It’s really getting to be a non-event.  Every year Consumer Reports (CR) magazine publishes their comprehensive “Best & Worst Computers” report.  They rate notebooks and desktops, monitors, and tech support.  Computers are broken down into categories, like “Budget”, “Workhorse”, “High End”, “Slim-and-Light”, and “All-In-One” (quick guess who won the “All-In-One Budget” category).  As can be expected, Apple’s high-end notebooks claimed bragging rights in their categories as well.

Anyway, where Apple really shines each year is in tech support.  I know, I know.  Just reading the words “tech support” brings beads of cold sweat to some of your foreheads and others simply break out in hives.

Let’s face it.  No one likes tech support.  Hours of sold-on-hold, only to finally reach someone whom you have a smaller chance of communicating with than the scientists did with the cute aliens at the end of Close Encounters.

In this year’s report, CR drew on reader’s experiences with 10,000 desktop and notebook computers.  They found that among PC (computers running Windows) makers, tech support solved problems for only about 60 percent of the respondents.  Lenovo led PC notebook supporters, and Dell got the nod with PC desktops.

Apple’s tech support solved problems more than 80 percent of the time.  Walk-in support centers at Apple Retail Stores, called “Genius Bar”s, solved problems a whopping 90 percent of the time (come on, Apple, let’s get that store in Maine started).

Apple’s warranty and tech support programs “break down” (I know, a poor choice of words) like this.  The free, standard plan includes one year of “it’s broke you mail it back to us” repairs and 90 days of free phone tech support.  After that you pay a fee per call, and it’s not cheap.

The three-year “AppleCare” extended warranty (anywhere from $349 on the 17” MacBook Pro to $149 for the Mac mini) gives you unlimited Apple phone tech support for the full three years.  Which, according to CR’s report, should fix over 80 percent of your problems.

Personally, I don’t buy AppleCare for my desktops, but I always do for my notebooks.  Why?  I’ve never had to return any of my Mac desktops for repair.  Never.  Back to 1984.  Plus, desktops sit safely on the desktop (duh), and repairs are supposedly less expensive.

My notebook, on the other hand, travels with me to exotic ports of call and gets “TSA-ed” several times a week.  “Nuff said.