Greetings! I never did get a chance to finish my airline rant in the TechRestore blog over the weekend, so let me take a moment to wrap this up before we head into the Specials. If you couldn't stand the first part of the story, you'll definitely want to skip this one as well. Go ahead, just scroll down and you can take a quick peek at this week's deals - I don't mind, really. But, on the other hand, if I left you in suspense with those fateful words "Then Capt. Bob broke it to us, this plane wasn't going anywhere...." - read on, dear reader.
So, how long does it take to unload a plane that was just loaded up? You would think it would take just about the same time to load, say about 20 minutes or so. And I'm certainly no expert about this stuff, but I can't figure out why unloading the plane would take 90 minutes? I guess I'm just not smart enough. Anyway, after those 90 minutes or so went by, AA informed us that they had another plane and we would actually make it to Raleigh, NC sometime before dawn. W00t! Backing away from the gate, with a 1:30AM landing time now within our sites, I realized we were going to be darn tired during that first meeting Tuesday morning. Oh well, sleep is for kids.
We did get to spend some good quality time with some very important folks at eBay, Amazon, Google and some other companies during the two days we were in Raleigh. I'm sure these people sit somewhere even further up in front of the plane than first class - they were darn smart and provided us with some great advice that we can use across our companies. But, all good things must come to an end, an end that unfortunately put my rear back in an airline seat.
We got to RDU airport a bit early that evening and, with the super top-secret black Amex card, got ourselves into the AA Admirals club where I still couldn't get a free WiFi connection - but, the power plugs were plentiful! I used my 3G Verizon card, got down to business and charged my laptop and iPhone all at the same time. Small miracles. But, no matter how nice the chair I was sitting in, when the Admirals club attendant made her rounds to inform the super important people (of which I was impersonating), that there would be a "small" delay due to some bad weather back at DFW. That "small" delay rolled into 2-hours and the only saving grace was that I would be on the same plane all the way back to SFO - getting rid of the super-sprint to catch my connector flight that would also be subject to rule 14B (see last weeks newsletter for that one). We finally landed at DFW and I hung out on the plane while most of the other poor souls hustled their way out to try and catch their next flight. After figuring for unloading and reloading time, I put our ETA into SFO at about 1AM. Of course, I was being overly optimistic again and we finally made our way down through the clouds in the Bay Area at around 1:30AM where I waited for a bus to carry me to offsite parking, paid my fees and rolled my way across the Bay Bridge and back to suburbia just in time to hit the hay at about 3AM. But, I'm not complaining - during most of the travel, I just kept thinking, "wait until I talk about this one..."
Overall, it was a great trip and extremely productive (when I wasn't in the air). But I'm glad to be home this week with the only upcoming trip being one that includes a tent and a fishing pole. Those trips usually make for good stories as well. If you can stand my long winded descriptions, that is.
We're in the Clothing Business
We had a great response to the new TechRestore T-shirt store! Lots of positive feedback and some happy folks are now exceptionally stylish as they walk around with our exploded gadgets displayed proudly.
This week we've got a special on the "Yes, I will fix your computer" shirt with the exploded MacBook Pro. This shirt is the answer to all those "No, I won't fix your computer" shirts out there - if you're a Mac expert, and you're helping people anyway, wear this shirt with pride!
Normally only $14.99, this shirt is on sale for just $10.40 this week! Click the link below and then select the "Specials" from the category pull-down list.
Congratulations, Kathy Berger, the winner of a new iPod Touch! Thank you to all who responded to our survey. As many of you now know, we have begun sending out emails with an attached survey. These surveys allow us to collect data regarding recent orders and repairs. This process allows our clients to rate us regarding their TechRestore experience.
It is this process that helps us figure out our Net Promoter Score, which gives us the percentage of clients who are giving us either a rating of 9 or 10, based on a 1-10 scale. Likewise, we will be able to see just where we failed those clients who rate us below a rating of 9
Our goal, of course, is to continue and improve upon what we are doing right. Conversely, we will pinpoint any areas that we need to pay special attention to in order to raise our score.
Your input is crucial in our quest for excellence. If you are a previous customer and would like to rate your TechRestore experience, you can simply visit techrestore.com/survey to share your opinion with us.
Our monthly iPod touch giveaway just sweetens the pot, making taking the survey an excellent way to spend 42.5 seconds of your time. And yes, you can win the Touch even if your survey results are critical of our service to you.
Keep your fingers crossed for the next iPod Touch to be given away in May!
Thanks and enjoy the rest of the newsletter!
Stacey Kronmal
Take the TechRestore Facebook Quiz!
Today, our spokes-dog Guinness posted the first TechRestore Facebook quiz: What type of gadget are you? Finally, you can find out if you are an iPod nano, PS3, MacBook, iPhone or other cool gadget. Don't thank us, we're just doing our part to make your life a more fulfilling. ;-)
If quizes aren't your thing, get a laugh with some broken electronics or other fun tech images using TechRestore Gadget Gore. Sure, you could send a flower or a hug, but an iPhone with a shattered screen or a laptop with melted keys is so much more interesting to look at! Every accepted item unlocks another, revealing more unique images with every use.
Free Screensaver
I'm going to sneak another goodie into this week's specials (shh..don't tell Shannon). For those of you with Macs, running OSX 10.4 Tiger and above, I've made a mesmerizing screensaver. Click here for a download link and installation instructions.
