The Refresh Orlando Heirs

Maybe you’re a whiz with Microsoft Office, or you can design a spectacular ad campaign with Photoshop, but when it comes to maintaining and repairing your hard drive. you’re clueless. Installing more memory sounds like a great idea, but how do you get the tower open? Even more basic than that, how exactly do you defrag a computer, and what the heck is defragging anyway?

Most of us know a whole lot more about running software programs than we do about the physical hardware that allows us to do all the computer-related things we do in a day. Beyond plugging the monitor and printer into the hard drive and making sure the phone line is connected correctly, we’d just as soon leave it to the professionals.

In some instances, leaving it to the pro’s is exactly what needs to be done; but having a little knowledge about basic maintenance and repair can save you a lot of time and hassle, as well as give you more confidence about being able to tell when to call the pro’s and when you can handle an issue yourself.

The instruction manuals for your computer and peripherals will most likely give you basic troubleshooting information for the most common problems that can arise with the equipment. Beyond that, it makes sense to check out the variety of books available on the subject. The “Dummies” series of books offers Upgrading and Fixing PCs for Dummies (Sixth Edition) by Andy Rathbone, The book covers information on how to add more memory, install a DVD burner, fine-tune your PC to minimize crashes, fix problems caused by viruses, and more. Author Andy Rathbone also offers his own website for more valuable information on hardware. Check out amazon.com or another online bookstore for other computer repair and maintenance books. Just be sure that you check the publication date; computer advances happen at top speed, and it doesn’t take long for published material on hardware to become outdated.

Check out your local Borders or another bookstore or magazine stand for magazines dedicated to PCs and Macs as well as various operating systems. These will not only provide you with information on your hardware at levels from beginning to advanced, but often offer the most up-to-date information available.

Also check out colleges, both in your local area and online, for computer repair courses. Lots of colleges now offer basic courses that give you a great overview of the workings of hard drives and peripherals, as well as more advanced courses for students who may want to get into computer maintenance and repair as a profession.

Spending some time and effort educating yourself on your computer hardware will pay off in many ways. You’ll undoubtedly save money on simple repairs and upgrades, but, beyond that, when it comes time to replace your computer or add software or more peripherals, you’ll be able to make decisions by accessing a solid base of knowledge.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics. She expresses her opinions periodically on her blog, http://beyondagendas.blogspot.com She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.

Since the advent of penicillin and eventual demise of archaic blood-letting, medicine has made great strides into the future. From genome mapping to the $88K “robo-docs” used in the UK, (1) medicine is continually adding health and longevity to our years.

Tied in with these advances is our ability to connect with our physicians. According to a 2002 Harris Interactive poll, approximately 90% of adults with internet access would like to communicate with their doctors by email (2). Additionally, 37% of those would be willing to pay out-of pocket to communicate with their doctors online (3). If patients are seeking the next best thing to a house call, emailing your doctor could be just that.

Unfortunately, with the growth of phishing, malware, and spyware, accidental sending or forwarding a patient’s personal/private health information (PHI) could result in that identifying information being used in various sorts of fraud.

Protecting a patient’s PHI is a deep-rooted tenet within the medical profession. Laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensure that medical facilities and clinicians protect their patient’s PHI.

In a 2005 study 70% of Americans are concerned that their PHI could be disclosed as a result of weak data security (4). With each technological advance, both the medical field and patients must be aware of the severity of improper use of PHI. According to the Heath Privacy Project, a patient’s rights information site, one in five patients are victims of improper disclosure (5).

In spite of all these risks, patients continue to utilize email and the internet in order to seek out answers to various personal health questions.

Online resources such as WebMD’s Symptom Checker provides possible answers to patient maladies such as why their left leg is swollen. Others seeking medical information spend time at sites such as the American Diabetes Association, Alzheimer’s Association or Lupus Foundation, and other sites that are strictly devoted to specific health issues. Patients often research illnesses online and want to ask questions about their conditions after clinics are closed.

