If you’re looking to avoid the Mall today, we have some great last minute gift ideas at some really great prices at the MacMedics Millersville location.

Save $100 New & Custom Built and MAXED out MacBook Air 13”, 1.8GHz i7, 4GB, 256GB Flash, Intel HD Graphics 3000 $1599!

Save $100 New Last revision 13″ MacBook Pro $1499 model: 2.7 GHz i7, 500 GB HDA, 4GB RAM in stock at MacMedics at “mail order” price: $1399

1/17/12 Just Re-Stocked: Save $300 MacBook Air closeout: Previous model: MacBook Air 13.3″ 1.86g 2GB 128GB $999 only a few left at MacMedics Millersville

Also in stock:

iPod touch in both black & white
iPod nano Silver
Apple TV
iPad 2 16 GB WiFi (Black)
iPad 2 16 GB WiFi (White)
Used iPad 1 32 GB WiFi + 3G
Used iPad 1 64 GB WiFi + 3G

Buy any iPod or Mac and get 25% off any case (hard shell, sleeve, or carrying bag)

We also have a wide selection of used MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and MacBook Airs. There is also a small number of iMacs and Mac minis available as well. All MacMedics refurbished Macs carry a full 1-year warranty.

MacMedics also carries new and used iPads. We have sold out for the holidays, but we are expecting some more in soon. If you’re looking to get an iPad or you’re already getting one for the holidays, we do accept trade ins and we also pay cash for them outright (in any condition).

1/12/12 Update Now 25% off LoJack for Laptops, the Mac OR Windows version makes a great gift. If you have a MacBook Pro road warrior or a college student, this is a MUST have item. Order here: http://t.co/aeEWeorb

Many small/medium businesses are planning to take advantage of the increased deductions available on equipment purchases made in 2011. Sections 179 Tax Deductions have increased to $500,000 on equipment purchases of up to $2.0M. This equipment can include Macintosh computers, iPads, iPods, software purchases, volume licensed software, etc. The deductions also include provisions for leased equipment and software.

Apple currently has two great leasing oppertunites available as well, that can also help you take advantage of 2011 year end tax savings.

Finance Apple products at 95% of the price. Extended through December.

Lease your business technology for 30 months at no interest. Extended through December.

Also if you have plans for a Macintosh or iPad, but you’re too busy to implement it right now, MacMedics will invoice you in 2011 for Apple hardware, MacMedics consulting fees, or pre-paid labor blocks. Please get in touch with your local MacMedics representive.

If your hard drive fails under your Apple Warranty or AppleCare, and you need Data Recovery services, MacMedics can help!

For $199 we’ll do our best to recover your Mac’s data (no matter the size of your hard drive), and we’ll return it to the replacement Apple hard drive once the Data Recovery is complete. In most cases, your data will be right back where you left it before your hard drive failed.

There are some exceptions, but in 95% of our Data Recovery cases, $199 covers the full recovery. If you’re Mac is out of warranty we do charge for getting your Mac back in shape in conjunction with the repair of the unit. In most cases that fee is $150 plus the cost of whatever size hard drive you choose. Questions? Just call us, and we’ll walk your thru the needed steps.

Baltimore 1-866-MAC-MEDICS
Washington DC 1-888-4-DC-MACS

In a hurry? Not a problem! Take advantage of our Hard Drive upgrade service while you are having your Data Recovery or just your Hard Drive replaced under warranty without any Data Recovery. This way you don’t have your computer being held hostage while we work on your Data Recovery, plus you get a larger, faster (in most cases), and a more robust hard drive with a full 1-year warranty from MacMedics. Plus, all of our hard drives carry a three-year manufacturer warranty!

Just have us remove your old hard drive, we’ll upgrade your drive, install an OS, and send you off with your computer to use while we work on the Data Recovery. This is great if you need your Mac right away or if you’re heading out of town.

Once the recovery is complete (successful of not) we’ll send your old drive back to Apple, and get your replacement drive for you. That drive is yours to keep and you can sell it, save it as a spare, or give it away. In the end you just pay for the bare hard drive and the Data Recovery (if needed) and Apple covers the labor.

Update 1/25/12 Lojack For Laptops is not available from the Apple App Store. See our link below for 25% off.

