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Thread ID: 80696	2007-07-02 07:01:00	Clive Wilson Computers	pctek (84)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
565045	2007-07-02 12:05:00	Heh, I get his all the time at work. My Mac didn't do duplex printing (you have to choose it) .. can I get a new one? :rolleyes: It does seem to be the "solution" in the user's eyes too. Oddly enough I can't see how Office and Web Browsing has slowed computers down.	gibler (49)
565046	2007-07-02 12:25:00	yes/no. i wouldn't call a few hours work a sizeable chunk of the cost of a new pc.......mind you with some of the hourly rate some charge.......:yuck: if its an old dog of a pc yes it may be worth upgradeing. but it depends on what your upgradeing it to. after all you still have to install OS and cust files onto the new pc so there is added cost as well. What do we mean by a FEW HOURS WORK? Work to me means actual WORK! At the moment if I want to reformat a boot drive it would cost me a few minutes to pick up the O/S CD, Insert and boot off that. During the install I would need to type in certain info like a key and where the person is for time etc. Whilst WinXX installs I can do other things. After WinXX installs I install motherboard drivers and ensure the hardware will work. Customer files should be backed up on separate media before I get the computer. I have had a computer where heaps of music and photos were living in the %windir%\system\xxx etc. Daughter had put them there and Father did not know. I found them as I do a search. The fact remains that people need to back up or copy. Actual work is a few mouse clicks, a little keyboard typing and inserting CDs or DVDs or USB sticks. May take hours to do the job but I could do other things whilst files are extracted.	Sweep (90)
565047	2007-07-02 12:30:00	Heh, I get his all the time at work. My Mac didn't do duplex printing (you have to choose it) .. can I get a new one? :rolleyes: It does seem to be the "solution" in the user's eyes too. Oddly enough I can't see how Office and Web Browsing has slowed computers down. Your Mac does not PRINT without a PRINTER. Do you need a new Mac or a new printer?	Sweep (90)
565048	2007-07-02 13:11:00	A large PC place down here. Greven will know them. Lady rings me and asks should she get a new laptop or dekstop? I ask why get a new PC at all. Well its not going and Clive Wilson told her its not worth it as it would be really expensive to fix it. I ask, does it boot - yes. I ask, does it get to Windows ok - yes. So I ask, well, what did CW say was wrong with it. It has viruses. She's bringing it over to me. So I take it that the PC - Laptop now works?	Sweep (90)
565049	2007-07-02 14:02:00	Customer files should be backed up on separate media before I get the computer. I have had a computer where heaps of music and photos were living in the %windir%\system\xxx etc. Daughter had put them there and Father did not know. I found them as I do a search. The fact remains that people need to back up or copy. yes sure, in an ideal world that'd happen but many people simply dont know how to backup files to cd/dvd/etc or what to backup or where to find the files they might want to backup......it's not that hard.....did one today....slave the drive...copy the docs/favs/emails/addybook/ and a couple of other things.....then make a ghost image also so I've gotten a total copy.....all done......took about oh.....'actual work' ....um......half an hour at most.....	drcspy (146)
565050	2007-07-02 19:33:00	Well I can kind of understand CW's position. Depending on your charge-out rate of course, but if it takes you several hours to dis-infect a system it can end up costing the customer a substantial chunk of the cost of a new PC. And if it's an older, slowish PC to begin with... You are probably better to format the HDD and reinstall but 1. you've got to have all the original software and 2. you still have to pick thru the old system to retrieve all the users files, and dis-infect them before transferring to the cleaned installation 'cos they usually never have backups. And new entry-level systems are getting very cheap..... all in the assumption we live in a perfect world, and all clients can afford to buy a new computer. I have clients in this area still using AT form factor computers with Win98 (first edition) on it. Needed fixing or viruses taken off or whatever the case may be. They would rather fix it than to outlay a further $500 or so to buy a better computer. Generally they can't afford to upgrade. Incidentally, I don't know how you charge, but for me (when cleaning viruses) I charge a set amount which well an truly covers ACTUAL work done (i.e. install AV, update, set it scanning, check on it every now and then). Only if it requires extra work does the client get charged a bit extra (often they get a free hour).	Myth (110)
565051	2007-07-02 21:18:00	Result - rich fat businessmen I think they charge more than $80.............. Interestingly the guy who runs CW drives a Porsche. She hasn't dropped it off yet. I'll let everyone know. Its 6 years old, ok, its old but they only do email and a bit of home office stuff on it. Overkill to get a new one really. Theres lots of elderly PCs round here, unless something major has gone wrong with hardware or they suddenly want to use it for other things - like gaming - I don't tell them to buy new ones. There have been a few with dead MBs, in which case its an upgrade box usually. For a virus? I said at worst it could need a reinstall. I pull off their data with my usb adapter, set it installing, go off and do other stuff, come back and do the drivers and basics, anti-malware, put their docs back etc. I don't usually reinstall every last app they had, only the main stuff. So its not that much time spent actually sitting in front of it doing things.	pctek (84)
565052	2007-07-02 21:37:00	last year (about November) i asked for a quote +installation of a DVD drive as a sort of joke dare thing my co workers got me to do - at my work we could get you a new dual layer capable writer and install it for $95 -even including training on how to use the new DVD writer if needed - Clive Wilson's Quote: $185 for the Writer - $80 for installation and "testing" and a further $45 for training $310 for a most likely out of date DVD writer no bloody wonder we had so many new customers coming to us after "falling out" with Clive Wilson's :groan:	MAC_H8ER (5897)
565053	2007-07-02 23:07:00	I think they charge more than $80.............. Interestingly the guy who runs CW drives a Porsche. She hasn't dropped it off yet. I'll let everyone know. Its 6 years old, ok, its old but they only do email and a bit of home office stuff on it. Overkill to get a new one really. Theres lots of elderly PCs round here, unless something major has gone wrong with hardware or they suddenly want to use it for other things - like gaming - I don't tell them to buy new ones. There have been a few with dead MBs, in which case its an upgrade box usually. For a virus? I said at worst it could need a reinstall. I pull off their data with my usb adapter, set it installing, go off and do other stuff, come back and do the drivers and basics, anti-malware, put their docs back etc. I don't usually reinstall every last app they had, only the main stuff. So its not that much time spent actually sitting in front of it doing things. The fact that someone drives a porche, doesn't mean they charge to much. May be they have saved lomg and hard for it. A 6 year old computer, is likely to start costing money to keep going as parts die, and then trying to find parts old enough to fit. The fact that it is a software problem, also means that it's probably running 98, which is fine if you can support it yourself, but the average person can't, and if they could they wouldn't be needing your services.:2cents:	plod (107)
565054	2007-07-02 23:26:00	The fact that someone drives a porche, doesn't mean they charge to much . May be they have saved lomg and hard for it . A 6 year old computer, is likely to start costing money to keep going as parts die, and then trying to find parts old enough to fit . The fact that it is a software problem, also means that it's probably running 98, which is fine if you can support it yourself, but the average person can't, and if they could they wouldn't be needing your services . :2cents: Quite right and well said plod . :thumbs: Work smarter not harder as the old saying goes .	winmacguy (3367)
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