From correspondences we at ConsumersAffairs have received about Macs:

Stefan sums it up:
Great computers. Easy to use, reliable, and fast. It just doesn't get any better.

Jack:
Previously I worked in the Telecom industry as a datacom sales account executive, and had to use various PC's all running the Windows operating system. Laptops, desktops and from all different manufacturers, Dell, Compaq, IBM, HP and on and on. Well, in every situation where I was held accountable to my job, my computer crashed. Typically 1-2 times a day, but as frequently as 9 times a day. When Apple came out with its Unix based system, OS X, I decided if I ever owned a business, I had to find an alternative to Windows technology. I cringed at the thought of using Windows based PC's. I'm happy to report, I now own a business running Mac OS X. I have an e-business consulting practice in Colorado and I run both Apple at my desk, and Apple for my laptop. I'm running Jaguar, and my systems NEVER crash. Ever, period. I'm also a developer, so using Adobe Photoshop, GoLive etc they all work flawlessly. I run a custom CRM, Sales force automation tool called \"DayLite\" and this runs flawlessly too! I will never allow Windows based PC's into our little LAN, and someday If I get big and have a WAN, Microsoft is out, Apple is in. Apple is simply the best. Plug and play, or how about plug and make money. Focused on my job, not rebooting the computer, puts me lightyears ahead of my competitors.

John:
Why are Apple products great! Simple they over-engineer their hardware. It is very common to have an Apple product have an USEFUL life of eight-twelve years. Please take this to heart; after you have used your MAC for five years or so and want the latest and greatest. Please, please donate your old machine to a local school. All you MAC folks think of it this way ... we strive to teach our children how to think logically. Yet SOME of our schools want them to use Wintel boxes. Microsofts OS's including XP (eXPerimental) are not intuitive. Besides the great hardware, Apple makes easy-to-use, very intuitive software. So why would we subject our children to a Wintel box, that for example makes them SHUTDOWN the computer by using the START button. There has never been much thought put into Microsofts products.

I've read about all the outstanding service Apple has provided to its customers. Like many folks I never have had a problem with my Apple products from the Apple IIe days to now with two Power MAC 7500's. They have all worked without any fuss. Which brings me to the world's largest Wintel supplier whose name rhymes with hell. You see I work with network servers and PC's. A good friend asked me to recommend a computer for her. Of course good friends recommend a MAC. She said she wanted to stay Wintel. Cost was no object she said. She wanted the latest and the greatest. So I put together a Dimension 8200 with everything. The cpu and monitor priced out at over $2600.

When she got the Dimension 8200 she was very happy, but that soon changed. Problems began to arise. _ell tech support was making her stay on the phone four and five hours at a time. Sometimes that was all she did on weekends. She was actually tearing down her computer to the motherboard, removing all the components! This lasted about two weeks when _ell tech support finally deemed the problem to be the motherboard itself. _ell sent a repair tech to swap the motherboard out. When the computer was booting for the first time in weeks, the tech said uh-oh, and left. My friend was back to many wonderful hours on the phone with _ell tech support.
I tried to help, I called the head of the _ell healthcare service group and explained the situation. I asked that she contact the head of service for the _ell consumer group to rectify the situation. She did and I thanked her. However, the problems persisted. I think in part because the people in the consumer support goup must have lacked oxygen for a long time during their youth. We are now months into this event with no outcome. _ell tech support says to send EVERYTHING back. When my friend told me I protested. I asked her does the monitor work. Yes, she said.vDo the multimedia speakers work. Yes, she said. I said why in the hell would you return it then. With _ell insistance she returned EVERYTHING.

About two weeks later she was shipped refurbished hardware (not her own). She went through the roof. She told _ell that if wanted rebuilt equipment from _ell she could have done so for around $2100, so why should she take it now. Once again all the equipment gets sent back to _ell. This time they send her all new equipment. Mind you we have traveled though about four to five month time period. She has e-mailed Michael _ell several times regarding this matter.
Everything is working fine. Two months go by and she gets a letter from _ell wondering when she is going to send the monitor and speakers back!!!! If you have any questions why you should buy a MAC please get a nice tea or coffee and read this again.

