Google

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Internet/pc help in cambridge area ( article 63 )

 article now out of date

Hello my names David and my computer help is available to home computer users in the cambridge area,( if your small business requires help do call also ) if you live around the cambridge area thats within roughly a 30 minute drive from the center of cambridge cambridgeshire i should also be able to provide you with my services. If your a little further ill probably still be able to help but you'll have to book more hours of my time in one go so its worthwhile me spending time travelling out futher than my usual area, just call .

If you wish to use my services which offers the discresion of a butler with a very intelligent service my prices are very resonable at just £.. an hour ( considering the cost of living in cambridge goes up weekly and even living in a carboard box in cambridge probably requires a 25 year mortage! ) and my main working hours of availability will be 9am-8pm monday to friday , saturdays and sundays i charge £.. an hour if i work between 9am and 5pm as you'll be causing me to miss beer and football ! and if you require service outside of those hours in an emergency this will cost £.. an hour from 8pm-8am monday to friday eg if your pc goes wrong and you need it working by the morning and you need me go without sleep to fix it ! again weekends out of hours is £.. an hour.

My initial fee will be £ per hour Please call  to book me if i cant answer leave a voice message with your name and phone numbers.landline, mobile, and skype username if you use this free voip phonecall system, and your work number so i can get back to you or please try calling me again untill you get through.

Once you've used my services im sure youll be telling family and friends to use my services, please start telling pc/internet users you know to look at my website and decide what help they need.

I offer muddle free practical advice in easy to understand language, a set up service to install computers/printers /extra memory and software needed to use the internet safely and securely , tuition on using computers and the internet suitable for beginers to more experienced users such as how to find information on the internet and how to shop online from many types of shops from auction services to supermarkets , how to avoid phishing scams..fake emails sent to trick you out of financial details and a problem solving service such as diagnosing errors you experience with your pc and fixing them. I can write down my steps to doing tasks for you while im with you so that i taylor my advice for each individual and i can write a list of tasks you need to do daily/weekly and monthly so you'll be aware of the tasks you need to do reguarly to keep your pc in tip top condition and virus free so its safe to use.This is at no extra cost and itll mean when i leave you you will have the ability to use your computer like a master.

To give you an idea of Some of the common tasks im asked to perform ive written the following list of services i reguarly get called to do for home pc users in the cambridge area...

1. Set up a new computer package from scratch..ok so you bought a pc package from a store now what! well from opening the boxes your new pc came in to connecting it all up and getting the computer up and running for the first time i can do this for you.

2. Advice on choosing a computer either a desktop or laptop/notebook pc such as what specifications i recommend a client should need in each of the many specifications new computers have eg how much memory you will need to run certain tasks and how much hard disk space you will need to hold your information on, i can also advise on where to buy ink for your printers for far less than high street store prices seeing as ink is an expensive consumable product. I can explain all the unhelpful terms pc makers put in their adverts yet never explain!

3. Setting up an internet service eg a broadband connection,once you have ordered broadband from an isp ( internet service provider) such as btyahoo (british telecom) when your modem package arives i can set this up to get your computer up and using the internet, i have experience of setting up many different isps software and modems, many people get stuck doing this, so dont get stressed call me. Just 1 in 5 uk homes get the speed of service they pay for.. i can test what your actually given by your isp. Some isp's now give away basic computers if you sign up to lobger deals with them..again book me and ill explain it all.

4. I can advise you on choosing an isp, from explaining exactly what you need to look for in an isp to current prices they charge and what you will get from the package they offer you eg they may offer you 8mb broadband for £17.99 a month with a 2gb a month limit..if you dont understand what any of that means..call me! dont choose a service in ignorance some are very restrictive in what they allow you to do and many isps offer very bad service so choose wisely. Many isps also tie you into a 1 year contract so if you dont choose wisely youll be stuck using a bad service for a long time. Also many take ages to help you if you phone them if they help you at all and some put you through to indain call centers where some staff are almost impossible to understand due to heavy accents and poor phone lines.

5. I offer tuition and guidance on everything i know including using microsoft windows based computers and how to install and use all the many different software packages you must have to be able to use the internet safely to avoid getting viruses that destroy all your computer files and information, if you have been given a pc and all you have is the os ( operating system) eg windows xp and there is nothing else on it so you cant yet do anything..im the man to call . Just as it takes time for a builder to build an extension on a house or a painter and decorator to renovate a room for you, putting all the software you need on a pc takes time..i can give free estimates depending on what you need , to use the internet properly and safely and have all the software most people need to make full use of the internet i personally have around 40 different software programmes installed on my home computer, if you wanted me to install all 40 programmes i recommend you use and teach you to use them all it would take a full week to do properly i can do this full package of software setups for £///.
If you cant be at home while im working in your home eg during weekdays im happy for you to record me on camcorders or home cctv if that makes you more comfortable..i think this is perfectly fine for you to do as i want you to trust me to get on with the work in your home. If you dont want to have me in your home you can drop your pc off to me and ill install all the software from my home, ill then call you when its ready to take back.

As installing all programmes i recomend takes time and i want to work normal hours if your work patterns compliment when i want to work thats perfect if not this full setup could be done on days you have off or some evenings after work or some weekends)..its up to you ill be as flexible as i can to fit in my services to the times you could be at home to be shown how to use all 40 programmes. If you just want me to install everything without you watching everything i do itll take more like 25 hours to complete.