Advocates of a digital medical office are doctors Tom Delbanco, MD and Daniel Z. Sands, MD, MPH. Both are professors at Harvard Medical School and have stated that email as a clinician tool fosters a closer doctor-patient relationship. In a co-authored paper, they write:

“E-mail gives doctors and patients more time to think. Doctors and patients move closer together and trust grows strikingly. Interchange becomes more personal and office visits seem more efficient and less emotionally charged… And with time ‘off-line’ to reflect and learn, patients appear better able to grasp information that is central to their care.” (6)

“It’s a matter of both convenience and comfort level,” continues Dr. Delbanco, “There’s evidence that people tend to be more open in front of a computer, especially with tricky stuff.”

The internet has changed where and how patients seek the help of doctors and medical providers. Trends in patient internet behavior show that now is the opportune time for both patient and doctor to achieve a cooperative relationship via email and the internet. Creating the digital medical office is a true possibility, but measures need to be put into place to protect patients’ private health information and a clinic’s electronic medical records (ERM).

The e-medical caregiver can converse with his or her patients in a wide array of online communications tools, continuing the symbiotic relationship between doctor and patient. The Hippocratic Oath’s tenets of treatment, respect and privacy can be upheld as long as electronic security is also a priority to clinicians.

HIPAA compliance issues can often be frustrating to the small clinical practice. New government mandates are also putting regulatory procedures to the test, such as President Bush’s request that $125 million in 2006 go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create common standards for digital health information by streamlining data and finding means to best protect patient privacy (7).

Investing in a Small Business Rights Management (SBRM) solution can bridge the gap between staying current with health industry regulations such as HIPAA or JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) and keeping a small physician practice in business. More importantly than compliance is the real protection of patient/client information, diagnosis/treatment communiqué, and medical billing information. Only the intended recipient will see this information when sent with tools that use encryption and rights management.

With SBRM solutions, a physician can apply the Hippocratic Oath’s creed of confidentiality and privacy by clinic visit or email.

1.) Julie Clothier, CNN Technology, “’Robo-doc’ works hospital rounds,” CNN.com 18 May 2005

2.) Harris Interactive, “Patients/Physician Online Communication: Many Patients Want it, Would Pay for It, and Would Influence their Choice of Doctors and Health Plans.” 10 April 2002,

3.) Ibid.

4.) “Majority of Americans Have Privacy Concerns about Electronic Medical Record System,” Health Privacy Project : http://www.healthprivacy.org/

5.) Health Privacy Project “Homepage Animation” http://www.healthprivacy.org. 29 September 2005.

6.) Health and Medicine Week / NewsRx.net Editor’s Choice Column, “TELEMEDICINE: Physicians, patients must work on new electronic relationships,” Health and Medicine Week, 5. 10 May 2004,

7.) Rick Callahan, The Associated Press Seattle Times, 23 May 2005

Schwarz is the director of corporate marketing at Essential Security Software (ESS), a provider of document and email security solutions. http://www.essentialsecurity.com

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on building an attractive fully functioning website. In fact, you don’t need to spend any money at all. You can do it FREE if you know what type of programs to look for and where to find them. “How”, I here you ask?

I built my website - Saturday Racing Tips - with free software programs that came on the cover disc of an internet magazine. Even if you do not buy such magazines you can still freely download many good software programs from several sites, Tucows, for example.

You should look for software programs that are either FREEWARE or for programs that have recently been replaced a newer version. As the older version tends to be given away free. Avoid SHAREWARE programs and TRIAL VERSIONS as these usually have many important functions disabled not to mention the expiry date.

The single most important software program you need for creating a website is an HTML editor. There are several types of editor available, I recommend a WYSIWYG editor. If you are not sure which are the best, always read the reviews and ratings given on most download sites. Feel free to try several until you find one that you are comfortable with using.

If you have used Word or a similar word prcoessing software program to create a letter or memo then you can use an HTML editor, as it really is very similar to word processing in many ways.

