| As I build out my web site and look for good, relevant, | | | | upgrade you live with what is on the motherboard too. |
| and free information about computers I always | | | | So what does that mean to you? Well it means fewer |
| stumble across a web site that claims 'Do It Yourself | | | | things to go wrong! Your hard drive fails you can take |
| and Save' but once you get in to the site the | | | | it to a repair shop and have it replaced, you may have |
| information is so skimpy or inaccurate you wonder | | | | to skip making a payment on your car or walk to work |
| how these sites were put together. I mean if the | | | | because you don't have the money to buy gas but |
| information is bad or incomplete how did they keep | | | | you don't have to 'Geek' it and fix the darn thing. Or do |
| their computers up and running long enough to write | | | | you. |
| the articles? Others give you a partial answer and | | | | You hear horror stories all the time about the |
| then have an ad next to it trying to entice you in to | | | | computer owner that took his computer to the 'local' |
| buying their services. | | | | repair shop and wound up buying a new computer |
| You want answers? You can't handle the answer! Ok, | | | | because when he brought it home it was worse than |
| I'll give it to you straight: They are ripping you off! 98% | | | | when he took it to the shop. I kid you not, some repair |
| of the problems a computer encounters to day can be | | | | shops have some really good, well trained technicians, |
| fixed by anyone, well maybe a two year old couldn't | | | | and some just hire anyone who sounds like they know |
| but a three year old could. That is how simple the | | | | what they are doing. (and in this story the only problem |
| computer industry has made computers now. Back | | | | with the computer was it had a virus, a nasty one, but |
| when, oppps, ten years ago you would have to call a | | | | none the less it was only a virus!) |
| tech or take your computer to a repair shop to get a | | | | The ten top reasons you would repair your own |
| part replaced. Partly because of warranty partly | | | | computer or Do It Yourself: |
| because the technology. | | | | 1) You have been through the nightmare before-- |
| You have a problem with your computer? Search the | | | | (Experience) |
| internet, someone, somewhere, at sometime has | | | | 2) You would rather make a car payment-- (Money) |
| written an article on how to fix it. Also ten years ago | | | | 3) You don't have to wait for someone else to do the |
| the parts in your computer were more modular as | | | | job-- (Time) |
| they are to day. I'll give you a minute to digest that | | | | 4) You don't have to take the computer to someone-- |
| tid-bit of information... | | | | (Time and Money) |
| Ten years ago when you bought a computer the | | | | 5) You have information on the computer you would |
| computer had a lot of different parts like: motherboard, | | | | not trust to someone else-- (Security) |
| processor, memory, hard drive, video card, and floppy | | | | 6) You want to learn how to fix computers-- |
| drive. Then there were the extras or add-ons: sound | | | | (Experience) |
| card, high resolution video, game controller card, extra | | | | 7) You know what the problem is just need to know |
| serial and parallel ports card, network card, cd rom | | | | 'How to do it'-- (Time and Money) |
| (before DVD remember) and some special purpose | | | | 8) The closest repair shop is very far away-- (Time |
| cards. Now all those parts with the exception of the | | | | and Money) |
| CD or DVD drive are built in to the motherboard. | | | | 9) You can't afford to pay someone else-- (Money) |
| So if you take a computer apart and look at the main | | | | 10) You blew it up and are embarrassed about what |
| components you have: Motherboard, hard drive, CD or | | | | happened-- (??) |
| DVD drive, memory, processor, and some extra fans. | | | | So why do you Do It Yourself? |
| Anything else will be on the motherboard. Unless you | | | | |