Dear Frustrated Computer User, 

Fret not!  Your technological woes are about to meet their untimely demise!  Pay attention, because this may be the last tech service number you'll ever call... 

We live in a world that's abuzz with technology.  Just a little more than a decade ago, the internet first started to enter the popular mindset, and now it fills our lives down to every little interaction.  That's not a bad thing - we love it - it helps us to connect with others in the world over vast distances and fill our lives with infinite brand new media.  But in this new ocean swim a new breed of sharks - brand new perils and scams and unknowns that make our newfound online lives that much more hazardous.  Viruses, worms, trojans and hackers can make an otherwise-normal life suddenly nightmarish.  But on the other hand, those who originally give us the ability to explore this brave new world, the makers and sellers of the technology, aren't much help either.  Where are our guardians, who is keeping us safe?  If the responsibility is out of the hands of the people who actually sell us this stuff and throw us out there, what protection do we have? 

The fact is, there is no one protecting you on the internet but you.  The first and final defense is knowledge.  There is no absolute way to stay safe, but I believe that if you can go out there with some basic knowledge of how things work, how the sharks work, and how you can be preyed upon, you can make the decisions necessary to swim safely out there.  This is what I offer - knowledge - because I know that no single piece of technology or software can ever offer 100% protection, but if you have the knowledge to use what's at hand, you can grasp it better and find a greater amount of solution and peace.   Knowledge will save you money, help keep you safe, and help you get more satisfaction from your time on the computer.  (Having a rock-solid foundation helps too.)

Knowledge, in fact, might save you so much money and give you so much self-reliance that it's actually dangerous to companies out there that bank on your reliance on them.  One of these companies is Best Buy and their "tech" team the Geek Squad (I should know, I was once one of them).  When I worked there, customers were routinely overcharged, snowballed, back-walled, and generally not given the proper essential knowledge that anyone needs in the confusing online world.  This was treated as "job security", with the basic idea of giving people expensive and flashy popular software that set their minds at ease, while holding back the few keys that would keep them from having to come back.   

I pride myself on many things, the three most important of which are knowledge, humanity and honesty.  As my customer, I will be absolutely honest with you, I will tell you what you need, what can be done and what should be done.  I will give you all the necessary tools and information, and I'll do it for less than half of what the goons charge.  I will teach you, give you ideas and solutions and options, so that when your computer is done you will not only have received a service, but also a lifetime of valuable information.  In fact, after I've helped you, I hope to never hear from you again.  If you spread my name and reputation for reliability and excellence to your friends and family I will be honored (not to mention gainfully employed), but my personal goal is to send you off as a customer and a human being with all the tools and knowledge that you will need to never have to pick up the phone and call me afterward; of course this is the ideal and real life doesn't always play by our rules - there will always be some little thing - which is why on computers that have recieved my services in the past I offer my relentless phone and email support, as well as showing up in person if necessary, for months if not years after I've done my work - for free or very little charge.. This can't be abused, I will still teach you to be as self-sufficient as possible, but it's my way of saying thank you for the business you have already given me, also that I really am that sure of my services.  Of course if you want paid help with other big stuff, setting up or repairing other computers or networks, I'll happily oblige.

After all is said and done, I hope to have completely changed your ideas about technology and tech services altogether, to have set a new standard for how you expect to be dealt with by salesmen and service people for years to come.  I hope to give you a fresh perspective, a fighting chance, and a leg up on the sharks.  And last but not least, I hope to provide you damn fine computer service, cheaper.

Sincerely,

 - Brendan McNamara (the Cheaper Geek.)

 P.S. - This website is a free resource for information and tools for you to gain as much knowledge as possible.  All major applications that I use for repairs or set-ups are available for download here on this site.