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

Another 5 Star Macintosh Service Review For Mac Medics Baltimore From Yelp.

One of the things that we’re famous for is taking care of older Macintosh hardware. In the case below, the client had a dead G4 iMac, and it was obviously beyond repair. She ended up making a visit to the Annapolis Apple Store, and it was too old for them to work on. So while cracking open a dead iMac is not super advanced “data recovery”, we still could do it, and we knew how to do perform that particular operation. This is where the 50,000 plus Mac service work orders we’ve logged since 1989 come into play. Add that to our Apple Certified employees who have well over 200 combined years of Macintosh experience, and well, we can take care of just about anything!

Come visit our fully stocked and staffed service center in either Millersville or Lanham, Maryland, where our square footage dedicated to Apple Authorized Service is larger then most Apple Stores you find in the mall.

MacMedics is terrific. All the staff: Dana-Jason-Tinika are really helpful/knowledgeable/patient. They can do anything/all that an Apple Store can do, but they know so much more. I took in my ancient-one of the first iMacs and they removed the old drive/loaded that plus all what I wanted into my new iMac. I even purchased AppleCare. I can’t say enough about how good the customer service is. Grade? A+.

C.C.
Annapolis, MD

If you spill coffee into your MacBook or MacBook Pro, the trick is to get it to MacMedics fast. Don’t try to fix it yourself, and just because it seems to be working OK, does NOT mean you’re out of the woods. Best thing to do is try to mop up excess liquid, remove the battery, then get it to us a quickly as possible.

Here are some Do-It-Yourself procedures to avoid:

1. Don’t try to turn the unit on NO MATTER WHAT. If there is liquid in the unit, and it’s making a connection between anything, then that could very well be the end of your laptop.

2. Don’t try to take the unit apart yourself. It’s not that hard to take off most MacBook’s top case, but to ensure the liquid is gone, the logic board needs to be removed in almost every case.

3. Don’t try to clean your logic board or any other part of your computer with “distilled” water. In fact, we don’t recommend you even try to clean it at all.

4. If moisture gets in, it’s usually not going to go away on it’s own. If your computer seems to be working after a spill, then that means you most likely got lucky and we might be able to fix/save your MacBook or MacBook Pro. But, in order to do so, turn the unit off and remove the battery. The liquid problem almost never goes away on it’s own.

5. If you have something like coffee, orange juice, soda, and many other type of acidic liquids, two things, 1. the acid will cause more corrosion than just water, and 2. Anything that has sugars in it won’t totally evaporate, it will just turn in a syrup which can cause it’s own set of problems. If you are growing a corrosion “science fair” project inside your laptop, you’ll end up with something that looks like mold that we call “creeping crud“. This stuff is nasty, because as long as it’s inside your unit, it can sort of “grow” and “creep” to reach other parts of your computer and cause more damage along the way. Anything it touches and then grows on will get get fried if power is applied (even well after the liquid is long gone). It’s also very brittle and it can crack off and then “float” around inside of your unit causing more issues as it “pinballs” its way around the inside of your computer.

6. Do us a big favor, don’t put your Apple laptop into an oven to dry it out. This can cause a whole new set of problems. We just wrapped up writing an estimate on a Unibody MacBook Pro that the owner tried to take it apart, then tried to clean the keyboard with water, and then baked the whole thing in the oven. Total repair $1700. New computer $1200.

One other thing to think about: Your hard drive. If your data is NOT backed up, your liquid soaked laptop could be putting your data at risk. This is the first thing we look a when working on a liquid spill case. We remove the hard drive and check to ensure that your data is safe. Most DIY repairs don’t take this into account, and most won’t take the controller off the hard drive to ensure there’s no liquid under it. When making a back up plan, you should take into account laptop damage as a possible way for your data to get in harm’s way. Please ensure you have a back up (tested and working) at all times.

Here’s a testimonial for one that we fixed a while back. This client was smart and he got the unit to us quickly, so we could get the coffee out while it was still wet.

“Well I’ve received my MacBook delivered back to me via your courier; and, I have to tell you that it was like getting a member of the family home from the hospital. Five days after buying my MacBook, I spilled coffee across the open laptop: I was certain that I had just spent $1,200 for coffee I wouldn’t get to enjoy. I never dreamed you could have saved my files– much less the entire computer. I am in awe of the dedication and skill it must have taken to disassemble my laptop, clean it piece by piece, and then return it to me as good as new. Thank you for the attention, the care, and the professionalism you demonstrated in far exceeding my expectations in quality of service and affordability. I highly recommend MacMedics, and would encourage any Mac user who drinks coffee to put your number on speed dial.”

