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Apple Laptops and Desktops: Ratings of Sources
Total of 27 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. Macworld
As of Nov. 2009
Laptop Reviews
by Editors of Macworld
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The editors of Macworld have the most comprehensive coverage of the Apple laptops released earlier this year. Among all of these laptops, the 13-inch 2.26 GHz and 2.53 GHz MacBook Pros receive the highest… ratings -- 4.5 out of five. As a budget pick, the redesigned 2.26 GHz MacBook receives a high score of four out of five. Macworld's reviews are very good, but -- as you might expect -- comparisons to PCs are not made.

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2. Macworld
As of Nov. 2009
Desktop Reviews
by Editors of Macworld
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

MacWorld has the best coverage of the new Apple desktops, reviewing both the new iMac and Mac mini. Tests of the older Quad-Core and 8-Core Mac Pros are also conducted. Each of the computers is tested… against previous versions, and the illustrated reviews clearly show how the new models stack up. Each Mac desktop also receives a score -- the Quad-Core Mac Pro receives the highest rating of 4.5 out of five.

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3. CNET
As of Nov. 2009
Laptops
by Dan Ackerman
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment CNET's reviews are thorough and backed by relevant testing data. In its latest series of reviews, CNET tests the new 13-inch white MacBook and the 27-inch iMac. A number of Apple laptops receive an Editors' Choice award, including the 15-inch 2.8 GHz, 2.66 GHz and 2.53 GHz MacBook Pros, and the 13-inch 2.53 GHz and 2.26 GHz MacBook Pros. The 27-inch iMac also earns an Editors' Choice award.
4. PCMag.com
As of Nov. 2009
Desktops
by Editors of PCMag.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

If you are looking for Mac vs. PC comparisons, this is one of the best places to look -- within each review, the Apple computer is compared to other PCs in its category. PCMag.com is also one of the few… reviewers to test the latest Quad-Core Mac Pro; it gets lower ratings than the Editors' Choice winners (no recent Apple desktop makes the cut), but it's recommended over the 8-Core Mac Pro. PCMag.com has also the 27-inch iMac, but is yet to test the new Mac mini.

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5. PCMag.com
As of Nov. 2009
Laptops
by Editors of PCMag.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Among Apple laptops, PCMag.com gives high marks to the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro, making it the only one of Apple's new laptops to score an Editors' Choice award. The 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook (Unibody) doesn't earn an Editors' Choice award, but it does receive a good rating and recognition as the least expensive Apple laptop.
6. Laptop Magazine
As of Nov. 2009
Laptop Reviews
by Jeffrey Wilson
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Among Apple's laptops released this year, the 15-inch 2.66 GHz MacBook Pro and the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro win Editors' Choice awards from Laptop Magazine. The redesigned white MacBook gets a high… rating, but no award. Laptop Magazine's reviews are in-depth and comprehensive, and each notebook is given a rating. When appropriate, comparisons are drawn between earlier generations or competing laptops.

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7. ConsumerReports.org
As of Nov. 2009
Computers
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The latest update at ConsumerReports.org rates dozens of Mac and PC computers, but the desktop reviews include the older versions of the iMac and Mac mini. Therefore, ConsumerReports.org is only useful for… laptop ratings for now. Each system is evaluated on performance, ergonomics, features and display. ConsumerReports.org also takes value and tech support into account when formulating their ratings. Discussion is brief, and it and the ratings are only available to subscribers.

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8. PC Advisor
As of Nov. 2009
Hardware
by Editors of PC Advisor
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Britain's PC Advisor tests a number of Apple computers. The magazine assigns each computer an overall rating, in addition to individual ratings on build quality, features and value. Among laptops, the… 13-inch white MacBook earns a Recommended label. Among desktops, only the latest Mac mini has been rated, and it earns high marks as a top performer for its price. PC Advisor also does a good job of comparing Apple laptops to each other in their reviews.

