By Katie Marsal

Published: 09:50 PM EST

In a minor coup against Microsoft' claims of better value for money in Windows notebooks, Apple has earned the crown in Consumer Reports' latest computer study for its current generation of MacBooks -- as well as in tech support and, very nearly, desktops.

The new overview from the researchers' June report gives the Mac portables the lead in every size category, ranging from near-ultraportables up through desktop replacements. Consumer Reports' study covers not only performance but design, versatility, the screen quality and battery life.

In the 13-inch category, the lead was substantial enough that Apple occupied the top three spots, with the new unibody MacBook topping the charts with an overall score of 62, the SSD-equipped MacBook Air taking second place with 60, and the plastic MacBook just slightly edging out HP's Pavilion dv3 with a score of 55.

While significant in itself, the lead only widened in the larger notebook categories. Competing against a mixture of high- and low-end PCs, the 15-inch MacBook Pro was given top spot in the 14- to 16-inch notebook category with a score of 75 where the Toshiba Satellite M305 had just 64. The Sony VAIO FW that played a prominent role in Microsoft's third TV ad was fifth with a score of 62.

In the 17- to 18-inch category, the 17-inch MacBook Pro extended the gap even further, notching 80 points where the best Windows PC again earned a score of 64. Symbolically embarrassing for Microsoft, the exact same HP Pavilion dv7 that actress Lauren thought was a better deal in the first Microsoft commercial placed well behind Apple's contender, sitting in fourth place with 59.



Surveying technical support also gave Apple the best results in both desktops and notebooks.

Apple couldn't quite claim the top spot in desktops but did manage second place in both of the two categories it competed in: among standard desktops, the Mac Mini's 59 was two points behind the HP Pavillion Slimline's 61, while the 20-inch iMac's 70 was enough to earn a runner-up position behind the Dell XPS One 24.

The seemingly near-complete control of Consumer Reports' ratings appears at a critical time for Apple, as the company has posted its best non-holiday quarterly results ever but is under pressure to justify the at times higher prices of Macs versus PCs in light of Microsoft's attack ads. For now, the study supports Apple's notion that it wants to make the best computers, not the most computers and that it's therefore willing to give up market share for a better reputation.