Update 1/8/12: If you don’t already own LoJack for Laptops for your Mac (or PC for that matter), we highly recommend it. Also, a pro tip from your friends here at MacMedics: Just because this product it called Lojack for Laptops, there’s no reason you cannot install it on any Mac computer. Obviously the iSight camera capture features are not going to work on a Mac Pro or Mac mini, but they can still be tracked, erased, and potentially recovered! Since this MacMedics Blog post seems to get quite a bit of traffic, we’re posting our link for special Lojack pricing that is currently 25% off any version, here:

http://www.macmedics.com/lojack

The LoJack team have been working hard to ensure that LoJack for Laptops will be fully compatible with Apple’s new version of OS X, Lion (10.7)

If you plan to upgrade to OS X Lion before July 25th, you will need to take a few simple steps to maintain your LoJack for Laptops protection until our update is fully distributed.

Step 1: Download and Install OS X Lion (10.7) from the Mac App Store

Step 2: Go to www.lojackforlaptops.com/login and login to access your account (Note: If you have more than one Mac in your account, first click on the Mac you are upgrading.)

Step 3: Click Remove

Step 4: Click Install

Step 5: Download the installer

Step 6: When prompted, enter your registration code.

Step 7: Follow the remaining steps to complete the reinstallation of LoJack for Laptops.

Your LoJack recovery info won’t be of much help to you when you need to report your MacBook or MacBook Pro stolen if you don’t have that info with you. Lojack suggests you print your license info and put it in a safe place. It is not likely that you will be able to find it quickly, or have that info with you while traveling or at work.

Macs get ripped off all the time, so be sure to save this info as a PDF and upload it to your iPhone or iPod touch to iBooks via iTunes, so you’ll have it when you need it the most! See our new Blog post for more info.

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

Sign Up for Our Newsletter:

Update 7/20/11: Don’t miss the MacMedics newsletter that will be out tomorrow morning with info about Apple’s new version of OS X, Lion. Subscribe now and get our free Time Machine White Paper, plus our last issue free. Don’t like what you see drop off anytime!

If you’d also like to hear about the solutions and the detailed information regarding what you read about on the @MacMedics Twitter account, as well as important information and specials only for MacMedics clients, I would like to invite you to subscribe to the MacMedics email newsletter as well.

Are you working with a different Mac consultant or IT service firm? It does not hurt to have a backup plan! Keep tabs on MacMedics and what we are saying to our clients, and maybe we can help you in the future.

If you’re currently working with a different Macintosh service provider, reseller, or consultant, please consider keeping tabs on MacMedics via our newsletter. We would love to earn your future Macintosh business, and we’ll like to remind you that we’re here for you if you need us. You DO NOT have to be a MacMedics client in order to pick up the phone and get immediate Apple Authorized Service and Sales, as well as general Mac help or advice. We would be pleased to give you an idea of how we work and how passionate we are about supporting our MacMedics clients and the Apple platform.

We know subscribing to yet another email newsletter is a big commitment, but we promise not to email you too often. We use a professional email newsletter management service, which gives you the ability to opt-out at anytime. If it’s too much for you, or you just don’t think it’s right for you, just hit that “unsubscribe” button and we’re gone.

When you subscribe we’ll email you a copy of our FREE Time Machine White Paper

When you subscribe to our newsletter, you’ll get a welcome email that has a link to our most recent edition of the MacMedics newsletter as well as a secret download link to our famous 5-page Time Machine White Paper. It’s yours free, when you subscribe.

You can subscribe at the bottom of this Blog post or on our website at: http://www.macmedics.com/newsletter.htm

Sign Up for Our Newsletter:

If you own an Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro we highly recommend LoJack for Laptops be installed on your computer. Also, LoJack can be installed on desktop Macintosh computers as well. Macs are magnets for thieves, so having them protected is a must! When planning for this thing, don’t forget about your backup. Yes computers can be replaced, but your valuable data cannot. If a crackhead looking for quick cash breaks into your place, they will most likely steal your computer and the backup drive that sits next to it. This is a very good reason to also have a “clone” back up hidden in your house, in your safe deposit box, or use an online back up service like Mozy.

Plus, there are documented stories of Mac users that have had their gear stolen, and used their on-line back up to track down the thief. While the thief is deleting the owns data off the computer he or she is most likely adding their own data. Thieves often don’t know how to work a Mac, so instead of creating a new account, they will just use the existing accounts on the computer. This is a good reason to have an unlocked “Guest” account on the computer. They will add their photos to iPhoto, use iTunes, and nobody can resist using Photo Booth. Also, with Apple Remote Desktop or Back To My Mac, you might be able to monitor your Mac remotely to learn where it is and who has it.

We have had a number of clients who have had their Apple laptops lost to theft this year. This upsets us, so we want to ensure we’re doing all we can to protect your property and your DATA!

We’ve chosen to use LoJack for Laptops for ALL of the MacBooks that are owned by MacMedics. It works well and once it’s installed it’s can’t be removed or detected by the thief who has the laptop.

