Before you make an appointment, drive to the mall, find a parking spot, and then lug your Mac through the Annapolis Mall to get to the Apple Store, please consider supporting your local neighborhood Mac shop! Visit MacMedics in Millersville (near BWI airport) or Lanham, Maryland (near RT 50 & I-495) the next time you need Mac sales or service.

See our Blog post with all the details on why to come see MacMedics instead of trekking to the Apple Store. Clients that come to see us, often tell us they will never go back to the Apple Store for Macintosh sales OR service!

Or review this quick top 11 reasons here:

1. No appointment is needed: No need to call ahead when you’re ready to come visit MacMedics! Just walk in and our Apple Certified Techs will take great care of you.

Update 12/16/09 If you read my Blog post below you’ll see my ten reasons for coming to visit MacMedics vs. making a trip to the Apple store. I love the Apple Store and what they do there, but as a local business owner I hope you’ll come see us instead. As the owner of MacMedics I do have my reasons, but don’t just take my word for it. Take a look at the first two Yelp.com reviews for the Apple Store in Annapolis.

Lots of MacMedics clients and Mac friends I’ve been talking to recently have commented on the longevity of MacMedics. If you have not heard, we’re now in our twentieth year of business (pretty cool). It’s nice that I no longer have to explain that Apple is NOT going out of business, why Apple has no market share, why Macs cost so much, why would anyone want a Mac, aren’t PC’s so much better then Macs for business, and why Macs are not just for hobbyists, gamers, and people who wear sandals?

Now, the conversations are much more positive! The most prevailing questions seem to be related to be how on earth can MacMedics’ TWO Maryland based Macintosh sales and service locations continue to proper and expand when we have to compete directly with Apple’s very strong retail store presence in Maryland and Virginia?

The MacMedics Millersville/Baltimore office is in the middle of three local Apple Stores in Baltimore-Annapolis area, (Annapolis, Columbia, and Towson, Maryland) and the MacMedics Lanham/Washington DC office also in thick of Apple Store country (including first Apple Store in Tysons Corner as well as Bethesda (soon to be in it’s own new “store front” location on Bethesda Ave.), Clarendon, Pentagon City, and also Annapolis).

First of all, Apple sends tons of people to us directly from the Apple Store and from AppleCare telephone support. The folks at Apple know that for many repairs, MacMedics’ labor pricing structure and service parts costs are different (and usually LOWER) than Apple, so for most repairs, MacMedics is less expensive than Apple (and many others as well). When you factor in that all MacMedics “out-of-warranty” Macintosh repairs we perform are covered by our 1-year “no hassle” warranty. This fact makes MacMedics the BEST choice for ALL Apple out of warranty repairs. The Apple Store and other AASP’s only offer a 90-day warranty on Apple service repairs.

When faced with a major repair like a logic board or LCD replacement, our price is hundreds of dollars less than the Apple Store. The Apple Store also does not offer full repair services for their iPod and iPhone family of products. They will exchange certain units in certain circumstances, but not always and generally a “whole unit” exchange is MORE expensive then just having the exact problem fixed by MacMedics.

What about AppleCare and Apple Warranty repairs? Well, as an Apple Authorized Service Provider, MacMedics is the place for that as well. With no lines, no lugging your Mac gear though the mall, and our award-winning in-lab service, it’s pretty clear that we are on our game. At the Apple Store you have to compete with the crowds, and those crowds mean that there’s an equally large amount of Apple hardware in the back room waiting for the Genius team to get to it. We almost always start your repair the same day you bring it to us. As soon as we have a repair plan and cost estimate we’ll call you and give you all of your choices. You never have to worry if we’re push you one way or another when considering to buy a new Mac (or used Mac) or to perform a repair. It’s always your choice, and we’ll advise you like family when it comes to making a decision about replacing an older Mac or one that may not be worth investing any more money in. As an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, MacMedics is well suited to help you find a new Mac when you’re ready for one.

We’re also quite proud of the fact that MacMedics almost never uses Apple depot (mail-in) service. We perform any repair we can in-house, and that translates into a faster turn around time for you.

MacMedics’ Millersville headquarters is a hassle-free place to come when you need Macintosh support. We have over 3000 square feet dedicated to ONLY Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone service. That’s larger then most Apple Stores, and far more “service” space then pretty much anywhere else. Don’t forget that our Lanham, MD location is just as well suited to handle your Mac service and sales needs.

