1-2-1 Computer TLC Newsletter

Including: SPECIAL OFFERS + BLOG

- please scroll down to see below!

Issue 02/10: Summer (updated 24-06-10)

So what’s our news we hear you say?

NEW FEE STRUCTURE FROM JULY 1st. 2010

Fees for both tuition and/or technical work are £17.50 per hour with a minimum visit fee of £30, so it is best to book at least a 2 hour appointment (tuition or technical work all at the same rate).

THE OBSERVANT OR WELL-INFORMED HAVE SPOTTED A FOR SALE SIGN AT THE HOME OF THE OWNER!

We would just like to clarify that although our home in Fenhouses (Swineshead) is for sale - this does not mean that the excellent service that 1-2-1 Computer TLC has offered for many years in Lincolnshire will necessarily change or end. It certainly is not planned to end! The owners are planning to relocate mainly owing to a probable change in lifestyle (we expect to have an elderly relative sharing our home soon and thus seek a home more suitable). If you know of anyone who is looking for a well-presented home that has over 3 acres of land and superb equestrian facilities why not suggest that they have a look at: OUR HOME ON THE WEB (we're the lowest priced one on the estate agent's equestrian listings in lincolnshire as at 22-06-10)

GAINING CLIENTS WITH EXTRA REQUIREMENTS

We would just like to advise potential clients that we do have experience of looking after valued clients that may feel that they have additional needs. For example we have one client that is visually impaired and thus part of our role has been to upgrade our services (both technical and tuition-wise) to accommodate some difficulty with the client being able to see the screen clearly. All PCs have software provision that can be used (e.g. Microsoft accessibility options) to enhance readability by making icons and pointers larger and with higher contrast, optional magnification of web pages and to alter any document to have large bold text and say a bright yellow background. We also have experience of installing and using text-to-speech programs and of utilising Microsoft's built-in speech facility (which can be used to make text to speak out loud).

We have at least one dyslexic client and we have assisted in all aspects of using a computer when the reading of text can be difficult for the client.

Many of our clients are senior citizens and as many of us will know, as we get older sometimes it can be difficult to hear clearly and/or to sit comfortably for say a two hour tuition session. We are very aware of such issues and will make provision for clients who would find it helpful for trainers to raise their voices and for sessions to be interrupted for short periods for 'a stretch' or 'a stroll'.

A REMINDER ABOUT GIFT VOUCHERS

These are available in the following denominations: £30, £35, £60, £70, £105..

What can they be used for? They can be used for either home PC tuition or home technical work (for example a PC 'health check').

Validity: They are valid for one year and the good news is that they buy time - related to what the going rate was (our hourly rate) at the time of voucher purchase (regardless of any subsequent price increases). So for example our hourly rates (for tuition or technical work as at 29-04-09) are £17.50 per hour, so a gift voucher bought on 01-07-10 will be valid for the year until 30-06-11 and buy our services at £17.50 per hour (regardless of any price rise in between): thus a £35 gift voucher will buy two hours work and a £105 voucher will buy 6 hours work (that could be in a series of three 2 hour visits). Note, by the way, that our minimum call-out fee is £30.

If you have any questions about gift vouchers call us on: 01205 821762.

LOOKING AFTER EXISTING CLIENTS - WHAT AN UNUSUAL THING FOR A COMPANY TO DO!

It is our policy to try to benefit all 1-2-1’s clients by issuing helpful communications (emailed informational updates) from time to time. Most will save you money by offering some tips and insights - SO PLEASE READ THEM!

Here’s some tips for our loyal clients:

• Anti-virus protection

It is essential.

It must be kept up to date (by receiving daily updates from the provider’s website – this is done automatically with some products – but may have to be done manually in some circumstances). Why is this important? – Because new viruses and “malware” (bad i.e. malicious software) are released several times daily throughout the world to circulate and infiltrate computers typically via emails – often the ‘humorous’ ones we may like and help to circulate – sometimes via email attachments, through music and video downloads (maybe using Limewire, Napster, Emule or similar programs), maybe whilst using programs like MSN Messenger (now known as Windows Live Messenger) etc. etc. Thus regular anti-virus updating allows your PC a chance against the most recent attacks. Note an expired A.V. subscription = no protection!

We have our favourites (product-wise) and our less favoured ones and it might surprise you what our thoughts are after years of experience. Here’s an inside opinion – it is only an opinion (our opinion): we dislike Norton mostly! It frequently ‘falls over’ (fails to fully protect) and it will often have allowed an infection in without one having a clue that it has happened. McAfee is good but is slightly complex to use (not ideal for beginners) and setting it up at first is ‘glitchy’. Kaspersky we like but as a smaller company I am not sure how good the support would be. We love BULLGUARD – it is simple to use, can make decisions on what to allow and not to allow (that is, if the user doesn’t react) and it has 24/7 support from humans that speak good English (we particularly like that you can instantly text engineers via your computer). Most A.V. providers ‘rip regular clients off’ at subscription renewal time! You’ll often pay over the odds for say Norton when renewing over The Web. It is almost always MUCH cheaper to allow A.V. to expire and to buy a brand new disk (even in PC World). It is important to point out that no A.V. product can ever give 100% protection.