LoJack for laptops provides theft recovery and remote delete services to protect your sensitive business data. If your laptop were to be lost to theft, you have the ability to track the thief via geo location or IP address reporting, and most likely have your equipment recovered. In situations where your laptop has sensitive data stored on it, you would also have the ability to erase your data remotely, “freeze” your computer, and even have a message displayed announcing the unit has been stolen.

If and when your Apple laptop is stolen, you activate the hidden LoJack software. Once your computer has been reported missing the LoJack team will work will law enforcement to recover your computer. Unlike most other recovery software, LoJack is not a DIY recovery.

It’s also very important to note, that your personal or business data is at a greater risk when it’s stored on a laptop. If your laptop is lost, stolen, or damaged, you could lose your data. It’s extra important that you have a tested and working back up of your data. If you need help setting up a back up for your MacBook, MacMedics has solutions starting at $89.

Contact MacMedics if you have any questions, need to purchase LoJack for Laptops, or need assistance with installing, configuring and testing your backup solution.

Learn more about LoJack for Laptops here: http://www.absolute.com/en/lojackforlaptops/features.aspx

LoJack for Laptops in the news: LoJack helped recover some computers that had been reported stolen from the Charles County Public School system. Both computers were recovered by using computer keystroke tracking was used to discover the identity of the alleged thief. Read more here.

Update 6/4/11: Since the Mac tracking software “Hidden” has been in the news recently, lots of Mac users have been researching laptop tracking software. LoJack offers some features that Hidden does not, one of them being that you can securely “erase” or “lockup” your computer with LoJack. LoJack does not make pictures available to you and I’m not sure if they even use them or not. This is one of the reasons that it might be wise to have two programs installed. One that you can monitor and LoJack to have professional recovery team do their work from the other side.

Here’s the link to the story that was in the news recently.

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

Still looking for stocking stuffers for the holidays? Here’s an idea: Give the gift of data backup and security for only $89.

This little 320 GB portable USB hard drive comes with a 7-Year warranty.

Don’t forget that new or old hard drives can fail at any time, so it’s super important to keep your data backed up. A mistake that is often made, is that a new MacBook or iMac user will assume that since their new Apple computer is in fact new, they have 6 months of safe computing, where they don’t have to worry about their data. In fact, you have 30 day burn-in period where you are at a slightly higher chance of a hard drive failure in a new computer. This is a myth, and totally unsafe! In fact if you’re an Apple laptop user, you have the increased risk of theft, loss, and accidental damage.

If you’re giving the gift of a Macintosh computer this season, do your new Mac owner a favor and include a back-up drive.

As soon as you start generating data that you care about, you need to back it up! Need help getting started? We can help get your set up over the phone, on-site, in-lab, or via remote desktop support. See our website http://www.harddrivesdie.com for more info on this topic.

So you have an Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro that needs a larger hard drive. Not an uncommon problem.

Maybe someone in your family decided to give you the gift of a bare hard drive, or maybe you have another 2.5” drive that is kicking around. In either case you decide that you don’t have the time, knowledge, or tools to install the drive into your Mac computer. Also, if your Apple laptop is under warranty, the hard drive is NOT a user installable part, so if you install it yourself, you’ll void your Apple warranty. Thankfully, MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Service Provider who employs Apple Certified Technicians.

MacMedics to the rescue! We’ve installed thousands of hard drives in Apple laptops, so we can install yours as well. For $150 we’ll install your new hard drive and perform a bit-by-bit clone of your data from your old drive to your new hard drive. As long as your old drive is healthy enough to copy, $150 is all you pay. In most cases this service can be performed same day, if you bring in your Apple laptop in the morning.

Don’t have your own hard drive and you don’t trust Best Buy to sell you the right speed, brand, or size of hard drive? Don’t worry as both MacMedics service locations in Millersville and Lanham, Maryland stock all sizes, speeds, and types of drives.

So from 160 GB all the way up to 1 TB (depending on your model of laptop), we can help!

We just had full moon, and it seems like it brought a ton of new Data Recovery jobs into the MacMedics offices. Spooky!

Now that it’s Halloween, I offer you the perfect metaphor for your Mac’s (or iPhone’s) Back Up. Don’t play “Trick Or Treat” with your valuable data.

When we have clients show up at our Mac Lab with data we can’t recover it just breaks our hearts. We’ve got a great track record for Recovering AND Rescuing data for folks, but there are cases we we can’t help with. We will refer these jobs off to Clean Room recovery firms, and often they can save your data in exchange for fees as high as $2500. But, not all data can be saved, and about 10% of the cases we refer, there’s not a positive result, and that data is gone forever.

