Whether you swear by Apple products or sneer at the thought of the upcoming iPhone 5s launch, there's no denying the manufacturer's popularity among everyday consumers. The California hardware giant has once again topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index's 2013 charts for personal computers, scoring marginally higher than the year prior.
Apple registered a 87 percent customer satisfaction rating on this year's ACSI poll, making a 1 percent increase from 2012. HP placed second at 80 percent, while Dell, Toshiba and Acer followed with 79, 78 and 77 percent, respectively. This data is gathered from 70,000 users, who are surveyed on their satisfaction with each brand's desktops, laptops and tablets.
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Those surveyed also rated individual features of their electronics, such as product design, in which Apple ranked highest at 86 percent satisfaction. Accessories, software and graphics and audio all scored 83 percent for Cupertino, while 82 percent of users said its devices were easy to operate. When it comes to customer service, however, only 15 percent of participants contacted an Apple call center this year, with 70 percent reporting that they had a positive experience.
While this marks Apple's 10th year in a row at the top of the charts, ACSI's latest report notes that the manufacturer's success comes at a time of flux for the industry. Mac and iPad sales are slowing, which ACSI accredits to the growing popularity of Android devices and the potential saturation of the tablet market. Still, Apple's iPads make up roughly 80 percent of overall U.S. tablet usage. Apple seems well poised to stay on top of ACSI's list for years to come, though the growing number of quality tablet alternatives could have other manufacturers closing the gap.