Shane Townsend
Baltimore, Maryland

When MacMedics performs an Apple Warranty or AppleCare repair for one of our clients, Apple sends a follow up e-mail to ask how we did. These are some of the mini-reviews that we have received.

#1 The service I received at MacMedics was very good and they always called me and left messages updating the status and progress of my computer.
—–
#2 I loved being able to walk in talk to a rep and have the work started right away. They have great customer service they always keep me up to date on their progress and explain their work and my service options every step of the way.
—–
#3 They were awesome. Nuff said. Dana runs a great show there.
—–
#4 They were fantastic. The service was quick the people were friendly and willing to answer all of my questions.

These are anonymous comments, so if one of these Apple Warranty or AppleCare reviews for MacMedics is yours, thank you!

If you need Apple Macintosh please consider visiting MacMedics in Millersville or Lanham instead of trekking to your local Apple Store. You never need an appointment, we’re 10 steps from your car, We’re cheaper, we’re faster (most warranty repairs are completed in 24 hours), and above all we’re accurate! We only fix what needs fixing.

Update 6/25/10 If you have just arrived from Dwight Silverman’s Houston Chronicle’s TechBlog regarding this topic, please see my response to that post. This is a delicate subject, and my comments were deemed too long (and maybe too self serving) to be posted. Seriously, please call us to at least chat about your issue, and $150 is a small price to pay to have ALL of the facts regarding your liquid spill case. If you don’t click this link or fully read this Blog post, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re out of the woods if your MacBook or MacBook Pro (or any other laptop) is working after you wiped it off, and dried it out. We see lots of cases where the computer will FRY it’s self after what’s left of the liquid inside starts to corrode and grows what we call creeping crud.

MacMedics Frequently Asked Macintosh Service Questions: Is It Worth Repairing A Macbook Pro With $1200.00 In Liquid Damage? This dollar amount is a pretty common price quote from the Apple Store. Before you accept a quote for an “advanced” Macintosh repair of any kind (from anybody), be sure to get a second opinion from the experts at MacMedics. We’ve been fixing Macs since before the Apple Store and since 1989 in the Baltimore-Annapolis-Columbia and Washington DC/NOVA areas.

It is best to see the unit, but there’s no harm in calling us to go over the options and details. Give us a shout anytime at 1-866-MAC-MEDICS!

First off, this is a far too common of an issue. We just successfully repaired a MacBook that had a “Blueberry Smoothie” spilled into it. Folks, please keep liquids at least an arm’s length away from your Apple laptop.

Being in a situation where liquid is in play brings up lots of questions. I’ll try to touch base on a few of the major ones here. If you find yourself in this situation, just call us at 1-866-MAC-MEDICS or send us an e-mail. We’re happy to talk shop about your Apple repair or service problems at anytime.

The first order of business is get the the MacBook or MacBook Pro right into us. Even if it appears that the unit is working after the spill, don’t assume you’ve dodged a bullet. Once there’s moisture inside the unit, it can grow into what we call the “creeping crud” which is really just corrosion that grows kind of like mold inside your computer. If this grows to a point where it’s touching two points that carry current, then zap! and you get a short and could end with with a fried logic board. Don’t forget that the metals used in the construction of your logic board are not normal metals that react in the manner that you would expect. They also react differently depending on what type of liquid gets spilled into your MacBook.

What to do if you have a spill: Turn off the computer, upplug the power adapter, and if possible remove the battery. It’s pretty much pot luck on what to do next. If liquid went in the keyboard, then turn the unit upside down with the screen open. Use a stack of books to place the unit on it’s keyboard, with the screen open. Depending on the situation hitting it with a hair dryer might help too.

How to get started: For $150 we’ll open the unit up take a look around inside. If we see surface damage we can clean, we’ll attack it. If we have to go deeper with the unit we’ll let you know and as in the case of the “Blueberry Smoothie” unit we just wrapped up, it ended up being about $300 in labor to fix the unit. If the unit is beyond repair, the $150 still buys you some rudimentary liquid removal, and we’ll give you the facts on what’s going on as well as a written report you can submit to your insurance company.

This is far better then just signing the death certificate yourself, and even if the news is bad, $150 is a small price to really know what’s really going on. Moving forward you can know that if you need to buy a new unit, your old unit at least had the best chance possible.

