Apples satisfy consumers

The survey was organised by the University of Michigan and cited numbers from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Although Apple came out top of the ratings, with 79% satisfaction, that's 5% down from where it was before - suggesting that it's the best of a bad bunch.

Dell also saw a 5% slip to take it to one from bottom. However, arch-rival HP actually gained a point and moved up into second place, behind Jobs' mob.

You can see the rankings here.

As PCs continue to become commoditised and prices fall, it's perhaps not surprising that the manufacturer coming out on top is about the only one with any profit margin left - Apple's machines come with a hefty price premium for design, and that money pays for customer support, something Dell has yet to get its grip on. µ