Here’s TEN great reasons to come see MacMedics Mac Lab in Millersville or Lanham:

1. No appointment is necessary at MacMedics: Just walk in and our Apple Certified Techs will take great care of you.

2. No lines: We’re always busy, but there’s almost never a wait to speak to a MacMedic Tech.

3. Quick Check In: Tell us what your Mac’s issue or problem is, and we’ll get right on the case! We’ll call you to talk in detail when we have an idea of what’s going on with your unit and what ALL of your options are. MacMedics offers an initial Macintosh Dialogistic for your computer at no charge. If we have to dig deep with part testing or advanced software testing our fee is only $49, and only if you choose NOT to have your machine repaired.

4. No lugging your iMac, Mac Pro, or G5 through the mall: Our front door is less then 10 steps from our parking lot. You can bring your Mac in, or come in and get us, and we’ll carry it in for you.

5. Quick Turn-Around: Our goal for in-lab service it to have it done in less then 72 hours. Many repairs take less time, and if that’s the case then your Mac will be back to you even quicker.

6. Hassle free warranty: Got a Mac that needs out of warranty service? The Apple Store only offers a 90-day service warranty. MacMedics “Hassle Free” warranty is a full 1-year!

7. Need a new Mac? We’ve got them: Come pick out what you want, and we’ll be happy to help with no sales hype! MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, so you can get the equipment you need coupled with the very best advice from the experts at MacMedics.

8. Full Service for iPhone & iPods: While the Apple store might do a whole unit replacement or offer a small discount for buying a new unit, MacMedics will fix just the problem your iPhone or iPod has, thus saving you money. All iPhone and iPod repairs MacMedics perform come with a full one-year parts and labor warranty.

9. Same day service for iPods & iPhones: In most cases if you drop off your iPod or iPhone in the morning, we’ll have it done later that same day!

10. Advanced, complex, or difficult repairs are performed at MacMedics every day: If you’ve been quoted an exorbitant amount of money to have your Mac fixed at the Apple Store, MacMedics can help! Liquid damage, fried logic boards, SuperDrive replacements, broken LCDs or MacBook Pro glass, and severe Macintosh case damage are all offered at MacMedics and often for hundreds of dollars less then Apple (or anywhere else!).

New Bonus Reason: The Apple Store Can’t Upgrade Your Hard Drive. MacMedics Can! See our new blog post from 1/30/10 to get all of the details here. A common issue we help clients with here at MacMedics is “upgrading” or “retiring” a failed (or perfectly good) hard drive. What many people don’t know is that we can “upgrade” your computer to a larger size hard drive, even if your hard drive has failed under Apple warranty.

Update 5/26/09 Need another reason? We are pleased to announce that Apple has selected MacMedics for a quarterly Commitment To Excellence service award for the second time. Only 179 Apple Service locations were honored with this award putting MacMedics in the top 5% of all Apple Authorized Service Providers in the United States and Canada. Get the scoop here.

A faster 3.33GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor is now available as a configure-to-order option on the quad-core Mac Pro. Featuring 8MB of fully shared L3 cache, an integrated memory controller, Hyper-Threading technology, and Turbo Boost for dynamic performance up to 3.6GHz, this processor brings even greater performance to the quad-core Mac Pro.

Mac Pro and Xserve systems can now be configured with 2TB hard drives, doubling the total storage capacity to up to 8TB on Mac Pro and up to 6TB on Xserve. The 2TB hard drives are high-performance 7200-rpm SATA 3Gb/s drives with 32MB of cache and are also available separately.

The Mac Pro configure-to-order options include

- 3.33GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” Processor

- 2TB hard drive option (for a capacity of up to 8 TB)

The Xserve configure-to-order options include:

- 2TB hard drive option (for a capacity of up to 8 TB)

Don’t take our word for it. Here’s three recent comments from clients MacMedics has performed Apple warranty repairs for:

1. As always the people at Mac Medics were right on point and offered the best quality service. I have never been disappointed with any visit to them and would highly recommend them to anyone who needed service.

2. They went beyond just repairing the problem. They made recommendations and then provided solutions as to how I might prevent the possible consequences of the problem in the future. I am highly satisfied with every aspect of their service.

3. This MacMedics location is unbelievable….repaired in under 24 hours. Called me to come pickup and explained all repairs and warranty issues.They are definitely the hardest working group in your network. I can’t say enough abut their professionalism and attention to detail.

MacMedics is a 100% Apple Macintosh-only, award-winning consulting and service firm founded in the Annapolis area in 1989. As Apple Authorized Value Added Resellers and Apple Authorized Service Providers, MacMedics is able to provide full-spectrum Apple-centric and specialized consultation and service to wide array of industries, agencies, and organizations.

