No doubt, you’ve heard that the Apple Store has announced a new program for business called Joint Venture. Apple has priced Joint Venture at $500.

Apple says they will “Set You Up” and work with you from beginning to end to set up new computers so that they are ready within 24-hours. Generally speaking, the same service from MacMedics can be obtained in the same amount of time, plus we offer either in-lab data transfer and set up or we can do the same at your home or office. There’s no reason to pay a premium to quickly get a new computer set up.

The $500 fee that Apple charges is for only five computers, so if you have more than five computers you’ll need to pay more. Also, many Apple customers have fewer than 5 Macs, so by paying for a subscription to support for more, you’re likely wasting money. At MacMedics we can design a Mac service and support program that’s right for your situation and at a price that’s affordable for you!

Apple’s Joint Venture program also has a training aspect, which is great in theory, but will you ever use it? Have you ever been to the Apple Store? It’s not usually well suited for corporate training.

MacMedics can also perform training for you and your staff at our office or yours. If you need us to train you or your staff, you can be sure that you’re getting the very best in real-world Macintosh experience and that the information we convey will be custom tailored to your needs and not “cookie cutter” general knowledge training. Pay for the training to you need when you need it, and if you need it. There’s a reason why we’ve provided training for organizations like Network Solutions, Under Armour, and the Salvation Army.

Apple says “For the first time ever, you can speak to an Apple Genius over the phone”. Well, this is nothing new to us. You’ve always been able to call MacMedics and speak to a Macintosh Certified Expert over the phone. To us, it appears that Joint Venture is primarily designed to give you “paid access” to your local Apple Store. At MacMedics, we love to talk shop and if you need basic support, advice, or guidance, just pick up the phone and give us a call. There’s never a charge to speak to technician. If you need advanced support and/or remote desktop support you can pay for just what you need and you don’t need a contract or a subscription to call. In fact you don’t even need to be a MacMedics client to pick up the phone and call us!

The Joint Venture program also offers a loaner MacBook Pro or MacBook Air that you can use if you computer is in for repair. We have two thoughts on this topic:

1. If you really need loaner protection, why not enroll your Macintosh in our Service Partner Program. With this program we’ll come to your office, loan you a computer (if needed) and fix any hardware issue for free. Our program offers more valuable benefits (like free covered repairs) then Apple’s Joint Venture and if you only have 2 or 3 computers our Service Partner Program can cost less then Joint Venture!

2. If you need a rental unit while your computer is in for service, we can supply a low-cost rental (if you enroll in Service Partner then this is free). The other thing to remember that is that A. we never send computers out to Apple Depot Service so our repairs are usually much, much quicker than the Apple Store Genius Bar, and B. MacMedics is so fast, you may not even need a rental computer.

MacMedics has two very affordable service programs for our clients to use.

MacMedics Walk-In Service Plan:

This ultra-affordable service plan is designed for clients who want to come to us and have one or a small group of computers they want to have protected.

There are several great benefits:

1. Low Cost – It’s priced at $99 or $149 depending on your computer
2. Priority Service – If you’re a WISP member, your repair moves to the front of the line!
3. Covered Hardware Repairs – Any part that fails on your computer (minus the battery), we replace it for free! No Part cost AND No Labor cost.
4. Free Technical Support – With the WISP program you get three 15-minute technical support incidents per year. On the phone, in person or via remote desktop support.
5. Free Data Migration – If you buy a new Mac or your want to move your data to a new computer while enrolled. We’ll transfer your data for free. (Limit 1 time per year)

Pricing:

$99 for MacBooks, Mac Minis, and iMacs
$149 for MacBook Pros, and Mac Pros

MacMedics Service Partner Program:

For MacMedics clients that need Advanced On-Site Mac Support, we proudly offer the MacMedics Service Partner Program.

There are three main benefits:

1. 6-Hour On-site Response – Got a problem? Hardware or software, we come to you and in no less then 6-hours.
2. Free Loaner Equipment – If we cannot fix your computer on-site, we’ll supply a free loaner Mac while we get yours all fixed up.
3. Free Parts & Labor – All hardware repairs are covered. All parts and all labor

Pricing:

$99 for Mac Minis
$199 for MacBooks and iMacs
$249 for MacBook Pros, and Mac Pros

Plus if your Mac is still under AppleCare or under Apple’s Warranty, and you want to enroll is our Service Partner Program, we do offer a discount.

