[Alex Ethridge]

$229 to install an OS is about right.

Remember, the person who does it has to maintain a listing in the telephone directory, maintain a shop and shop space, carry insurance and in some cases, be bonded, pay for a stock of parts and software and suffer the losses when those parts and software go stale (outdated), keep books, pay quarterly taxes, make those books available to every local and federal agency that has authority to examine them, keep track of how much taxes he owes every city in which he does busuness, every county and for the state, not to mention federal taxes and licenses for every city and county.

If you think $229 is high, you are looking at the suituation though naive eyes.

The price isn't the problem with The Geek Squad; it is the fact they charge professional rates and the customers pay these rates thinking they are getting professional work at professional rates.

Instead, they get buffoonery.

By the way, installing an OS on an up-to-date P4 or Athlon system is a $240 job for me. But, I also install antivirus, antispy and firewall and do all updates on all programs in that $240. If it's a Celeron or Duron processor or an older, slower system (all the same thing) or has only dialup, I charge strictly by the hour. Customer furnishes all software except the ones that are available free from the 'net.

And I'm about to go up on on-site rates to cover the exorbitant gasoline rate increases.

[Whiteninja89]

Maybe I was being a little narrow-minded but experience tends to do that to me. Installing an OS is such an easy thing to do that I would feel like I'm cheating the person out of their money. I don't own/work for any buisiness so I understand what you mean. I usualy do odd computer jobs for free most of the time becuse I enjoy working with them.
I still wouldn't let geek squad near my pc, or anyone else's that I know regardless of what they charge.

[I Fix 4 U]

Yah no1 else is ever touching my computer again. ~ever~

People who charge alot are the people who keep me in business, because those who don't want to pay alot come to me
I don't have a house to pay for nor any other thing so the extra $$ is good. All I gotta do is pay my driver the gas fees.

[JStergis]

I have 2 people I know, one put in an 80GB for 160$ (just for the drive) with them. The other had a five, was using 2 of it and they gave him a 200 GB for 300$ saying "You'll use it" (Give me a break).

The other thing that bugs me it I saw someone talking to one of them at the store and saying "I only use it fr MS Office, mainly outlook and internet., how big should the drive be if I am running 98" They said 80 should be OK, but I would go to 200 myself. They streatched it so far, as we all know 40 would be more than enough! Then they even failed to mention the BIOS conflicts with larger drives in older systems. (They probably didn't know about that!)

J.S.

[JStergis]

I'm just a teenager, and I know more than most of these Best Buy guys.

I fix them for free, unless I need to get them an OS or some other software.

Most of the time people will try to give me a twenty and I don't usually accept unless they keep insisting for five minutes or more. I do it because it's a hobby and I love doing it. Not to make money. I am the type who has a lot of money but hates spending it!

J.S.

[Space Cowboy]

Originally Posted by JStergis

I'm just a teenager, and I know more than most of these Best Buy guys.

I fix them for free, unless I need to get them an OS or some other software.

Most of the time people will try to give me a twenty and I don't usually accept unless they keep insisting for five minutes or more. I do it because it's a hobby and I love doing it. Not to make money. I am the type who has a lot of money but hates spending it!

J.S.

Be a pal and just part with a little of that cash and have THIS shipped to me

I'll PM ya my address

[JStergis]

That'd be quite a bit of RAM. Actually, next thing on my list is a new mountain bike, (my back rim bearings blew out) then I need to dig for a Full Win 2k copy, with 2 licenses to put on my two machines, want to find it cheap, I hate it when I do get something and then it comes out 50$ cheaper somewhere else.

J.S.

[Space Cowboy]

Originally Posted by JStergis

That'd be quite a bit of RAM. Actually, next thing on my list is a new mountain bike, (my back rim bearings blew out) then I need to dig for a Full Win 2k copy, with 2 licenses to put on my two machines, want to find it cheap, I hate it when I do get something and then it comes out 50$ cheaper somewhere else.

J.S.

I hear ya but just the thought of 4 gig total dual channel of that OCZ High Performance Ram gets me all excited

I find great deals by looking HERE and HERE

Good Luck

[Alex Ethridge]

Just a comment on the 40-to-200-Gigabyte drive sizes. Where I buy drives, the cost difference between a 40- and a 160 is so small, it is a negligable consideration.

The 40's are so difficult to find and so closely priced to the 160, and I get so few calls for a 40, they arent worth foolin' with. By the time I spend the extra time finding a 40- and going the extra distance to get it, the customer has more than spent the difference.

Another consideration is that it takes just as much time to order, stock and install a forty as a 160- or 200.

I'll agree, though, that most users, especially businesses, could get by fine with a 30-; but, where can you find a 30- that costs less than an 80-?

[I Fix 4 U]

Same reason why 128mb ram sticks sometimes cost more than 256

[JStergis]

Good Point Alex, I just see that in that store they have many stocked that they would seem to be able to use one of them and also, saying 200 for a recommendation? That just seems like they either want a large comission, or they don't know their stuff.

J.S.

[gotrootdude]

Geek Squad is definately a bunch of kids who don't know there @#$ from a hole in the ground. Although, I have seen plenty of pro shops that also have techs which don't know right from left..

This is precisely the reason that most businesses keep a person on staff who is trained for operation and repair of the companies computer systems. It's also what drives down the pay rates for those of us who really do know what we're doing.


Here's a suggestion: If you want to complain about the ineptitude of the present computer repair services, you might want to try to start one up yourself. Please make sure to charge enough to cover technicians cost of living, but low enough to compete with the village idiots. Good luck. Personally, I'll keep my corporate job.

[Leareth]

Originally Posted by gotrootdude

Here's a suggestion: If you want to complain about the ineptitude of the present computer repair services, you might want to try to start one up yourself. Please make sure to charge enough to cover technicians cost of living, but low enough to compete with the village idiots. Good luck. Personally, I'll keep my corporate job.

Hear hear!

Personally I have been trying to start my own business in the field, with limited success. Time constraints mostly. I wonder if anyone in my area would be interested in a partnership.....

[sglv]

Originally Posted by primetime212

who goes to best buy for their computer problems ??

You do if your worthless warranty is through them.

[I Fix 4 U]

The only time I'd get bestbuy to fix it is if it were "free" as in warranty or they broke it they gotta fix it.