I was brought up by parents who grew up during the Depression in New England, and the Puritan frugality was bred pretty deeply in me. The whole “Reduce/Reuse/Recycle” moto was just the way things were during my childhood – especially Reduce and Reuse. Nothing was ever thrown away that might have another use sometime in the future. Protecting the environment by keeping things out of landfills was just the way life should be!
Photo courtesy of http://www.archerpoint.com
Which is why I sometimes think our business is the perfect business for me. We help people repair or enhance their current equipment rather than dumping it and getting something new. Sometimes, it’s just one component that needs to be replaced, and that’s something we can easily do.
- An older computer can have a new hard drive added to provide more storage, rather than getting a whole new computer.
- Or, it can have a RAM upgrade to help it perform faster.
- Or, change out the keyboard or screen on a laptop when they break.
However, with some of the technology being sold today, they are just not being built to be repaired! Some companies are now using cheap plastic clips to hold things together rather than the teeny metal screws. Extra care must be taken to remove the clips so that they don’t break or snap, and putting them back together again can be a challenge. This adds extra time to the repair work, and makes the repair bill more expensive. And to all of those folks out there who say “It’ll cost $200 to fix my keyboard? I can get a new machine for that!”, I remind you that you get what you pay for.
We’ll always tell you when it’s more cost effective for you to replace rather than repair. For example, it’s almost always more cost effective to replace a broken printer then to repair it. A broken keyboard can go either way. If you’re like me though, the cost to replace will always include the environmental impact of adding to the trash heap.
If you’re wondering what kinds of services we can provide, please check out our services page.
Questions? Comments? Feel free to post them below. I’ll try to respond to every single one!
Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more at www.GeekForHireInc.com. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area. They can provide remote service throughout North America.
