iPad Drives Apple to New Highs in U.S. Customer Satisfaction Survey for Personal Computers

[MacRumors]

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) today released new data on the personal computer industry, showing consumers awarding Apple the highest scores for the seventh straight year with a record satisfaction score of 86. Nearly all other computer manufacturers came in with scores of 77, with HP's Compaq brand bringing up the rear with a 74.

CNBC spoke with ASCI about the survey and learned that, while customers continue to like Apple's products and retail store experience, much of Apple's two-point gain from last year's results appears to be driven by the inclusion of the iPad, Apple's highest-scoring product, in the numbers.

I called David VanAmburg, managing director of ACSI, to get a sense for what's behind the scores. He told me Apple's overall score was up slightly because people like its computers and the retail support experience - but he also mentioned that the numbers included the iPad for the first time.

He told me that the iPad, even at this early stage, pulled up Apple's overall numbers - which makes it the highest-scoring product Apple has, and therefore the highest-scoring product ACSI has ever tracked.

Apple's nine-point lead over its nearest competitors is the largest for any industry tracked by ASCI and matches last year's margin over second-place Dell. Apple's largest margin over its competitors came in 2008, when it held a ten-point lead over second-place Dell in a year where most Windows PC manufacturers saw significant declines in customer satisfaction, reportedly due in large part to complaints about Windows Vista.

Article Link: iPad Drives Apple to New Highs in U.S. Customer Satisfaction Survey for Personal Computers

 

[bigcat318]

Where are those people that said the iPad was terrible and nobody would buy them?

 

[MacVault]

Is the iPad really that great and "magical"? Is it as revolutionary as I hear in the media, or is it over-hyped?? I'm seriously asking because I'm on verge of buying one after hearing how great it is.

 

[cvaldes]

Where are those people that said the iPad was terrible and nobody would buy them?

Clenching their fists in anger because they didn't buy AAPL the day after the iPad was unveiled. It closed just below $200 per share on January 28.

Today, AAPL is flirting with $285.



Oh well, at least GOOG is up too.

 

[Amnak]

Is the iPad really that great and "magical"? Is it as revolutionary as I hear in the media, or is it over-hyped?? I'm seriously asking because I'm on verge of buying one after hearing how great it is.

I love mine but I think in November when 4.2 is released all Amazing is going to hit the fan and make it that much harder for the other tablet makers to compete!

 

[adztaylor]

I just got an iPad the other day and there is no doubt that it is a luxury item. But if you can afford one then definitely get one. Browsing the web is so fun and the apps that have been made for the ipad are amazing. It's a pleasure to use and I was as skeptical and cynical as everyone at first.

Like I said though its very much a luxury item. Noone *needs* an iPad but they are good. My MacBook has been redundant the last few days

 

[HONDAxACURA]

Even though Macs are generally more expensive, it just goes to show you, you get what you pay for. In Macs case, a whole lot of happy.

 

[muu]

the good thing about the ipad is that it lets a lot of people do 85% of what they might do on a PC on the ipad with far more convenience. It's no desktop replacement, but the numbers sure seem to show that people realize it's extremely useful to have around.

 

[fd9]

Is the iPad really that great and "magical"? Is it as revolutionary as I hear in the media, or is it over-hyped?? I'm seriously asking because I'm on verge of buying one after hearing how great it is.

The iPad is more of a toy than anything else. For tasks like browsing the web and email, the iPad is generally more convenient than a laptop or desktop. I have one and rarely find myself using it, but the rest of my family loves it, since it replaces our laptop usage about 90% of the time. But don't kid yourself - you won't be using it for any serious work.

 

[ziggyonice]

The iPad is more of a toy than anything else. For tasks like browsing the web and email, the iPad is generally more convenient than a laptop or desktop. I have one and rarely find myself using it, but the rest of my family loves it as it replaces our laptop usage about 90% of the time.

What you said completely contradicts itself.

 

[notabadname]

Of course there was a "negative" vote early on. Cracks me up that some sad PC user, who likely has never owned an Apple product, likely hovers around this site, waiting for every opportunity to strike a negative blow.

 

[ironman159]

iPad is successful. DEAL with it people. It must be for a reason.

 

[MacAddict2000]

I bought one in June and sold it this past Sunday. I was paying for unlimited data on a device I rarely picked up once the 'newness' wore off. Once school started this semester, I attempted to take notes with it in class and after realizing the poor location of the Undo button in Pages once you hit the numbers and special characters option, I decided it was not the device to take notes with (I kept deleting sentences at a time and there's no Redo option like on the Mac). Many people like it, but it just felt like it was too locked down. It needs to have more similar characteristics to those of a personal computer OS. I realize multitasking is coming out, but the way Apple is implementing it sucks. I wish I could see all open apps in the iPad's dock, much like in Mac OS X. I don't really feel that it's 'true' multitasking. For the iPhone and iPod touch, their implementation works, but the iPad has all that extra real estate.

I am now saving up for a MacBook Air (hopefully they update it soon).

 

[fd9]

What you said completely contradicts itself.

Sure, I can see why you would say that. But it's still my opinion that it's a "toy", and by that I mean it's a pure luxury/convenience item. Yes, you can be semi-productive on it. No, you can't use it for any serious work. That's all.

With that said: For anything that's not work-related, the iPad would be my weapon of choice.