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9. CNET
Oct. 30, 2009
Best 5 Laptops
by Dan Ackerman
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment CNET senior editor Dan Ackerman picks the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro as one of the best five laptops overall, and it is the only Apple model to make this list. The Mac he reviews has 2 GB of RAM. The write-up here is short, but a link leads to an earlier full review. Ackerman likes the addition of a FireWire port and SD card slot, but he wishes for a removable battery and a matte screen option.
10. Computer Shopper
As of Nov. 2009
Laptop Reviews
by Jonathan Rougeout and Denny Atkin
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

ComputerShopper.com's reviews focus mainly on features and specs, although they do a small amount of benchmark testing. Unlike other reviewers, test results are not graphically illustrated. Among Apple… laptops, the 17-inch MacBook Pro and the 13-inch 2.26 GHz MacBook Pro score Editors' Choice awards. The new 13-inch MacBook gets a largely positive review, but it's rated significantly lower than the MacBook Pros. The 27- and 21.5-inch iMacs also earn Editors' Choice awards.

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11. Digital Arts
July 9, 2009
Review: MacBook Pro Family 2009 (13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch)
by Editors of Digital Arts
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment DigitalArts, a British publication geared towards creative types, reviews all three of the updated laptops in the MacBook Pro family. Overall, the 17-inch MacBook Pro gets the best rating and a DigitalArts Best Buy award. DigitalArts focuses on the design metrics that will appeal most to their readers, but they have yet to test the new MacBook or iMacs.
12. Mac User (U.K)
As of Nov. 2009
Latest Reviews
by Editors of Mac User
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

In the past, England's Mac User has reviewed the entire line of Apple laptops and desktops, but its coverage of the newest models is hit or miss. Of the latest laptops, Mac User does review the 15-inch 2.8… GHz MacBook Pro and the 13-inch 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro. On the desktop side of things, the 27-inch iMac is newly covered. It draws a good rating, though improvements are in the realm of features rather than performance. However, the other updated laptops and desktops in the Apple lineup haven't been reviewed as of our last visit.

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13. MacLife.com
As of Nov. 2009
Hardware
by Editors of MacLife
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

MacLife's reviews are short but succinct, and they are relatively irreverent for a Mac enthusiast magazine. Reviews are balanced with mostly substantive pros and cons, although the reviews are less detailed… than some other sources mentioned in this report. The 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros earn Editors' Choice awards, but the site has yet to test the latest computers, which were released in October.

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14. Notebook Review.com
As of Nov. 2009
Notebook Reviews: Apple
by Editors of NotebookReview.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This enthusiast website features its own reviews, as well as links to reviews at other sites around the Internet. NotebookReview.com's own reviews are more comprehensive than many other reviews we've seen.… The limitation here is the small number of recent Macintosh reviews -- only the current 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros are reviewed, and the computers released in October have yet to be tested. There are no ratings, so it's difficult to tell which computers are preferred.

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15. Computerworld.com
As of Nov. 2009
Computerworld Reviews
by Editors of Computerworld
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Computerworld reviews the new 27-inch iMac, as well as the latest MacBook Pros and Mac Pro, but they don't rate or compare the computers. The reviews are fairly detailed, but there's no easy way to find them other than browsing through Computerworld's review database. While there are no ratings, it's clear that editors love the new 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac.
16. Gizmodo
Oct. 23, 2009
Apple iMac Review: 27 Inches and Less Chin
by Brian Lam
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Gizmodo.com has a nicely detailed review of the new 27-inch iMac, but the desktop is not ranked or rated. Brian Lam discusses nearly every aspect of the computer, and the review hosts a ton of close up photos. Overall, Lam has lots of praise for the display and redesign, but he thinks some users may want to wait to see how the upcoming Quad-Core iMac performs.
17. PCMag.com
Sept. 16, 2009
Service and Reliability
by Editors of PCMag.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

PCMag.com conducts annual service and support surveys for a host of consumer products. Readers report instances of repair (both quantity and quality), experiences with tech support (quantity of instances,… quality of problem-solving) and other information about contact with manufacturers. Year upon year, Apple has scored Readers' Choice awards for both laptops and desktops, and its scores for 2009 have actually improved from 2008.