With time, patience and a little determination you may be pleasantly surprised how relatively easy it is to create an attractive fully functioning website with free programs.

I designed and created The Saturday Racing Tips website - http://www.ramtips.me.uk - which provides free weekend tips for UK horse racing.

Quilling is an ancient art in the history of human society. We see different definitions regarding the concept of ‘quilling.’ To put it in the simplest terms, we have defined it as:

“Quilling is the art of creating decorative designs from thin strips of curled paper.”

Quilling paper is available on the consumer market in over 250 colors and dimensions. It can be divided into various categories, like solid colored Quilling paper, graduated Quilling paper, two-tone Quilling paper, acid free Quilling paper and other assorted parcels of Quilling paper. It is available in various dimensions, such as 1/8”, ¼” and 3/8 broad paper parcels.

Acid-Free Quilling paper:

As the name clearly indicates this is a paper that is completely acid free. The quality makes it an outstanding choice for making scrapbooks, rubber stamping, and creating frames for pictures. It assures your project will last a lifetime, without any side effects on the framed picture or album.

Graduated Quilling Papers:

This type of paper provides you an exceptional look to your decorative quilling projects. On the edges, you will have a solid, concrete color but gradually, it will fade to white. It is the nature of the quilling ring, that, when using a graduated paper, it begins with a dark shade but ends up being faded to a lighter side. On the contrary, some graduated papers begin as white, or a lighter shade, and then slowly fades into a solid, darker color.

Two-Tone Quilling Papers:

This is another important type of quilling paper. It is quite similar to the graduated quilling paper in its use. The look consists of a concrete color on one side and comparatively lighter color on the other side. Although, with two-tone paper, the color remains same, however, the intensity of color is different. The main use of this quilling paper is to provide a desired level of softness to the quilled subject. It possesses the capacity to quill many papers in a single spiral.

For an in-depth look at the concept of quilling, make sure that you possess some important tools. First, you need a quilling tool, or a toothpick, in order to cover up your paper in a rounded mode. Obtain some tweezers and a paper cutter. You can use cardstock for the cutting paper.

Avoid using a thick paper in order to avoid wrinkling during the process of rolling.

Ensure the strips smoothness and uniformity in their width.

If making white flowers, follow the instructions below carefully.
Use a 4” strip that is ¼” wide for every petal. Then, roll it firmly, and allow it to loosen itself. In order to make the grip better, use Zig 2-way, or Sailor. Do not loosen the grip until it is properly dried. During the process of rolling your pieces or strips, use tweezers. After all the spirals are finished, pinch the contrary surfaces similar to a football figure. Keep the length of the core point roughly ½” You can place 6 petals on each flower.

Just before you affix them to the page, it is best to create a tiny pond of gum, or glue, on a piece of wide cardstock. With the help of tweezers, set it on the page without touching the bottom of the spiraled figure to the glue.

Place it vigilantly without leaving any paste marks on the paper.

While creating larger figures, always employ a 12” strip, rolled tight. After that, take off the pressure and let it relax a little bit. In case of a ’sun’ figure, rays must be roughly 6” strips. Roll them in a firm manner in contrasting directions on each side, nearly 1 inch. You can twist the middle area with your hands.

If you’d liked to make heart flowers, use 4” strip or larger, depending upon the specifications you choose. These strips must be in a half-twisted mode and spiraled in the interior to the core point on each surface. Now, free the spiral from pressure until they become the size you want.

Usually, leaves and stems are rounded by hand. Pull them gently, calmly by the glue and put it in the proper position.

Ensure that you use equally rolled spirals. If possible, place your finger at the peak point of the spiral during the rolling process.

Avoid pasting too much glue. It will leave marks and mess up the beauty of the final product.

If you trim the strips yourself, there is a chance of having uneven dimensions. Avoid doing that. Make sure that you have the same width so that you get the same sized flowers.

Paste the glue over the coils carefully. It will save you from unrolling the coil and pasting the glue again.

