A clear win for the MacBook line
Apple MacBook computers took five of the top nine slots (looking at the top three in each category).  The top performing MacBook in each category beat out the closest PC system by an average of 10.67 points.  Apple's Mac portables lead across size categories in Consumer Reports' review of design, performance versatility, screen quality and battery life.  Apple also earned top marks in technical support in both notebook and desktop categories.

13-inch category
Apple swept the top three spots in the category as the unibody MacBook earned an overall score of 62, the SSD-equipped MacBook Air placed second with a score of 60, and the white polycarbonate MacBook earning a score of 55.

15-inch category
The 15-inch MacBook Pro earned the top spot in the category with a score of  75 beating out the closest competitor by 9 points (Toshiba Satellite M305 earned 64 points).

17- to 18-inch category
The 17-inch MacBook Pro earned a score of 80 points beating the closest competitor by 16 points (Dell Studio 17).

Take note Microsoft
In an interesting turn of events, the PCs that Microsoft has highlighted in their recent television advertisements ranked much lower the Apple Macs.  For example, the Sony VAIO FW that was recently featured in one such ad placed fifth in the 15-inch category with a score of 62, 13 points behind the MacBook Pro.  Even worse in the 17- to 18-inch category, the HP Pavilion dv7 featured in another Microsoft ad placed a distant fourth with a 59 score, 21 points behind the MacBook Pro.

Apple desktops take second position
The Apple Mac mini desktop placed second with a 59 score, just two sky of the HP Pavillion Slimline's 61.  The 20-inch iMac also came in second with a 70 score as it was beat out by the Dell XPS One 24.

You can find out more at the Consumer Reports site.  An active subscription is required to see the rankings online.  You can find a copy of the June edition at a magazine retailer.

Updates

• May 5, 2009 - corrections, added links to guides