Here at MacMedics, we really, REALLY LOVE what we do, and we really enjoy helping clients with Macintosh problems. In many cases, these folks have already called someplace else, only to get the run around.

In some cases, the issue can be very simple and what looks like a complex problem, and be quickly solved on the spot.

See the Angie’s List review from just such a MacMedics client from 2/2/12:

I added a Seagate external hard drive to my iMac and by accident loaded some Windows based software onto my Apple computer. The end result was that I was unable to start my computer. I called several Computer Tech companies to help me and it was going to cost several hundred dollars to fix the problem and would take several days. Bad news, I needed the computer running immediately and paying several hundred dollars was not a good thing.

Wow what a company! I will definitely use MAC MEDICS in the future. In fact I purchased from them an inexpensive service plan for this computer.

Here’s another Angie’s list review from 11/22/10:

In addition to doing an excellent job replacing my iMac’s hard drive, the owner, Dana Stibolt, spent a lot of time with me on the phone explaining my options. He worked me in that very day, and completed the work in less than two hours. I was very impressed. Although it was quite a drive from where I live, I would go there again should my iMac need service again.

There is really no substitute for accurate and authorized Apple repair service. Our talented and Apple Certified Macintosh techs solved another problem for two different Apple customers who both took the time to leave a 5-Star Review for both our Millersville and Lanham offices this week.

When you’re having issues with your Mac, please come visit our fully staffed and stocked offices in either Millersville or Lanham, Maryland. We’ll fix your Mac under Apple’s Limited Warranty or Apple’s extended warranty, AppleCare. Or, we can efficiently service your out of warranty, vintage, or obsolete Macintosh. When your Mac repair is complete, we’ll ensure you know everything you need to know in order to preserve and protect your valuable data and operate your computer successfully for as long as possible.

We love to help! So instead of making an appointment, trying to find parking, dealing with crowds, or having to worry about your data being erased, or having to deal with your computer being shipped away for repair, come see the Apple Certified Technicians at MacMedics.

Thanks to our customer, Mark, who had his Mac serviced in our Lanham office this week. Here’s his review from Yelp:

My Macintosh desktop computer had a complicated problem; part of the electronics had failed, while most individual components were fine. Since MacMedics is a certified Apple Service Provider and Reseller MacMedics correctly diagnosed the problem, which endless Apple phone support had been unable to do. The replacement part and labor were free, since my computer was still covered by the AppleCare Protection Plan. My computer now works better than when it was new. I also got some excellent technical advice on maintaining the computer, including information on back-up plans. I highly recommend MacMedics.

Mark
1/6/12

Also, thanks to our customer, Richard, who had his Mac serviced in our Millersville office this week. Here’s his review from Yelp.

Small repair. Done in a 15 minute walk up. Best service I have had in a long time. Highly recommend!

Richard
1/7/12

MacMedics will accept your working, non-working, or damaged Apple hardware as a trade in credit towards a new Apple Macintosh computer, Apple iPad, and Apple iPod. You can also apply a trade in credit towards service on your existing Mac that might be in need of repairs or data recovery.

If you have broken or outdated gear just lying around, MacMedics will even purchase some broken, liquid damaged, or outdated Apple Computers, iPads, or iPods for cash. Older equipment, or units with extreme damage can be dropped off at either Millersville or Lanham for free e-waste recycling.

Both our Millersville and Lanham offices can accept stuff for trade. Call us at 1-866-MAC-MEDICS to discuss what you have and how it can be valued.

This brand new iMac 27″ showed up from Apple here at MacMedics a few days ago. We heard a weird noise coming from inside the box. It took us a second to figure out what was going on.

See our video from YouTube for the details and the answer:

Apple has determined that a very small number of Seagate 1TB hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems, may fail under certain conditions. These systems were sold between May 2011 and July 2011.

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will replace affected hard drives free of charge.

Apple may contact you via email if you provided them with a valid email address when you registered your new iMac. Otherwise you can check your iMac’s serial number at this page to see if your hard drive should be replaced.

If you do have an affected 21″ or 27″ iMac, then, come see us at MacMedics to have it replaced free of charge.

If you are having issues in a 21″ or 27″ Late 2009 iMac with the fans running all the time, and you have a 500 GB or a 1TB hard drive, please give us a call. We might be able to help you with that problem.