As soon as you buy a new Mac, or get an old Mac’s hard drive repaired, you need to have a back up program running. On any Mac that is running Leopard (10.5) or Snow leopard (10.6), use Time Machine! It’s very, VERY powerful, and has been used to save lots of our client’s data.

The important thing is to PLAN AHEAD. Your back up is not complete if it’s not:

1. Automatic (Use Time Machine and this point is covered)
2. Redundant (Double your back up with a clone of your data and this point is covered)
3. Off-Site (Take your double back up off-site or get Mozy and this point is covered)

See how easy it is to be 100% covered! Now think of how much better you’ll feel knowing this little project has been taken care of and that your back up has been certified! If you need help getting a back up in place, we can help. On-site, In-lab, or even Remote Desktop Support, we’re there, and we’ll help get your back up configured and tested!

While all of us at MacMedics are HUGE fans of Time Machine, it’s not 100% infallible. MacMedics recommends that you ALSO back up your hard drive via a “clone” use Super Duper or Carbon Copy Cloner, as that way you can “test” your back up to insure you have a good, bootable copy. With a “clone” back up AND a Time Machine back up, you’re covered for TWO types of back ups, and you’re DOUBLING your chances for a successful recovery.

This might also be a good time to enhance your back up plan by adding an off-site back up. MacMedics is now a Mozy partner, so click here if you’d like to sign up for that (this like usually has the current Mozy discount coupon codes on it as well). You can get a free account that will back up 2 Gigabytes of data. It’s silly not to take advantage of that. We had a client in with a bad MacBook hard drive just a few days ago, and she was mostly backed up, but she was working a major project for her employer that had huge amount of Excel data in it. All she wanted was that one folder. Sadly we could not get it for her. If she had set up Mozy, even if she did not have a back up drive *a common problem for portable computers), her data would have been “automatically” backed up AND “off-site” thus completing two points of the golden triangle of data protection. Best of all, it would have been 100% free!

We also work with CrashPlan for on-line backups, so if you’d like to check out their current off-site back up plans see this link.

We have tons of posts on Time Machine and we even have a free White Paper on it If you’d like a copy, let us know. If you’re not using an automatic backup, your data is at risk!

Also, don’t forget that hard drives don’t last forever. Our rule of thumb for hard drive retirement is as follows. In Apple laptops the hard drive should be proactively replaced after 2 to 3 years years. In Apple desktops the hard drive should be proactive replaced after 3 years. You can find out more about this on our website http://www.HardDrivesDie.com.

There’s one more thing I would like to mention here. iPhones and iPod touch models also need to be backed up. All you have to do is to sync with you Mac from time to time. People are starting to treat these portable Apple products as stand alone devices, and when you think about it, many people are generating data on their iPhones and iPods just like they do on a computer.

You’ve got photos, e-mails, text documents, bookmarks, files, contacts, calendars, and videos that all can be generated or sent to your mobile device. All you have to do is connect to iTunes, and it will back up your device.

There are not too many ways to get mission critical data off a dead iPhone. We can often do it, but the data is all stored on the logic board of your iPhone or iPod touch. If it gets wet, gets dropped, or gets lost or stolen, then there goes your data. If we can’t get your logic board to fire up, then we don’t have access to your data.

Judging by the number of Mac laptops (and iPhones & iPods) that come into MacMedics with coffee spilled into them, we’ve sort of figured out that Macs and coffee often go hand-in-hand. Well, I guess they sort of go together and it usually does not work too well when the coffee goes INTO the MacBook or MacBook Pro. If you’ve got a liquid spill be sure to read this before you do anything else!

MacMedics continues our ongoing Coffee House tour, and we’ll again be enjoying the excellent java with our coffee and Mac friends at The Big Bean right down the road from our Millersville office in delightful Severna Park, Maryland.

We’ll be there Thursday October 7th from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM to show off the latest Macintosh models and to talk about the Macintosh sales, service, and on-site consulting that MacMedics offers. We’ll also be available to talk about our repair service for iPhones (3G, 3G S, and iPhone 4) as well as all iPod repairs.

We’ll be handing out MacMedics discount cards good for $25 off any NEW Mac or $25 off any in-lab or on-site MacMedics service as well as coupons for $10 off an iPod or iPhone repair.

Anybody that stops in can get any size brewed coffee for free, compliments of your fellow coffee lovers at MacMedics.

Stop by our table to chat or just rush in to get your coffee, either way you get free coffee, our discount card, and a free entry in our drawing for an iPod shuffle (if you want to drop your business card).

Questions? Just call Dana or Jason at 410-987-8588.

See you there!