MacMedics offers their progressive style of on-site Mac service and repair to most of the Mid-Atlantic region via their three offices located in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Philadelphia, PA. MacMedics services all Macs, Macintosh servers, and Mac networks in professional, government, educational, and home environments.

Here’s ten reasons to come see the friendly folks at the MacMedics Mac Lab in Millersville or Lanham:

1. No appointments are necessary at MacMedics: Just walk in and our Apple Certified Techs will take great care of you.

2. No lines: We’re always busy, but there’s almost never a wait to speak to a MacMedic Tech.

3. Quick Check In: Tell us what your Mac’s issue or problem is, and we’ll get right on the case! We’ll call you to talk in detail when we have an idea of what’s going on with your unit and what ALL of your options are. MacMedics offers an initial Macintosh Dialogistic for your computer at no charge. If we have to dig deep with part testing or advanced software testing our fee is only $49, and only if you choose NOT to have your machine repaired.

4. No lugging your iMac, Mac Pro, or G5 through the mall: Our front door is less then 10 steps from our parking lot. You can bring your Mac in, or come in and get us, and we’ll carry it in for you.

5. Quick Turn-Around: Our goal for in-lab service it to have it done in less then 72 hours. Many repairs take less time, and if that’s the case then your Mac will be back to you even quicker.

6. Hassle free warranty: Got a Mac that needs out of warranty service? The Apple Store only offers a 90-day service warranty. MacMedics “Hassle Free” warranty is a full 1-year!

7. Need a new Mac? We’ve got them: Come pick out what you want, and we’ll be happy to help with no sales hype! MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, so you can get the equipment you need coupled with the very best advice from the experts at MacMedics.

8. Full Service for iPhone & iPods: While the Apple store might do a whole unit replacement or offer a small discount for buying a new unit, MacMedics will fix just the problem your iPhone or iPod has, thus saving you money. All iPhone and iPod repairs MacMedics perform come with a full one-year parts and labor warranty.

9. Same day service for iPods & iPhones: In most cases if you drop off your iPod or iPhone in the morning, we’ll have it done later that same day!

10. Advanced, complex, or difficult repairs are performed at MacMedics every day: If you’ve been quoted an exorbitant amount of money to have your Mac fixed at the Apple Store, MacMedics can help! Liquid damage, fried logic boards, SuperDrive replacements, broken LCDs or MacBook Pro glass, and severe Macintosh case damage are all offered at MacMedics and often for hundreds of dollars less then Apple (or anywhere else!).

MacMedics recently completed a triple PowerMac G5 retirement at a local Baltimore hospital. All three machines were in place and up in running in under 3 hours. If you’re a PowerMac user AND a professional graphic designer, MacMedics is now officially recommending that you retire your trusty G4 or G5. (See pictures of Dana loading up for the install below.)

This is a great time to upgrade a small or large Mac workgroup, as Apple Finance is offering 0% leasing until June 30th. If you’d like details, see this PDF. MacMedics will also issue a credit good for dollars off your Mac Pro or iMac purchase or lease when you trade in your G4 or G5.

Don’t forget that if you’ve had a Mac in service for more than three years (any Mac), it’s time to retire and replace your internal hard drive! If a new Mac is not in the cards for you, do yourself a favor by being proactive, and retire your hard drive, before it kicks the bucket. We have a whole web page all about hard drive “retirement”. Check it out at http://www.HardDrivesDie.com. (We recommend hard drive retirement after 2 years of service in Apple laptops. Also don’t forget to check to see if you have the dreaded Seagate 7.01 firmware drive. If you do, replace it now!! Get details here.)

Here’s some of the highlights from the letter that we’re sending to MacMedics clients about G4 and G5 machine retirement and replacement:

1. Your PowerMac will NOT run the next version of Apple’s operating system, Snow Leopard, which is due out later this year. While this is not an issue now, it will be one that will catch up to you quickly. You might want to take this fact into account when considering when you might replace your machine. Snow Leopard will only run on Intel Macs.

2. If you are using your computer professionally, and it’s your main tool for graphic design, then you should consider having the fastest computer you can afford. Your time is valuable, and with a Multi Core Intel based Mac you will be able to work much, much faster. The performance score for a G5 1.6 Ghz is 1000, while the score for a Mac Pro can be as high as 14904, and an iMac can be as high as 3873.