If info like this is important to you, then please subscribe to the MacMedics email newsletter!

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Your Macintosh Service Advantage: MacMedics Is Exclusively Apple!

As the Apple Macintosh family of computers and other Apple devices like the iPod, iPad, and iPhone become increasingly more popular, more and more computer repair places are offering “Mac Repairs” as a “Side Business”.

It’s tempting for PC centric computer shops to try and grab a new revenue stream by cashing in on the increased number of Macs in the marketplace. Do you really want a PC guy/gal at a PC shop or at a big box store, who is not trained, certified, or authorized in Apple service guessing their way though your Apple repair? We didn’t think so.

We’ve seen some amazing cases of Apple service gone horribly wrong at both big box stores and at independent shops. In fact, we’ve had situations where a computer repair place has tried to fix a Mac, botched or misdiagnosed the repair, only to bring it into MacMedics for us to bail them out of a tough Mac repair situation.

When you’re looking for an Apple Authorized Service Provider for your broken Macintosh or Mac data recovery case, you really should seek out an experienced and professional Macintosh service organization with ALL of the Apple Credentials and Authorizations, such as MacMedics.

MacMedics is a very well established (since 1989) Apple Authorized Service Provider, Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, as well as Certified Members of The Apple Consultants Network. We have an impressive 22-year history of exclusive dedication to the Macintosh computer platform. We were offering a third party alternative to stuffy Apple Dealer service way before the Apple Store, and way before anyone else in the State of Maryland. In fact, MacMedics was offering on-site Macintosh service in the late Eighties during a time where such a service was considered “in-shop” and “on the bench” everywhere else.

Our Apple service part inventory is quite likely the largest collection of Apple service parts in the Mid-Atlantic region. Since MacMedics bought out macUpgrades of Bethesda, Maryland we acquired all of their Apple Authorized service parts. That’s like having a DOUBLE 20-year accumulation of Apple factory service parts and other supplies! Not only do we have hundreds and hundreds of genuine Apple service parts in stock, we also have tons of vintage and obsolete Apple service parts so we can repair any Macintosh computer ever made. We also have our own Macintosh computer museum so if there is a special service situation where we need to access data from 20 years ago, or make something work in order accomplish a special task, we can do that too!

So when it comes to the most basic Mac repairs, or services like hard drive replacements/upgrade and memory upgrades (ours come with a lifetime warranty by the way), or the most advanced services like Macintosh data recovery or liquid spill rescue, you can count on MacMedics to be there to provide an accurate diagnosis and the correct and appropriate repair for your Macintosh computer.

Macintosh Service is our claim to fame, but we’re also quite well known for Apple Authorized sales as well. MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, and as such we have the Authorizations from Apple to not only sell the full Macintosh Computer line, but also to resell the iPad, iPod, and Apple TV.

If you have a unit that is beyond repair, or just one that you put to the side a few years ago, we’ll accept it as a trade in on a new hardware purchase or as credit towards a repair or data recovery. Even if the hardware you have is very old, or extremely damaged, we’ll still accept it for e-waste recycling. So, drop off your broken PC, Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPod, cell phone, or other small electronics like hard drives, small printers, or other reasonably sized electronics, cable, power supplies and adapters for free recycling.

With our two fully staffed Apple Authorized Sales and Service locations serving the Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington DC area as well as the entire Washington DC and Baltimore region, we’re a great place to drop a sick Mac off for repair. Our office in Millersville is 1/10 of a mile off I-97 and our office in Lanham is 1 mile outside of I-495/I-95 and 1/2 mile off of RT 50. No appointments are ever necessary!

If you live in Annapolis and commute to Baltimore or Washington DC or vice versa, then you drive right past one of our offices on every trip you make on I-97 or RT-50. Stop in to see us with your sick or broken Mac, or swing by to pick up a cable, power adapter, iPod, iPad, or anything else Apple related!

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Today Apple announced updates to the iMac line. Key features include:

-Intel Core i5 quad-core processors standard in all configurations for up to 1.7 times the performance of the previous generation iMac

-All-new AMD Radeon HD graphics and GDDR5 memory across the line deliver up to 3 times the graphics performance of the previous generation iMac

-Thunderbolt I/O technology on all models supports high-speed peripherals as well as high-resolution displays with Mini DisplayPort compatibility

-FaceTime HD camera enables full-screen HD video calls and supports the new widescreen format and wider viewing angle to allow more people to be seen in a call

iMac Hard Drive Firmware Update 1.0 fixes a hard drive issue that may prevent some iMac (21.5-inch and 27-inch, Mid 2010) systems from booting properly.

