Salutations

Greetings and salutations from Christopher's Computers.

As we continue to venture into 2009 with tremulous economic status and high hopes for the future, we'd like to tell you how grateful we are to have such loyal customers.  There is a high degree of trust that goes into the relationships we have with you, a faith that we hope is strengthened each time we are privileged enough to be called upon to help you.  What is most important to us, as a small, family-owned business, is to continue to be fair, ethical and friendly, to allow you to rest easily, knowing that you and your friends and family are being taken care of.

Having the perspective of not only being a small business, but also working with small businesses in our community for several years now, we have become increasingly aware of the importance of supporting local businesses.  Some people may have reservations about a small company not being able to have the support of a national chain backing them up should something go awry, in which case we urge you to talk with your friends and neighbors about their experiences.  Another good resource is AngiesList.com   If you have not heard of Angie's List, you may find it useful to know that people report their experiences regarding contractors, doctors, dentists, etc.  It is a truly unbiased way to garner information regarding service providers, contractors and doctors.  Initially when Angie's List became available in our Asheville area, it was free.  Now they charge $15 for a year's subscription.  As consumers, we have found this information to be quite valuable when seeking a new service. 

In this issue of Tech Tips, we will be discussing the the need for surge protecting your computer, new rate information and customer appreciation Coupon-Deals.

How to protect your computer from power surges

You take time to consider what type of computer you're going to purchase.  You consider all of your options, including cost. Ensuring your investment is protected by a  battery backup is a prudent choice, and here are some reasons why:

-A single brief surge may render your entire machine useless, and/or destroy your power supply unit.

-Surges are common in power cuts and outages (which we have with some frequency here in WNC, say, whenever a squirrel decides to use the power lines as his own personal highway).

-Surges and spikes are bursts of electricity up to 3000 volts, caused by electrical load switching and the on/off function of your computer equipment

-Noise can enter into your power lines from nearby electrical equipment, such as vending machines or heavy industrial equipment; Electrical noise can corrupt data.

Battery backups can be purchased at any office supply store. Battery Backups and uninterrupted power supplies (also known as UPSs) will help when there are brown-outs, line noises and outages.  It will also buy you some time should the power suddenly go out when you're in the middle of creating something you haven't yet saved.  It is highly recommended that you not plug in your battery backup/UPS into a surge protector, extention cord or power strip.  It may cause the unit to go into battery mode when it normally should remain online.  It is best to plug your UPS directly into the wall.  Follow the manufacturers guidelines about how much equipment to plug into your UPS to avoid overloading it.

Rate Changes for Businesses

Due to the complexity of working with businesses, Christopher's Computers will be raising our business rate to $85.00/hour.  There are so many people who now have home-based businesses, and in such a case we would ask that if you are paying with a business credit card or check, that you please respect our new business rate.  As usual, we try and accomodate businesses quickly for we know that when your business computer is down and out of commission, you often are at a standstill with work. 

This new business rate will come into effect starting the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1st, 2009. 

Residential users can continue to rely on our $65.00/hour rate.

As always, we try to be as fair to everyone as possible and will continue to pro-rate anything beyond the first hour of service into 15 minute increments.

Customer-Appreciation Coupons

In our sincerest appreciation for everyone we've ever helped along your computing journey, we would like to offer our existing customers some special deals. 

1. 1 hour of tutoring at your home for $50

2. RAM upgrades, at your place or at our shop --all prices include installation!
    Desktop 1 gb RAM= $89
    Desktop 2 gb RAM=$119
    Laptop 1 gb RAM= $119
    Laptop 2 gb RAM= $139

3. Cleanup/Data Backup (Our Spring Cleaning Special) $69.00--No Trip Fee

***OR***

4. 15% off labor for any 1 job

Special Deals may not be combined for a single service call and are good through June 30, 2009.

Contact Information

In This Issue

Salutations

How to protect your computer from power surges

Rate Changes for Businesses

Customer-Appreciation Coupons

Contact Information