Mostly I'm a Mac guy. Not a fanboy mind you. I've got my issues with Apple. I don't own an iPhone and have no intention of getting one. I also know Windows quite well but I get no joy from fixing Windows computers unless I'm building them from the ground up. But it's ok to ask me for help with your PC if it's ok for me to say, "Have you considered a Mac?" Yeah, I can fix your Mac problem. Read on to discuss the terms...
I pride myself on my ability to isolate and fix technology problems. It's a science, not an art. There are many approaches to troubleshooting, but only one that guarantees results. Note that the strategy I'm recommending requires virtually no technical knowledge but simply a methodical step by step approach. If you can follow directions, you can do this. Surprisingly, not everyone can. It requires a lot of time, patience, and attention to detail. But it gets results.
How do we shop? In some situations, a restrictive budget forces us to select the cheapest item that might work, regardless of quality. The low bid is familiar to anyone in Education or Government work. In life or death situations, such as military or medical applications, we often select the best item available regardless of price. Sure, we could purchase the item that will do the job for the lowest price and, because technology is simultaneously improving and getting cheaper, that approach has merit. But if you have the flexibility to go for the current best value, you should graph the choices on a price vs performance x-y scatter plot. In the technology world, products like RAM, hard disks, and CPUs are generally available across a wide price and performance/capacity range. Here's a real-world example using SDHC card prices on 6.10.2009 from NewEgg and the spreadsheet I used to create the graph. If you draw a line of best fit through the data, you will see that the curve is S-shaped. If it was a straight line, then the price:performance ratio (the slope) is constant and all storage capacities are an equally good bargain. But that's rarely the case. More often, the curve starts up, levels off and then starts up again. In the first zone, the bargain basement, the price is low (which is good) but the capacity is also low (not so good). In the second zone, where competition is greatest because of a wide selection of product, the capacity is higher but the price is also higher. In the third zone, at the bleeding edge, the capacity is highest but so is the price. Here's where it gets interesting. If you divide price by capacity across the range, the lowest values tell you where you get the most capacity for the least money. Visually, any place where the graph levels off is going to be a good deal. In this case, the 16GB card for $29.99 is the best value.
Price (U.S. Dollars) of SDHC Memory vs Storage Capacity (Gigabytes)
How to gain access to a dead Mac's hard drive or quickly copy your data from one machine to another? Use Target Disk Mode. This handy trick is a lot like using jumper cables with your car. Shut down the problem or data source machine. Connect it via a firewire cable to a working or data destination machine. Boot up the source machine while holding down the "T" key on the keyboard. The drive should mount on your destination machine's desktop, where you can perform disk utilities, recover data, or just copy over your important files. When you're done, just eject/dismount the source drive and then power off the source machine. Apple has a tech note with all the details.
Mmm. Foamee. I can install RAM, a bigger hard drive, or a DVD-burner your old Mac, put a new battery in your old iPod, install Windows on your Intel Mac, sync your address book to your Bluetooth phone, show you how to use your fancy new digital camera, secure your wide open home wireless network. I can give you some excellent ideas on what (and what not) and where (and where not) to buy. Let me be your personal shopper and I'll find you a great deal. If you need help with a wide variety of i-software programs or Web 2.0 apps, just pull the tap. Before the foam disappears, I'll be on the job. But I'm not an L.L.C. or anything like that so, no, I won't take your money. All beer related work occurs after hours and/or on weekends. I also accept frozen casseroles. And I prefer dark beer.
If you can't afford the beer, I like wine too. Or maybe you have some old Mac junk you'd like to donate to me in exchange for support? But check in advance. There's some stuff even I won't take. With a few exceptions for classics and rareties, I'm mostly interested in equipment I can fix up and give away to someone (starving artist?) or some organization (school or non-profit?) who needs it.
Free tech support for friends and relatives is limited. I've seen your fridge. I know you have beer. If you would like to escalate to Tier II (Foamee) support, please do so and your request for assistance will be given the prompt and professional attention it deserves. Yes, advice counts as support. But beer makes the advice free. Come on friends and relatives. Don't be a cheapskate. I'm thirsty.
