oncall 25/8 computer repair virginia maryland dc

Apple Takes a Hit

2009-02-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

Apple has managed to keep their financial growth rates; this is primarily thanks to the amount of sales that they have had on their Apple laptops including the Mac Book Pro and Mac air and Desktops. Even in the current financial environment Apple has managed to keep growing. Apple has been able to draw in over $10 billion in revenues. Apple shows a big jump from last quarter’s $7.9 billion, Apple also shows an increase over last year’s holiday quarter, when it had $9.6 billion. Consumers are finding Apple laptops to be very appealing and user friendly, this fact has contributed to the company’s increase in sales over the last quarter. Consumers are also finding Apple desktops including the iMac and Mac Pro to be very appealing and user friendly, when you add accessories like the IPod and IPhone it’s no wonder that Apple is doing well in sales. Mac sales have however fallen when compared to past years. Sales dropped by about 90,000 compared to the previous quarter. Up to date Apple has sold over 2.5 million desktops and laptops. When we look at the conditions of the current financial situation one would think that the first things that consumers would cut back on would be high end electronics like those from Apple but that hasn’t been the case for the company. In spite of current conditions Apple is doing a good job of maintaining its revenues. Apple also offers tech support to its consumers they have various computer repair shops that customers can seek when having problems with their machines. Apple has computer repair shops in areas like Alexandria, Washington DC, Bethesda, Fairfax, Arlington, Tyson’s Corner and Springfield.

Apple: http://apple-repair.com/. Good but we are trying to get model and brand specific. Give me some specific names for the models they have like iMac, macbook pro, etc. Also, drop some links to the local stores at the end of this article like you did at the end of the best buy story. Apple offers MacBook repairs in Arlington, MacBook repairs in Vienna, and many other locations.

Circuit City

2009-02-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

Circuit City the No.2 electronics retailer in the country has asked for court approval to close its remaining 567 US stores and sell all of its remaining electronics including desktop and laptop repairs. Their remaining electronics merchandise has a variation of brands including Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony, Acer, Toshiba, Emachines, Compaq and many brands more. Circuit City's acting CEO James Marcum said in a statement today

that they were unable to reach an agreement with their creditors and lenders,as a result they have already reached agreements with four companies to start the liquidation process. Circuit City has said that its liquidation sale would begin Saturday, January 17 and will run until March 31. Circuit City's web site will cease to operate after January 18. The electronics retailer giant will inform its employees of their termination 60 days prior to the termination date. Circuit city will however continue to operate its Canadian retail stores. George Whalin CEO of retail management consultants stated that there exist a slim possibility of Circuit City being bought out of bankruptcy by one or more firms that have expressed their interest in doing so. Love Goel CEO of Growth Ventures Group speculates that the Electronics giant might still be able to find a lifeline if Golden Gate Capital decides to buy them out of bankruptcy and restructure them primarily as an online business with very limited physical stores. If Circuit City was to be to be turned into an online business it would still have a chance of survival. Circuit City has an almost 1billion online business. Most of the products sold online by Circuit City consist of computers, desktops, laptops and other popular electronics. Retail analyst Marshal Cohen warns that no retailer is immune to the economic crisis and for that reason companies need to have a service model that is different from the rest of the competition and

satisfies consumer needs. Circuit City found itself in an unfortunate position due primarily to its competitors and the financial crisis. Wal-Mart aggressively

entered the electronics market with lower prices than those that Circuit City offered. Wal-Mart would sell its electronics for prices much lower than those that Circuit City offered, customers would find desktops and laptops being sold by up to $150 difference between the two retailers.Best Buy on the other hand kept widening the gap with its competitors

and continued to dominate as the industry leader. Best Buy has been able to

maintain its lead as the industry leader primarily because of itscomputer sales and customer service. Best Buy sells Desktops and Laptops combined with their computer service agreements. Best Buy's Geek Squad Computer repair has been of great influence to their customer satisfaction. With the purchase of Computers Best Buy offers their Geek Squad service agreements Which basically cover all computer hardware and software issues, their accidental warranty also covers all damages that a machine may suffer this Includes broken LCD screens, damaged keyboards, bad motherboards,

bad inverters, bad power jacks, and many more computer parts. Best Buy also offers very good customer service when it comes to computer software; issues such as virus and spyware removal from personal computers. Customer satisfaction is a key factor when it comes to retaining customers. Best Buy offers computer services in various location some of those locations include; Alexandria, Washington DC, Bethesda, Fairfax, Arlington, Tyson’s Corner and Springfield.

onCALL 25/8 Computer Repair

2009-01-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

Read what our clients are saying about our Washington DC Computer Repair service: Computer Repair Washington DC

