Pricing
I charge $40 per hour for my services. These days this may seem like a lot, but I get a lot done with one hour of my time. I prefer to work on computers at my home or office, when I do this I don't waste lots of time waiting for your computer to do the things I tell it to. I only charge for the time your project keeps me from doing other things, if I am at my home or office, I don't charge for the time your computer is busy and I don't have to babysit it. When you bring your computer to me, I also only charge for time spent working on your issue, if I spend 6 minutes on it I will charge you just $4.
An example: You need a clean install of Windows XP on your computer. At my house, I can move your files out of the way, start the windows installation and leave your computer alone for the next 45 minutes. Then I come back, do a few things, and leave it working again. By the time I'm done, I've moved your files out of the way, installed the clean XP, installed drivers, all updates, any requested programs you wanted, anti-malware software, restore your files, and defrag. My time invested in that process is usually between 60 and 90 minutes, even though it will take 3 to 12 hours (or more) to completely finish. If I had to do this at your house I bill for that time, at my house I only bill for the time I spend on your project, which is MUCH less. Also, if I run across any problems, I have full access to all of my tools (which I only keep a small amount in my car, due to space limitations), if I need anything, I have it close by.
Also, please note, I only deal with legal software. The prices below assume you own a legal version of your software (with Windows, that usually means you have a sticker with a serial number on your computer somewhere). I don't install pirated software, and so if you don't have a legal version of your software, I won't install it. I'm not a tattle-tell either, but pirated software is not something I can be involved with. If you have pirated software now and want to 'come clean', I can help you obtain licenses for your software.
An example: You need a clean install of Windows XP on your computer. At my house, I can move your files out of the way, start the windows installation and leave your computer alone for the next 45 minutes. Then I come back, do a few things, and leave it working again. By the time I'm done, I've moved your files out of the way, installed the clean XP, installed drivers, all updates, any requested programs you wanted, anti-malware software, restore your files, and defrag. My time invested in that process is usually between 60 and 90 minutes, even though it will take 3 to 12 hours (or more) to completely finish. If I had to do this at your house I bill for that time, at my house I only bill for the time I spend on your project, which is MUCH less. Also, if I run across any problems, I have full access to all of my tools (which I only keep a small amount in my car, due to space limitations), if I need anything, I have it close by.
Also, please note, I only deal with legal software. The prices below assume you own a legal version of your software (with Windows, that usually means you have a sticker with a serial number on your computer somewhere). I don't install pirated software, and so if you don't have a legal version of your software, I won't install it. I'm not a tattle-tell either, but pirated software is not something I can be involved with. If you have pirated software now and want to 'come clean', I can help you obtain licenses for your software.
| Housecall - My minimum charge for a housecall is $25. If driving to your location is more than 15 minutes out of my way (my existing route that day), then my minimum charge is the round trip driving time in minutes. An example: If your location is going to take me 30 minutes extra to drive to, I charge a minimum of 60 minutes of time. So your minimum charge will be $40, if I spend 10 minutes or a whole hour at your house. Of course, if I stay longer, I still charge my normal rate, so if I stay an hour and a half the charge is $60. I have to do this, since one hour at your house for me means one hour of driving in addition, extra gasoline, more miles on my vehicle, etc. If you know other people who also need help, the minimum charge can be split up. An example: You and 2 other people need help, you live 45 minutes away from my normal route. The minimum charge is $60, split 3 ways is $20 each if all 3 people only need 30 minutes of time each. This is a good way to do it for people who live farther away. Call or email me and I'll schedule you into my next trip! |
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| Pricing of various services - The prices below assume that you drop-off and pick-up the computer from me (either at my home in Meridian, or meet me not too far out of my way). If I need to make a housecall then there will be an additional charge. | |
| Clean Windows XP Installation on existing XP computer - This includes checking hard drive for errors, moving existing files to a safe location on the drive, installing a clean Windows XP, drivers, updates, installing Anti-Virus and security software. I then scan for viruses in your old files before copying them back to the new Windows installation. All I need is that your computer has a legal Windows XP serial number on a sticker, I can use my OEM CD's to install windows and use your serial number, if you don't have your own discs anymore. | $40 - $80 |
| Computer Tuneup - This includes a scan for disk errors, virus and other malware scans, disabling of unneeded programs, defragmentation of hard drive. If I have any suggestions for a hardware upgrade I will tell you about it (the most commong is a memory upgrade, many manufacturers install a minimal amount of memory, which when used up the computer then uses the hard drive for virtual memory which is MUCH SLOWER). Pricing varies depending on how long it takes me to clean up your computer. | $30 - $70 |
| Website Hosting - Your website can be hosted on my shared hosting service. The host is Linux based, supports all the normal features, SFTP access, MySQL databases, etc. If you are not familiar with hosting a site, this lets you USE a domain name you already own, making it on the internet so anyone can access your website. To purchase a domain name is separate, you should do that in your name so there can be no dispute of ownership, although if requested I can do it for you. Fees for purchasing a domain name usually varies from $15 to $30 per year. | $40 per year. |
| Website Design - I do custom website design. Pricing varies depending on what you want and need. Talk to me for more info. | Pricing varies... |