You can download it at this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1378

It’s not just fire you need to worry about. Anything can happen, and it will (See this link and the picture of the two week old MacBook Pro below. How do you think that data is doing right now?). You could drop your iPhone, iPod, or laptop or any of those devices could get doused with water, lost, or even stolen. Hurricane season is coming. You’ve got water, wind, surges, power outages, and perhaps even looting if it really gets bad.

Here’s a typical email from a client. This one came today:

“Dear MacMedics:

My daughter has a MacBook which we bought in June 2008. It has served her very well. Her roommate spilled a Coke on a chair but never told her. The computer was there. It was not until my daughter tried to turn it on that she found out. She is devastated because she never backed it up as I repeatedly told her to do. She wonders if there is any hope to just recover her pictures. She doesn’t care about the music or the documents. She lives in CA and I can have her ship it to you or whatever.

Thanks for answering. I suspect this is hopeless.”

So no matter how careful you are, bad stuff happens to good people. In this client’s case, she should have been backing up as soon as she started generating data she cared about AND because her MacBook is more than two years old, she should have been thinking about a hard drive replacement anyways. Another situation is waiting too long to back up.

Ok, you never had a back up, you read a Blog post or an article (like this one) that disturbs you, and you start backing up. You try to back up your data, and in the first full copy it fails and you suspect you did something wrong, so you head to the Apple Store. There’s a problem: Your hard drive is already too worn out to make a full back up and when you try to back it up sitting in the Apple Store at the Genius Bar you end up even further away from your data, because as the Genius is helping you back up, your hard drive is still inside your laptop where it’s failing. The more it fails, the hotter it gets, and the hotter it gets the more it fails, and it CAN literally DIE right then and there.

When you buy a new computer, you really need to also budget about 20% of your computer’s purchase price for the other stuff you need to protect your digital life. A backup hard drive, a stack of blank CD’s. a copy of LoJack for Laptops, and maybe even a subscription to Mozy or CrashPlan Pro. The trick here, is to start backing up when you start generating data, and you keep backing up for as long as you generate new data. By the way it’s not a real back up if it’s not automatic, redundant, and also has an off-site element!

Do it now people! I see good people lose precious data on an almost daily basis. One client lost years of pictures of her deceased son. That one really sucked. Back up, rinse, and repeat and take one of those backups off-site!

MSNBC Video: Disaster-proof your digital possessions. Backup and then take it offsite so says Consumer Reports (and MacMedics)! http://is.gd/u1wEcR

Also see: 9 Things We Wished We Did Before Our House Burned Down. http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/01/on-a-serious-note/

Here’s the list in case you don’t make it to the article, but please take a minute to read it:

1. Subscribe to an online data backup service (my external back up drive sat right next to my laptop in my office).

2. Keep passports in a safe deposit box. (MacMedics Pro Tip: Make copies as well and store digital copy in your new online backup service too!)

3. Take pictures of each room initially and update them as improvements are made (storing them somewhere offsite – like Flickr).

4. Take pictures and keep hyperlinks of all expensive purchases, including jewelry.

5. Hire an architect (my dad in our case) or use floorplanner.com to document each floor layout along with precise wall/ceiling measurements, each outlet, light switch, crown molding, other trim, type of flooring, any unique items to structure of property. (MacMedics Pro Tip: When you rebuild the insurance company will try to pay the lowest amount by building things as basic as possible. By having a detailed floor plan with engineering plans along with pictures of each wall, you can force them to build it the way it was!)