Free Computer Repair oncall 25/8

2009-01-27T15:58:00.001-08:00

With all the news of all the downsizing going on, we can't help to wonder where people will turn for support. Microsoft, Circuit City, DHL, even google is cutting jobs. Hundreds of thousands of people are now officially 'looking for work.' In these desperate times, onCALL 25/8 Computer Repair is offering FREE Computer support for those in these situations. If you have no job, chances are - you need a computer to find one...and if your computer needs repair - we'll do it on the house. E-mail us directly at service@oncall258.com to get your desktop or laptop repaired. What do we want in return - absolutely nothing...well - maybe just a smile. Obviously there are some exceptions. Please contact us for details.

Sony to Recall 440,000 OVerheating Vaio Laptops

2008-09-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

Sony has recently reported they will be recalling a "small number" of defective Vaio laptops. A wiring fault can cause the system to overheat and cause burns.

You can read more about it at electronista.com who says this the second recall in two years for Sony when they were a part of a massive battery recall that included many other major vendors last year.

The recalled models are a part of the Vaio TZ series manufactured between May 2007 and July 2008.

If your Vaio TGN-TZ computer lives in the united states you can begin your repair/recall claim by clicking here.

The models recalled are in the following series:

If you are experiencing overheating issues with any type of notebook laptop computer in Virginia, Maryland or Washington D.C. contact onCALL 25/8, Computers and Networks and mention promo code BLOGGERFREEC05By for a free, no obligation onsite diagnostic.

IBM Thinkpad Laptop Notebook Power DC Jack Repair

2008-09-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

A lot of our client's call in with laptop computers that won't turn on. A laptop may fail to power on for many reasons including damaged power jacks, defective AC adapters, or defective motherboards. A lot of repair shops are not equipped to diagnose and repair defective power jacks, but onCALL 25/8, Inc. has the capability to repair your dead, unbootable laptop with a damaged power jack. Watch this video - our technician diagnoses and repairs an IBM Thinkpad with a damaged powerjack in our Alexandria, Virginia lab (22314) which had previously been diagnosed (by the infamous Geek Squad) as having a defective motherboard and an expensive repair cost.

Our lab is fully equipped to handle all of the component level laptop notebook repairs you need. To get your broken laptop fixed visit our site or call today.

Micosoft retaliates to Mac's "I'm a PC advertisements"

2008-09-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Recently Microsoft released a television ad featuring Jerry Seinfeld. It was generally considered to be a dud and not too funny. They've recently released another series of ads featuring a man dressed like the "PC" featured in Apple's advertisements.
Apple tends to make many claims of superiority over the Windows operating system. While the claims are mostly based in truth there also seems to be a large amount of information the average computer user is unaware of. Mac OS runs entirely on Apple designed hardware. There are little-to-no third party drivers. Most of the applications required for the average user are included on a Mac out of the box. Comparing a brand new Mac to a brand new Dell yields a simple result - the Mac is superior. But when you find yourself with an advanced need or an interest in gaming your options become somewhat limited (for your average user) on Mac. Don't get me wrong, onCALL 25/8 Loves Apples and we enjoy repairing Macs. We just don't think it's fair to make such a bold claim that Apple is entirely superior without all of the facts.
On most Windows based PCs you've got a nearly infinite number of possibilities when it comes to the hardware and software installed. The fact that Microsoft was capable, with Windows XP, to make an operating system that runs relatively smoothly for relatively long periods of time on such varied hardware/software configurations is an impressive feat. While it should not be accepted it should be expected that you will inevitably run into the various errors that "plague" windows users - Blue Screens of Death (repaired in Virginia, Maryland and DC) and unbootable computers (repaired by onCALL 25/8). Conflicts are bound to eventually occur in such an open environment - like two gorilla's meeting in the jungle. But if you put the gorilla in the zoo and only put him with other, friendly gorilla's... well then of course he's going to be safe.
Apple's claim that Windows systems are prone to virus infections are also true but not without need for explanation. Mac is generally more secure due to it's Unix roots. It's also not profitable for viruses developers and hackers to target Mac operating systems. There are fewer threats and so there are fewer infections. But a windows system properly configured is equally secure. We've got technicians who have never had a legitimate virus infect their system. The reason so many computers need virus and spyware removal in Virginia, Maryland, DC and the rest of the world is because they are tricked by clever hackers into allowing the viruses onto their system. If there were more Apple users and it were equally profitable hackers would spend their time figuring out how to trick them into installing malware on their system as well. I'm of the opinion that when virus makers do target the Mac OS we will see a flood of virus infections because Mac users have been goaded into a sense of complacency that lead them to believe their system is safe from viruses and infection-proof. Well, when you start to see bogus system messages tricking you into installing a virus on your computer, and you aren't prepared to second guess the message you're going to forge on without abandon. Mac users are used to regularly being prompted for their user name and password whenever system-wide changes are made - they're not going to suspect anything fishy.
And while I own and use a Mac daily (in addition to my Windows and Linux based PCs) I am well aware of the fact that the biggest issue for all computers (hard drive failures/dead hard drives) applies equally to any Mac as it does to any PC. This extends into those other types of accidental failures or hardware failures, as well: cracked LCD repairs, liquid spills on laptops, broken keyboard repairs, and overheating laptops. And while that Apple care warranty you have sure was a good value try finding a local genius bar that's going to be able to repair your broken macbook in Virginia, DC or MD - or any other place for that matter.
Feel free to send me an email with your thoughts.