(c: Brian
The Specials
Here come the deals! Use the coupon codes online or call 1-888-572-7372. Note that some codes are valid for phone orders only. This batch of specials will expire on 5/14 at Midnight Pacific Time.
Once again, it's not that I really don't like to fly...really. I just think that maybe flying does not like me. After all, 12-hours to get across the country seems like an awful long time, doesn't it? First stop, SFO on Tuesday where I arrive to the airport late and find a huge crowd of people moving at a snails pace through the security line that I'm sure reached all the way to LAX. Here I catch a break, with thanks to my Starwood FF miles that nabbed me a free first class seat for this trip. I see a virtually empty line through security, tagged for the "special people" with a first class ticket? Whatever. So even though I feel like kind of a dirtbag walking briskly past the 587 people in the "regular" line, hey, I'm late man, sorry. As I slink on by everyone else, I wonder how the airlines convinced the TSA folks that the people in the front of the plane needed their own security line. I mean, c'mon - I'm pretty sure everyone in the first 6 rows on my flight were using their ff miles as well, so it's not like they are selling a lot of these tickets buy offering a super-duper "YOU RULE!" first class security line, right? But what do I know, and here I am digressing and the story hasn't even gotten off the ground yet.
I hustle through security ("Is that more than 3 oz of hair gel, sir?!" - Please) and cruise quickly down to my gate. Here I learn one more important rule of modern day air travel - Rule 14B: the faster you run to make your plane, the longer the delay will be before you actually get to leave the airport. As I'm sweating my way up to the counter, I see the numbers on the Departing Time roll over in front of my eyes, stealing 90 minutes of my life in a blink. So, I go to find a seat to get some work done while I wait wait wait. And you know how you always hear about things like "Free WiFi!" at the airport, well, that's pretty cool and obviously popular since my Airport card picked up about 34 networks - all locked. I thank my lucky stars and Verizon as I pull out my 3G card and jump online - dreaming that someday I may be able to actually connect my MacBook Pro using my 3G iPhone, thus saving me $60 a month for the Vcard that sits in my bag most of the time anyway.
So, tons of WiFi but, we're now missing one more, very important piece of the puzzle. Say it out loud with me now, all at once: P-O-W-E-R. OK, I feel better. How about some extra plugs in those fancy new airports?! I search and search, quickly figuring out the SFO "Rules of Power" that essentially says if you are actually lucky enough to find a top secret power plug, there's going to be about 12 people milling around it like modern day eVampires, waiting their turn to fill their devices with the nectar of life. Two little plugs about every 60 ft, with a bunch of shell shocked people standing around with dangling power cords. Here's a hint to the cool looking electronics boutique at the airport....SELL A MULTI-PLUG POWER EXPANDER! But no, the geniuses at these places would rather try to hawk you the nifty $80 Bluetooth earpiece that you didn't really come to the airport for anyway. OK, I'm done with my little rant and I did finally find some power, hidden behind a trash can that was totally missed by the other power zombies.
I finally get on my plane and have an uneventful, if a little bumpy, flight to Dallas where I have to run (once again ignoring Rule 14B) to "catch" my connecting flight to Raleigh, NC....which is, you guessed it, delayed about 2 hours. I meet up with my business partner, Jay and we spend the time talking about the conference we are headed to - which was fine, no problem, just a little delay, right? Ahem. We finally get on the plane, load the carry-on's, buckle up, ready to go! Then, I notice an ominous sign: the captain (I presume since he's in the neat outfit) is outside the plane, pointing up at some part of the plane and speaking into his phone while he shakes his head. This can't be good, can it? About this time, the folks in the big seats start getting free drinks hoisted on them (thankfully, I was still one of the people in the YOU RULE! group) and while I enjoyed the free beer, I was less than cheery when the captain walked back into the plane and announced that a few parts had fallen of the plane during the previous flight. Talk about a confidence builder! Way to go AA! And even though I feel w-a-y safer being in the first few rows (don't ask me why), I still don't want to be on the plane when stuff is falling off - just doesn't sound good. Captain Bob explains that the thingies that fell off help get rid of static electricity that builds up on the plane during flight. And even though I wanted to make a loud comment about finding the solution to the power problem inside the terminal right in front of their faces, I held my tongue and we waited a bit more, then a bit more. Then Capt. Bob broke it to us, this plane wasn't going anywhere....
Wow, I've taken a lot of your time here with this story (nightmare) - I'll tell you what, if you want to read the rest, click over to our blog and I'll try to wrap it up by the weekend. ;-) Otherwise, let's move on to some other topics.
Who Wants a T-shirt?
Everyone loves a cool T-shirt. It's the most popular part of our MacWorld Expo booth every year and my closet is of full of TechRestore shirts from over the years. With the massive popularity of our Stop-Motion video series, we have had lots of requests to spread some of those exploded product views onto a series of shirts that we could offer up for the betterment of geek fashionistas everywhere. You speak and we listen, powerful Overlords. Introducing the new TechRestore T-shirt shop! Shirts start at just around $14 and we will be adding new designs frequently to the store.
Here we go with this week's deals. For those hundred or so new subscribers this week, here's how this works: use the coupon codes online or call 1-888-572-7372. Note that some codes are valid for phone orders only. This batch of specials will expire on 5/11 at Midnight Pacific Time.
