Computers Remain Leader in Customer Satisfaction Survey

It’s hard to imagine life without a computer these days.  Whether you use it for work or for play, to pay your bills, or to check your Facebook (News - Alert) page, the demand for computers is inescapable; which explains why personal computers scored so high on the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s “ACSI” survey this year.

The ACSI survey compares consumer sentiments on home electronics, in which computers totaled 78 out of 100 for the past 12 months. According to a Yahoo News article, that is three points up from the previous year’s score and higher than any other year besides the baseline 1994 score.

You may be asking yourself what specific computer scored the best in overall customer satisfaction: within the computer category, Apple (News - Alert) Inc. scored the highest for the seventh straight year, earning 86 points. That's up 2 points from last year and is Apple's highest score thus far. The Yahoo report added that Apple's recent financial results seem to bear out a high level of satisfaction. In its most recent quarter, the company sold 3.5 million Mac computers, a 33 percent increase from a year earlier.

I can’t help but wonder if all the exposure from the overflow of popular Apple products, such as the iPhone (News - Alert) and iPad, has anything to do with consumers transitioning from PC’s to Macs when it comes time to purchase a new computer. In comparison, Macs tend to be more expensive but run on a different operating system than a standard Window’s operated PC. So the real question is, are consumers choosing Macs based on the operating system or the “cool” overexposed brand alone?

TMCnet recently reported that while Dell (News - Alert) has long been the dominate player in the education sector, standing as the preferred brand for college students, Apple is also gaining share and popularity, almost equivalent to Dell. A Hudson Square Research survey shows that 38 percent of the students who bought a computer in the last three months purchased a Mac, while another 38 percent bought a Dell.

Stefanie Mosca is a copy editor for TMCnet. Previously she worked as a freelance copy editor for Digital Surgeons LLC. She holds a master�s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor�s degree in communication from the University of New Haven. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.