Chris Freville is the author of the highly popular Quilling Success. For more information please visit Quilling Success

There truly is no end to the possibilities of outsourcing. Management guru Tom Peters recently picked up on a reference to a New York Times article “Ogre To Slay? Outsource it to the Chinese”, about how affluent western children are paying their Chinese counterparts to complete the first levels of video games that they find monotonous. Peters comments: “The ‘factory’ is in Fuzhou, China. The workers are youngsters logging 12-hour shifts. Their clientelle? Fellow youngsters from ‘Seoul to San Francisco … who want to avoid the pain and time associated with those first few levels … Yup! I thought I’d seen it all! Goes to show you …”

What is most eye-catching about this startling trend however is author Dan Ward’s observation that “this (is) an opportunity to provide commentary on the video game developers who clearly aren’t satisfying their customers. If the games were really well designed (Design is everything in an experience economy, no?), they would be compelling from start to finish. No need to outsource level 1-3 to China … these kids aren’t outsourcing their entertainment - they are outsourcing the boring / easy / introductory parts they don’t care about… and they are sending the video game industry a message. I wonder if anyone is listening.”

There is a lot of talk about how services are outsourced because they are more cost-effective, but the points raise an interesting question about how firms might consider using outsourcing as a measure of their product and service effectiveness too. Specifically, they reveal a serious potential danger in management thinking: that business leaders begin to accept the process as a natural extension of globalisation rather than see it as a specific comment on their own business.

An article on bizhelp24 makes the point pretty precisely under the heading “What do Businesses Outsource?” suggesting; “Basically, anything that you may consider a business ‘process’ can be outsourced,” from Marketing to Accounting down to Editing. And in light of the above, down to entertainment now, too.

There has been a lot of whining about outsourcing by, in particular customer service firms over the past few years. Giving the bog standard reply “Margins are being squeezed due to outsourcing” every time profits are suffering may not be acceptable soon as the flattening of the global playing field becomes a standardization itself: sometimes Chief Executives have to look honestly at the service they are providing their customers and just plain admit that what they provide, their customers don’t want. After all, value, as the expression goes, is not just the bucks you pay for something, but that bang you get for them.

go to http://danielmarkharrison.blogs.com for more great articles

In my counseling practice, I often hear the question, “How do I end a relationship without hurting someone’s feelings?” Whether it’s a romantic relationship or a friendship, ending it gracefully is generally a challenge.

The problem arises because so many people see it as a reflection of their worth when someone doesn’t want to be with them. “If I was good enough, this person would want to be with me, so there must be something wrong with me.”

There is another way to see this. The way I see it is that for each of us there is a relatively small number of people with whom we feel a deep connection. Whether you want to explain this as due to being part of the same soul group in the spiritual realm, or to having similar energies, or to chemistry, the fact is that we don’t feel connected to most people. Just because I don’t feel connected with someone doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them. Just because you don’t feel drawn to spend time with someone doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with that person, and just because someone doesn’t connect with you doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. It’s just the way things are, and it has nothing to do with there being anything wrong with anyone.

So if I say to someone, “I don’t feel a strong connection between us,” I am simply stating a fact. I am not making a judgment about the person’s adequacy or worth.

All of us meet perfectly wonderful people with whom we just don’t feel a connection. The person might be very attractive, have similar interests to us, and even be on a similar growth path or spiritual path. Yet we just don’t connect. The spark that ignites friendship or romance just doesn’t exist. If we could all accept that someone not wanting to be with us has nothing to do with our worth, we would not get hurt when someone says no to a relationship.

I don’t pretend to understand all the factors that create connection between two people. All I know is that all of us have the experience of connection with another that occurs deeply and rapidly, as well as the experience of a lack of connection. Many people have had the experience of being fixed up with someone because a friend said, “I just know you two will like each other. You are so similar,” only to discover a complete lack of connection. Katie, a client of mine, recently said to me, “Everyone said Rick is perfect for me. We look good together, we have similar interests and backgrounds, we are the same religion, we are equal educationally, and he is a really sweet guy. I kept thinking that if I just gave it time, I would feel the connection. But it never happened. I felt so badly breaking up with him because there is nothing wrong with him, but the connection just isn’t there.”