We are in the thick of Baseball season around here, let me tell you. That, coupled with a heat wave, has brought a brief glimpse of what we can expect this summer. Last night we watched Ethan running the bases in 90 degree temps! We have daytime games, in the next ten days, so I am sure to be eating a lot of hot dogs for dinner at the snack bar and, even though we are supposed to get some cold weather back in town this weekend, being at E's games is a fantastic way to welcome the spring. As I'm sure thousands of you can attest, watching your kids excel at just about anything fills you with a big sense of pride, whether it's smashing the ball into left field, serving up a smashing volleyball serve or slamming the keys down when cruising through a Piano recital - enjoying the lives of our children must truly be one of the greatest gifts we are given.
If you look to your right, you'll see the back of Ethan as he leaps for a ball being fired into first base. While I was coaching third base, Renee kept moving around the field, filling our camera with great pics like this action shot. And the kids just love being out on the field - that is for sure. There's no cure for being grumpy or stressed out like getting filled up with smiles and laughter from the dugout while a bunch of 7 and 8-year olds enjoy the game. With the stands filled with parents, grand parents, friends and extended families, it's a giant slice of Americana staring you in the face. Last night I got the chance to stop for a minute and just take it all in: the kids in their shiny new A's uniforms, the deep voice of our coach encouraging the boys to run faster, hit harder, the super-green of the spring turf, the sounds of that laughter I mentioned earlier, the smack of the ball as it hits the bat, the cheers from the stands and the sounds of the five other games going on at the park. It's all good, that's for sure.
The few people who have seen this photo of E on first base have asked "Did he catch it?" I'll answer that here just like I did to them: Does it really matter? I don't think so.
OK, we have pretty cool stuff to chat with you about today. We're going to talk about Earth Day and TechRestore's commitment to the environment and sustainable computing, then we'll move into a much requested and cool new screen option for MacBook owners, then on through this week's Specials and then we'll meet at the bottom of the newsletter for a couple of Web tips and tricks. Are you ready? Here we go!
We're proud to announce the launch of our new Consumer E-Waste Recycling program!
California residents who'd like to save their old electronics from becoming toxic e-waste in some landfill, can drop off their items for recycling at our repair center in Concord, between the hours of 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday or mail it in, using the form and shipping label here.
We accept the following electronic items for e-waste recycling:
iPods
VCRs
iPhones
CD players
DVD players
game consoles
hand-held game systems
Click here for a map and address of our Concord e-waste drop off location.
Walk-in clients will receive a free recycling sticker to show that they helped save the planet. You can also show your support for sustainable computing by downloading a free screensaver or desktop background.
TechRestore is concerned about the effect of electronics waste on our environment. As much as we love these shiny, glowing toys, we understand that computing, gaming and mobile communication must go hand-in-hand with protecting the planet.
We collect consumer eWaste in conjunction with a California Approved and Certified Recycler under the Electronics Waste Recycling Act of 2003 (SB20) to keep obsolete and defective electronics out of landfills.
Every day is Earth Day at TechRestore, because our whole business revolves around keeping electronics out of landfill. Techrestore regularly recycles tons of e-waste as part of our repair services and refurbishing processes. Our new e-waste initiative is one more piece of the TechRestore R3 environmental program: Repair, Restore and Recycle.
By now, you have heard me talking (bragging?) plenty about the success of our Matte screen replacement services for the MacBook and MacBook Pro Unibody systems. During the last 6-months, our Technicians have learned a ton about glossy screens, matte screens, glass and LCD panels. I can confidently state that there is no repair center on the planet that has more knowledge about these products as our Techs do now. With that bravado out of the way, ;-) I am thrilled to announce that original MacBook owners can now select the Matte (non-glossy) screen when they require a screen replacement or if they wish to upgrade to the Matte finish screen just to lose the shine!
This screen is not available anywhere else but TechRestore and with our proprietary "Factory-Fit" installation method, we have the perfect screen solution for original MacBook owners. There are two options:
Select the Matte finish screen option when scheduling a repair for a defective or damaged MacBook screen for just $49 more than our regular repair! Learn more and order here
This is good stuff. We have been inundated with requests for a Matte screen replacement for the classic MacBooks - we are really excited to be offering this program as one more TechRestore Exclusive!
The Specials
Here come the deals! You can use the coupons here when ordering online or via phone. Click the links (like you didn't already know that) or call 1-888-572-7372 to get help via the phone. Meet you back at the bottom of the deals for this week's website pick.
It's 9:53PM, do you know where your website is? Well, 734 people know where the TechRestore website is, since that's the tally of our current visitors online at this moment. I just love those numbers. :-).
I am toiling away up on level 2 of our California Repair Center, enjoying some very loud Chinese Democracy while working on this week's Specials and getting ready for some cool announcements for Earth Day tomorrow. Oh, what the heck, go ahead and check this one out here. Check out Brian's new video that doubles as a screensaver. Just you wait, he's got some incredible new tricks up his sleeves that are heading your way soon.
In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the tunes and finish up the deals that will be hitting the airwaves tomorrow afternoon. Don't miss out, you'll hate that.
There have been times in my life where I felt I was leaving the ground. Moments that impacted me in dramatic ways, marked me and molded me into who I am today. Simple things, really - a smile from one of my kids, a shared thought with my wife that scared us, it was so psychic. Complex things as well - sitting up all night in the hospital room, Renee asleep, chatting with my Mom while we waited for Skylar to make her entrance. Watching Ethan leap for a soccer ball, stop a goal and lose a tooth at the same time (should I be happy, proud, concerned? All three). Sad things can begin moving me off the ground as well - seeing the outpouring of emotion from friends and family at my Dad's wake, losing Roman, the BDDOE (Best Damn Dog on Earth) - powerful things, even in the sadness they represent.