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18. ConsumerReports.org
June 2009
How Brands Compare on Tech Support
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment ConsumerReports.org also conducts customer satisfaction surveys for the major computer brands. In its latest sampling, more than 4,500 laptop owners and nearly 4,000 desktop owners reported on their tech support experiences.
19. The Wall Street Journal
Oct. 21, 2009
Apples New iMac, MacBook Grow Better, Brighter
by Walter S. Mossberg
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Walter Mossberg at The Wall Street Journal covers both the new iMacs and MacBook in this article. The computers are not rated, but Mossberg recommends them both. He shares few testing details, although results on battery tests are included, and the article focuses largely on the computers' new features.
20. T3.com
As of Nov. 2009
Computers
by Editors of T3.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Britain's T3.com has timely reviews of the new iMacs and white MacBook. Reviews are a little shorter than at other sources, and there are few photographs to illustrate reviews. Even so, pros and cons are clearly listed and each computer is rated on a five-point scale. The new MacBook gets a perfect, five-star rating, and the 27-inch iMac scores slightly lower with four stars out of five.
21. Arstechnica.com
As of Nov. 2009
Infinite Loop: Ars Covers the World of Apple
by Editors of ArsTechnica.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

ArsTechnica.com has excellent reviews of Apple laptops and desktops, but has only reviewed the 8-Core Mac Pro among the most recently updated models. That's unfortunate, because the reviews here are… comprehensive, balanced and backed by thorough testing. One additional disappointment is that ArsTechnica.com is also not the easiest site to navigate; to find reviews, you have to sift through days of daily archives or pages of search results.

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22. TechRadar.com
As of Nov. 2009
PC & Mac
by Editors of TechRadar.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment The U.K.'s TechRadar.com has yet to test the new crop of Apple computers like the Mac mini, 2.26 GHz MacBook or new iMacs. Older, discontinued models are covered. The write-ups here are less detailed than at some other websites, but the reviewers do personally test the computers with various applications and software.
23. CultOfMac.com
As of Nov. 2009
Reviews
by Editors of CultOfMac.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment CultOfMac.com doesn't review many of the new Mac computers, but Leander Kahney has an exceptionally detailed review of the new 27-inch iMac, complete with dozens of pictures. The desktop isn't given a rating or compared to other desktops, but there are enough details to make this review quite useful.
24. Engadget.com
As of Nov. 2009
Laptops
by Editors of Engadget.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment The editors at Engagdget.com don't rate laptops or desktops, but their reviews are highly balanced and richly illustrated with photos. Unfortunately, it's hard to find specific reviews on Engadget.com. Nilay Patel reviews the 2.26 GHz MacBook, saying "we're totally underwhelmed by the new plastic MacBook."
25. Pocket-lint.com
As of Nov. 2009
Hardware
by Editors of Pocket-Lint.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Britain's Pocket-Lint.com is another review site that isn't the easiest to navigate, but it has a comprehensive selection of electronics reviews. It is also one of the first sites to post a review of the new 2.53 GHz Mac mini, although editors have yet to test or review the other updated Apple computers.
26. SlashGear.com
June 26, 2009
MacBook Pros (13-inch and 15-inch, Mid 2009) Review
by Vincent Nguyen
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment SlashGear.com reviews the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros, but its coverage is less detailed than some others evaluated in this report. The site tests each laptop and compares it to previous generations, but specific recommendations are not made. The new 27-inch iMac is also tested.
27. Amazon.com
As of Nov. 2009
Apple
by Contributors to Amazon.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Amazon.com is a good spot for Macintosh user reviews; it sells a wide assortment, and all models have significant numbers of reviews. Most Apple laptops have very high average ratings (from four to five… stars), so it's difficult to rely solely on Amazon.com for a buying decision. That said, reading through the many first-hand reports is a good way to see where an Apple laptop or Apple desktop computer you are considering meets or exceeds expectations, and where it might disappoint.

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