To Repair or Not to Repair

While economic times may be tough, the fact is that no matter what, in this day and age, we all need access to a computer.  More than just the internet (which can be reached via our mobile phones), we need a big screen with a keyboard which enables us to easily open pdf files, print presentations, and write documents.  We also want something from which we can watch movies, sort photos, and whether or not we ever match the computer’s capabilities, can run a whole slew of other programs and applications that would be available “just in case” we ever need it.  As perhaps the most trusted shop for computer repair Melbourne has to offer, we pride ourselves on helping customers find the right computer solution, considering both their computing needs as well as their computing budget.

Computers don’t run forever, and to be sure, there are many laptops, desktops, or Macs of one sort or another which are on the edge of usability.  In tough economic times, rather than running out to by the sleekest and newest model on the showroom floor, it may be a better to spend money on computer repairs in Melbourne, and to keep your equipment will-maintained with the latest in software upgrades.  To be sure, electronic equipment can get old and dusty, hard drives fail, screens fade, and many other physical problems can go awry.  Although computers are often seen as disposable due to their relatively low replacement costs (relative to how much they cost twenty years ago), for those looking for better value from their computer investment, a quick visit to the repair shop can make a big difference as to how wide you need to open your wallet to continue using a computer.  Our team is standing by, ready to talk you through any questions you may have about computer repair services – Melbourne, Victoria, CBD, and South Melbourne are our main service areas.

When balancing the question of “buy vs maintain”, here are a few suggestions on what to think about:

• How old is your computer?  Generally speaking, a computer that is five years old is probably in need of replacement.  Most importantly, hard drives don’t last forever.  If you have not backed up your data (think about the photos and iphone videos you’ve taken over the past five years) then we recommend that you do that immediately.  Forget buying a new computer, run to the store (including ours!) and get yourself a 1 terabyte USB external hard drive, and make a copy onto the hard drive of every file you have.  Yes, there are technically better ways to make a system backup, but if you knew best practices in system management, you would have backed it up already.  We’re just saying, best to back up your files, and that is good advice no matter how old your computer is.
• Has the software been upgraded?  Sometimes people run out to buy a new system because there is something on their current system that they cannot run, because some label on a box says that the next version of the operating system is required.  In some cases, by replacing a couple parts here and there (for example, a ROM chip), you can have all the computing resources necessary for an upgrade, and without the extra costs of a whole new machine.
• How well is your computer performing?  If you have filled every last sector of the C drive with photos from the summer vacation, it may not be time to buy a new computer, just a bit of external storage would suffice.  The fact is, even if the pie chart in System Properties shows that there is still a bit of space left, computer performance can slow down significantly before the space runs out.  Processes or applications running in the background (often caused by malware) can greatly reduce performance, along with viruses or even software incompatibilities.  A quick diagnostic at your local computer shop can give you a good idea if your system is running anywhere near optimal.  A computer technician can go a long way to restoring your computer’s processing speed.

These are just a few things to consider.  Our specialty is to help customers decide on options for optimizing their computer investment, and as a local computer repair shop, Melbourne customers can be assured that our service is personal, friendly, and local.  Quite often people can get another year or two out of their current computer by performing some simple maintenance.  Replacing hardware such as internal hard drives or disc drives can not only upgrade your computer’s performance, but also greatly reduce the possibility that a system malfunction will compromise your data.