Here’s a Blog post from Fortune by Philip Elmer-DeWitt that seems to call Apple’s new Joint Venture program out a bit.

MacMedics is the sole premium sponsor of the Production Club of Baltimore’s 17th Annual Paper Show, Cirque du Moire.

When: Thursday March 24, 2011 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Where: Martins West
6817 Dogwood Road
Baltimore 21244

Update 4/15/11: A list of winners from last night’s Addy Awards appear in the Baltimore Business Journal. Congratulations to MacMedics clients Pivec Advertising and Planit!

Update 4/13/11: Event is sold out with 320 of Baltimore’s Creative Community attending.

MacMedics Is A Sponsor Of The American Advertising Federation Of Baltimore ADDY 2011 Awards Show. This year’s theme is Mad Men, so we’ve cooked up a Mac Men themed ad in the spirt of the red and black Mad Men logo.

MacMedics is a sponsor of The American Advertising Federation of Baltimore ADDY Awards Show for more information see this link.

The 37th annual Addy Awards Show will be held on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at the Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel located at 903 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson, MD 21204.

MacMedics is the ONLY Apple Authorized Service Provider and the only independent Apple Authorized Value Added Reseller In Prince George’s County, Maryland. MacMedics’ office in Lanham is also one of the closest Apple Authorized Service Providers to the Annapolis Apple Store. (The other being the MacMedics office in Millersville, MD.) So if you’ve got a tough Macintosh repair problem that the Apple Store could not solve, then we are one of the closest places to come get a second opinion.

(The only other Apple Reseller in PG county, other than MacMedics is Best Buy in College Park, MD.)

If you need Macintosh help, training, Apple Authorized Service, or Apple Authorized Sales assistance without the hassle of:

D. Trying to first get an appointment with an Apple Genius, and then not really getting enough time to really pick their brains for expert Macintosh advice.

It’s also important to know that the Apple Store does not perform data recovery. If you think your data is at risk, setting up your computer on the Genius Bar to copy your data, is not a good idea. As hard drives fail, they generate heat, and as the generate heat they fail more. We’ll remove the drive from your computer and put it right on our data recovery equipment to try and rescue your data. Our fee for this type of recovery is only $199. Read more here.

(Plus as an added bonus ALL Macintosh laptop repairs are performed locally right here in or shop. The Apple Store will often send your laptop away for Apple Depot Service)

Our expert Apple Certified employees stand ready to help at anytime. We are super proud to be an award-winning Apple Authorized Service Provider and Authorized Apple Reseller AND Certified Members of the Apple Consultants Network (and MacMedics is the ONLY ACN member located in Prince Georges County, Maryand. We’re a great alternative to either buying a new Mac or bringing a sick Mac computer to the Mall. MacMedics is also a multiple repeat winner of Apple’s “Commitment To Excellence Award”. In fact, we’re the only Apple Authorized Service Provider In Anne Arundel or Prince Georges counties to win this award according to Apple. This award recognizes us for several things, but most importantly for accuracy and speed of Macintosh repairs. There’s a reason that MacMedics is the most frequently referred service firm for tough Mac service cases, like LCD replacements, liquid damage, vintage or obsolete Mac equipment, and Macintosh data recovery. With well over 50,000 in-lab and on-site service cases and our staff’s combined Mac experience of over 200 years, MacMedics IS the place to bring your sick Mac!

We also perform Hard Drive Upgrades (under warranty or not) and expert Macintosh Data Recovery, two things you simply can’t get at ANY Apple Store. Plus, if you do need a new hard drive, we can upgrade the size, speed, and you get a 3-year warranty, compared to like-for-like hard drive swap at the Apple Store, plus there you only get a 90 day warranty.

Come visit either of our TWO fully-staffed and stocked Macintosh Service & Sales locations in Lanham, MD (1 Mile from I-495/I-95 just inside the Beltway of off Rt 50 and Martin Luther King Hwy.) or in Millersville, MD (near BWI Airport 1/10 of a mile from I-97).