In business, there are times when I get to feel like I am defying gravity as well. Seeing my first company sign go up on a commercial building (945 sq ft!), hiring my first employee (Colleen), first time I had a customer tell me they loved my company, defying the odds and knowing you have had a positive impact on hundreds of employees, building our first website and watching the visitors trickle in, our first MacWorld Expo exhibit, on and on. It's pretty easy to find the fuel needed to leave the ground at TechRestore. Particularly when you receive customer feedback like this:
And I promise, I did not add a single exclamation point to this:
I am so glad I found TechRestore!!!! Your services are very professional and you take the stress out of the entire process!! Having our PSP fixed was soooooo easy and so fast!! I will definitely refer you to friends and family. If we need other services in the future I wouldn't think about using anyone else!!!! Thanks so much for being so AWESOME!!!!!!
Patricia Rocco / Tucson, AZ
Here's a couple that really got me floating recently:
Shannon, I have always been surprised and delighted by the service I have received, and the quality of the goods I've purchased.
I just want to say thanks for the way you treat your customers - it makes recommending you a pleasure. And I do so daily! I work for a
certain fruit company as a "brainiac" - if you notice a spike in customers from Northeastern MA, I might've had something to do with.
I'm not fishing for anything - I just wanted to say thanks for being one of the good guys!
Mikeal St. Ayre / Lowel, MA
-
Oh my GOSH!! Thank you so much!! This is the best service I have ever received on ANYTHING!! I am so happy with your unbelievable turnaround. I will tell the world about techrestore.com!
Lauree Mills-Mooney / Petal MS
And one of my all time favorites, short and to the point:
I am in love with a company called TechRestore!
Shari Barnhart / Hudson, FL
So, why do I bring this up today? Well, we are coming up on another important milestone that is sure to get my feet off the ground: 50,000 repairs completed within the last 5 years - as we get closer to that number, we'll be celebrating with you here each week in the Special News. We're thrilled to be reaching this number and we could not have done it without your support. Thank you!
Overnight MacBook Pro Unibody Glass Replacement
Yes, I know we have been talking a lot lately about glass. We have been immersed in developing the glass replacement services for the Unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro systems for so long now, I feel like a windshield repair tech. ;-)
But, getting this glass business figured out is important for all of us Mac users who need a quick repair when our Unibody glass breaks. Glass is good, glass is easily recyclable and many people love the depth of color you get when looking at the glass encased MacBook and MacBook Pro LCD screen. So, with that in mind, I am very pleased to announce that we have begun offering a flat-rate glass replacement service for the MacBook Pro 15.4" Unibody systems! You can now save hundreds of dollars off the price of a complete screen replacement if you break your Unibody glass.
Our flat-rate price of $349 includes the replacement glass, professional installation by a highly trained technician, a 1-year warranty and Free shipping.
Release the deals! You can use the coupons here when ordering online or via phone. Click the links below or call 1-888-572-7372 to get help via the phone. The coupons are valid through 4/22 at Midnight PT. Meet you back at the bottom of the deals for this week's website pick.
First off, I just want to let you local folks know that you are more than welcome to save yourself the cost of shipping a device in for repair, by dropping it off in person. We don't have a retail store, but our Repair Center is open from 8am - 5pm and local drop offs are welcome, here's how to get here:
Time to get up. Get dressed. Get your shoes on. Don't forget your sweatshirt. Be sure to brush your teeth. Yes, you do need to comb your hair, son. Do you have your homework? No, you can't take that to school. Have a great day.
Then:
15 minutes until bedtime. Get your pajamas on. Brush your teeth. Did you go to the bathroom? Leave your sister alone. Don't yell at your brother. Get to bed. No, I let you stay up late to finish that TV show - no time for stories now. Tomorrow, yes. Goodnight. Go to sleep. For the last time, go to sleep. I already did tuck you in. GOODNIGHT.
And so it goes - the story of my life. And just how many times do you think I've told my son to brush his teeth? Let's just say, for sake of argument that I have to tell him only 3 times per day (we'll be very generous) - that's 3 x 365 = 1095 x 6 years = 6,570 times that I've instructed the little bugger to brush his chompers. He's 7, but since I can't remember when he actually got teeth that needed to be brushed, we'll go with the lower number. And since I probably have to ask/tell him at least twice as many times as I'm giving him credit for, you can see that this is a rather large number. As well, we could have the same discussion about rather important things such as combing hair, shoes - you get the idea.
I'm pretty sure I've asked this question here one time or another, but can you tell me when they start actually remembering to do these things on their own? Certainly it can be no big surprise that brushing your teeth and hair are part of the morning routine, now that we've done it thousands upon thousands of time? Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be sharing any good news with me about my future prospects of not having to remind Ethan about these daily tasks.