 

[NebulaClash]

What makes the iPad special, is that it disappears into its functionality. Reading a book? The iPad is a book in your hands. Playing a racing game? The iPad is a steering wheel in your hands. Watching a movie? The iPad becomes a movie screen. It disappears like no other computer ever has. I think that's what people are marveling about when they put it in their hands.

And yes, it's a lot easier to consume data than create data, but don't let people tell you that you cannot do work on it. The iWork apps are amazing, with a learning curve. The keyboard lets you type, but you'll remember what your typing teacher lectured you about ("keep your fingers curled above the keys!") It's not as productive for creation as a laptop, but that's a generational thing. I'm too used to the old way to be instantly productive with the new way. But kids today are going to learn touch interfaces as if it's the most natural thing in the world. And they are going to be amazingly productive in creating things.

I've been saying here since February that the next revolution in computing is tablet computing. That this decade will be known as the iPad decade just as the last decade could be called the iPod decade. I've seen nothing yet to change my mind, and lots of data points to confirm it.

And you'll never get my iPad away from me. I love it more than any other computer I've owned.

 

[rhinosrcool]

iPad is successful. DEAL with it people. It must be for a reason.

Yes. Also, I can't wait for 4.2. It will increase demand.

 

[MacKeeperFanMod]

People aren't going to spend $1200 on a computer and say it sucks.

 

[8CoreWhore]

Paul Therott in a review of the iPad said that it was so bad it didn't even deserve to be reviewed.

 

[dscottbuch]

Sure, I can see why you would say that. But it's still my opinion that it's a "toy", and by that I mean it's a pure luxury/convenience item. Yes, you can be semi-productive on it. No, you can't use it for any serious work. That's all.

With that said: For anything that's not work-related, the iPad would be my weapon of choice.

You continue to be inconsistent, unless you think reading, web browsing, etc. is not serious or not work-related. I certainly 'seriously' read as that is where I get most of my information to 'work'. Same goes for web browsing.

In addition I also 'present' information for work, for which the iPad is an excellent tool.

Your thesis ends up being 'since it can't do everything I need its a toy'.

 

[nathanw]

The iPad has nothing to do with these stats...it's not a computer.

 

[Robin4]

Nothing but praises from me. Cannot believe people compare it to a toy or couldn't find a use for it. There is serious lack of imagination there.

I can see it being used as a regular computer one day. I use it 90% of the time now. My poor Mac does not even get plugged in.

I've worked on a chapter of my travel guide and by now I can type as well as anyone. After you get used to the keyboard you can fly.

Don't you dare take my iPad or my iPhone, I love them both.

 

[fd9]

I think what people need to realize is that the iPad has it's place in the digital world, just as the desktop, laptop, iPhone, etc all have their place. To answer the typical question of "Should I buy one?" the only helpful response is "What are you going to use it for?". I would guess that most of what the average user does on their computer is through the web - whether it's watching a movie, playing a game, using their email, posting to their favorite social network, or otherwise simply browsing the internet. All of those things (and more) you can do on an iPad, and most of the time it will turn out to be more convenient to do them on an iPad than a laptop or desktop. An iPad is an excellent device for what it does, and people who blatantly bash the thing don't really understand how the world works - specifically, how consumers work.

With that said, an iPad simply can't replace a laptop or desktop (well, at least for some of us folks) because there are certain things that people need to do that require certain software or functionality. Obviously I can't run Xcode on an iPad, nor would I want to. However, if you're able to get your job done using it, than all the more power to you. =)

 

[Dooger]

Clenching their fists in anger because they didn't buy AAPL the day after the iPad was unveiled. It closed just below $200 per share on January 28.

Today, AAPL is flirting with $285.

You got to stop this. No-one gives a crap about you and your bloody shares. Any chance you get, no matter how out of context, you'll try and crowbar your shareholder status in.

Look, we know you took a shot at the glorified casino that is the shares market and you got lucky. BFD. Every day I make a wad of cash in a private clinic but I don't feel the need to ram it down everyone else's throat.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Sure, I can see why you would say that. But it's still my opinion that it's a "toy", and by that I mean it's a pure luxury/convenience item. Yes, you can be semi-productive on it. No, you can't use it for any serious work. That's all.

With that said: For anything that's not work-related, the iPad would be my weapon of choice.

Well you'd really have to define what "work" is for you vs. anyone else. With a bluetooth keyboard and any document creation app, it's the same as having a laptop in front of you.

People aren't going to spend $1200 on a computer and say it sucks.

Really? I bought an Alienware PC for $3k about four years ago and I would have told you within 2 months that the customer service sucked, the hardware was shoddy, and that I'd never buy another Alienware ever again. If the same happened with my iPad, I'd probably be saying the same thing right now.

And with Dell now owning Alienware, it's even worse.

You got to stop this. No-one gives a crap about you and your bloody shares. Any chance you get, no matter how out of context, you'll try and crowbar your shareholder status in.

Look, we know you took a shot at the glorified casino that is the shares market and you got lucky. BFD. Every day I make a wad of cash in a private clinic but I don't feel the need to ram it down everyone else's throat.

Yet, his point is relevent...regardless of whether or not he's making money on it.

 

[akm3]

You got to stop this. No-one gives a crap about you and your bloody shares. Any chance you get, no matter how out of context, you'll try and crowbar your shareholder status in.

Look, we know you took a shot at the glorified casino that is the shares market and you got lucky. BFD. Every day I make a wad of cash in a private clinic but I don't feel the need to ram it down everyone else's throat.

Mmmm...must be a MSFT owner...