Michael:
I have been using Apple Computers since High School. In College I purched a Powerbook 520, which I used for five years before upgrading to a new machine. When I bought a new PowerMac G4 450 it died one day later. I called Apple Tech Support, and after 30 min. of trying workarounds the Tech Guy just said he would send me a new machine. Two days later I recived a brand new G4. Three years later it's still going strong without any problems to speak of.

Mike:
I've been a Mac developer on and off over the years - alternating between Windows and the Mac. I have to say that with the new MacOS X operating system, the Mac leaves the competition dead in the water. I promise you, if you develop your applications in Cocoa, you *will* deliver them quicker than you will with any of the Windows developer tools - even Delphi. This means the cost of development is lower and, been a UNIX OS at heart, you have all the benefits of a mature cross-platform OS.

Vicente:
I switched to Mac 4 years ago, after a decade in Wintel machines. I just have to say, after 3 powerbooks, I would never go back. Never had a problem, machines work perfect and service is awsome, even here in Chile. We recieved an Ibook that had a problem in the CD Drive. Apple took it back to the US, fixed, and sent it back. Cost 0.00.

Jack:
I freely endorse Apple Computer Co. from my experience with three of their machines I've used since 1999. The first was a Mac SE which a friend gave me, he said it would be perfect for me to learn on and to write with and he was correct. I then upgraded via a yard sale, paid $55 for a Mac LC III. This was a big step up, even though it was a 1993 model in a 1999 PC world. It still runs -- even after being left idle for 10 months. I bought a brand new iMac in December 2000 and it was just the middle grade of three. This latest Mac is a wonder and I love it dearly, though it's now far behind the latest iMacs. Out of the box to fully functional in 11 minutes, it runs and runs and does anything I want or need to do day after day.It even reads my manuscripts aloud to me for editing, it turns itself on, indexes itself and is waiting for me by the time I sit down with my first cup of coffee. It's like a housemate, constantly helpful and expanding my capabilities.

Meanwhile, friends and relatives have bought PCs with Windows, many of them are still trying to figure out how to email attached files. Microsoft is convicted of monopolism and Apple is on the Business Ethics Top 100 List. Those are all the comparisons I need.
I am near to starting my own home graphics business with the Mac and it's already proven up to the task. By this time next year, I'll have yet another Mac. With Apple and the Mac there's always something to look forward to.

Chris:
After selling IBM PC's and clones for 18 years I switched over to Mac. If I had done this when they first came out it would have caused a career change. Due to the fact that I would feel that my customers would have been miss lead about the products that i was selling them. Way to Go Apple!

Ken:
Our studio uses Macs exclusively, and we currently have an assortment ranging from iMacs for our sales and office staff to loaded G4 towers that churn through multi-gigabyte tradeshow booth images. One of the few problems we have had involved an internal Zip drive that died in one of the towers. I called Apple, got a person immediately, and had a new drive overnighted to me. It was an absolute breeze to swap out the drive (great instructions included), and the old one was returned to Apple with the provided shipping label. Total downtime, less than 2 hours - total charges $0.00.

John:
I've had to support other platforms (Solaris, Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, DEC RT-11) for years. Mac OS is by far the most reliable and easy to use. Over and over again I have been in situations where windows guys look down their noses at my Mac but then they are the ones that can't download email, can't get on the internet or have some other problem. I cringed at the lost time in our office when the people using windows suffered a crash. We had one case in particular where a USB CD writer stopped working on a Toshiba PC. The drive worked fine on other computers including our Macs. The Toshiba support guys visited the office and did all they could including reinstalling windows but couldn't get the drive to talk to that computer again. They finally told us to buy a new CD writer! I was stunned. I will never waste my personal money on a windows machine.

