We find many people have no idea on what system they actually require, and simply rely on adverts or shop recommendations.  Depending on the shop, the latter may provide good advice, but then you will be restricted to their choice - in addition you may be encouraged to buy something you don't need for the monthly sellers commission.  You then have the daunting task of getting the system home, unpacked, and working.

We are able to speak to you to find out your exact requirements and how you intend to use your system.  We will then recommend a couple of systems from different suppliers with reasons for our choices.  You purchase the system yourself and once it arrives we can assemble, connect, ensure it works and then provide you some basic training in order for you to get going.

We will also send you a hints, tips and recommendations document for your future perusal.

This service is provided at a fixed price, and recent customers have actually saved money by following our recommendations rather than buying from a shop - and get our setup and training into the bargain!

We find many customers wish to benefit from their own Wireless network to allow them to obtain internet access from anywhere in the house, but we find many are daunted by the task of setting everything up and are also concerned about security around their WiFi.

We are able to recommend suitable hardware if required, and are then able to set up any routers in a secure and simple fashion based on your requirements.  We will ensure everything works to your satisfaction and that you have a good understanding of the setup.  We will also provide you with a document with how everything is set up for future reference.

Depending on your requirements, we are able to simply just install it and get it working, or indeed teach you how to do it so you can be confident in making future changes.

We hear far too often of people actually buying a new computer or seriously thinking about it because their current one is too slow.  We have seen this with people with relatively new computers who thought that after a year they needed replacing.

If your needs do not include playing complex 3D or the latest games and just includes basic office, eMail, Internet and normal usage, then most computers a fair few years old will actually be fine. 

We find older computers where their owners complain they are slow can be fixed with either:-
- Cheap upgrade of a particular component (e.g. adding more memory)
- Tuning of the existing software setup and disabling items you do not require or use
- Fixing a problem with either the computer (e.g. virus, badly configured software) or with your Internet link (e.g. ensuring router is working correctly and secured etc)

In our experience it is much more common to be able to return older computers to their original fast speed than require a physical replacement.

Unfortunately, many home users have inadvertently run something, downloaded something, or visited an unscrupulous web site and accidentally installed a virus or malware of some sort. Some of these may be harmless; some may slow the computer down; some pop up adverts continuously;  some can cause more harm - and in some cases - they can "record keystrokes" meaning some of your details may not be as secure as you thought.

Removal is not always simply a case of pressing one button, and sometimes tracking, finding, and removing malware can be a challenge!  However we are very experienced and have a set of tools to help with the removal and cleaning up of problems.

Generally, if we are making a visit we can quickly ascertain if you have a current problem when we are there and can make recommendations accordingly.

In addition, we can recommend improvements to your security setup to minimise future problems.  We will also leave you a hints & tips document for future reference.

Generally, the Internet is a safe place for fun and to do business.  However, there are unscrupulous sites and people that try and make money though deceit, fraud, or through installing malware on your computer.

In most cases, the end user is duped into doing something, clicking something, or downloading something themselves.  These cases can be very convincing indeed suggesting the content is from someone you know, or promises you something you want!

Without training and knowing what scams exist, it is very easy and very common for people to get duped and causing themselves future issues.

Many people also go into their local computer shop and buy software, such as firewalls and antivirus, when in fact their particular setup does not require them and in most cases equivalent versions are available for free on the Internet.  (Be wary, as some malware pretends to be free versions of security software to encourage you to install it!!)

We can offer both simple training in what you should expect and what you should do; provide a quick security audit of your home environment; and recommend (and if necessary install for you) appropriate security and anti virus software.

Our service in this area is cheaper than you simply going to PC World and buying their off-the-shelf software which may solve the technical aspect - but also leave you untrained!

Almost everyone we know with a computer has had an issue of some sort with it.  It may be an error popping up on startup; a printer no longer working; or generally running slow. 

We are experienced in dealing with these issues though a quick audit of a system, then implementing problem resolution (normally root cause problem resolution, not simply masking the problem), and then fine tuning as necessary to meet your needs.

Computers are great, they are powerful, and todays set of applications have more functionality than most of us need.  However, most home users only use a core few applications and functions and struggle to get the most of of them.

One customer of ours was proud to keep all contacts in Outlook, but then was on the verge of writing Christmas card labels by hand!  We are able to assess your needs and train you sufficiently well to both perform the tasks you require, and also give you confidence to self teach and experiment in the future.  In this example, we showed (and documented) a way for the customer to filter their contacts in to who was going to get a card or not; and then automatically print labels just for those that did.

We can generally train and support most applications as with our experience we can rapidly identify the functionality of applications and get the best out of them.  With Windows and Office applications we are capable of teaching to an advanced standard.

The Internet has a huge amount of online websites offering freebies, bargains, cashback, "unbeatable deals" and all sorts of other tempting goodies.

Who do you trust?  Which is safe to use?

We are able to provide you training, tips, and other information that will make you more secure and comfortable shopping online.  In addition we can show you how to find the cheapest place to buy something and also how to get "free cash back" from purchases you make!  Not just that - we can also show you safe ways to get any voucher or promotional codes that exist that may reduce your purchase cost further.

Not just that, we can show you how to get freebies and where to look for last minute bargains that may only last hours.

This topic is littered with untrustworthy sites and companies who try and "steal" your free cash back - so if you explore alone please tread carefully.

After training and explaining how everything works, we will leave you a tip sheet offering advice and also our recommended websites on the topic.

eBay is a great tool to allow you to buy bargains and sell your unwanted items.  You can also find eBay is a great place to get things that you can't get elsewhere from both home niche sellers and established businesses that use eBay as one of their virtual stores.  eBay is no longer just full of second hand items.

But with all good things, eBay does have its downsides and risks.

We can teach you how to use eBay, and its sister payment site Paypal, and show you how you can ensure you are being as safe and secure as possible and getting the bargain you think.

We are able to walk you through the entire purchase process, and also the sales process - including taking photos with your digital camera and uploading to eBay with your item details.

This training benefits if you have items you currently want to sell as we can use these real life examples as part of the training, and we can teach and watch as you sell your subsequent items.

We can also provide documentation for your future reference.

There are times when a full computer rebuild is either needed or wanted in order to freshen the computer up, tidy up all of the applications and settings, and just get it to the "Out of the box" setup.

We can do this in a number of ways, on a new disk (so you have the old one safe), or over the existing disk.  We can check to ensure we can help you locate data prior to wiping, and also agree on how you want the machine configured.

Ideally we use the CDs you were originally provided with, but in addition we will update Windows and all software on there and install fully working AntiVirus software and ensure all hardware devices are fine.  We can also help you install your personal applications, reconnect to your home network, and anything else you require.