Posted on 05/05/2009 7:40:49 PM PDT by Swordmaker
In a minor coup against Microsoft' claims of better value for money in Windows notebooks, Apple has earned the crown in Consumer Reports' latest computer study for its current generation of MacBooks -- as well as in tech support and, very nearly, desktops.
The new overview from the researchers' June report gives the Mac portables the lead in every size category, ranging from near-ultraportables up through desktop replacements. Consumer Reports' study covers not only performance but design, versatility, the screen quality and battery life.
In the 13-inch category, the lead was substantial enough that Apple occupied the top three spots, with the new unibody MacBook topping the charts with an overall score of 62, the SSD-equipped MacBook Air taking second place with 60, and the plastic MacBook just slightly edging out HP's Pavilion dv3 with a score of 55.
While significant in itself, the lead only widened in the larger notebook categories. Competing against a mixture of high- and low-end PCs, the 15-inch MacBook Pro was given top spot in the 14- to 16-inch notebook category with a score of 75 where the Toshiba Satellite M305 had just 64. The Sony VAIO FW that played a prominent role in Microsoft's third TV ad was fifth with a score of 62.
In the 17- to 18-inch category, the 17-inch MacBook Pro extended the gap even further, notching 80 points where the best Windows PC again earned a score of 64. Symbolically embarrassing for Microsoft, the exact same HP Pavilion dv7 that actress Lauren thought was a better deal in the first Microsoft commercial placed well behind Apple's contender, sitting in fourth place with 59.
Surveying technical support also gave Apple the best results in both desktops and notebooks.
Apple couldn't quite claim the top spot in desktops but did manage second place in both of the two categories it competed in: among standard desktops, the Mac Mini's 59 was two points behind the HP Pavillion Slimline's 61, while the 20-inch iMac's 70 was enough to earn a runner-up position behind the Dell XPS One 24.
The seemingly near-complete control of Consumer Reports' ratings appears at a critical time for Apple, as the company has posted its best non-holiday quarterly results ever but is under pressure to justify the at times higher prices of Macs versus PCs in light of Microsoft's attack ads. For now, the study supports Apple's notion that it wants to make the best computers, not the most computers and that it's therefore willing to give up market share for a better reputation.
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
I had a MacBook Pro, cost a fortune and the harddrive imploded within two years. Cache aint worth that much cash!
Did Apple replace the hard drive? If not, did you buy AppleCare?
You just wait for Windows 9.7.0.5!
Service Pack 2...
Free porn offset by cost of Mac.
Hard drives don't last forever. Two years is better than some, worse than others. Note that I'm not a Mac fan - it's just that laptop hard drives are fragile creatures, given the lack of ventilation and the constant bumps from being carried around.
go Apple! if you don’t own a Mac, your prolly a liberal
“You just wait for Windows 9.7.0.5. . .
Service Pack 2...”
OSR 2, with the optional Plus Pack and Microsoft Defender! Live! 8 suite.
Say again?
Hey, they just did this because they’re bitter Microsoft haters!
If you go Mac, you’ll never go back.
Service Pack 2...
Vista XP-9000 EXTREEM
How did they come up with a price of $2300 for the Macbook Air... Apple sells it on line starting at $1799. All of the rest of the Apple prices are for the lowest offered model... so what did they add to the MBA to get more than $500 added to it.
Looking at that table you posted, in every category Macs were the most expensive machine, in every category there were "recommended" machines significantly cheaper than the Macs, and nowhere did a Mac win "best buy" honors (but a PC did). Seems more accurate to say that Consumer Reports confirmed Microsoft's "claims of better value for money."
"Symbolically embarrassing for Microsoft, the exact same HP Pavilion dv7 that actress Lauren thought was a better deal in the first Microsoft commercial placed well behind Apple's contender, sitting in fourth place with 59."
Well gosh, I sure hope an $800 computer placed well behind a $2800 one. Lauren could purchase three Pavilion dv7s and an iPhone for the cost of Apple's contender. She could purchase the Pavilion plus 33 months of mobile broadband Internet access. She could purchase the Pavilion and a week-long Caribbean cruise to use it on. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's the precise point of the ad: You can have a Mac and impress everyone with your computer, or you can have a PC and impress everyone with your fat roll of spare cash. Hooray for choices!
It's fine to say that Consumer Reports concluded that Mac makes "the best" notebooks. Privately, Microsoft would agree—as it happens, Microsoft buys lots of Macbooks, because price is no object and Macbooks run Vista better than any other machine. But the table shows that it's a simply a lie to say that Consumer Reports concluded that PC notebooks are not a better value for the money.
My first Mac laptop was the Titanium Powerbook. It's still running. Next was a PowerBook G4 .... still running. Got the wife a MacBook .... yep, still running.
PB140, PB5300C, PB G3Wallstreet, 17" G4 PB Aliminum(667), and a host of old Mac Desktops dating from 1984, on a shelf, but ....... yep, still running (and many running current software!)! I've had HD crashes twice in my life. Now, I have a Time Machine!
G3 Wallstreet
Why didn’t Consumer Reports weigh the Macbook Pro against a thinkpad? The Ideapad is not the same thing.
I have used and owned both Mac and Win HW/SW and I can easily say that any comparably priced Thinkpad is by far a better machine than a Macbook Pro.
IMO, this is fluff.
Only if they caveat that they took the low-price road with the Lenovo offerings. Compare any Mac to a Thinkpad and see what fleshes out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.