For folks that live in Anne Arundel County or more specifically, Annapolis, Davidsonville, or Bowie and work in the Washington DC metro area, MacMedics in Lanham, Maryland IS the most convenient option for Apple sales and service. We stock all of the most common Apple, computers, iPads, iPods, and Apple accessories, like MacBook & MacBook Pro batteries, G4 and MagSafe power adapters, back up hard drives, and FireWire & USB cables. Also, in comparison to the Apple Store, our Apple Warranty and AppleCare service is the fastest. Most Apple warranty repairs are generally complete within 24 hours. With our Lanham office being 1 minute from RT 50, it’s super easy to get to us and drop off your repairs quickly. Pull up right at our office door and you can be inside in 10 steps.

Got a problem? Wanna’ talk about it? Just pick up the phone and call your nearest MacMedics office. It’s unlikely that you can get anyone at the Apple Store on the phone, and most other places just send you to voicemail. You will only get voicemail here if everysing phone line we have is tied up (and that does happen).

MacMedics has been in business and fixing Macs all over town since before the Apple Store or anyone else. We are very proud to have just celebrated our 21st anniversary servicing the Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington DC areas.

One other great thing about coming to visit us, is the fact that parking is here is not an issue, and it’s free and 10 easy steps right into our office. So, avoid the time consuming search for parking when you’re trying to find someplace to park the Mall.

Be sure to read one of our most popular Blog posts about why coming to MacMedics makes so much sense at http://www.NOappointments.com.

Noha Edell of Adobe will speak about Adobe Digital Publishing Solutions – Presented by the Greater Baltimore InDesign User Group – Sponsored by MacMedics

MacMedics is pleased to be able to sponsor an upcoming meeting of the Greater Baltimore InDesign User Group. We have long been a sponsor of the Washington DC InDesign User Group, so naturally we were thrilled to be invited to sponsor the Baltimore chapter as well. We hope you will be able to attend this meeting, as we’re giving away an Apple iPod as a door prize.

When:
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Agenda:
6:00 p.m. Registration, Raffle Sales, Networking, and Refreshments sponsored by MacMedics
6:30 p.m. Welcome, Group Business, and Adobe News
6:40 p.m. Featured Presentation: Digital Publishing with Noha Edell
7:30 p.m. Break (last chance to buy raffle tickets in support of your chapter)
7:40 p.m. Digital Publishing with Noha, continued
8:15 p.m. Questions & Answers
8:30 p.m. Selecting Raffle Winners
8:40 p.m. Adjourn

Where:
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
11100 Johns Hopkins Road
Parsons Auditorium and Cafeteria, Building 1, Main Campus (Enter at Lobby 1)
Laurel, MD 20723

The URL for the Greater Baltimore InDesign User Group is located here, and is where you can register for the meeting.

CreateBaltimore is being held this Saturday January 15th
at MICA.

MacMedics is proud to be sponsor of this event.

The event is sold out, but you can find out more from their website at http://createbaltimore.org.

There has been some media coverage from bmore and the City Paper.

Ellen Lupton will be making the opening remarks.

We are pleased to announce that MacMedics has once again been awarded the Apple Service Commitment To Excellence award for Apple Service.

The Apple Service Commitment To Excellence Program recognizes the top 5 percent of all Apple Authorized Service Providers in the U.S. and Canada who have implemented and utilize best practices to maximize their Apple Warranty Service offerings. Only 248 Apple Authorized Service Providers earned this award this quarter.

The Apple Service Excellence (ACSE) scores measure two items that directly impact consumers who are seeking Apple Service.

1. Repair turn around time.
2. First-Time fix.

As one of the oldest and largest Apple Authorized Service Providers in Maryland (and the only company with two full-service locations), MacMedics strives to repair Apple computer quickly and accurately.

Most Apple repairs can be completed at MacMedics in about 1-day. Consider that you don’t need an appointment; you don’t need to carry your Mac gear thru the Mall, and that you don’t have to wait in line or fight the crowds at the Apple Store.

See our MacMedics Blog post on why coming to MacMedics is better then visiting the Apple Store for Apple Authorized Service at http://www.NOappointments.com.

