Spammers send 12.5 MILLION e-mails to get one response - Keep all of that out of your in-box and OFF your network!
The BBC had an interesting article about a study on SPAM and the amount of return that comes from it. The study results show spammers send out 12.5 Million e-mails to get one positive response. That is a ton of SPAM! You can read the article here.
While you ponder that amazing amount of SPAM, consider protecting your in-box, network, and fellow computer users by subscribing to MacMedics’ Anti-SPAM e-mail filtering service. Our service is highly accurate and extremely easy to use, as well as being very cost effective.
You can keep your current mail server and just filter for SPAM and virus infected e-mails, or you can also host your e-mail on our server as well. There’s a nice little side benefit for the filtering part of the equation, as our filtering service will “cache” any inbound emails if your mail server is ever down or off line for any reason. Many of our clients use the service, some just do the filtering, while others use both filtering and hosting (done on separate servers). Set up is free, and prices start at $2 per mailbox per month. For folks looking for a new mail host this works out to be a really cheap solution that also offers great webmail based on the Zimbra e-mail platform.
Read all about the service on the MacMedics website.
Buy your AppleCare at MacMedics before your Apple warranty expires!
If you’re a repeat Apple hardware buyer, you most likely know about AppleCare. Chances are you’re like me and after plunking down $2000 on a new MacBook Pro, maybe you held off on also buying AppleCare. What you might not know is that you can buy AppleCare anytime within the first year of ownership and get an extra two years of Apple warranty coverage. AppleCare also entitles you to free phone support from Apple for more than just the first 90 days of ownership.
We commonly see MacMedics customers (and other folks from all over) who bought their Mac elsewhere, and either opted to buy AppleCare at a later date or were never informed it was an option at the time of purchase. So as long as you’ve not hit your purchase 1-year anniversary yet, you can can still enroll your computer in AppleCare. You could rush to the Apple Store or buy on-line and fuss with getting retroactively enrolled after your paperwork comes in the mail, or you can call MacMedics (or e-mail us) for the same price as Apple, we’ll enroll your Mac in AppleCare instantly and e-mail you the paperwork that contains your AppleCare number.
I recommend AppleCare for all Apple computers, Especially laptops, where you also have a power adaptor that can fail. If you have any hardware repair performed under the AppleCare warranty it’s totally worth the investment. We have it on all of our computers here at MacMedics, and it’s been worthwhile for us.
Pay on-line right here, and we’ll e-mail you to get your computer’s serial number as soon as your order reaches us. Use the coupon code “AppleCare” on Google Checkout and we’ll take $10 off your AppleCare purchase over $149.
If you’re right at the deadline to buy, please also call us at 1-866-MAC-MEDICS if you don’t hear from us via e-mail within a few minutes of your order.
Don’t forget that MacMedics can also honor your AppleCare warranty or your Apple factory 1-year warranty. We can offer some distinct advantages versus visiting the Apple Store.
1. No appointment is needed when you bring your computer in. Just drop it off anytime.
2. MacMedics is fast! We try to have any needed parts on order the same day you check in. We also have many common service parts in stock.
3. We’re absolutely fanatical about ensuring your unit is correctly repaired and properly reassembled. See our blog post regarding service obtained elsewhere.
4. Not located near an Apple Authorized Service Provider? You can ship us your unit yourself, or get in touch with us on details on how we can pick it up from you.
Why NOT to have your Macintosh serviced at a “Big Box” store’s repair department
When a “Big Box” store with a national advertising campaign hangs out their shingle for Mac service, it might feel like a good option. We’re quickly learning from our clients that having a Mac serviced by someone that’s primarily working on PC’s and not super experienced on servicing Macs might be a bad idea.
Today, we had a client with a MacBook that had liquid spilled on it. They wanted to act quickly, so they took it to their nearest “Big Box” store, and the guys there quoted them a new logic board. When confronted with a large repair bill, they called MacMedics for a second opinion. We told them it would be a good idea to have us look at it, and ensure that it really did need a new logic board. It’s a good thing they brought it to us, because it turned out they panicked about the amount of liquid that was spilled, and that was not a factor. We think all the unit needed was a “System Manger Controller” reset and it was back on it’s feet. So for $49 they got an in-depth spill inspection and a SMC rest and they were good to go.
In another case of a client taking the “Big Box” route, we had a customer who wanted to get his hard drive upgraded in his G4 iBook. He brought it to us, and because we did not have the exact size drive size he wanted (super rare for us), he opted to take it to a local “Big Box” store for service. It should have been a pretty quick turn around as it was just a hard drive upgrade. After a few days and a few phone calls to their shop to ask about the unit’s progress, it was clear they were having issues with his iBook. We had just seen his computer here when he checked it in for a drive upgrade, but when we figured out we were out of stock, he took the unit with him. Nearly a week later he called me for advice. I told him to pick it up and bring it in for me to check.
We found numerous issues:
• The iBook had not be reassembled correctly
• There were missing screws
• There were stripped screws and screws in the wrong hole
• The iBook’s frame was broken
• The iBook’s logic board was fried as it would no longer display internal or external video
When we added up all of the repair costs to get this super sick iBook back in shape, it looks it’s a better bet to go with one of the new White $999 Apple MacBooks instead of fixing this one. It’s still here, so I assume he’s having a hard time getting the offending service department to pay for their mistakes.
We’re always accepting exciting and difficult in-lab Mac repair work (like liquid spills, LCD screen replacements, hard drive upgrades, and of course data recovery (PLEASE check your back up system if you have one, or get one now that works automatically (like Time machine), so if you’ve got an Apple computer that’s not working correctly, bring it by and let figure out what’s going on with it. MacMedics has a long award-winning track record for service, and as an experienced Apple Authorized Service Provider, we have the tools and knowledge to quickly take care of your repair or data recovery situation.