And just for your viewing pleasure I've included the new Microsoft "I'm a PC" advertisement:

Data Recovery in Virginia, Maryland, DC - tips to save yourself the money and the hassle

2008-08-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

We do a vast amount of data recovery work in the Washington D.C. area, and felt it would be a good idea to share some tips to help you keep yourself from ending up needing a full data recovery. If it's too late and you need help with Data Recovery in Washington D.C., Virginia or Maryland contact us today.

Backup your data regularly - in more than one location if possible.
External hard drives are pretty affordable these days and there are lots of free backup applications that will outperform expensive, enterprise level software.

Maintain up-to-date virus scanning software.
We highly recommend AVG free edition - it tends to do a better job than the expensive software you're already familiar with. Viruses can sometimes wreak havoc on a system, deleting data.

Keep an offsite copy of your data - you may experience theft, fire, flood, or other natural disasters.
While these experiences alone are much to bare it does not make it any better when you realize you've lost email, photos and videos of loved ones or thousands of dollars worth of data. Many businesses will close shortly after a data loss due to a natural disaster if they do not have a backup from which they can restore their data.

Remove the human element - many people intend to perform their own backups...
...only to forget. We get busy. We get distracted. We procrastinate. Don't fail to maintain a backup because you can't find the time or energy to go through the process of running a manual backup. Get an automated backup setup (and we can help you with this if you're in Virginia, Marlyand or Washington, D.C.)

The four tips above, when followed, should keep you from losing your data. If you've got multiple computers, network backups and residential-level data-servers may be appropriate. Chances are you can get setup with one for less than you'd think.

If you need help with any of these things, please visit our main website and request a service call.

onCALL 25/8, Inc. Prefers Computing Without Headaches

2008-08-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

We get numerous requests to downgrade PC's from Windows Vista to Windows XP in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia. I call it more of an upgrade... but I guess that all depends on your opinion. We've captured a video of the process and sped it up by 1000% (so it won't be so boring to watch!). In the video below the Dell inspiron desktop PC was easy to repair. Dell provided all of the drivers for this machine to run properly on Windows XP.

Please don't be fooled - the process is often quite involved. Some times the manufacturer does not provide drivers for XP. But with a bit of research we're able to figure out the proper chipset or original part number and get the system to work. Of the several hundred Vista to XP downgrades we've attempted there has been only two which did not have all drivers available and in both instances we were able to determine this prior to uninstalling / formatting the Vista install.

Now that we've put this video up I'm sure the onCALL 25/8 Mac Repair techs for Virginia, Maryland and DC are going to put up a video of installing windows XP on a MacBook or something.

Fake CNN Spam infects Dell Desktop Dimension 2400

2008-08-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

If you've noticed a swarm of CNN messages in your inbox lately that's because it's the latest attempt of phishers to infect your computer with viruses and spyware. We've only had one affected customer, thus far. The attack leads you to a page that falsely indicates you have an outdated version of Adobe Flash Player, prompting you to upgrade. If you proceed with the upgrade your computer will become infected and your antivirus software may report it has found Cbeplay.a, a trojan which will phone home and install additional bits of malware on your system.

If you need assistance removing this virus please contact us immediately - our expert technicians can perform a virus removal procedure on computers located in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C.

Microsoft on schedule to release internet explorer 8 in near future

2008-08-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

It seems microsoft will begin a second beta test for their latest version of internet explorer later this year. Their blog reports it will be available this month and will offer new features for IT professionals and web developers. Their's a rumor that the new browser may begin rendering web pages incorrectly - if you perform the upgrade and see some issues you'll know why and (barring any glitches) an uninstall should fix it.

