[symphonix]

I'd rank their service as very good, but with some room for improvement. I've always been treated politely and felt like the people I deal with at Apple are helpful.

For the couple of times I have had a hardware fault requiring repair under warranty, its always been completed quickly and without any fuss; they never ask for paperwork since they can check a computer's warranty details by its serial number.

When I needed a problematic video cable in the hinge of my iBook replaced, the tech even kept the original and showed me the fault, admitting that it was a design shortcoming of that generation and assuring me that the new cable - a revised design - would resolve the issue.

There is only one key area in which I feel Apple could improve their service, however I think they have made great strides on this front since I bought my first Mac in 2001. That is in giving feedback to the customer on delivery times. If they advise that a computer will take a week to arrive, and supply issues set it back another three weeks, then the customer should be advised by email of the delay. Some of us Mac fanatics have a nasty habit of ordering a new model of Mac the very day it is released, in which case we can be waiting for up to 8 weeks to receive it. A more open and honest approach to advising customers on where their computer order is up to would be a big plus for Apple in my book.