The three biggest home computer names are the ones consumers are most likely to recommend to friends, a Which? survey said today, suggesting branding has as much power in the consumer PC market as it does for sports shoes.

Perhaps surprisingly, given Dell's recent record of marketing incendiary devices as laptops, both they and Sony equalled Apple's reliability rating among the 6,846 surveyed.

Apple beat its IBM-compatible rivals on customer support though. Only a quarter of Dell and Sony's customers were satisfied with their after-sales service.

The worst performing PC brand was Advent, hawked by DSG stores PC World and Currys.digital (formerly Dixons). Just 14 per cent would recommend their products to a friend.

Things looked even bleaker for PC World on the shop floor than in after-sales. They managed to convince a pathetic 12 per cent they were very good at selling PCs. But you knew that already.

PC World would give no comment on their performance, or lack thereof. ®