Bill:
Have had multiple Macs since the Mac Plus both at work and home. The only one that needed tech support is my daughter's clam shell iBook 300. I have gone through 3 power adapters. Apple has replaced them each time under warranty as quickly as they had them in stock. The iBook uses an Apple Airport to connect to our home network and after 2 and a half years the Airport stopped working. A call to Apple resulted in a new Airport appearing at my door in 2 days at no cost. I also complained that from the beginning that the Airport range had beed marginal and was refered to a level 2 tech. The tech decided that the range was not right and something was wrong with the iBook. A prepaid box was sent out and I sent the iBook to Apple for repair. It returned in 2 days and the paperwork indicated a defective Airport antenna cable which was replaced free of charge after 2 and a half years. Way to go Apple. I have stated that I will NEVER pay any money for anything made by Microsoft and am now more sure of that decision.

Brian:
Our business has been running a small Mac network for several years and we've never been happier. With the advent of Mac OSX the system is running smoother than ever. Thanks Apple, keep churning out great products!

Joe:
I began my computer career at age 13, a huge, room-filling DEC mainframe was the first time I can recall using a computer. Next, it was Apple II's, followed with slew of wintel boxes. One day my boss let me fool with his SE30. I'd been complaining about my pc, and he said: "Check this out." I've been hooked ever since, Apple computers have been MY machine of choice and will always be as long as I use computers. Never had a lick of trouble with an Apple. Best thing going for MY money, I'll never buy another wintel box, ever.

Matt:
I had bought an Apple iBook and it worked fine for 9 months and suddenly I noticed bad pixels on the screen. I called Apple repair and after confirming over the phone that the symptoms were suspiciously like a hardware failure (it was the video-RAM), they Fed Ex'd a prepaid shipping container to me overnight. I sent the computer out the next day and it was returned Fed Ex a week later, completely repaired. I didn't pay a dime. Apple was true to their warranty and was extremely fast! I don't think they were obligated to pay for overnight shipping but they did! I've bought two Macs since, and neither have experienced any problems, but I know if they do, Apple will stand behind its warranty and won't make a fuss.

Tim:
Recently my green iBook's power cord became a little frayed. It would spark when I plugged it in and could no longer charge the laptop's battery unless I held the cord at an angle. I called Apple and they informed me that my iBook was out of warranty by five days. Then the service rep put me on hold while he got his supervisor. I was completely amazed when the supervising rep got on the phone and asked if I was okay or if the cord had caused any fires or other damage. Forget that the cord was out of warranty, they wanted to make sure it didn't cause any other problems. The spark was contained in the insulation of the cord, so i wasn't concerned. I just wanted a replacement cord. They said one would be in the mail shortly and that i should just dispose of my old cord. I am now thrilled to have a properly working AC adaptor and am a very happy fan Apple's customer support staff. If only everyone knew!

Darian:
In an industry whose survival increasingly depends on cutting cost and corners, Apple stands alone as a company that innovates while maintaining their same high level of quality and ease of use. Their software is a light years beyond the industry, and their hardware is constantly advancing with new features ahead of the industry (e.g. flat panel monitors, wireless networking, firewire, etc...). And for those few times when it's needed, their support is second to none in terms of helpfulness, informed, polite, and prompt. Once you buy a Mac, you never go back

Liz:
I have had Macs since my first Mac II in 1987. They are the world's most reliable and easy to use machines and I recommend them to all of my friends. I hate having to use a PC at the library or any other place. Macs are simply the best machines!

Charles:
I've been an Apple customer for 17 years and have had nothing but positive experiences. The only warranty claim I've ever had to make was a hard drive that froze up and rendered the computer useless. I called Apple at their customer service line and got a human being in under a minute, which, in itself, is amazing. I told them the problem, and despite the fact that I was two weeks out of warranty, Apple offered two choices. I could mail the system to them, and they would replace the drive, or I could take it to an authorized technician in my city. Due to time constraints, I took it to the technician. 48 hours later I had my tower back, new drive, and the newest OS installed. What was more amazing was that two weeks later, I received 5 CDs with all my old data on them. A month later I received a free copy of tech tool on CD from Apple to aid in future diagnosis of problems. Total repair bill $0.00. Satisfaction - 100%.

