Mac Rates High in September Consumer Reports Magagazine --

Mac Rates High in September Consumer Reports Magagazine -- Here's reader Dana Baggett's synopsis:

"* Reporting on last year's Annual Questionnaire from more than 26,000 reader responses, Apple rated highest overall in quality, service, and reliability with a score of 91%. Six Windows computers were also rated with scores from 89% (Dell) to 79% (Packard Bell).

* Based on 26,000 responses to the issue of repair rates, Apple again was the leader with fewest repairs needed in both core components and peripherals, well below 10%.

* Rating overall satisfaction with manufacturer's service based on 9,000 responses, Apple was tops with 75% satisfaction. The six Windows machines ranged between 71% and 57%. Apple was the only brand rated above average in the three sub-catagories "Able to Fix Problem," "Fixed Problem Promptly" and "Easily Reached by Phone" (the only sub-categories).

With respect to ratings of current models, CR rated 11 Windows Machines and one Mac (6500/250). The rating included the AppleVision 1710AV monitor. Apple was tops! It was the only machine to receive 5 "Excellent" ratings and 2 "Very Good" in the 7 rated categories. It was the only computer to be rated "excellent" in the categories of "system restore" - quality of software provided for restoring hard drive original contents and "clutter" - a measure of how much dubious software was included and how easily it could be removed.

CR said "The Apple Power Macintosh 6500/250, $2700, performed extremely well; Apple has been tops in reliability and one of the best in reader satisfaction."

Elsewhere in the same article, "Traditionally, the Apple Macintosh has been known for easy-to-install peripherals and its unfailability to recognize them. Oddly, our Macintosh system software didn't save settings for Apple's own AppleVision 1710AV monitor." The latter comment is the only critical note in the ratings. CR notes in the Overall Ratings table that the Mac is bundled with a 15 in. display. No mention of why CR tested the 17 in. AppleVision."

Reader Tom Brown wrote me to say that he was advised of a way to fix the slow typing response in Netscape Communicator's Messenger:

"I have some info about using Netscape Communicator's Messenger. I was being bugged about the delay in typing with the new application. As you know, if you type over 30 words per minute you could type a whole paragraph without ever seeing the letters on the screen. I called Netscape and a technician told me to go into my preferences and then choose Message. Uncheck the default box setting for HTML. After doing this I was able to type very fast - I can type over 90 wpm. But, there was one major drawback. Without HTML being checked, you don't have the ability to change the size, color, style of one's font."

Corel released WordPerfect 3.5.4 Updater to fix printing compatibility problems with Mac OS 8. The updater works only on v3.5.3.