Apple comes top for PC tech support

A new Consumer Reports survey names Apple the best computer maker for providing after-sales support for the ninth year running.

In the study of over 3,200 consumers which will be published in the July edition of Consumer Reports, Apple's support for its desktop and notebook ranges scored more highly than any of the Windows PC companies, despite the fact that in the US, Apple's standard support package is only free for the first 90 days following purchase.

Nevertheless, four out of five respondents with an Apple computer who had experienced a problem said that tech support, either over the phone or online, was able to to resolve the problem. Windows PC makers averaged 50/50 when it came to the likelihood of being able to fix a problem.