You usually only buy a new laptop or tablet once every few years, so when you do, it’s important to buy one that's reliable. Though only the manufacturers truly know what percentage of their devices end up breaking, Rescuecom, an independent tech support and repair company, estimates brand reliability based on its own call value. The company's Q3 reliability report just came out and the results are consistent with previous quarters and previous years.
As in 2014, Apple and Samsung remain locked in at the top of the list, which jibes with our findings from the 2015 edition of our Tech Support Showdown. Lenovo has also maintained its third place spot with Asus again rounding out the top four. The main change for 2015 is that with Microsoft having been removed from the rankings due to low market share, Dell was able to slide into fifth place, up one spot from 2014.
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The bottom of the pack is occupied by Acer, Toshiba and HP, which has remained in the basement for a while now. 2015 marks a stall in Toshiba’s slow upward climb, but seeing Acer and Toshiba at the bottom isn’t a huge surprise, as both companies also performed poorly in our most recent Best and Worst Laptop Brands roundup. HP was criticized by Rescuecom for customers repeated reliance on tech support.
Rescuecom’s report is created by contrasting each manufacturer's tablet / laptop market share with the number of tech support calls Rescuecom receives for its products. The products chosen for evaluation were the top PCs and tablets from each company that have been available for at least one year. Because most consumers call the manufacturer for help, it's possible that Rescuecom's call volume isn't truly representative of the entire marketplace. For example, Apple users who call Apple or visit the Genius Bar for support aren't captured in these numbers nor are Dell customers who dial Dell.
While Rescuecom’s reliability report isn’t the final say on whether a particular device is right for you, it’s important to consider the general trends and data when buying a new laptop.