Free access to AT&T WiFi hot spots for iPhone owners
It’s nice that AT&T is again offering free WiFi to iPhone users via any AT&T WiFi Hotspot. Many Starbucks have this service. They sent me this nice text message with a link to their web page to explain it all.
Patterns in cracked iPod Video LCD screen
It’s hard to always know what damages an iPod Video LCD screen. We’re constantly amazed at the patterns that are created as LCD gets destroyed. Since most of the iPods we work on are mailed in to us, we often don’t get the story behind a damaged iPod. We’ll ask our clients that drop off iPods for service in our shop in Millersville, and frequently they have no idea what happened. Spontaneous LCD combustion? Too hot in the car, too rough in the backpack, shot with an imaginary bullet? LCD screens in the pattern of a devil.
This one is our latest. Is is flower? an entrance to a worm hole, or just an excellent example of fractal patterns on a broken LCD? Check it out for yourself!
Get your iPod Video LCD repaired for $89 including a new LCD, labor, a free replacement battery, and return shipping via FedEx. Use this coupon “10-off-repair” when paying via Google checkout.
Just send your iPod to us using this form and we’ll get it fixed up for you.
Dusty G5 Processor
An “air-flow” inspection might sound like a made up term to allow for extra time on a service visit, but it’s something that should be done at least twice a year. The following picture is of a Quad-Core G5’s processor. Sadly, this one clogged up with dust and baked the processor and caused it to fail. In this case it worked out to be about $1500 worth of repairs. The Quad-Core G5’s seem to have a more tightly packed radiator then some of the other models, so that gives dust a better foot hold to build up. With the “open” fan system in G5’s and Mac Pro’s it’s important to take a look inside from time to time, to ensure you don’t have a dust build up.
Click here for a large size photo
Also don’t forget that Macintosh computers sitting on the floor are closer to the dust then units up on the desk.
Johns Hopkins 10% employee discount at MacMedics
MacMedics has long been the choice of many Johns Hopkins departments, doctors, professors, and other Johns Hopkins staff and students. Since 1989 we’ve been providing our award-winning, “Best of Baltimore” brand of unique on-site service to both Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
MacMedics offers Apple Authorized Macintosh repair service on all Apple hardware, that is both in and out of warranty as well as out of warranty iPods and iPhones. We can arrange for our technicians to come visit you at your office, or we can coordinate a courier pick up of your sick or broken Macintosh computer or iPod. MacMedics offers Apple warranty repair for laptop and desktops that are both under one-year old as well as for units under an AppleCare warranty.
Complex repairs such as computers that have been dropped, liquid spills, LCD screen replacements, Macintosh data recovery, and in-depth repairs such as logic boards and power supplies are all a speciality.
MacMedics is pleased to offer all Johns Hopkins employees and students a 10% discount on all Macintosh hardware repair and service bills. This discount is valid for on-site, in-lab, our for computers that have been couriered in to our office or shipped to us. The return shipping or in-bound or out-bound courier fees are not subject to the discount.
In order to qualify, a valid Johns Hopkins ID may be presented for the discount in lab. In all other cases phone calls or e-mails from Johns Hopkins will have the discount applied. When visiting our office, no appointment is necessary to check-in equipment for service.
MacMedics is the ONLY Apple Authorized Service Provider to be rated a five out of five Johns Hopkins “Domes” by the JHMI Mac Users Group Apple Service Provider web page.
Call Mac Medics Baltimore at 1-866-MAC-MEDICS to arrange for your service, or e-mail us at mdservice@macmedics.com
Adobe training at MacMedics
MacMedics was a sponsor of the Washington DC area InDesign Users Group Official Adobe CS4 release event yesterday. We spoke to many of our clients and associates during the breaks in the action. We also gave away an Apple iPod touch to a lucky person who entered our door prize drawing.
What you may not know is that MacMedics offers Adobe and Quark training via our Adobe Certified trainer. Our training is more of a workshop, as we bring the equipment to your location and train your people with our famous hands-on style of instruction. We also strive to customize our training to meet your users needs. We don’t teach canned material, and we can focus on one feature that you want to use, and not go into super detail on one that might not be as important to you.
If you’d like to have MacMedics come teach your crew CS4, get in touch with your local MacMedics office.
We’ve refreshed our training gear with MacBooks.
See pictures from 10/16 Adobe CS4 rollout event in Washington DC
Not able to see the excitement tomorrow at The DC Area InDesign Users Group official Adobe CS4 rollout event? We’ll be taking pictures during the event and uploading them to our .mac/.me account.
If you are attending the event stop by to see our booth where we’ll be doing a door prize drawing for an 8GB iPod touch. We’ll also have first aid kits, iPod cases, and lots of other freebies to give out.
The first MacBook Pro has arrived at MacMedics!
Our first MacBook Pro arrived. First impressions: This computer is super cool! Our in-lab techs have already looked over the official Apple take-apart guides and troubleshooting info, so we’ll be ready if we see any for service anytime soon.
Stop by and visit MacMedics tomorrow at the Washington DC area InDesign Users Group Official Adobe CS4 roll out event being held in Washington DC tomorrow. We’ll have this sweet unit with us to show off. We’re also offering a number of door prizes for the official door prize pool (including an iPod). MacMedics will also be holding a door prize drawing of our own where we’ll be giving away an 8GB iPod touch. We’ll also have first aid kits, iPod cases, and lots of other freebies to give out. Come see us!
We’re also taking orders for the new Adobe CS4 suite, and all of the new MacBooks, and MacBook Pros. Call your local MacMedics office for details or pick up a business card tomorrow.