Stan's List

Apple’s PowerBooks and iPods are # 1 in PC World’s reliability surveys – for the second year running, in the PowerBook’s case.

The survey was comprised 35,000 PC World readers. Apple PowerBooks shared laptop honors with Lenovo’s (formerly IBM’s) ThinkPads for support, service and reliability. Somewhat surprisingly, Mac desktops rated less highly.

Customers were satisfied with Mac desktops’ reliability, but the survey results noted, “Apple’s scores for failed components and failed core components slipped into the average range.”

News.com is repeating a rumor begun on November 18—Intel-powered Mac portables are in the cards for Macworld San Francisco.

“We are becoming more convinced that Apple will introduce its first Intel-based PowerBook at Macworld San Francisco,” said Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner.

Of course, if everyone is correct, it is iBooks and PowerBooks to be MacTel’ed

Low End Mac analyzes the beginning and near end of the PowerBook: “Apple had no presence in the portables market prior to 1992. Its attempt at creating a laptop Macintosh, the Macintosh Portable, weighed almost 15 lbs and failed to sell. On the personal behest of John Sculley, Apple contracted with Sony to create ‘Asahi’, a smaller Portable. Apple developed two high end models in company. After 1992 and until the disastrous 5300, Apple was the leading notebook maker.”