The chances are that if you are looking at this blog then you are interested in having a computer screen repair job completed. Hopefully you are based in Sydney so we can help repair your computer screen. That said, do not worry if you don't live in Sydney. I am sure another Google search will help you find what you are looking for. Even if you are not based in Sydney, this post should have some relevant information about repair of computer screens.

Lets start at the beginning. There are two main types of computer screens, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Monitors and LCD displays. LCD displays are flat and look like the picture above. By contrast, the CRT monitors are large and look more like an old style TV. If you are considering repairing an old CRT for your computer my advice is simple, do not do it. CRT monitors are out of date and would not be worth the cost of repairing. By contrast LCD displays are worth repairing within reason.

In Sydney the cost of a typical LCD display is about three times the average hourly repair charge for computers. This should suggest that if major repairs are required then it is better simply to replace the  

As a computer repair technician’s my day will generally start at about 7:30AM. Although we only see our first clients at about 9AM there is typically a lot of research to be done. For example there may be a computer that needs a virus removed that we have not seen before. So we have to find out how to remove the virus in the shortest space of time possible. Fortunately the Internet is filled with resources for how to repair computers. Any good onsite computer technician will have a collections of websites they regular visit to keep abreast of what is new in the IT world. It is really hard to simply find the information when you need it. To be a good technician you must keep up to date. 

After the research it is time to plan our routes. This involves balancing urgent computer repairs with considerations such as creating an efficient route in order to keep our computer repair costs as cheap as possible for our clients. In Sydney an efficient route is essential but ultimately the more urgent computer repairs tend to determine where we go. After working out a route and researching IT news we hit Sydney’s roads.

The first job is in Newtown. It is a retail shop that is having trouble with their back up system. Upon arrival onsite the client advises us that the computer is ten years old and the back system is almost as old. In fact the system is running Microsoft WindowIn cases like this it is best to consider replacement. Unfortunately the customer has their sales and accounting information on the computer so replacement is not an option. Looking at the backup system it is clear we are dealing with a system that has not been around for a long time. Diagnosis is easy – the tape mechanism has failed. Unfortunately, they do not make backup systems like this anymore. This means we will need to order a new Sony tape backup system - DAT 72. At the same time the client is offered a new PC. It would almost be negligent to leave them running their business on such an old computer system. The client agrees and we book in a time next week for migration of their data to their new HP computer, we will be keeping their old software.

It is now 10AM and it is time for visit number two. We are now moving to the Sydney CBD. This client is a small recruitment firm. They advise they are having trouble with their wireless network. This is serious for them because they run their software off the cloud – that is their software runs through the Internet. A quick check of IPConfig and a few other network tools at the command prompt reveals that it is a DNS issue. Lucky for the customer this can be quickly fixed. When customer service spoke to the client on the phone they though their network had been attacked by a virus and that a system crash was imminent.  We login to the router, update the network settings, check that all is working. We find a firewall conflict. After fixing that we are all done.

Continued next week....

The introduction of devices such as Apple's iPad have greatly simplified what is necessary to interact with the Internet. The iPad is basically a scaled down computer. Unfortunately, the fact that the iPad is effectively a small computer means that from time to time your iPad will crash just as a computer would. None the less there are a few things you can do with your iPad before calling out a computer repair company. If you are in Sydney, these simple tips could save you a fair bit of money as computer service technicians are not cheap.

The first thing I need to tell you is how to tell your iPad has crashed. An iPad can be said to have crashed or frozen when it no long responds to pressing the home button, the power button (sleep / wake up button) does nothing, and pressing the screen does nothing.
 
Once you are sure your iPad has crashed you can begin by simply restarting your iPad. IPads are restarted similar to computers. Simply press and hold the power button on the top of the iPad until the red slider appears. This should appear within five seconds. Then slide the slider across to turn off your iPad. Leave the iPad for 10 seconds and then press the power button. The Apple logo should appear. If the apple logo does not appear then you have a more serious problem.

If your iPad would not restart all is not lost. You need to perform what is called a "Hard Reset" on your iPad. Press the power button and the home button on your iPad at the same time. Hold both buttons down at the same time for ten seconds. Your iPad should begin the Hard Reset process. If your iPad does not restart we suggest calling a computer repair technician as your problem is serious.

Today we are answering the question of How can Newton's Nerds help you with your webcam. 

So the first thing we should say right from the outset is that webcams are not worth much money. This has serious implications for your considerations of employing a computer repair person. In Sydney, the average cost of a computer repair person per hour is about the same as the cost of a new webcam. This low cost means is, if you know your webcam has failed due to a hardware problem, say for example if you were in the middle of a web chat and you dropped your webcam and it no longer works, you should immediately rule out calling a computer repair technician. If you are living in Sydney as Newton's Nerds customers are, we suggest going to somewhere like Harvey Norman to buy a new webcam.

So where can a computer support person help? Lets say for example you have family living either interstate or overseas and you know they have a computer that works then getting a computer technician out to teach you how to use your webcam with Skype to make long distance calls would be worth while.

A webcam / Skype setup has a number of advantages over the traditional phone system. The major advantage that most people see is that using your computer is much cheaper than paying a telecommunications provider such as Telstra in Sydney. Another advantage of using a webcam is that using your computer means that you get a live video of the person you are speak to. Live video on your computer makes things much more interactive.

If things ever stop working with your webcam / Skype setup then it could well be worth getting a repair person out. The reason for this is that simply changing your webcam will not necessarily solve your problem. If the problem is with your computer's software then you will need a repair person to come out. A good computer repair person will have you back video conferencing in no time.