6. Put phones in a consistent place each night (MacMedics Pro Tip: iPhone is right there 24/7!)

7. Get fire ladders for any second floor bedrooms.

8. Scan each photo and receipt, again keeping them offsite, or on an online data backup service.

9. Do not be frugal with homeowner’s insurance. Spend the extra $50 per year for the most coverage. (MacMedics Pro Tip: Highly recommended! Buy a replacement policy rider for anything you have that is valuable. If your $3000 camera or computer system burns up, it’s going to be hard to get full amount. Insurance might pay for $500 to $1000. Also see SafeWare.com for computer insurance. If you don’t own your home, get renter’s insurance. It’s super cheap! Also, I happen to know that clothes are not fully covered in most polices. If you had to replace every single piece of clothing your family owns, that could cost $10,000 right there. Insurance will not cover that)

–
Dana Stibolt
MacMedics
Baltimore – Washington DC – Philadelphia
Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller
Apple Authorized Service Provider
Macintosh Consulting, Service, and Sales
1-866-MAC-MEDICS – 410-987-8588
http://www.macmedics.com

Sign up for LoJack for Laptops for Mac here: http://www.macmedics.com/lojack

A letter from Craig Hirai / Amy Wooden of macUpgrades:

Dear Former macUpgrades Customer,

We are pleased to let you know that MacMedics, in Lanham, Maryland, has purchased all the assets of macUpgrades. Dana Stibolt, President, and Kory Barrett, Vice President, have been a real pleasure to work with, as we have completed this rather complicated transaction. Their professionalism and competence have been most refreshing. We would encourage you, your friends and neighbors, and your business to work with MacMedics as you would have worked with macUpgrades.

Thank you, again, for all your support over the years. We hope you will give MacMedics the same loyal support.

Kindest regards,

Craig Hirai and Amy Wooden

–

You can jump to the newest information available as it is now posted on the MacMedics website by clicking here.

macUpgrades of Bethesda, Maryland, a long-time Apple Authorized Specialist lost their lease, and sadly they have closed their doors after supporting the Bethesda and Washington DC area’s Macintosh community for more than 20-years. In an effort to continue and preserve their long standing legacy of Apple service and repair and to provide outstanding support to their long-time clientele, we enthusiastically welcome former macUpgrades clients to MacMedics!

macUpgrades has endorsed MacMedics as their recommended Macintosh sales and service provider. We are proud to have earned their endorsement and pledge to do our very best to provide previous macUpgrades customers with the high level of support that MacMedics and macUpgrades are both famous for.

Like MacMedics, macUpgrades had been serving the area’s Macintosh community for more than 20-years. We hope to be able to continue their tradition of outstanding support to Apple customers no matter where they are located. MacMedics is both an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, so MacMedics is a logical and natural fit for long-time Macintosh clients who have been serviced over the years by macUpgrades.

As was the case with macUpgrades, MacMedics is Apple Authorized to resell the entire Apple line of products. That means that MacMedics can supply Apple Macintosh computers, Apple iPads, Apple iPods, and the Apple TV. The only item not available from Apple Specialists or Apple Authorized Resellers is the Apple iPhone. That item must be purchased from Apple, AT&T, Verizon and a small handful of other retailers like Radio Shack and WalMart.

Click on the picture below to see pictures of the MacMedics Washington DC office:

We welcome former macUpgrades clients to contact the Washington DC office of MacMedics for Macintosh service, sales, and support.

We can be reached by telephone Monday – Friday 8:30 to 5:00 at:

1-888-4-DC-MACS (1-888-432-6227)

or anytime via e-mail at: DCservice@macmedics.com

Please stay tuned to http://www.macmedics.com/macupgrades for more information as it becomes available.

Thinking of stopping by one of The Apple Stores in Bethesda or Georgetown for a Mac Repair? We offer a number of compelling reasons to visit MacMedics instead. Our clients tell us that the number one reason that people come visit MacMedics for Mac service vs. The Apple Store is that no appointments are ever required to receive expert Mac repair. Also we offer 24-hour warranty repair (for most warranty repairs), Low cost rental computers (if needed), 1-year parts and labor warranty on all out-of-warranty repairs (The Apple Store only offers a 90-day warranty), Hard Drive upgrades (The Apple Store will only replace your drive with the same size), Advanced Macintosh Data Recovery, and we repair all Apple computers right here in our shop. We do not ship units out for “Depot Repair” as is the practice for many cases at The Apple Store. Plus, we offer a VIP repair program for Walk-In service that blows the doors off of Apple’s One-To-One, Joint Venture, or even AppleCare. Our VIP repair program can cover your future repairs for as little as $99 (Mac Pros and MacBook Pros are $149).
Also, we love to talk on the phone. You do not need to be a client to call and talk shop. Call us to discuss your Mac problem or purchase a new Mac today: 1-888-4-DC-MACS