Is it worth fixing? If very well might be. In cases of liquid spills (coffee is the most common) the Apple Store is likely to quote you $1200.00 for your repair. Even if you have minor damage (that might seem major) it’s usually the same price. Here at MacMedics, we’ll just fix what’s damaged, and accurately diagnose the problem you have. A common issue after a liquid spill is a bad keyboard, that might be $200 to fix. Another issue we see frequently is a unit that can’t charge the battery or can’t run off the battery. Again, a repair like this at MacMedics is generally going to be $200 to $300.

Don’t try to fool Apple. There are liquid spill indicators inside of your MacBook or MacBook Pro (also iPods, iPads, and iPhones), so if your unit suffered a spill, Apple is going to find out very quickly. They also might charge you to look at it and then do nothing but return it to you.

Even if you do need a new logic board, it’s quite likely that our price will be lower then the Apple Store, and unlike Apple, MacMedics puts a full 1-year warranty on our repairs. (Apple is only 90 days). The other factor is turn around time. At Apple, almost all liquid spills get shipped out for depot service. This can work against you as the unit is out of your control, and you could end up with a repair that is far more than what was quoted. As an Apple Authorized Service Provider, Apple frequently sends clients to us for major repairs because they know our prices are likely going to be better than theirs. Liquid Spills, major case damage, and MacBook and MacBook Pro LCD and glass repair referrals from the Apple store are a daily occurrence at both of our MacMedics repair centers.

There’s not much good news when you spill something into you MacBook Pro. If the unit is a total loss, and you do end up buying new, MacMedics will take the old unit as a trade in (in most cases). As an Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller, we carry the full line of Macintosh MacBooks. We can also help with removing the hard drive from a damaged unit, and if needed cleaning it. If the hard drive is a loss too, and we can’t do anything with it, we can put you in touch with one of our clean room data recovery partners.

One thing that many people forget to check is your home owners or renters insurance. If you laptop suffers major damage, in many cases your insurance will cover it. The deducible is usually pretty high ($250 to $500), but that’s better than getting nothing. Also, American Express offers 90 of accidental damage or loss/theft protection when you buy with your AMEX card. Also, many other “high-end” credit cards also offer various protection levels from 90 days to 1-year. (I have a Capital One VISA and it offers 90 days of damage protection.)

There’s also a company called SafeWare that will insure your Apple laptop or iPhone against damage. It’s also possible to buy an extra insurance rider that can help protect your laptop if it get lost, stolen, or damaged.

MacMedics Frequently Asked Macintosh Service Questions

What is the cost for upgrading an iMac hard drive through an Apple Authorized Service Provider?

In most cases if your current drive is healthy enough for a large data transfer, and your data is backed up, MacMedics can perform this popular service for $150 plus the cost of a hard drive. A new “top-quality” 1 Terabyte hard drive can be provided with a full three-year manufactures warranty for about $130 making the total procedure with a new 7200 RMP hard drive about $280. MacMedics offers a full 1-year “no-hassle” parts and labor warranty on hard drives that are purchased and installed by us.

Also, if your iMac is still covered by AppleCare, installing a new third party hard drive won’t void your warranty (if performed by MacMedics). Your extended warranty will still be in effect, but will NOT cover the new non-Apple hard drive.

Another scenario that comes up quite often at MacMedics is where an iMac that is under warranty and it’s hard drive has failed. We can still replace your hard drive under warranty AND also offer a new larger, faster third party hard drive. We just charge you for the hard drive upgrade, and the replacement hard drive supplied by Apple is given to you to keep.

Your old hard drive will be placed in a static bag and returned to you (if out of warranty). The old hard drive can serve as a rudimentary “snapshot in time” back up that can be given to friends or a family member to serve as an “off-site back up”.

Obviously if your current hard drive is sick, or your data is in jeopardy, labor costs can be higher. For situations where your data is NOT backed up and the health and security of the data is unknown, MacMedics can remove your hard drive without testing the machine, and perform our Tier-1 data recovery where we make a cold clone of your drive (if possible). Data recovery can be tricky and each case is different, so it’s not always possible to spell out all of the details and possibilities in advance. If the $99 data recovery fee is successful we will copy that data without further inspection or review to any computer or external hard drive if you’re NOT having your computer repaired. See our data recovery “Frequently Asked Questions” at this link for more details.

Don’t forget that if your iMac hard drive (or other Mac desktop) is more than three-years old, then MacMedics recommends a proactive hard drive retirement. See our website http://www.HardDrivesDie.com for more info.

Not near a MacMedics office? We do accept mail-in repairs! Just put your iMac in it’s original shipping box, and either send it via the carrier of your choice, or call/e-mail us and we’ll arrange to send you a pre-paid shipping label.

