Manufacturers are expected to shift production to enterprise level drives to increase revenue, but this going to leave most of the consumer market, including PC manufacturers out in the cold. Already pricing has skyrocketed – last week a 1 Terabyte hard drive cost $69 – now it’s $199. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, and one source within WD told us to, “get your drives by Monday.”

It’s not all bad news though. WD is doing a lot to help the local Thai people and the Thai economy. The CEO of WD has committed to continuing to pay each of the 37 thousand out of work employees of the company. This is costing the company approximately $500,000 USD per day. WD has also set up a fund to collect donations for Thailand, and they are helping smaller factories in the area rebuild and relocate. Since WD does not produce all of it’s own components, this will also put WD in a very good position to strengthen their relationships with these companies and hopefully lower future costs. That said, the future is further away than I think any of us would like, and not even WD’s large budget surplus can speed it up.

Got any questions for Intel?

In order to properly recover data – drives must be examined without risk of contamination from outside sources such as dust and other household substances. Our partner DriveSavers has shared this video with us – and we think it’s pretty cool. Let us know what you think!

Even though we are #2, it is still a huge honor – because we are still the best local computer repair. Thanks to all of you who voted – with your help, next year we will be voted the #1 best computer repair in Richmond!

Required Materials:

o   Air Duster (a.k.a. Canned Air)

o   Lint-Free or Microfiber Cloth

o   Electronic /LCD cleaning spray

Step 1: Turn off the Monitor!

Step 2: If you purchased an LCD cleaning kit, most brands will include an anti-static brush – if your kit includes one of these, simply brush the entire screen to ensure no excess static has built up on your display! If your kit did not come with a brush, simply wait a few minutes and move on to “Step 3”.

Step 3: Spray the LCD cleaning solution onto a lint-free cloth, two quick sprays should do for a 15” – 22” display but never apply directly to a monitor’s surface as doing so could damage the display.

Step 4: Using the moistened cloth, begin wiping down the screen. I typically go in columns from top to bottom followed by rows from side-to-side – this pattern minimizes streaking and residue from dust, or lint, and ensures that every section of the screen is cleaned.  Usually during this phase, I like to wipe off the raised border edgings where dust accumulates on the bottom and sides of the screen.

Step 5: Take a second lint-free cloth (or the dry portion of the same cloth) and follow the previous pattern as you did for the wet-cleaning, this dries off any excess cleaning fluid and gets your display back and ready to go!

Before we start though – here’s a shopping list to make your cleaning even more successful. Stay tuned!

Required Materials:

• Air Duster (a.k.a. Canned Air) or some other compressed air device…other than your mouth.
• Lint-Free or Microfiber Cloth
• Cotton Swabs (Q-Tips)
• Phillips head screwdriver (To open your computer’s case)
• Electronic /LCD cleaning spray (for Monitors)
• Isopropyl Alcohol

Optional Materials:

• De-ionized Water
• Flat-Head Screwdriver or Other Small Pry (For prying keys off of keyboard)
• Battery Powered Hand Vacuum*

*It is absolutely critical that no electric vacuums be used – they can create a static field that can do serious damage to your components!

More fun case stuff is on the way – we’ll have more news soon!

Learn more about the visibly smart performance of the 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor family, by contacting Avec today!

You’ve by now noticed a whole new look, but this update goes more than skin deep.

We’ve added:

• Dropdown menus
• Avec Data, Avec Computer Systems, Data Recovery, Data Transfer, Diagnostics, Installation Services, Network Configuration, Our Clients, PC Optimization, Virus & Spyware Removal, Windows Installation, Pricing, Products, Promotion pages.
• Individual headers for each page.
• Integrated AvecBlog.com into the site.
• NFIB, BBB, Comptia Logos added to front page.
• Commenting system on blog posts and “Our Clients,” page.
• Ticketing System and Live Chat on the “Contact Us,” Page.
• Facebook and Twitter Icons above the header.
• Google Maps integration on “Contact Us,” page.
• Fully SEO compatible pages.
• Full iPod, Android,  smart phone compliance.
• Facebook integration “Like” integration (go ahead, try it)

We’ve updated:

• Rewrote content for “Why Avec,” Services Page, page links.
• Adjusted date on footer to 2011.
• Created new icons for all services.
• Moved Remote Support page from the main page.
• Removed RSS feeds and replaced with content from the blog.
• Removed “Blue Bar” from Header
• “Rounded” edges
• Adjusted visual style of quotes and page links

As you can see – it’s been busy around here. I’m taking tomorrow off from web work – but I’ll be back to work on Wednesday to get everything prepped for the launch of our new Avec Data off-site backup service. Stay tuned for the reveal on February 1st.

Thanks for all your support,
Ben Jenkins.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) has designated Avec Computers as a CompTIA A+ Authorized Service Center™.

“Designation as a CompTIA A+ Authorized Service Center is validation that a computer service center has achieved the technology industry’s highest recognized level of competence,” said Richard Rysiewicz, Senior Dir., Services, at CompTIA. “It is a strong sign that the professionals of Avec Computers take pride in their work and are committed to advancing the quality of their operations and service.”

The CompTIA Authorized Service Center™ program recognizes computer, network, server printer and document imaging support businesses that employ certified technicians. These certifications are recognized around the world and throughout the IT industry as the foundation-level skills standards for technology professionals.

To achieve status as a CompTIA A+ Authorized Service Center, at least 50 percent of the service center’s technical staff must be CompTIA A+ certified. CompTIA A+ certification is the IT industry’s recognized skills benchmark for entry into a technology career. Earning CompTIA A+ certification demonstrates a technician has a broad base of knowledge and competency in core hardware and operating system technologies, including installation, configuration, diagnosing, preventive maintenance, and basic networking.

For more information on CompTIA, please visit www.comptia.org.

For more information, contact:
Ben Jenkins
Avec Computers
804-657-7750
ben@avecpc.com