Is it anyone’s fault that the chemistry or connection isn’t there? Of course not! There is nothing wrong with either Katie or Rick. The connection just isn’t there for Katie. She couldn’t make it be there. She ended up saying to Rick, “You are a really terrific guy. I wish I felt the connection with you that I want to have with a partner, but I don’t. It’s not your fault – it’s just not there.”

Whether or not Rick felt hurt by this is really up to him. Katie can’t take responsibility for how he feels. If Rick has the belief system that not everyone will feel connected with everyone, he will not feel hurt. If he has the belief system that if a woman doesn’t connect with him, there is something wrong with him, he will feel hurt. His hurt will come from his belief system, not from the fact that Katie broke up with him.

Ending a relationship gracefully means speaking our truth without blame or judgment and not taking responsibility for another’s feelings. Randi, another one of my clients, recently told me that she was able to tell the truth rather than give herself up to avoid hurting someone. A friend had introduced her to Barb, thinking that Randi and Barb had a lot in common and could be good friends. Randi got together with Barb and felt no connection. In fact, she felt the opposite. While Randi felt that Barb was a sweet person, she also felt Barb’s energy pulling on her in various ways. While some people might not mind needy energy, or even find it endearing, Randi didn’t like it at all. She was pleased with herself because she was able to tell Barb that she just didn’t feel a connection with her. Randi was able to let go of taking responsibility for Barb’s feelings if Barb felt hurt by this.

Is there always a way of breaking up or saying no to a relationship without someone getting hurt? No. But by gently speaking your truth, you can gracefully end a relationship, and if you accept that another’s feelings come from his or her belief system, then you won’t feel guilty if the other person feels hurt.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including “Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: www.innerbonding.com or mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

Increasingly, employment recruiters are screening out job applicants after Googling them.

Information hunters are finding oodles of self-incriminating stuff on just about every college student they research. Many applicants openly discuss their predilections for boozing, doing drugs, engaging in wild sex, and in scamming the authorities in various ways. Using their real names, these tell-all tattlers are screwing up their chances of getting hired at most firms.

It makes you wonder whether posting articles and publicity of various sorts will somehow bite the rest of us on the rear, sooner or later.

The other day, I posted a new article, adding to the hundreds already tracked by search engines, and instead of going with a jocular, self-critical biography, just to break the monotony, I thought better of it at the last minute.

“How long is the shelf-life of this biography?” I wondered. Then, I calculated that the half-life of nuclear waste is shorter, and I would be better off writing a straight-arrow description of myself.

Before the Internet, it was relatively easy to control the kind of information a client or a prospect had on you. If you put something into their hands, such as a trade reference, obviously, they could call it. And if your brochure spoke glowingly of your accomplishments, some of them were taken seriously.

But now, anybody can dig up the dirt on you if they wish, either by letting their fingers do the walking at search engines, or by paying commercial entities to do it for them.

It makes you wonder, if you’re concerned at all about controlling your image, if not your privacy, if you want to make that task any easier.

In fact, a major premise of Internet marketing has been the idea of making it EASY for people to find you, to learn about you. But the more information they can access, the greater is the possibility that they’ll unearth something disturbing, or at least off-putting.

With over 600 of my articles posted on the web, do you think you might find at least one that repulses you?

I guarantee it!

But I cannot control WHEN you’ll discover it. It might pop-up first, after I have sent you my packet of materials and you’re undertaking the task of Googling me

Of course, if you assert you’re a major player in your field, and a prospect searches and finds zilch, that could be even more of a turn-off.

I just wonder how long it will take for public relations firms to start specializing in REMOVING web information, in the same way that they used to try keep the names of the rich and famous from appearing in “scandal sheets,” a few decades ago.

