"Is PC tune-up worth it" article

[mooncat]

nothing we didn't know already, but wanted to share the article. Saw it on Yahoo's front page news feed. I have found that no matter how easy it is to do regular PC maintenance on their own, people just don't do it.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Limber-Up-Your-Sluggish-nytimes-4113873324.html?x=0

 

[ComputerStop]

I saw this on twitter yesterday, it seems like a great article but like you said - People just don't do it!



People not fixing/maintaining their own computers - Job Security.

 

[MobileTechie]

Great article - really? I thought it was really shallow to the point of being useless. It also implies that having large file amounts of data like films etc is implicated in PC slowdown which is a common misconception amongst users I find.

 

[ComputerStop]

Just saw your reply and clicked the link, saw that it is an article i did read yesterday, but not the one I was referring too - and im an idiot for not reading more before posting about it.


Not a great article. I will search for the one I read that was good.

 

[mooncat]

No, it's not a great article, which is kind of why I posted it. This is what our customers read though, misconceptions and all.

 

[ComputerGenie]

Those who do not regularly maintain their computer are most probably not the most tech savvy (yes a sweeping generalization there.)
After reading this I wonder just how many people have Googled for maintenance tools only to install malicious software.
Unless the user knows exactly what they or their tune up software is doing, the cost of a professional service is a very fair price.

 

[callthatgirl]

I do computer cleanings all the time, or Tune-ups as I am now calling them. I have a firm (now 22pt) checklist that we go through with every cleaning. Most people love it and everything is faster, runs good and they know what's going on with their computer (things that need attention that is, like memory, hard drive space, software decisions, etc.). It's not the average person's job to know how to do cleanings. I get calls now and then from clients who say their systems are still slow, and they have done "the cleaning" themselves, but after we do our list, magically...everything is faster.

Ours are $75, but I am thinking of having my assistant upsell them to the clients who are calling in for other problems, for half the price, since we already are booking another repair, throw in a cleaning for $40 or so.

I read the article, too bad they didn't close with "Call That Girl if you don't know what you're doing and deleting important system files/directories because you want to clean up your memory) haha...

I am kidding, everyone calls their memory/hard drive space and vice versa.

 

[ComputerStop]

So I don't feel like a complete idiot:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2170404_tune-up-computer-free.html

Simple stuff people could do with minor computer knowledge - they just don't.

 

[mooncat]

Those who do not regularly maintain their computer are most probably not the most tech savvy (yes a sweeping generalization there.)
After reading this I wonder just how many people have Googled for maintenance tools only to install malicious software.
Unless the user knows exactly what they or their tune up software is doing, the cost of a professional service is a very fair price.

Amen....again, it comes down to paying for knowledge.

 

[maclaptech]

Heh, lot of people don't even have anti-virus installed on their computer let alone knowing how to tune up their own PC...

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

yep MT, most common thing I hear is "my computer is slow, do you think I need to take some of my photos off?"

 

[edgepcs]

most common thing I hear is "my computer is slow, do you think I need to take some of my photos off?"

Ha, I have had this quite a few times. Is a classic.

I always just say that photos are so small by todays standard that it is hardly worth it.

 

[atlanticjim]

yep MT, most common thing I hear is "my computer is slow, do you think I need to take some of my photos off?"

I love a good analogy and used to say "if you take things out of your trunk will your car run better?" until I got the argument that in fact the car would run faster without all the weight. Now I say. ."It is like cleaning out your garage to make your car run faster". Then I say. . "although I cannot make this chevy as fast as a Porsche, I can make it almost as fast as when you got it.

One thing that I did not see addressed in the "tune up" articles was deleting startups and autoruns. This is something that I routinely do with any tune up.

 

[callthatgirl]

yep MT, most common thing I hear is "my computer is slow, do you think I need to take some of my photos off?"

Classic!!!! So true and how funny so many people think this.

 

[1aComputerServices]

Heh, lot of people don't even have anti-virus installed on their computer let alone knowing how to tune up their own PC...

Don't pick. my main office PC doesn't have antivirus software on it because I don't need it.

 

[edgepcs]

Don't pick. my main office PC doesn't have antivirus software on it because I don't need it.

Even if you don't need it I would still say it is essential to have installed. I haven't had a virus in years on my system but there is always the chance!

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[Jimmyb]

The other great line is, "My computer is running so slow, I am thinking of buying a new one:. This is were we can save them time and money and look like heroes.

 

[1aComputerServices]

Or, "My computer is making a funny noise" after you convince them to let you clean it out you find that half of a dog is living inside their case. Clean it, suddenly things run quiet again