Asus, Apple provide most reliable PCs, survey says

"If a manufacturer provides quality software that is less trialware, especially in the area of [security]... it is certainly something that makes their computer less necessary to be supported," Milman said. Many PC makers are also bundling one-touch data restore options in PCs, which reduces the need for customer support.

Asus is relatively new to the study and is reaping the benefit of the recent craze for products like netbooks in the U.S., Milman said. Many users are buying Eee PC netbooks, but the company's PC reliability ratings might change as components start to break down, Milman said.

"Their quality has held up from the last study, but it will be interesting in two years once the machines age a little bit," he said. Increased support calls for Asus products may help better evaluate the company's support, Milman said.

Among the top five PC makers in the U.S., Apple has offered a steady stream of PCs with quality components and support services, Milman said.

"With the introduction of their Apple Genius [Bar] in retail stores, they are offering support that many other manufacturers aren't offering," Milman said. Apple's margins on the Mac desktop and laptop PCs are much larger compared to competitors, so Apple can afford to offer free support, Milman said. Many Rescuecom technicians are certified by Apple to repair Mac computers, Milman said.