And then there's Skylar. She's a dream when it comes to remembering these little things - but let me ask you one more very important question: Am I the only person in the country who thinks that the last thing in the world my lovely 10-year old daughter needs is a cell phone? Has everyone else gone insane and started thinking that these little kids are really deprived without a phone to text their friends with? I paid about $1000 for my first cell phone and even though I still remember how cool it made me feel to talk on it while walking down the street - I'm still not sold on getting one for Sky - and not just because everyone else watching me hold that big brick to my ear back then thought, "Who does this idiot think he is, the President?" I just can't think of any reason for a 10-year old to have a phone, other than the fact that half of the other 10-year olds in her class have them - and that's no reason at all. Yes, I get the safety thing - very cool to be able to locate your kid quickly and in some cases, very important for particular situations. We don't have one of those.
Wow, domestic life. Who'd have thought that these would be the pressing issues of the day. ;-)
OK, visit the Special News for some deals! Use the links on that page or speak to a real, live Human being by calling 1-888-572-7372. The coupons are valid through 3/31 at Midnight Pacific time. Here we go!
We've been some busy little beavers. Industrious if you will. Take a gander at the new services and videos that have been released in the last few weeks. And while you may not get as excited about this stuff as we do (I can't imagine why not), you may just find a solution to your particular problem in this list.
Here goes:
Feb 20th : New 320 Gigabyte Overnight drive upgrade for legacy Mac systems. PowerBook and iBook owners rejoice! We are here to help you keep your systems up and running - serving you loyally as long as you'll have them. Read the fancy press release here and learn more.
March 2nd : Insanity prevails and new Kindle 2 is ripped apart within minutes of arriving at TechRestore. Brian Northway posts his most impressive stop-motion video to date. Give us 1 minute and 54 seconds and we'll change your life! Well, not really, but I've always wanted to tell someone that.
March 2nd : As if that cool Kindle video wasn't enough - we rolled out our exclusive (that means we're the only madmen offering this) Matte Finish screen replacement service for the 13" new Aluminum MacBook Unibody. And yes, we perform the service Overnight and we offer free shipping - what more could you want out of life? Learn more here.
March 6th : Just four days later, we stun the Mac world with another first, the only Overnight MacBook 13" Aluminum glass replacement service with free shipping on the planet. Whew, that's a mouthful! We are seeing more and more of these systems arriving with broken glass on a daily basis. Now there's a flat-rate solution from your friends at TechRestore. Learn more here:
March 12th : Unchain your Apple TV! Burst the bonds of tyranny with our new monster upgrades for Apple TV systems. Store up to 400 hours of video! 72,000 songs! 200,000 photos! Those are some insane numbers my friends and if you have that much content, we salute you and offer you an Overnight solution that we think you'll love. Hurry, learn more before your Apple TV explodes!
March 17th : The battle rages - Canvas vs. Computer: Are Pixels the new Paint? What side will you choose? Brian Northway does it again with this beautiful video of artist Anthony Riggs doing what he does best - first on a canvas, then on the ModBook. Don't miss it.
And don't think we're through yet, just cause it's the last week of March...oh no, my friends, we are on a roll and we are taking names. Check this one for tomorrow:
March 24 : Save your 3G iPhone for only $99 with Overnight repair and Free Shipping! That's right, the 3G iPhone screen replacement has streaked up the repair charts and we are loaded with units that need a fast repair by a trusted source. In addition to overnight service, TechRestore offers our "Factory-Fit" installation that other repair companies can only dream of. Dream on and learn more here.
That puts the wraps on a busy Monday. Don't miss the Specials that will make their way across the Planet tomorrow afternoon - you might read these words again, but you won't want to miss the deals and discounts that we have in the works.
It's been a fantastic week exhibiting at MacWorld Expo!
We've seen a record number of people coming by the booth each day and one of the most popular items we are displaying is the Glossy to Matte finish screen replacement service for the 15-inch MacBook Pro Unibody models. We have our prototype at the show, and it's incredible how many people have come by to thank us for coming out with this service. Seems like there's a large population of MacBook Pro users that don't like using that shiny screen.
Once we got mentioned by MacWorld magazine, where their reviewer said "Personally, I feel like the TechRestore guys do a better job with their matte treatment than Apple did" , our phones started ringing off the hook for this new service. If you can't get to the show to see the samples of the MacBook Pro with a non-shiny screen, here's some quick answers to some common questions that have come up:
What does the screen replacement include?
In order to replace the super-shiny screen with a traditional matte (anti-glare) screen, we remove the glass screen cover (you know, that mirror-like glass you have been seeing your reflection in), then we remove the glossy LCD (LED backlight) screen. We then replace the glossy screen with a matte-finish screen that has the exact same specifications as the original; same resolution, same color depth, same LED backlight...you get the idea. We install a custom black bezel around the edge of the screen that matches the finish of the MacBook Pro and looks great. The bezel has all the required holes in it for the iSight and other items that sit at the top of the MacBook Pro screen housing.
Are you just putting an anti-glare screen cover on the screen?
No. Our beta testers on this service have told us they do not like the anti-glare covers since they tend to distort images and make color matching very difficult. We will be replacing your entire LCD panel.
Will you post some photos on your website, already!?
We will be posting some actual before-after photos on our site next week for your review.
How long does the service take?
The screen replacement is completed within 24-hours (M-F) of receipt to us.
What about my warranty?
We provide a 1-year warranty on your new screen. Our technicians have performed tens of thousands of repairs on in-warranty laptops since 1994 and we have never had a warranty declined by the manufacturer due to our service. Of course, the manufacturer will not cover any parts we install on your laptop, we take care of that for you. In the unlikely event that you have a problem getting warranty service on your laptop after we perform any repair or upgrade, simply give us a call so we can provide you with assistance. We are here to help.