Roppon:
I've used Mac for 6 years. My first was a Powerbook 190 which I absolutely loved. I remember once the trackpad didn't work right. I went to my campus Apple service to have it checked. It happened that some small parts broke, the service sent it to Apple. I received it back within a week, perfectly repaired. I don't even have to pay a cent. Bravo Apple! 5 years and 2 Macs later, I have never had another problem with my Apple Macintosh.

Dennis of Cornwall, Ontario:
I just recently bought a new IMac dv se. I have to say that I am extremely satisfied with this computer. Previously, I owned a Performa 6400/180 (also from Apple) which I used for five years before I gave it to my sister when I bought my IMac. It is still going strong. I have never needed to call Apple for Tech support, ever. The apple dealer where I bought my machine was always knowledgeable and was able to get anything I needed shipped into town from Montreal the next day. The only only problem I had with my IMac was with the audio on the DVD drive. I went to Apple's website and downloaded the firmware patch. After that the problem disappeared. I am a home user and I like to play games and surf the web after a long day's work. Apple has never let me down. There has never been a problem with hardware requiring me to call tech support. Apple's machines are slightly expensive but you really get value out of them. I highly reccommend Apple as a company

Ricardo:
Since I was born, January 28th, 1984, I have had a Mac by my side, It has proved to be one of my best friends, I am now using my 7th Mac, a PowerMac G4/533 with a Apple Cinema Display, it is the best computer I've ever used, not once in my life have I ever had to take them to tech support, they are so stylish and useful.

Patricia:
I've owned nothing but Macs for almost 10 years and have never had to even call tech service. I recently got a job with a web design company that uses all Wintel machines. I happened to run into a guy from Apple who was in a computer store demonstrating OS X. Instead of having to buy a Wintel machine as my boss requested, the Apple employee broke off from his demo and showed me which non-Apple software to buy (FrontPage and Virtual PC) to make me fully compatible with my company. Awesome people!

Steve:
I have to deal with Wintel machines at work and Macs at home. The Macs, despite being a bit more expensive, are bargains in the long run. One of my 12 year old machines still runs well and using the machines is a pleasure compared with the temperamental Windows machines.

Jeff:
I have been using Macs since 1994. From a Performa 550, Performa 5200, iBook 300Mhz, and now a iBook 466Mhz SE.All four still going strong in other relatives houses. EASE of use, style, dependibility, and good tech support. You cannot go wrong with Apple.

Scott:
I've always loved the simplicity the world of the Mac has brought and their customer service has been outstanding in assisting me with my problems of late. Heck they have sinbad answer the phone, not even their tech support line is the usual boring monologue.

Michael:
I've been in the electronics/industrial control/computer business since 1978. I struggled with my own machines (cpm, dos, windows) until I finally tried a Mac. I never looked back, though I still struggle with other brands.

Michael:
I read the note from another Michael, and had to write. I too have been in the biz since 1978, starting in industrial control systems, later starting my own business. Let me say, please don't buy Apple Computers. If everybody did, I would be out of business!

Chris:
I work in a firm that has over 100 Macs on our desks, In many cases I am able to provide any technical support necessary, if there is a case where I need to send it to Apple for repairs, the person on the phone is always very helpful, they send a box to me pre-paid, I send the computer to them and in a few cases had the machine back to me in less than 4 days.

Neil:
I started my computer career on an apple IIe way back when and have since progressed through a IIGS, Mac Classic, Performa 450, Mac 7300 and finally a G4. I have call tech support just once to find out if 128Meg memory stick would work in my 7300. Other than that, they work great. They are easy to troubleshoot and fun to use.

T. Greg:
I used Wintel PCs for most of my life (excluding 2 very brief years with a Macintosh in 7th & 8th grade), and even had a brief sales stint hawking NT 4.0 for Microsoft Corp. By the end of my freshman year of college, I applied to a random and inconspicuous ad in the school newspaper for an Apple Campus Representative.

