Since IBM began deploying Macs to its employees earlier this year, there has been a growing stream of anecdotal evidence purporting new users encountered fewer problems with their Apple laptops than their Windows-equipped counterparts. Now, the results of a Consumer Reports survey are giving those claims teeth, suggesting Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are the most reliable laptops on the market. .
The publication reached some 58,000 of its subscribers who reported purchasing a new laptop within the last five years, polling them on the year-by-year reliability of their new devices.
Overall, nearly 20 percent of respondents reported they had an issue with their laptop during their first three years of of ownership. Looking at Apple laptops only, however, that figure gets cut in half. More specifically, the Apple laptops found least likely to fail were the MacBook Pro (nine percent) and the MacBook Air (seven percent).
Narrowing the focus to look only at annual failure rates, Apple sweeps away Windows-based laptops once again. According to the report, less than four percent of MacBooks failed each year. On the other hand, the top five laptops running Windows systems all failed at least three times as much. The Gateway NV was the most reliable Windows laptop, failing just 13 percent of the time. Rounding out the list were Gateway's LT and Samsung's ATIV Book, which each had annual failure rates of 14 percent, and Lenovo ThinkPads and Dell's XPS laptops, which failed 15 percent of the time.
The study also found that laptops that malfunctioned once were far more likely to suffer subsequent problems during their lifetime. However, even in this high-risk category did Apple prove more reliable. After a first failure, 55 percent of Windows laptops went down again, compared with just 42 percent of MacBooks.
Reliability, it would appear, could be a big reason far more survey respondents using MacBooks reported being satisfied (71 percent) with their purchases than Windows owners (38 percent).
If you are looking to deploy Macs at your workplace, MC Services can help. Our qualified IT consultants can guide you through every step of your Mac integration, from providing Mac IT support to specialized Apple training for your employees. To get started, contact us today.