What other products will you be offering this service on?
We've had a tremendous response to this new service. Watch for new products being added during the coming weeks. To get an alert about new service offerings, sign up for our Specials newsletter.We have one more day of the show, which ends at 4PM on Friday. I'll then be driving the Time Machine out of the Moscone Center and taking a couple of days to recuperate from being on our feet talking non-stop for four days. It's been a great show and we hope that MacWorld Expo continues to be such a great resource for Mac users everywhere.
Last week, I started thinking about all the publications that had featured articles about TechRestore, our products, our services and our customers. Brian Northway and I decided that it would be a good idea to put up a page on our website listing some of the magazines, newspapers, websites and radio shows that have featured TechRestore over the years. I can’t tell you how pleased we were to find article after article featuring TechRestore in publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, WIRED magazine, CNN, MacWorld, MacLife, countless local newspapers and a bunch of websites and radio shows. All of us have put a tremendous amount of work into making our company succeed over the years and it's wonderful to be able to see us in these publications.
Click on over to view the cool logos in all their full-sized glory. Have a great Friday!
We rolled back into town late Saturday night after 4 days in sunny Scottsdale...it rained quite a bit and it was only warm enough to swim one day. And if you know my kids, they will pretty much swim in just about any weather, rain, sleet, you name it. Well, I might be exaggerating a little. We stayed at the Kierland resort, which was just fantastic and it had the added benefit of accepting our frequent flier miles as payment - what's not to love?
I hope you had a great long holiday weekend. While I was down in AZ with family, our Techs were busy with repairs and upgrades. We're seeing a big increase in our PSP repairs, which might have something to do with the 72,000+ folks that have watched our PSP 3000 video. We're also seeing more iPod Touch and 3G iPhone repairs making there way to the TechRestore repair labs. We had a record number of repairs scheduled over the weekend, so we're ready for a busy week.
If you're a subscriber to the TechRestore Specials, you know that each week we send out some dramatic discounts to our loyal subscribers, we're just about to hit the 10,000 subscriber mark (we'll have to do something super-special when that happens). So, how do you partake in these fabulous prizes (deals, actually)? Simple, just click over to our Specials page, enter your email address and you'll instantly be saving on Mac, iPod & iPhone repairs, upgrades, iPods, software, Mac parts and more. We promise not to annoy you, or if we do annoy you (sometimes happens if you're around me too long), you can unsubscribe with just 1-click of your mouse.
If you'd like to save even more, click over to the TechRestore Fan page on Facebook. Signup as a Fan of TechRestore and you'll get access to the best discount code we've offered to date. We're not bribing you to be our friend, really.
Before I go, check out these pictures of some Dale Chihuly glass work. We visited an exhibit titled "The Nature of Glass" while in AZ that had Chihuly works spread throughout the Phoenix Botanic Garden, which, (no surprise here) is full of cacti, succulents and tons of other crazy desert plants. Pics taken with my iPhone, so don't expect much detail.
Have a great week! Now that you're a subscriber to the TechRestore Specials, I'll see you again on Friday, with about 10,000 other friends.
iPhone users rejoice - you can officially count on getting free Wi-Fi service on your iPhone from any AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot across the land - this includes boatloads of Starbucks, airports and all sorts of other places. Check out the map, that's a lot of free wifi. Enjoy!
Our friends at Engadget are publishing these blurry top secret photos that are being leaked in advance of Apple's laptop announcements tomorrow.
Remember losing the floppy drive all those years ago? Then we lost our PC Card slots...now, if this photo is correct, where did that pesky little trackpad button run off to? Multi-touch to the rescue with a newfangled touch-pad that handles all your clicks and drags? You tell me.
A quick plug before I sign-off - checkout this week's Specials newsletter and get yourself signed up for future savings here. Learn about our new free shipping policy on all repairs and save some cash on a bunch of different repairs and upgrades.
We'll let's not single them out too much, but 1123 files have to be installed on my Mac in order to print a label? C'mon, that doesn't make any sense. And I'm not sure it makes me feel any better that it only took 2 minutes to install...where are all those files and what are they doing right now? It's 10PM, do you know where your label software is? When I install some massive application like Photoshop or Dreamweaver, I expect a ton of files, but it seems like these printers have upped the ante and they're multiplying before my eyes. I'm pretty sure the last HP printer driver I installed had about 465,000 files. I could be wrong, but at least it felt that way as the installer bar flew by, taking over my computer and sending stuff to all corners of "my" Mac - who really owns my computer now anyway? I'm just the guy who types and reads. I'm totally outnumbered by these files and I'm waiting for them to revolt at any moment. "Shut down? No way dude, we're just starting a party in here!"
Hey, speaking of new stuff on your computer (lame segue, I know), checkout our new Free Return Shipping offers that are popping up all over our website. You can now choose from free return shipping on Mac LCD screen repairs, hard drive upgrades and optical drive replacements. As well, you can get a free diagnosis with free return shipping when you approve any repair - pretty cool huh? And we only need to install 23,596 files on your computer to make this happen! Just kidding...
We have a couple of new employees joining the elite TechRestore ranks this week! Welcome to Lance Torrence, the newest Technician in our Consumer Electronics department and Gail Sarabia, who you will soon be speaking to on the phone if you call in to schedule a repair or to check your order status. We're thrilled to have them here and can't wait to see what they will be cooking at this week's Friday BBQ. ;-) Just kidding...again. We'll let them get settled before we turn up the heat about cooking. Bad pun, I know - but I'm in one of those moods today.