A.V. subscriptions: Most A.V. products last a year (sometimes 2 years). Renewing online or via a website is usually the most expensive method. We implore our loyal clients to avoid this practice. We can obtain for example BULLGUARD at discounted rates and we will pass the benefit on to existing clients (please enquire).

If you want more info on this – Email Us please through this website.

• Microsoft Office

What is it? It isn’t MS (Microsoft) WORKS, Works is a standard domestic home software product (rather ‘clunky’ and very basic operation) for doing letters, accounts and lists or to put it more poshly: documents, spreadsheets and databases. MS Office is the business/commercial/posher set of programs (known as a suite of programs) that will typically include WORD (documents), PowerPoint (slide shows), Excel (spreadsheets) and maybe one or two other programs too. It very much depends on the version. PC World will hardly allow you out of a store without suggesting that you buy the STUDENT version for anything between £50 and £70. It has around four programs BUT it will not include ACCESS (sophisticated, irritating program for databases – sorry a prejudice of ours shone through here) and it will not include the useful program for newsletters etc. (& sophisticated DTP – Desktop Publishing) called “PUBLISHER”. Why are we telling you all this? Simple: you can buy a little known subsidised version of OFFICE (with all the wished-for programs including Publisher) for about 50 quid! It retails at around £350! – we get nothing out of this – except knowing that you know and you’re a client and we want happy clients. Check out: www.software4students.co.uk

Versions of OFFICE: Be careful about this – there are many versions and many release years. Release years – you may already have Office 97 or 2000 or XP (2002) or 2003 or 2007 or the latest version Office 2010. Additionally there are many versions available – each including more or less actual programs (in the office we use a subsidised version costing about £50 that is called OFFICE 2007 Professional and it includes all that I would need including Publisher). Ask if you are confused.

Confusion? Don’t get confused as many do about terms like Office XP and Windows XP. The first is a group of programs used for office-type tasks – like writing letters (WORD) or making spreadsheets (EXCEL) etc. and the second is an OPERATING SYSTEM (the software that just makes the computer work). So you may well have Windows XP (released around 2002) – being your operating system and might be running OFFICE 2003 (came out, not surprisingly in 2003) and has around 4 programs including WORD.

• Do you bank online or buy online (or use Ebay and/or PayPal)?

Be careful.

Before undertaking using any of the above – make sure that your computer has not been ‘infected’ with any ‘phishing’ software (that hunts out information like passwords and so on to try to steal your I.D.).

If you suspect something is not right – report it immediately to your bank or other relevant authority. Change password(s) immediately if you suspect that someone may have got a hold of yours. Acting immediately is crucial before someone else locks you out.

Some ‘dodgy’ software copies what you type in and transmits it to a distant website. It is called key-logging software. You can download free anti-keylogging software that scrambles what you type (as far as a hacker would see).

Check with your bank if they offer any FREE protective software like “RAPPORT” (see Alliance & Leicester website) that will check if websites are genuine etc. Never give security information like passwords as a result of receiving what may be a fake email purporting to come from your bank. Remember that clicking on a web link (in an email) may take you to an artificial (false) website that appears to be your bank but isn’t!

• There is a lesson here (a free one)

Before blowing money on expensive software or college courses or a new computer – think carefully … would it be worth giving “1-2-1” a telephone call or email to check if you are about to throw a whole lump of money away unnecessarily!

We earn a living by visits; not telephone calls but we welcome the odd call seeking a suggestion or two. If it is technical we may have to visit but remember you are unlikely to find anyone as low cost as us (currently £17.50 per hour).

You may well find that a quick phone call or even a visit (which can cost as little as £30) may well, in the long run, save you a lot more overall!

Finally – have a further look around our website:

You might be surprised at what you find out!

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If you have any questions for us we are here to help: 01205 821762 but we don’t not supply FREE technical help over the phone (we’d soon go out of business!) but will give some outline ‘pointers’ pending arranging a service call.

SPECIAL OFFERS

Please re-visit the website occasionally to check if there are new offers available.

ANY QUESTIONS or bookings: Call 01205 821762 or email us (by going to our CONTACT page).

Comparison checks (pricing) on PC 'health checks':

PC World (THE TECH GUYS) charge £49.99 for a PC 'Health Check' at your 'local' PC World store

(correct as at 22-06-10).

Typically, a 'health check' session from us will take between 2 and 3 hours (depending on what is found and how difficult it is to eradicate) - thus this would with normal pricing cost between £35 and £52.50 only AND you can have the health check on your PC in the comfort of your own home and actually witness (and maybe learn from) the processes undertaken.

BLOG:

Nothing to report at present.

If any clients have got computing whinges that they want to air I might give you some space here!