anything. Poor quality control doesn't make or break a product IF the customer service is effective. In apple's case, an excellent CS balances out any quality control problems. Honestly, just stay away from first generation tech (from any company) and you should be fine.

also, for what its worth:

people who lay down the extra bucks for apple are probably more likely to complain at the slightest hint of defect. Any problem with QC is highly likely to come out in the open. I mean, that has to be true for every company, but i think this may be true with apple even moreso. this is not defending QC problems they may have, just noting that it may influence the consumer reports.

 

Well, I myself went through 4 MBP before I got one that was working probably. One I blame on my paranoia, but the other 3 returns were very legit. I agree that Apple's QC is questionable, but if you get one that works, they seem to stay rather problem free.