Although I hadn't touched a Mac in well over 6 years (eternity in the computer age), I was hired for the post and given a Rev C iMac to play with. Within 2 weeks, having virtually no "techie" knowledge of anything computer-related, I had figured out how to completely recover the system from just about any software problem that came up. During my short tenure with the company (just over a year and a half), I have not come upon any technical support problem that I wasn't able to fix with common sense and a couple utilities. I understand why Apple doesn't have larger market share...having widespread MacOS usage would put most of the IT industry out of business!

David writes:
Good, easy to use equipment. Just installed two iMacs, an iBook portable and the Airport wireless network. Everything worked well out of the box. Even the portable's battery was fully charged and I was on the Internet 10 mins after I plugged it in. I like these machines for my business, my family and especially for myself! We donated our old systems to local schools. They really can use them as education budgets for computers are good for the laboratories and some classrooms but they all should have them ... and Macs are long lasting and kids like them.

Tammy writes:
After about 15 years of macs, I made the foray into the wintel world last year and after 1 week of .dll conflicts and explorer problems, I smacked myself in the forehead, DONATED the new PC to a non-profit group and immediately purchased a new Mac. I will never make that kind of stupid mistake again.

Mike writes:
I work in a cross-platform design studio, and our support team of one, as compared to 3 people for half as many PC's, tells the story itself. Romantic history, and an extremely intuitive Operating System, along with great looks and speed go a LONG way. If only everyone knew!

Yong writes:
I have to give it to Apple, they have the best service and quality on the market. I have been on Macs all of my computer life, and now I am a computer technician that strongly recommends Macs as a consultant. The product line is awesome and the software reigns tenfold.

Stefanos of Denmark writes:
Many People said that Apple has a wonderful service. I can not really tell, because in the past 10 years as a Mac user I never needed their support for anything. Everything worked out just fine. Of course there were minor problems, I repeat ... MINOR, which, compared to other computer hardware or operating systems, is equal to Zero. They have Wonderfull Hardware, Amazing Software, are always ahead, they are creative like the users themselves. I personally thank Apple for showing me the Right Way.

Scott:
I have used a number of Apple models over the last six years, and they have all been largely trouble free. Apple goes to great pains to make their hardware and software compatible and easy to use. Normally, it's not necessary to get a Tech on the phone, because Apple maintains a fantastic on-line support site.

Frederik-Jan of Belgium writes:
I've been using Macs for a over 10 years now. It started out with an Apple II and now I still have it and it STILL works! I just love the Macs. Now I use an iMac (rev a), G4 450, Pbook 5300ce and a performa 630 with Linux that I use as a router ... The machines all run great and almost never crash ... Only the 5300ce is a little slow, but the active matrix screen makes up for a lot!

Don:
I bought a Performa 630CD that had a 1 year warranty for all parts. At about 11 months and 20 days, the machine went dead. I called Apple Tech Support toll-free and explained my problem. The technician said that it sounded like a motherboard and that they would send someone out to fix it. The next day, a technician came to my business, replaced the board, and had my sign the work order. That was it.

Joe:
Apple's products are intuitive and very easy to use. I recommend them to everyone who is interested in purchasing a computer, either for the first time or to switch from a Wintel machine. I only once in six years ever had a problem so serious that required me to send the product back to be repaired. I have purchased 4 Macs in those years and I still use each and every one. They don't make junk and that's why I love 'em!

Another Don:
I use both "Wimtel" computers and Macs. Whenever I want to get some work done I go to the Mac. I use tech support for the "Wintel" boxes and/or software several time a year. I have never had to call Apple for tech support nor have I ever had a hardware problem. I have never made a warranty claim on an Apple product. I now have a new G4 and cinema display and I recommend them most highly. My only complaint with both platforms is that they don't ship with enough RAM.