3. If you have not already done so, and you are planning on continuing to use your current Mac, your hard drive should be replaced proactively. Visit our web site www.HardDrivesDie.com for more info on this topic.

MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, and as such we can help you buy a new Macintosh when you are ready to do so. We wanted to let you know that we are now advising MacMedics clients that are designing on G5’s that it IS time to start planning for an upgrade. With Mac technology improving more and more quickly, and with file size and file complexity growing just as fast, it is pushing our clients into new computers faster then ever before.

Apple has promoted MacMedics from our current designation as an Apple Authorized Reseller to our new designation as a new Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller. Apple has recognized MacMedics for our advanced consulting involving Macintosh servers and Windows integration. Our work in converting businesses and organizations that were once 100% Windows over to the Macintosh platform has also made us well suited for our new Apple assigned vertical specialty. We are proud to announce that MacMedics is now an Apple Authorized VAR specializing in Network and Integration.

We’re very excited about this, and there’s even an official press release from our public relations team. You can check that out here in PDF form (or read the full text of the announcement below). Thank you to everyone that worked with us and supported MacMedics in this new Apple authorization!

The full press release follows:

Millersville, MD – May 11, 2009 – MacMedics, a 20 year old full-service Apple Authorized consulting, sales and repair firm announced today that Apple, Inc. has promoted their status to an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller (VAR).

Apple’s VAR program is designed for resellers and integrators that deliver highly specialized, turn–key solutions—including the audio, broadcast, film, networking, Original Equipment Manufacturer, photography, publishing, scientific/technical, storage, and video markets. Apple has recognized MacMedics for its work in integrating Macs into existing Windows environments, as well as for replacing Windows-based servers with more reliable and secure Macintosh servers. Over its 20-year history, MacMedics has handled 50,000 on-site service calls and possesses 200 plus years of combined Mac experience across its 20 employees.

“With this additional designation from Apple, MacMedics will expand its focus on Macintosh network integration, which has long been a major part of our consulting practice,” states Dana Stibolt, president and founder of MacMedics. “The additional resources the Apple VAR authorization provides will greatly enhance the personal services that we can offer our clients.”

MacMedics is also an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and offers walk-in Apple service for both in and out of warranty Macs, and out of warranty iPods and iPhones in their repair centers in Millersville, MD and Lanham, MD. MacMedics is also an Apple Developer as well as an Apple Authorized Government Distributor.

-more-

About MacMedics:

Since 1989, MacMedics (http://www.macmedics.com) has offered Apple sales, support and consulting to business, education and residential customers in the Mid-Atlantic region. The company offers a broad range of services including desktop computer set-up, maintenance and administration, system and network administration, consulting and technology planning, Internet service and hardware set-up and troubleshooting, onsite and in-store training, emergency response and preventative maintenance. MacMedics provides Apple Authorized sales and service to over 8,500 clients from their three offices in Baltimore, Washington, and Philadelphia.

# # #

MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller with offices in Baltimore Maryland, Washington DC, and Philadelphia Pennsylvania. When you’re ready for a new Mac system, please consider the following:

1. All new Macintosh equipment supplied by MacMedics is pre-tested and pre-configured for your needs.

2. If the Macintosh you want is not in stock at MacMedics, shipping on custom Mac orders is always free and fast!

3. If you have an older Macintosh computer that contains your data, we’ll transfer that data to your new computer for a flat fee of $99. We’ll also securely erase the data off your old hard drive, and responsibly recycle your old Mac and/or hard drive for free.

4. MacMedics is also an Apple Authorized Service Provider, so we’re able to service what we sell.

5. Consider all of the above, but also with no lines, no loud music, and no sales hype when you’re exploring your options to repair or replace your computer.

There are lots of choices when it comes to Macintosh sales, but we hope you’ll consider MacMedics when you’re ready to move up to a newer and faster Mac. If you have questions, please get in touch with your local MacMedics office.

Washington DC 1-888-4-DC-MACS
Baltimore 1-866-MAC-MEDICS
Philadelphia 1-877-626-MEDIC

The crew here at MacMedics are straight-talking, honest, Apple Certified Macintosh professionals who love helping our clients repair or service older Apple gear just as much as as we enjoy upgrading clients into a new Mac. Come take advantage of our 200 plus years of combined Macintosh experience, 45,000 on-site and in-lab service jobs, and over 20 years in business. You never need an appointment to visit, and it’s just 15 feet from your car to our front door.

MacMedics is an Apple Authorized Reseller in Maryland