Notebooks
Every notebook owner wishes for the kind of experience Vic Heltzer has enjoyed with his two IBM ThinkPads. Heltzer, who runs his own consulting firm in Old Bridge, New Jersey, calls IBM's hardware quality and service record for his one- and two-year-old notebooks "outstanding." Even after the warranty expired on one model, the ThinkPad T21, IBM helped him solve a disappearing files problem in one phone call. And IBM handled another glitch with his T23--the only hiccup he's seen--in three days. "The wireless network adapter died," says Heltzer. "A technician came the next day, stayed for 2 hours, then came back in two days and fixed [the T23]."
Overall this year, notebook users tended to have more positive experiences than in previous years. Following the trends in desktops, most notebook makers showed some improvement--albeit small steps in some instances. Most notably, Gateway and Toshiba improved their reliability scores.
One plausible reason for the positive side of our reliability results: Notebook vendors continue to demand more from the companies that specialize in notebook design, as well as from the companies that supply parts, says Randy Giusto, vice president of personal technology and services at IDC. (Note: Most companies do not actually make their own notebooks from scratch; other companies overseas handle a lot of the manufacturing.) In IBM's case, refinement of its once-massive line of ThinkPads also helped improve quality. "IBM used to have a tremendous amount of models," Giusto says, and like other vendors, it would buy parts from many different component suppliers. But now, he says, "IBM has taken a lot of the variables out of the equation."
Service with a Smile
Some notebook owners saw dramatic improvements in support. IBM and Gateway made huge strides on several survey measures. For starters, 69 percent of Gateway notebook customers said that the company solved their problems in five days or less, compared with 57 percent on our most recent previous survey. IBM ties at 69 percent, and Dell finishes right behind at 67 percent, bettering their scores from last time.
Among IBM notebook owners, 66 percent reported hold times of 5 minutes or less, up from 57 percent last year, making Big Blue the survey leader on this measure. IBM desktop customers reported great hold time results, too. It's no accident, IBM says.
IBM used to maintain multiple call center locations; but earlier this year, it consolidated notebook and desktop reps in one center in Atlanta to handle support for all of its U.S. products. According to Bill Owens, IBM's vice president of service and support, having one call center handle all inquiries trims hold times and improves training. It also enables IBM to keep closer tabs on its reps--something that would be a lot more difficult to manage if the company depended on offshore call centers to field tech support questions from customers with uncooperative notebooks.
Some Unhappy Campers
IBM and Gateway owners may have reasons to smile, but not all notebook owners do. In particular, Sony and HP continue to struggle. HP customers experienced the highest number of unresolved problems (12 percent), while Gateway had only 5 percent--the best in this measure.
Photograph: Jeff ReinkingAllen Dietz of Bellingham, Washington, is one HP customer who feels he's been left in limbo. His two-year-old HP Pavilion N5430 notebook has a recurring hardware problem. "Within the first year it would overheat," says Dietz, a consultant to nonprofit agencies. "Sometimes it would run for 45 minutes; then it would shut off." In addition, some keys stopped working. When Dietz called HP about the situation, he reached helpful and polite service reps. But the outcome disappointed him. "I sent my notebook in for repair, and it stayed fixed for six months." Then the problem resurfaced, and it continues to this day. Dietz's HP warranty has run out. He says that he won't be going back to HP for his next notebook. "When you fix it, it should last," Dietz says.
HP says that it has made some changes to prevent problems like Dietz's--and to enhance users' service experience. For example, it has tried to work more closely with its notebooks suppliers, says HP's Chris Shea. And this summer, the company standardized its diagnostic tools for notebooks and for desktops: Now workers on the HP manufacturing line, retail repair centers, and customers can use the same diagnostic tools, which are installed on each PC. The idea is that you'll get to the root of the problems faster, says Shea. We'll have to wait to see whether these moves pay off for HP desktop and notebook owners.
See our survey results for notebook PCs.
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