We work hard to ensure that all electronic waste is properly recycled here at MacMedics. Over the past 20-years we’ve recycled multiple tons of dead Macs, iPods, and lots of scrap parts from all of our repairs.

We’re also happy to accept e-waste for proper recycling from clients and friends at our Millersville location.

Today we made a run to the local scrap yard with some high-grade aircraft aluminum from Power Mac G5 cases that have been recycled with MacMedics. If you’ve ever wondered what over 100 pounds of G5 cases look like, here you go:

Apple Announces iLife ’11

iLife ’11 makes it easier than ever to create amazing things with photos, movies, and music on a Mac and share them with friends and family. It includes major upgrades to iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand, and also continues to include iWeb and iDVD. Key new features in iLife ’11 include:

iPhoto—New full-screen modes for Faces, Places, Events, and Albums; Facebook enhancements, photo mail, new slideshow themes, and a new way to build photo books and cards.
iMovie—Fun, Hollywood-style Movie Trailers, One-Step Effects, People Finder, Sports and News themes, and video publishing to more places.
GarageBand—Find the perfect rhythm and groove with Flex Time and Groove Matching, more guitar amps and stompbox effects, new Basic Lessons for guitar and piano, and “How Did I Play?”.

Learn more on Apple’s website at http://www.apple.com/ilife.

Apple Announces New MacBook Air

The all-new MacBook Air combines the power of Mac with the portability of iPad to create the next generation of MacBooks. The new MacBook Air features:

All-New Design—Apple’s thinnest and most compact notebook ever features a new unibody enclosure.
High-Resolution Displays—Available in two sizes—11-inch (1366 by 768) and 13-inch (1440 by 900).
Better Performance—All flash storage, Intel Core 2 Duo processors, and NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics combine for the perfect balance of performance and portability.
Long Battery Life—Single charge provides up to 5 to 7 hours of battery life with up to 30 days of standby time.

Learn more on Apple’s website at http://www.apple.com/macbookair.

Apple Gives Sneak Peek of Mac OS X Lion

Apple today gave a sneak peek of Mac OS X Lion, the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Shipping next summer, Lion is inspired by many of iPad’s software innovations.

Today’s sneak peek highlighted just a few of Lion’s features, including the Mac App Store, a new way to discover, install, and automatically update desktop apps; Launchpad, a new home for all of your Mac apps; system-wide support for full-screen apps; and Mission Control, which unifies Exposé, Dashboard, Spaces, and full-screen apps into an innovative new view of everything running on your Mac, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere.

To learn more, visit http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/.

Apple Brings FaceTime to the Mac

Apple today announced the public beta of FaceTime for Mac, an entirely new application that allows Mac users to video call iPhone 4 and new iPod touch users as well as other Macs. Featuring an easy-to-use interface, FaceTime for Mac automatically uses your Address Book contacts so there’s no need to create special buddy lists, and it works seamlessly with the built-in camera and mic on Mac notebooks, iMac, and Apple LED Cinema Displays.

To learn more and download the public beta, visit http://www.apple.com/mac/facetime/.

Apple has the entire keynote from the “Back to the Mac” 10-20-10 announcement event available for viewing at their website.

MacMedics is again pleased to be a sponsor of AIGA Baltimore’s 13th annual paper show, Pulp, Ink, and Hops. Please stop by our booth at the event to drop your business card for a chance to win an iPod, knock back a few cold ones and talk Macs with us.

Join AIGA Baltimore for the region’s largest paper show, Pulp, Ink, and Hops featuring paper, print samples, and designer services from tons of vendors. Enjoy light fare and “hops” from our fine local breweries while you network with your fellow creative professionals and “paper-addicts”.

Pulp, Ink, and Hops will be held this year on Thursday October 21st. A networking reception for professionals starts at 5:30 P.M., with the paper show to follow from 6:30 – 9 P.M.

This year’s venue is Baltimore Print Studios, which is Baltimore’s premier public print studio and offers letterpress and screenprinting facilities to area artists. The studios are located in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District.

Don’t miss the must-attend event of the year! A networking reception for professionals starts at 5:30 p.m., with the show to follow from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Early registration is encouraged.