Vista antivirus wreaking havoc

2008-08-04T10:05:00.001-07:00

We've had lots of trouble calls in the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland area with Vista Antivirus loaded on the machine. This is rogueware attempting to bully the unsuspecting user into purchasing fake antivirus software which will not really be of much help to the user. There are many variants, some of which may be using rootkit/stealth techniques to prevent removal from standard antivirus software (McCafee, Norton, Trend Micro, Etc.).

onCALL 25/8 can repair your computer if it has been infected by this virus. A combination of manual removal and automated scans may save the system without having to go through a full backup and reinstall procedure.

Laptops affected by failing NVIDIA chips

2008-08-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

It's been brought to our attention by one of our sources that there are many laptops (as many as 18 million) affected with faulty video chipsets manufactured by NVIDIA. It is reported that a BIOS update to these machines will "fix" the issue, but that does not appear to be the case - updating the BIOS simply turns the fan on more frequently and is likely to shorten your battery life and cause the fan to fail sooner. The proposed fix by the big manufacturers (Dell, HP, Apple, Lenovo, and others) is simply a band aid - likely an attempt to push your machine just outside of its warranty period. We've got these models on a watch list and will be performing extensive tests to verify whether the chips are or are not failing.

Dell laptops reported to be affected by the NVIDIA video failiure:

Inspiron 1420
Latitude D630
Latitude D630C
Dell Precision M2300
Vostro Notebook 1310
Vostro Notebook 1400
Vostro Notebook 1510
Vostro Notebook 1710
XPS M1330
XPS M1530

HP Laptops reported to be affected by the NVIDA video failure:

HP Pavillion dv2000 Series
HP Pavillion dv2100 Series
HP Pavillion dv2200 Series
HP Pavillion dv2300 Series
HP Pavillion dv2400 Series
HP Pavillion dv6000 Series
HP Pavillion dv6100 Series
HP Pavillion dv6200 Series
HP Pavillion dv6300 Series
HP Pavillion dv6400 Series
HP Pavillion dv9000 Series
HP Pavillion dv9200 Series
HP Pavillion dv9300 Series
HP Pavillion dv9400 Series
Compaq Presario v6400 Series
Compaq Presario v6300 Series
Compaq Presario v6200 Series
Compaq Presario v6100 Series
Compaq Presario v6000 Series
Compaq Presario v3400 Series
Compaq Presario v3300 Series
Compaq Presario v3200 Series
Compaq Presario v3100 Series
Compaq Presario v3000 Series

The other big manufacturers have not yet released what models have been affected but onCALL 25/8 technicians have been instructed to check all laptops for the purportedly affected chipsets and extensively monitor them so we can alert our customers whether or not they are likely to be affected by this issue.

Computer Repair - onCALL 25/8

2008-06-26T17:47:00.001-07:00

Computer Repair Washington DC

2008-06-12T07:25:00.001-07:00

Check out our new computer repair videos here: oncall258 videos

onCALL 25/8 Computer Repair Videos

2008-06-05T21:11:00.001-07:00

Now on youtube - Computer Repair Virginia

Computer Repair Maryland

2008-05-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Computer Repair Maryland - onCALL 25/8 - Read what Clients are Saying

Computer Repair Virginia - Read what clients are saying

2008-05-30T19:14:00.001-07:00

Another Satisfied Client! - Computer Repair Virginia!

onCALL 25/8 Computer Repair Washington DC - Washington Post

2008-05-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Computer Repair Washington DC - Washington Post Listing

onCALL 25/8 Computer Repair Virginia

2008-05-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

See us on Myspace at:

http://www.myspace.com/oncall258computerrepair

Clients of onCALL 25/8 Computer Repair

2008-05-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

onCALL 25/8 services clients in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Hear what some of our clients are saying about their experiences with onCALL 25/8 Computer Repair:
http://oncall258.com/testimonials/

onCALL 25/8 Videos

2008-05-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

Check out some of our recent repairs. We've captured them on video so you (the prospective client) can see our work before your hire us, as well as for any DIYs out there that might need some direction on how to complete a repair.... videos coming soon: vids.oncall258.com

oncall 25/8 computer repair virginia, maryland, washington dc

2008-05-19T18:32:00.001-07:00

We'd like to share with you some pictures relevant to some projects we've worked on. These include data recoveries, laptop jack repairs, lcd replacements, virus removal, spyware detection, hard drive crashes, thermal problems, laptop keyboard problems, and more. We're a round-the-clock computer support company catering to home and business users in virginia, maryland, and washington dc. Check us out at www.oncall258.com and see our pictures here: http://flickr.com/photos/oncall_25-8_computer_repair_virginia_maryland_washington_dc/