Congratulations to all the grads of the local high schools! Whether it’s Lawrence High or Free State, Shawnee Mission or Blue Valley, you’ve all worked hard for this important day!
For those going off to college, your family’s first instinct may be to buy you a new computer as a graduation gift. Don’t let them. Well, at least wait until we talk with them first.
We’ve been doing computer repair Lawrence, Kansas since 1990. We get lots of students asking us for help. Lawrence is the home of the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. Not too far away is Baker University over in Baldwin. Since we also serve Topeka and Kansas City, we also see students needing computer help from Washburn and UMKC.
The biggest mistake I see people make in buying a computer is to purchase something during the summer. Computers depreciate and become obsolete quickly, so buying one in May or June for college in August or September means it’s already three months old by the time you get to college. Since the average computer lasts only about three years, it’s already aging by the fall. The warranty on most laptops is just a year, so that’s depreciating as well.
A poor decision I often see is when people buy a new computer now and decide to keep it in the box until college. It’s a good idea to keep it together so everything is in one place and well protected, but about 10% of the time a new PC might be bad out of the box. If it’s within the first 30 days, you can usually return it to the store, but after then you have to ship it back and sometimes wait weeks for a repair.
To help you with all the nuances of buying a computer for college, Dave is holding some free drop-in consulting sessions both in Lawrence and the Kansas City area. During those sessions, he can help you buy the right computer for college as well as discuss accessories. Families often pay too much and get the wrong stuff. For example, it’s better to get accident protection from your homeowner’s policy rather than the one they sell in the store, but there are exceptions.
Most importantly, you’ll learn the best place to buy a new computer. Hint: it’s often your college bookstore.
In Lawrence, he’ll be hosting as his office at 4105 West Sixth Street on Tuesday, June 4th from 4 pm to 6 pm.
In Kansas City, he’ll be at eCafe Coworking Center/Scooters coffee shop for his monthly Wellness Wednesday. They’re located at 10650 Roe Ave, Overland Park, KS. He’ll be there from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
These sessions are free, and no reservation is necessary, but it would be handy to let us know you’ll be there. Check Dave’s facebook page for the Kansas City Event and Lawrence Event. Please mark yourself as interested or going. That’s all the RSVP we’re asking for. He might even have a few gifts for you if you stop by.