I hope you're having a great Friday and you're on your way to an exciting weekend. It's been a very busy week at the TechRestore home office in Concord, CA and we're looking forward to a nice weekend with family and friends. It's been awhile since I've checked in with you, so I thought I'd push a few updates out to you so you can see what we have in store in the upcoming months. Here we go:
+ Coming next week - a (long overdue) new Specials newsletter with a bunch of nice deals on products and services.
+ A new iPod parts announcement that we're looking forward to sharing with you during October
+ New super-duper FREE shipping on many of our services that will start in the next 7-10 days. We're just putting the final polish on our programming to make the new system work when placing your orders online
+ New interactive local drop off service - no more paper forms. Just walk in to any FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinkos), tell them you have a TechRestore repair and they will take if from there. It's been my dream to make this new service possible since we began offering our local pickup service two years ago. I'm thrilled to be getting close to launch with this new program.
And finally, before I let you go, checkout this excellent message that just arrived this morning. What a great way to end the week.
"Every great once in a while, you can believe the hype and a service delivers everything it promises. TechRestore swapped my original, small iBook hard drive for a 250GB drive, and did it in a professional, expeditious way. The over night service, even from the west coast to the east coast, was exactly as advertised. You offer a tremendous service. The website is easy to work with and the staff during phone calls was very helpful and knowledgeable.Thank you, - Bill Millerick"
My thanks for all the staff at TechRestore that work hard to make this kind of service possible. Have a great weekend!
Ah, good things come to those who wait. It's finally here, the long rumored and even longer waited for 1/2 Terabyte laptop hard drive that will fit in all MacBook and MacBook Pro models!
Our first batch of drives is here and we've just made this hot product live on our website. You'll get 500 Gigabytes of storage, installed overnight with data transfer from your old drive. It's a beautiful thing.
I'm sitting in the Seattle airport, catching my connecting flight to Chicago for some business meetings - but I couldn't wait to share this news with you. Since my current 250 Gigabyte drive has been acting up, I'll be having our guys swap in one of the 500 Gig drives for me when I return. Really, it's acting up, I promise.
Darn, look at that, I hook up Brian with Jott and he beats me to a blog post about the service. :-). Well, here's my take on Jott and some specials for your enjoyment.
I just started using a new web service called Jott. Jott does something pretty simple, yet darn powerful. Signup for Jott, register your mobile phone and your email address and add your contacts to your Jott database. On the road, or wherever you are, when you think of something that you need to remember, simply dial the Jott toll free number, record a message and Jott takes it from there. Your voice message is converted to text and you'll have an email waiting for you when you get back to your computer. Of course, you don't just have to remind yourself to do things, Jott is great for contacting your friends, co-workers, etc.. Call Jott to send an email to anyone in your address book. Jott can also schedule alerts for you on any message you leave, with a reminder coming to you via email or SMS text message.
For me, Jott is a great utility since I'm often out of the office, on my way to one meeting or another or traveling throughout the country. When I'm in the car, taxi or airport I often think of (brilliant ;-) ) ideas or tasks that I need to do or delegate - Jott helps me by offloading the data from my brain onto my to-do list, or even better yet, onto someone else's to-do. Check it out at Jott.com
We've got a couple of specials for you today from the home office in Concord, CA - First, if you're a proud owner of a new MacBook Air, you know how thin and cool these featherweights are. Unfortunately, with that slim case comes the risk of a screen break if the MBA jumps out of your hand or off a table. This week, save $50 on MacBook Air Overnight Screen replacement service. Also this week, save $60 on the largest upgrade available for classic iBook and PowerBook G4 systems with our overnight 250 Gigabyte upgrade service. Here's the deals:
Overnight Screen Replacement for MacBook Air Normally $449, take $50 off when you use coupon code "JOTT" when scheduling your repair. Click here to learn more.
Overnight 250 Gigabyte Upgrade & Data Transfer for PowerBook & iBook Systems Normally $299, take $60 off when you use coupon code "ALERT" when scheduling your upgrade. Click here to learn more.
The sure sign that spring is here is that the famous TechRestore Battle for the AC season has begun once again. I'm seeing some of our employees in t-shirts and shorts and others are slipping jackets on as the AC gets brought down lower and lower to combat the "hot" weather we're beginning to see out here. I usually make a couple of adjustments as I walk by the thermostat during the day to keep one group happy for a little while. There's no pleasing everyone, but we do our best.
In other news, a new edition of the Special News just hit the airwaves. You can view this edition here and see some nice instant savings on repairs, upgrades, Macs and we even slipped a sweet 46 inch LCD TV deal in on this one. Should be interesting to see how that one does. Check out the deals, then get yourself signed up to get future editions of the Specials so you don't miss any of the deals.
Last night I was reminded of something very important that I think we all take for granted in the daily rush of our lives: These Are The Good Times. Don't be fooled by the things you read, hear and watch - just bring your view a little closer to home and look around at your family, friends, even your pets. I was reminded of this last night as I looked out over the Baseball complex and watched 8-10 games going on at once, everything from Ethan's Pee Wee (under 7) game to the super fast-pitch of the high school school girls Softball games. Looking out over the fields, I realized that no one was out there worrying about the sub-prime mortgage mess, the war in Iraq, the economy or anything else. We were all focused on what makes these The Good Times - our kids, Baseball, friends and family. The scene was filled with laughter, shouts of encouragement (mostly) and as I headed back from the Snack Shack I stopped behind the outfield of the Pee Wee White Sox / Angels game and snapped off a couple of photos on my iPhone so I could be reminded about what's really important each day.
