ENTERPRISE

Best Brands In Electronic World (Part 2)

5/8/2013 2:57:19 PM

Printers

Printers

We’ve focused our attention on all-in-one inkjet printers, the best-selling type. They give you the option of printing in color as well as lack-and-white, along with copying and scanning functions.

We don’t have reliability information on printers, but we can offer you advice based on how the major brands have performed in our tests over the past few years. Dell has only a few all-in-ones in its line, which we’ve tested, and those have performed well. We’ve also studied the cost of printing, which can make or break your satisfaction with a printer over the long term.

Safest bets

If you’re thinking of buying an all-in-one inkjet that we haven’t tested, consider models form Canon and HP. That’s the message from our analysis of three years of Ratings. The Canon models we’re tested have consistently had solid scores – in fact, some have been among the best we’ve tested. Given that track record, we believe other Canon printers are likely to be fine performers. Most of the HP models we’ve tested have done almost as well, so the odds are in your favor that an untested model should provide satisfactory or better performance.

The Canon models we’re tested have consistently had solid scores – in fact, some have been among the best we’ve tested.

The Canon models we’re tested have consistently had solid scores – in fact, some have been among the best we’ve tested.

Safe bets

Brother, Epson, and Kodak all-in-ones have mostly had solid or better scores, but a few models from those brands fell short. In all probability, their printers should be acceptable choices, but they’re less likely to be high performers than the brands mentioned previously.

Stick with a tested model

Lexmark all-in-one inkjet models varied in performance over the past few years. Many of the most recently tested printers did very well, though some older models had fairly low scores. The trend is encouraging, but at this point we believe you’d still be best off consulting our Ratings.

Consider printing costs.

As we’ve often pointed out, an inkjet printer’s monthly operating cost is a critical factor to consider. Paying a bundle for ink and special photo paper over the life of a printer can quickly wipe out any savings you realized in buying a cheap model. The problem is, you can’t bank on manufacturer’s estimates, which are often unrealistic. If you’re greatly concerned about print costs, buy a tested printer. Our Ratings include monthly cost estimates that are based on what we consider a typical mxi of text, graphics, and photos.

For the models in our Ratings prints cost varied quite a bit, from roughly $5 to $13 a month, even for models from the same manufacturer. Given the cost variation, we can’t’ generalize about which brand is more or less costly to use. But we did find reassuring news: Two-thirds of the tested models had prints costs of less than $10 a month.

Computers

It’s hard to generalize about computer brands for several reasons, including the fact that the configuration, or the components a specific models has, determines a computer’s speed and performance. Both of those factors are heavily weighted when we figure a model’s score.

 
One brand stands out as the best all-around choice: Apple.

One brand stands out as the best all-around choice: Apple.

Even so, one brand stands out as the best all-around choice: Apple. Year after year its laptops and desktops have done very well in our tests, which have led us to almost invariably recommend Apple models. Apple also excels in tech support. For reliability, its laptops have been comparable to Windows-based PCs, and its desktops have had fewer repairs.

Performance

Though Apple has had consistently high scores, we’ve found has had consistently high scores, we’ve found more variation in performance among Windows-based PCs. A given PC brand might have some top-scoring models and others that scored lower. We’re continuing to analyze our Ratings to look for patterns.

Depending on your needs, other factors might trump performance. For example, if you travel frequently, size and weight may be more important than having a full-sized keyboard. Or if your budget is tight and you’re computing needs fairly basic, a low-priced model with a less-powerful processor might make the most sense for you.

Generally, we recommend that you stick with one of the brands we regularly test. Then narrow your choice based on reliability and tech support, and choose a configuration that suits your needs and budget.

Tech support

Tech support in general is among the lowest-rated series in all of the surveys conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. But that doesn’t apply to Apple, which beat all the maker of Windows-based PCs covered in our most recent survey.

Apple solved user problems 73 percent of the time, compared with 61 percent for its nearest competitor, Dell. Apple also had higher marks for phone and online support. Apple continues to offer unlimited free support runs out. Many makers of Windows-based PCs provide free technical support for a year.

 
Apple beats all the maker of Windows-based PCs covered in our most recent survey.

Apple beats all the maker of Windows-based PCs covered in our most recent survey.

Reliability

Overall, computers have had a higher rate of repairs than TVs or cameras. No brand of laptops stood out as being more or less repair prone. The eight brands in our survey had comparable reliability, with an overall repair rate of 11 percent during the first three years. Among desktops, Apple has been among the least repair-prone (See chart)

For laptops and desktops, our findings show that 44 percent of all respondents who had made a repair paid nothing because they were covered by a fee warranty or service contract. For those who did have to pay, the median out-of-pocket cost was about $150.

Most and least reliable

 
Among desktops, Apple has been among the least repair-prone

Among desktops, Apple has been among the least repair-prone

Based on the 2012 Annual Product Reliability Survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, for 23,582 laptop computers and 8,007 desktop PCs purchased between 2009 and the first half of 2012. Differences of fewer than 4 points are not meaningful.

By the numbers

374,728 TVs, cameras, and computers covered in eh most and least reliable charts

Ratings in order of reader satisfaction score.

Ratings Tech Support in order of reader satisfaction score.

Based on responses from 7,470 owners of 8,652 desktop, laptop, and netbook computers who contacted a manufacturer’s tech-support service between January 2011 and January 2012. All respondents were our subscribers. A score of 100 would mean all respondents were completely satisfied; 80, that respondents were very satisfied, on average; 60, fairly well satisfied; and 40, somewhat dissatisfied. Differences of fewer than 6 points are not meaningful. Phone support and online support was rated by those respondents who contacted a manufacturer via a website, e-mail, or online live-chat program. “Problem solved” indicates the percentage of people who said the manufacturer solved their problem. Differences of fewer than 9 percentage points are not meaningful.

 

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