The Apple Store does not perform hard drive upgrades, they also can’t rescue data that may be at risk. Folks from all over the world send us their Macs need repairs. If your local Apple Authorized service options are limited, let us help you out. Just fill out this form, and send your iMac in!

Before you make an appointment, drive to the mall, find a parking spot, and then lug your Mac through the Towson Town Center to get to the Towson Apple Store, please consider supporting your local neighborhood Mac shop! Visit MacMedics in Millersville (near BWI airport) the next time you need Apple Authorized 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.

11. 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. 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.

Everybody loves a good Mac service mystery. I had one yesterday.

A new client stopped by the Millersville Mac Lab yesterday. He had been to the Apple Store, where our friends at Apple thought he needed a new Superdrive. It was not surprising to hear that, because when you rocked the machine back and forth the Superdrive made the craziest noise ever. It sounded like the drive had just fallen apart, and there was a part that had come unhinged inside the unit. The unit was only 2 weeks old, and the unit’s owner was in a hurry, so the Annapolis Apple Store sent him to us for a possible faster service option. (Thanks Annapolis Apple Store folks!)

He already had an Apple Service case number for the unit, and a new Superdrive was on the menu. We checked him in, and he left the shop. I gave the unit another shake to show a co-worker how crazy the unit sounded, and I saw a little corner of metal sticking out of the CD/DVD slot. I gently grabbed it with my trusty Leatherman pliers and removed a small key from the unit.

We tested the unit by playing a DVD, and it seemed to be fine, so we told the client to come pick it up. He made it back in about 20 minutes, and was amazed we had it figured out so quickly. He had no idea how the key found it’s way into his Superdrive. It was his key from a long time ago, so perhaps it was in the bottom of his laptop bag and it just randomly ended up inside. It could also be his 6-year old put the key into the unit.

No charge of course, and another happy Apple service customer.

If you’re a loyal 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.

AppleCare is also available for iPods. You can double the Apple factory warranty to two years by enrolling. Considering that AppleCare is $59 for all of the more expensive iPods, it’s a good bet. Any iPod repair needed within 2 years will make your $59 investment totally worthwhile.

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 1-year purchase 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. Once you go past the 1-year warranty, there is no way to retroactively buy AppleCare. If you never registered your computer, or did so late, it’s possible that Apple has the wrong info on when you actually bought your computer. If you can prove your computer was purchased less than one year ago, you can still buy AppleCare. Apple’s serial number information uses the Mac’s “Born on date” to give pretty good guess on the Mac’s warranty. It’s very likely that your purchase date could be as mcsh as a month after this date if your Mac was in the channel for a long time, or sat on the shelf for a while before you bought it. Check your paperwork to be sure, and do so quickly before you give up on buying the extended warranty.

I recommend AppleCare for all Apple computers, Especially laptops, where the service parts are more expensive and 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. We’re also happy to handle your enrollment via a phone call, if you’d rather not buy on-line. Just give us a call and we’ll take care of it right on the spot.

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. Both of our walk-in service locations (MacMedics in Lanham, MD & MacMedics in Millersville, MD) are less then 10 steps from your parking spot. This means no lugging your iMac, G5 or Mac Pro through the mall, in fact if you’ve got something that’s a bit heavy or awkward, just come get us and we’ll carry it in for you!
3. MacMedics is fast! We try to have any needed warranty parts on order the same day you check in. We also have many commonly used service parts in stock (like laptop power ports, top cases, keyboards, Superdrives, power adaptors, and all types of hard drives and memory).
4. We’re absolutely fanatical about ensuring your unit is correctly repaired and properly reassembled. See our blog post regarding service obtained elsewhere.
5. 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.

1/18/09 UPDATE: We’d like to thank the hundreds of of people who have taken action based on this blog post. MacMedics recommends AppleCare for all Macs, and our new web page and instant enrollment has been super successful. If you’re still on the sidelines wondering when you should buy AppleCare, take action now! Macs are super reliable, but you never know what could happen. With logic boards and many other major parts costing hundreds of dollars, AppleCare could cover it all for you. Use it one time, and you’ve made your investment back. See our post about an $800 logic board repair. As we mentioned above, MacMedics buys AppleCare for all of our loaner, rental, and support equipment. With a laptop where you have an external power supply, you are very likely to have to replace your adaptor within three years. If you end up doing so, that’s $80 back on your investment. Wanna’ talk about AppleCare and why we recommend it more? Just give us call at 1-866-MAC-MEDICS we can enroll your Mac(s) on the spot. Again, don’t wait until your 1-year factory warranty runs out!