Apple Edges Samsung to Top U.S. PC Customer Satisfaction Survey for 13th Consecutive Year

[MacRumors]

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) today released its latest results on U.S. consumer satisfaction in the personal computer industry, including tablets, with Apple narrowly topping the charts for the thirteenth consecutive year.

Apple maintained its year-ago score of 84 out of 100 in the survey, consisting of interviews with 3,500 customers chosen at random and contacted via email in June to share their experiences with recently purchased products like Macs and iPads.

Samsung, in its second year of ACSI tracking, trailed just one point behind Apple with a score of 83 out of 100, a 6.4% rise compared to its 2015 score.

Much like the smartphone category, the personal computer industry has become a race between Apple and Samsung for both market share and customer satisfaction. Apple and Samsung dominate market share in the tablet category, but the two companies take divergent views on the future of tablets. Apple continues to add laptop-like functionality to iPads, while Samsung sees tablets as additional devices for entertainment and browsing that complement--but not replace--laptops.

Amazon, which manufactures affordable Kindle tablets but not traditional PCs, finished third in customer satisfaction with an 80 out of 100 score, while PC makers Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba rounded off the list with scores between 73 and 78. ACSI's scores are calculated using its so-called cause-and-effect econometric model, which it says is based upon survey-measured inputs of customer expectations, perceptions of quality, and perceptions of value.

While Apple's customer satisfaction remains characteristically strong, many customers are getting impatient with the current state of the Mac lineup. Beyond the 12-inch MacBook, our own Buyer's Guide lists all Mac models as Don't Buy due to the lack of updates in several hundreds of days. iMac: 350 days. MacBook Pro: 497 days. MacBook Air: 568 days. Mac mini: 712 days. Mac Pro: 1,013 days. The latest word is that new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with USB-C could launch as soon as October.

Article Link: Apple Edges Samsung to Top U.S. PC Customer Satisfaction Survey for 13th Consecutive Year

 

[iMi]

Not surprising at all. iMac is by far the best desktop computer on the market, the MacBook is great, and hopefully new MacBook Pros will continue that trend.

I would add a personal anecdote. I will never forget when Apple replaced a two year old notebook because it broke down for the 4th time. They literally called to say "We're sorry. This isn't the kind of experience we want for our customers."

Then they asked if it would be okay to replace this machine with a brand new one - two generations ahead - and I said... Ah, yeah? Yeah, that would be fine. LOL

 

[Nunyabinez]

Except for MR readers.

 

[Roobun]

apple makes computers?

 

[rodpascoe]

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) today released its latest results [PDF] on U.S. consumer satisfaction in the personal computer industry, including tablets, with Apple narrowly topping the charts for the thirteenth consecutive year.

Apple maintained its year-ago score of 84 out of 100 in the survey, consisting of interviews with 3,500 customers chosen at random and contacted via email in June to share their experiences with recently purchased products like Macs and iPads.

Samsung, in its second year of ASCI tracking, trailed just one point behind Apple with a score of 83 out of 100, a 6.4% rise compared to its 2015 score.

Amazon, which manufactures affordable Kindle tablets but not traditional PCs, finished third in customer satisfaction with an 80 out of 100 score, while PC makers Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba rounded off the list with scores between 73 and 78. ACSI's scores are calculated using its so-called cause-and-effect econometric model, which it says is based upon survey-measured inputs of customer expectations, perceptions of quality, and perceptions of value.

While Apple's customer satisfaction remains characteristically strong, many customers are getting impatient with the current state of the Mac lineup. Beyond the 12-inch MacBook, our own Buyer's Guide lists all Mac models as Don't Buy due to the lack of updates in several hundreds of days. iMac: 350 days. MacBook Pro: 497 days. MacBook Air: 568 days. Mac mini: 712 days. Mac Pro: 1,013 days. The latest word is that new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with USB-C could launch as soon as October.

Article Link: Apple Edges Samsung to Top U.S. PC Customer Satisfaction Survey for 13th Consecutive Year

Wonder if the interviews were before or after the melting Samsung smartphone problems.

Might be a different score if recent Samsung customers were surveyed.

 

[garirry]

I really hope that means a wake-up call for Apple. If Samsung has reached this high in user satisfaction, Apple should definitely start focusing more on their Mac lineup if THEY want a high level of user satisfaction.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

While Apple's customer satisfaction remains characteristically strong, many customers are getting impatient with the current state of the Mac lineup. Beyond the 12-inch MacBook, our own Buyer's Guide lists all Mac models as Don't Buy due to the lack of updates in several hundreds of days. iMac: 350 days. MacBook Pro: 497 days. MacBook Air: 568 days. Mac mini: 712 days. Mac Pro: 1,013 days. The latest word is that new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with USB-C could launch as soon as October.

Article Link: Apple Edges Samsung to Top U.S. PC Customer Satisfaction Survey for 13th Consecutive Year

Was this data from the survey?