Also, are there some smart college students out there that have made a decision that they don’t want to appear in any search engine, that for all practical purposes, they wish to remain invisible?

Here are four tips that’ll save you money when buying your next computer.

Tip #1 — Rebates: A rebate is not always a bargain. Computers with rebates are often close to being discontinued. You may pick up a good deal or purchase technology that’s about to become yesterday’s news. What’s more, stores will often package computers with a bunch of free items to make it look like you’re getting more value. Chances are the extras are either poor quality or items you’re unlikely to use. Also, they’re counting on you to not redeem your rebate, a very common occurrence.

Tip #2 — Extended Service Warrantees: Buyer Beware! They’re a gamble, but not always a bad idea. If you’re purchasing a laptop and you plan to travel a lot, an extended warranty that covers replacement of the monitor/display can be a good gamble. Replacing a display can cost $400-$600, making the warranty worthwhile. On the other hand, if you plan on buying the warranty for routine maintenance; save your money. Oftentimes it can take weeks for the store to send your PC out for service. Also, remember the store where you purchased your computer does not always do warranty work during the first year, instead you may have to ship it directly to the manufacturer. In general, extended warranties cover electronics [things you can’t see]. They don’t usually cover physical damage. Most extended warranties have large gray areas, leaving the warranty provider a lot of room to reject claims.

Tip #3 — Monitors: Don’t throw away your monitor if it’s still working properly. Instead, keep it and save a chunk of money by just replacing your old CPU [computer tower]. Monitors last much longer than CPUs and the technology is usually compatible between your old monitor and the new CPU. However, if you’re dissatisfied, then monitors, keyboards and mouses are the three tools to spend extra money on, since you use them every day!

Tip #4 — Networking: How are you connecting to the Internet? If you’re using a high speed Internet connection, such as cable broadband or DSL, you’ll want to make sure you have a network card built into your system. If you have a wireless network at home or at the office, save money and installation time by buying the wireless card built right into the computer.

About the Author

About the Author
Sharron Senter is co-founder of http://www.VisitingGeeks.com - an on site computer repair, security and networking company serving north of Boston, Southern NH and Maine. Visiting Geeks’ technicians are crackerjacks at squashing viruses, popups and securing and making computers perform faster. Learn more about Sharron at http://www.SharronSenter.com

Software is the essential part of a computer that stores and processes all encoded information or instructions on PC. They are the responsible for the proper functioning of PC by making them fit for use. Now, what is the software development and software engineering?

Difference

The term software development clearly means the creation of all such softwares that actually make our work easier while software engineering starts when the work of software development ends. So, they both go hand in hand when it comes to the implementation of software. For laymen it may sound same but in practical they are interchangeable and closely interrelated. For further understanding, software is created when you want a particular work to get performed say for example design database software that will keep track of your bird watching hobby, and then you’ll just need software development whereas, for making your program with multiple functions, engineering will be needed.

Role of Software Engineering

People with specialized knowledge of software applications are called ‘Software engineers’. They implement and design software applications through the use of many mediums. Further, these software applications will then be used for a variety of purposes from business practices to entertainment purposes. In fact, these developed applications allow users to make their work functional and productive. There are many software applications available in the market such as language applications, office applications, entertainment packages, and applications for education.

Future in software Engineering

Generally, the cost of recruiting a software developer is comparatively less than recruiting a software engineer as their nature of work is complexes than creation of actual software. With the passing time, the demand of more advanced softwares, the future of software industry is growing each year. More and more businesses are demanding their own software developed for them that is specific to what they do and what they want the software to do.

Author is an IT expert.

offshore software development india.

With so many computer repair companies/techs to choose from how do you know which one is right for you? I’ve been doing computer repair for a couple of years now. It started out as a hobby and later word of mouth started spreading amongst my family, then friends, and then friends of friends. So I decided to start a computer consulting business. I want to guide you as to what you should consider before consulting anyone.

