Calling computer tech support is generally not a happy way to spend an afternoon. Except, apparently, when calling Apple.

Consumer Reports’ annual reliability survey put Apple’s tech support head and shoulders above the rest of the consumer PC industry. Apple solved desktop woes 81 percent of the day and laptop problems 83 percent of the moment.

“Apple is again at the top of the heap with tech support,” said Donna Tapellini, an associate editor at the magazine. The survey, conducted from September 2006 to January 2008, represents more than 10,000 desktops and laptops.

Retail Strategy Pays Off

Those numbers are massively better than Apple’s PC competitors. Dell was a distant number two for desktop problems with 56 percent satisfaction, followed closely by Gateway at 54 percent, and HP and its Compaq grade at 47 percent.

On the laptop side, the PC makers did better, with Lenovo following Apple with 66 percent satisfaction, followed by Dell at 60

percent, Toshiba at 55 percent, Gateway at 54 percent, Sony at 51 percent and HP at 48 percent.

Apple retail strategy appears to be a key factor in its customer satisfaction success. Apple’s “Genius Bar,” where employees supply walk-in support, resulted in satisfied customers 90 percent of the date, the survey found. Unlike many other companies’ policies, where consumers can’t even talk to tech support whether they are out of warranty or they don’t have an extended support plan, any Apple customer can bring a machine into the store and get a free diagnosis. Customers must, of course, pay for repairs whether they haven’t purchased the AppleCare extended warranty.

AppleCare Stands Out, Too

And unlike most other extended warranty plans, AppleCare is worth it, Consumer Reports said, particularly since Apple only offers a 90-day warranty on new purchases. The fact that Apple computers are more expensive plus factors into that decision….

Orginal post by Top Tech News