 

[TMRJIJ]

If they had given us new MacBook Pros, Samsung would be eating their dust right now.

 

[chrismail627]

Pretty impressive how Apple stayed on top even with old hardware. Nevertheless, it really is time to refresh the Mac line. Apple cannot become complacent.

 

[mattan_lines]

Hey look, Apple's back on top where they should be. I've never had a better customer service anywhere else. Amazon and Ebay are a PAIN, they can never understand what I say because they're usually like hardcore Indian and they have no idea what to do to help me out. Not that Indians are bad at their jobs (and I don't hate them), I just think that it's better when you talk to someone who can effectively understand what you need and help you out with it.

 

[Born Again]

You have to hand it to Samsung to have jumped to the 80th % satisfaction rate.'

Competition is good.

 

[randyhudson]

Put me in the 16%. Apple's new trackpads and keyboards suck. The quality control in the OS has been in decline since 10.9. They have removed discrete graphics from mac minis. They charge ridiculous money for storage upgrades while moving to proprietary interfaces that prevent customers from performing their own storage upgrades.

 

[Digital Skunk]

For a minute I had my hopes up for decent Macintosh computer rumors.

This is okay news I guess, but some of this line is long due for a refresh.

I hate to admit it but I still have my fingers crossed for an updated, FRESH, 17" Macbook Pro.

(don't wake me up from that dream please!)

 

[sunapple]

Saw a picture of a Mac lineup in a MacRumors article on Twitter, got a mini hart attack; new Macs?! Nope. Disappointed.

 

[Hanzu Lao]

Should be more than 1 point. Makes no sense.

 

[pbasmadj]

Not surprising at all. iMac is by far the best desktop computer on the market, the MacBook is great, and hopefully new MacBook Pros will continue that trend.

I would add a personal anecdote. I will never forget when Apple replaced a two year old notebook because it broke down for the 4th time. They literally called to say "We're sorry. This isn't the kind of experience we want for our customers."

Then they asked if it would be okay to replace this machine with a brand new one - two generations ahead - and I said... Ah, yeah? Yeah, that would be fine. LOL

That happened to my brother as well, really cool.

Now. they just need to make a new laptop! Haha.

MacBook Pro, thinner form factor matching the MacBook's style, 4 USB C ports, headphone jack, longer battery, faster, and I am sold. Christmas will be coming early this year.

 

[addictive]

I need to buy a new computer. My Macbook unibody is now eight years old (i've upgraded the internals to max RAM and 1TB SSD) but my trackpad has started to go haywire this week, one of my usb ports doesn't work, the speakers are busted, the battery life is 90 minutes at a stretch and my computer is deemed too old to operate with MacOS Sierra.

But I refuse to buy a computer which was released in March 2015 which is what Apple's most recent Macbook Pros are, i can't spend nearly $2,000 on tech which is 18 months old.

I will wait another month and hope Apple has released a new iteration of its Macbook Pro.

 

[Gwendolini]

apple makes computers?

Yes, iPhones and iPads and Apple Watches and Apple TVs are computers, just not in the "old" way many got used to.

When you see someone holding up an iPhone in front of one' face to talk to someone (and not like many have been conditioned to in the last century by holding it to one's ear), then you see someone who sees that device not as a phone, but as a computer with phone capabilities.

 

[keysofanxiety]

If they had given us new MacBook Pros, Samsung would be eating their dust right now.

Not even that. If they just dropped the spinning drives and dropped the pricing, the satisfaction would be way up.

 

[Roobun]

Yes, iPhones and iPads and Apple Watches and Apple TVs are computers, just not in the "old" way many got used to.

When you see someone holding up an iPhone in front of one' face to talk to someone (and not like many have been conditioned to in the last century by holding it to one's ear), then you see someone who sees that device not as a phone, but as a computer with phone capabilities.

I always thought they pride themselves in iPhones and iPhone accessories.

 

[krause734]

You can see why their priorities are where they are.

 

[Gwendolini]

I always thought they pride themselves in iPhones and iPhone accessories.

And? Does not make iPhones not computers. Or is that A10 Fusion just a banana?

 

[bpeeps]

Except for MR readers.

Glad this is the second comment.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Apple continues to add laptop-like functionality to iPads, while Samsung sees tablets as additional devices for entertainment and browsing that complement--but not replace--laptops.

I wonder if that's because Apple is trying to compete more with Microsoft and the Surface which they also try to market as a laptop replacement.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Beyond the 12-inch MacBook, our own Buyer's Guide lists all Mac models as Don't Buy due to the lack of updates in several hundreds of days. iMac: 350 days. MacBook Pro: 497 days. MacBook Air: 568 days. Mac mini: 712 days. Mac Pro: 1,013 days.

Don't forget that that MacBook Pro number is a half truth at best. That's how long its been since the 15" version shipped. It was announced (and the 13" version shipped) 2 months before that.

It's been 558 days since the 13" MacBook Pro had an update, and that same number of days since Apple last revealed a new 15" MacBook Pro to us.