Attilio:
I just purchased a PowerBook G3 (FireWire) 400MHz and it works great - no problems. I installed extra RAM and an AirPort card without a hitch. My AirPort base station was also very easy to install (v1.1 software) and works great with my cable modem. Apple's computers are very easy to setup, upgrade and use. I'm very happy with my purchases from Apple.

Brian:
In my 20 years of experience in the computer industry no other computer manufacturer has so consistently focused on creating great products. Exceeding customer expectations has sometimes cost Apple sales and market share, but has created a vast base of extremely loyal computer buyers.

Bill writes:
I am currently on my third Mac at home, and second at work with minimal problems. Apple has always been quick to respond on warranty and support issues. Their user experience is far superior to the PC and Unix systems I have used. I heartily recommend the new G4.

Jerry writes:
The first computer I bought for my business was an IBM in 1977. It looked like a refrigerator. I bought an Apple II in 1979 and it worked well for seven years. I bought an IBM PC in 1981 and a couple of more Apple IIs for my kids. In 1984 I bought several Macs, then continued to buy them over the years, as I also continued to purchase IBMs and Compaqs. The Macs have always been easier to use and more reliable. My kids liked the Apple IIs more than the expensive IBM PC, which gathered dust. When the Mac came out the Apple IIs were forgotten, later Compaqs and IBMs ignored. The whole family preferred using Macs.

Randy writes:
I have been using Macs for 12 years now. I have ony had one problem and that was an over-heating power supply. Next day, I receivd a brand new power supply from Apple. Their products are rock solid and excellent value. Their products have excellent resale value, and they, well plain and simple work, and work well.

Tim writes:
I have owned Apples since 1986- a 512Ke, a PowerBook 145B, and now a Rev B iMac. All three of them still work fine and are very useful. Even the 14 year old 512Ke. Apple Computers seem to be very durable- a little expensive up front, but long lasting.

Rosemarie:
Outstanding computers. I have used Apple Macintosh computers for 10 years and have never had to take one in for service or have someone come out to service it. I must mention also that I have cancer and get a lot of joy out of working and playing on my Macs!

Devin:
Apple has always manufactured and stood behind great products. I've owned several computers starting with my trusty Apple IIgs and just bought my 4th Macintosh! Even my custom-built Windows PC has never been as rock-solid as any of my Apples!

Eugene:
Once I had a problem with my Macintosh G3. The motherboard wouldn't work, and needed replacing. The cost of the repairs would have been over $1300, and since I had gone over the warranty, I would have to pay for it. But Apple was able to understand my situation, and payed for the part. I paid the $100 for labor. I'm a very happy Mac user!

DWG:
I recommend their products because they simply work all the time and require no knowledge to use.

Jim:
The products Apple sells are very self sufficient. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience buying and requesting customer service the few times I have needed it. I am always recommending their products to friends and family of mine.

Zachary:
I have owned a Mac since I was 8 years old. I've had some problems with them in the past and have become quite good at fixing problems. However nowadays I'm out of the job. My own super retro fitted beige G3 hasn't crashed in 2 months. And it's acting as my TV, webserver, appletalk server, windows server, gaming machine and of course my school work. I love Apple computers. :)

Mark of Carmel, IN, writes:
We have 2 Macs. One is a nearly four year old Performa 6116CD (power PC) and the other is a nearly new iMac. Both were ready to go within an hour straight out of the box. I have found minimal need for tech support, and 
when that was needed, it was prompt and helpful. My wife uses the iMac and as a novice, she had a lot of questions for the customer support line, which is free for a limited time after purchase.

Jason writes:
I've owned various Macs over the past 10 years and I've never had to call Tech support. I've never had any mechanical failure's (hard drive, CD, etc...) and I leave my Mac on 24/7.

Bruno writes:
Dynamic company, listen to its customers, good designs, free shipping on the on-line shop.

Jerry writes:
I have a Power PC and an iMac and believe it or not, I've never had to call for tech help. Both machines are rock solid & fast.

Peter of Canada:
I have had Macs for 15 years, never had a problem with quality. All my earlier machines have been passed my grandchildren and I now have a G4 which is rock solid. I am 62.