Here’s a few factors to consider:

1. Experience/Knowledge

2. Price

3. Warranty

4. Honesty

5. Reliability

6. Service

7. Destination Fees

8. Word of Mouth

Now, let me describe those points in detail.

Experience/Knowledge

A lot of “computer literate” individuals feel that just because they know how to install programs and reinstall windows that they can now make a business out of it and what happens is that you get Joe Schmoe to come over to your house, attempt to repair your computer, and end up wiping your system as “the only possible solution”. Be careful, don’t hire anyone just because they’re cheap.

Price

Some companies will advertise everything that you’re looking for except the price. That’s bad. They usually ask for you to call them for a “quote”. Once they got you on the phone they tell you how they’re giving you the best price and if you call back later then can’t give you the same deal. False! Make sure you compare prices around your area to find the best one available.

Also, sometimes you pay what you get for just like I mentioned before, so it might benefit you a little to pay a few extra dollars for great service, but don’t let them take you for a ride. Also, most computer services average at about 2 hours unless you’re computer is slow, severely damaged (with viruses or spyware), or key parts need to be replaced (like a motherboard or a hard drive). Make sure that if they’re charging an hourly rate that they don’t spend the weekend at your house.

Warranty

Sure, anyone can come in and move things around your in computer and then if something happens they don’t hold themselves liable. Most companies that offer warranty offer it because they are confident in that the work that they do is good work, hence offer warranty on their parts and their services and labor. Look for those companies, it’s in your best interest and gives you peace of mind.

Honesty

Do I really have to go into detail on this one? Just don’t let someone talk you into “yeah, I was looking at your machine and I’m recommending we do a few small enhancements… like replace your computer”. I’ve learned the hard way - “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”.

Reliability

Someone comes, fixes your computer, it brakes down the next day and you have a hard time getting a hold of them or they schedule you in for next month. See how soon it is that they initially schedule you in. That’ll give you an idea of how quickly they respond. Some companies offer immediate emergency services. That can come in handy. Look for that as well.

Service

Most companies will screen their employees to make sure they’re not weirdos. For in-house computer repair you want someone who’s going to be courteous, kind, polite, and respectful (yes, there’s still people out there like that). Some techs come to your house and they look like they’re being forced to be there. Others make you feel intimidated or will get angry with you as to why you were doing something on your computer that you shouldn’t have been doing, or will make you feel dumb. You don’t want that.

Destination Fees

A lot of companies will charge what they call “destination fees” ranging in pricing. So let’s say you’re across the street, or within a mile. Why pay a destination fee? Or the guy says he has to come back tomorrow to pick up where he left off (and he’s said that since Monday and its Friday). Look into companies that offer low fees or no fees.

Word of Mouth

This (in my opinion) is the best referral. Your best friend tells you in one breath, “my computer broke down and this tech from X2Logic came down and fixed it like 2 seconds and charged me 5 cents!” Hehe, a bit of exaggeration there but you get the point. When I need some type of service I ask around with people whose opinion I trust. Sometimes companies offer incentives when you refer someone to them *whispers* “like us”. So yeah, word of mouth - very important.

So there you have it. Hopefully that will lead you in the right path. If you have any questions, I have a forum on our website were we offer free computer repair advice. We also offer computer services if you’re interested. I wish you luck in your computer ventures. If you have any questions about your computer or need help or advice, feel free to visit our free forums where members and myself contribute with advice, solutions, and information on any computer topic.

Sincerely,
Gustavo Hernandez
President
X2 Logic
http://www.x2logic.com
info@x2logic.com

Gustavo Hernandez is a computer certified professional and has over 10 years of computer experience in different areas, but focuses primarily on helping others with computer repair. He is currently the President of X2 Logic ( http://www.x2logic.com ) a company dedicated to helping individuals with computer related issues.

All verbage and underlying code is the copyrighted property© 2006 of X2 Logic . X2 Logic hereby authorizes you to view, copy, print, and distribute the documents and related materials so long as website address and author are being credited.