Windows 7 makes PC users happier
A survey of customer satisfaction shows PC buyers are much happier since the release of Windows 7. But for the seventh year running, grins are wider among Apple users.
The figures come from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, which regularly questions consumers about their satisfaction with 225 companies and government agencies across 45 areas of business and public services, then produces a score out of 100. (The rating for each firm is an overall measure of satisfaction rather than simply the percentage of people who are “satisfied”.)
The latest figures show overall satisfaction scores with computers up from 74 to 78. However, this classification includes Apple which, at 86, has both maintained a strong lead over PCs and set its own all-time record. (The increase in the Apple score from 84 last year looks to be partially due to the inclusion of the iPad: bear in mind that people who think the device overpriced or under-featured and thus don’t buy it aren’t factored into the score.)
Still, things are looking good for PCs this year, with all but one of the companies (Compaq on 74) improving their score. Perhaps the most notable part of the PC results is that it’s clearly software rather than hardware that has the biggest effect on satisfaction. Acer, Dell, HP and a catch-all category covering other manufacturers all came in at 77.
Given that the improvement affected virtually all PCs, it does look very likely that the only consistent factor across all the brands in the introduction of Windows 7, which has certainly had a good reception among those who are running it. Cynics would point out that anything feels like an improvement after Vista but, hey, every little helps.
The figures also showed that customers who had to call a manufacturer with a complaint or a request for help had satisfaction scores eight points lower on average. That might seem fairly self-evident, but the gap is bigger than with other consumer goods, suggesting PC firms might want to take a look at their customer service.
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