I hope you've got some nice spring weather where you are - if so, get outside and enjoy it and remind yourself that these are The Good Times.
Yikes - I guess Steve left this out of his Keynote address a couple of weeks ago: Apple Prohibits Movie Rentals on Recent iPods - Wired magazine. Speculation is rampant about why the iTunes rentals won't work on the 5th generation iPods, since they play purchased content just fine. No response yet from the Mothership, but it's sure a convenient way to encourage a new wave of upgrades to newer iPods, yes? Here's the full article.
Look for a new edition of the Special News to hit your mailbox tomorrow. If you're not getting the Specials, you're missing out on instant savings across our entire list of products and services. Check it out.
I realized late Friday night that my "First Rule of Server Changes" had been broken. Here I was, happily wrapping up a week at the MacWorld Expo and little did I know that my weekend was being charted out for me by some technician located thousands of miles away.
My First Rule of Server Changes is very simple: Never, ever, don't even think about it, ever make changes to your web server on a Friday. Seems pretty simple right? But you would be surprised just how many times your designer, programmer or other technical magician has their new stuff ready to roll out just in time for Friday afternoon. And even though you're hungry to release the new feature or bug fix, take my advice and tell them to come back on Monday. This is of course, only if you're interested in not staying up late on the weekend, texting, phoning and IM'ing your techs, your ISP and anyone else you can scream at to figure out why your website isn't working correctly. Monday - trust me.
So, as the guys got ready to break down our booth at MacWorld, I was ready for a nice relaxing weekend until a technician in charge of our server decided to install a new hard drive (sounds pretty simple to me) to head off problems due to a failing drive. And, since this guy obviously didn't know my First Rule, he went right ahead and made the change at 4:45PM. That's bad.
If you visited our site this past weekend, you know what I mean by it being "bad". You have my apologies and I'll toss a coupon code your way in a minute to help make up for the inconvenience. First thing Saturday morning, I got an alert that things had gone awry and in between baseball try-outs for Ethan and the other 10 things we had on or agenda, I worked with my go-to guy in emergencies, Kime Smith of MediaKinematics to get the website back up and running. We still have some more work to do, but as of Sunday afternoon, things are back up and running and you can actually place an order and/or schedule a repair. Imagine that. ;-)
Alrighty, here's that coupon code I mentioned. Use code "FIRSTRULE" when placing your order to save an instant 10% off. This short run coupon code is good through Wednesday, 1/23 at Midnight PT.
So, how long does it take to unload a plane that was just loaded up? You would think it would take just about the same time to load, say about 20 minutes or so. And I'm certainly no expert about this stuff, but I can't figure out why unloading the plane would take 90 minutes? I guess I'm just not smart enough. Anyway, after those 90 minutes or so went by, AA informed us that they had another plane and we would actually make it to Raleigh, NC sometime before dawn. W00t! Backing away from the gate, with a 1:30AM landing time now within our sites, I realized we were going to be darn tired during that first meeting Tuesday morning. Oh well, sleep is for kids.
We got to RDU airport a bit early that evening and, with the super top-secret black Amex card, got ourselves into the AA Admirals club where I still couldn't get a free WiFi connection - but, the power plugs were plentiful! I used my 3G Verizon card, got down to business and charged my laptop and iPhone all at the same time. Small miracles. But, no matter how nice the chair I was sitting in, when the Admirals club attendant made her rounds to inform the super important people (of which I was impersonating), that there would be a "small" delay due to some bad weather back at DFW. That "small" delay rolled into 2-hours and the only saving grace was that I would be on the same plane all the way back to SFO - getting rid of the super-sprint to catch my connector flight that would also be subject to rule 14B (see 
We are in the thick of Baseball season around here, let me tell you. That, coupled with a heat wave, has brought a brief glimpse of what we can expect this summer. Last night we watched Ethan running the bases in 90 degree temps! We have daytime games, in the next ten days, so I am sure to be eating a lot of hot dogs for dinner at the snack bar and, even though we are supposed to get some cold weather back in town this weekend, being at E's games is a fantastic way to welcome the spring. As I'm sure thousands of you can attest, watching your kids excel at just about anything fills you with a big sense of pride, whether it's smashing the ball into left field, serving up a smashing volleyball serve or slamming the keys down when cruising through a Piano recital - enjoying the lives of our children must truly be one of the greatest gifts we are given.
There have been times in my life where I felt I was leaving the ground. Moments that impacted me in dramatic ways, marked me and molded me into who I am today. Simple things, really - a smile from one of my kids, a shared thought with my wife that scared us, it was so psychic. Complex things as well - sitting up all night in the hospital room, Renee asleep, chatting with my Mom while we waited for Skylar to make her entrance. Watching Ethan leap for a soccer ball, stop a goal and lose a tooth at the same time (should I be happy, proud, concerned? All three). Sad things can begin moving me off the ground as well - seeing the outpouring of emotion from friends and family at my Dad's wake, losing Roman, the BDDOE (Best Damn Dog on Earth) - powerful things, even in the sadness they represent.
