(Only) Apple Users Get Satisfaction

Apple may be taking flak with its iPhone issues lately, but a new study released today shows the Mac-maker dominating its Windows-centric competitors when it comes to consumer satisfaction.

The University of Michigan's American Consumer Satisfaction Index, or ASCI, looks at how happy people are with their products throughout the year. This quarter, overall PC satisfaction has dropped a full percentage point since the last measure, falling to 74 percent -- but Apple's not too concerned.

The company, it turns out, is managing to fight the downward stream and inch its way up to a record-high satisfaction score. Eighty-five percent of Apple customers said they were happy with their products -- the highest number ever reported for any company in the PC category. What's more, it's a full 8 percent jump from Apple's last score, and get this: The next highest-rated company is a full 10 percentage points lower. Dell pulled in a 75 percent approval rating. HP follows at 73 percent, Gateway's next at 72, and Compaq computers have 70 percent of users reporting satisfaction.

The folks behind the ASCI report point to the strong success of the iPhone and iPod in helping make Apple shine, but they also see another interesting factor: the idea that Apple doesn't use Windows Vista, an OS that's taken a lot of heat and seen more than its share of user resistance this year. The Windows-based systems, fittingly then, saw the biggest drops in customer satisfaction this time around.

Other tech-related measurements worth noting: Google tops the list of search engine satisfaction, with an 86 percent rating. It took a full 10 percent jump from last year, while Yahoo -- following at 77 percent -- fell 3 percent from its last score. MSN is next at 75 percent, then Ask.com at 74, and AOL at the lowest ranking, with 69 percent.

Those are the scores -- but the true test, of course, is how happy you are with your own products and services. The floor is open. Please weigh in.

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