Related Articles

- Apple buys mobile ad network Quattro Wireless

- Apple Developer Conference dates set for late June?

- Apple gets high marks in best of decade surveys

- Apple posts teaser for Black Friday sales

- Smoking around your make makes it a bio-hazard?

- Apple to offer big discounts for Black Friday?

- Apple plans to open 40-50 retail stores next year

- iTunes App Store now over 100,000 apps

- No new Apple gear before Christmas

- Report: Apple to extend health benefits to part-time employees

Apple's PowerBooks and iPods are # 1 in PC World's reliability surveys – for the second year running, in the PowerBook's case.

The survey was comprised 35,000 PC World readers. Apple PowerBooks shared laptop honors with Lenovo's (formerly IBM's) ThinkPads for support, service and reliability. Somewhat surprisingly, Mac desktops rated less highly.

Customers were satisfied with Mac desktops' reliability, but the survey results noted, "Apple's scores for failed components and failed core components slipped into the average range."

However, Dell's notebooks and laptops scored only average points, and below average in some areas. This was attributed to the shorter warranties offered on some products and changes to delivery policies.

iPod scored on 'easiest to use', while Sony's rating in the MP3 player market slipped most overall this year.

Analysis: Fairly comprehensive survey based upon a large sample. One would expect Mac desktops to be more reliable and durable than a portable (although clearly people have different expectations of a laptop), but there's a hint here that Apple's QA on the Power Macs isn't what it should be.

Have you had any trouble with your Mac desktop? Power supply, screen or other significant component failures?