I especially teach people how to use the internet and its many brilliant resources. eg using price comparison websites so you can buy a product at the lowest price possible, how to buy and sell on ebay the auction website, how to get a free email account and use email and much much more. look at my article numbered 42 by clicking on my archives on the righthand side of my homepage to find article 42 on the best websites i use..if you want help on using any of those shops or services im the person to call. I can show you things like how to save pictures you find on websites to create your own collection so you can run a slide show on your computer and later burn onto cds/dvds to give to people. How to set up and bank online..many people do this but it is risky but useful and possible if you follow all my advice to get and use all the software you'll need to do this safely. I can show you how to bet online at better odds than any real world betting shop, how to rent dvds online for far cheaper than in a dvd rental shop..and how to get trials of these services so you can view many films for free!.

6. I offer tuition and advice on how to install software products in your pc and how to configure it so its up and running and doing its job properly..for example just because your new pc comes with antivirus doesnt mean when you switch your computer on that you have antivirus up and running properly! it takes time and effort to get it all running and protecting you properly. My guide and principles can be applied across many differnet software packages so you wont need tuition on every different piece if software you end up using, if your willing to learn i can teach you the basics of installing software yourself. Another big thing to understand is how to patch windows pc's. Every month microsoft issues patches which are newly written software packages to fix the endless flaws in its products..failing to install these patches can be disasterous as viruses exploit these holes in windows pc's to cause mayhem.

7. I can reinstall your operating system eg windows xp if the worsts come to the worst and somethings corrupted essential files your computer needs to work effectivly, this is a last resort but unfortunatly has to be done sometimes.( which is why you must backup the files you want to keep every few days) I can install for you the following..antivirus (essential to have if you use the internet) to protect your computer from computer viruses and trojan horses....small pieces of software designed to damage your data sent to you buy criminals, a firewall which blocks all kinds of junk information and damaging software from getting into your pc, hackers can turn your pc into a zombie, a machine they control to use to send out spam junk mail effectively robbing you of your computers resources..they have taken it over and use it to do automatic processes to attack big businesses or distribute spam..so an effective firewall is absolutely essential if you connect to the internet..without a firewall your pc will be infected within minutes of connecting to the internet!,i can install browsers..the software you use to view websites..i can get you a browser set up thats far more secure than microsofts internet explorer, i can import your favorite bookmarks you have saved in internet explorer over to the new browser so you wont need to bookmark all your favorite sites again. (a browser is essential for using the internet), i can install instant messenger software so you can chat by typing messages for as long as you want for free! and the recipient sees what you typed instantly, i install voip software so you can make free phonecalls from your pc to anyone in the world for as long as you want,yes really!!, i can install graphics software so graphics on websites are displayed properly...these can be animations and moving images many websites incorporate into there webpages to make there sites look good, i can install a form filling software package so it fills in forms for you at the touch of a button so if you often give out your name and address to request brochures or freebies online this will save you a lot of typing, i can install for you cd and dvd burning software so you can make cds or dvds i can make cds for you also to show you how to do it yourself, ill also show how to avoid wasting endless blank disks due to problems the software that burns the data to disks can run into i can point out what you need to do to avoid wasting lots of disks.

I can show how to download music/videos, software/ebooks and audiobooks from the internet legally so you can put it onto blank cds or mp3 players i can recommend websites and software to do this i can install all the popular main media players so you can play video clips from websites/listen to music/listen to internet radio stations, i can install software that displays the content of your hard drive as a graph so you can see what files are taking up the most space and you can use this to delete the files you no longer need., I can install common programmes you need to read commonly sent document files and to display parts of websites coded in different types of software that allow you to see graphics and animations that appear as a blank portion on a website if you do not have the correct software installed to display these enhancements to websites.. Another essential type of software i can install is antispyware..this is absolutely crucial to have its as crucial to have as antivirus software because spyware gets past your antivirus softwares detection rules! spyware is things like keystoke loggers..software criminals send to your pc to record everything you type so they can steal your bank account details/passwords for websites to hijack your accounts and your credit/debit card details, i personally use a number of different antispyware products all at the same time to block spyware getting into my pc and also to scan and remove anything that does get in..remember criminals are creating new viruses and spyware every day so you must have the very latest defences or you will get infected and could loose everything in your pc..all your photos/music/videos/written files you've saved everything can be destroyed by viruses and spyware!. There are endless companys making antispyware products but many are poor, i can give you some exellent free software if you book me to come help you. Another brilliant thing i can show you to do is how to record internet radio stations..until recently something you couldnt do..so no more 90minute audio cassettes now you can listen to radio on your pc from anywhere in the world and then record hours of your favorite radio programmes to your pcs hard drive and later on back them up to cd/dvd

Most of the software i described above i can get you for free so ill only charge you for tuition to guide you through installing these programmes yourself, step by step in simple steps or i can do it for you. If there is any software i tell you to use that youll have to buy ill tell you way in advance so you can decide if you want to get it.

8. A very common request i get is for me to come and scan a clients computer to hunt for and remove spyware and viruses/trojans, solve problems..any pc niggles your experiencing give me a call on /// and ill see what i can do, i can research how to solve a problem if you are stuck removing 1 particular type of virus/trojan or spyware...considering there are over 150,000 different types of computer virus in circulation! there are times when even extremely competent pc experts need to call in help to solve a problem so dont get too stressed when your pc plays up..you are not alone you can call on me to help you out.

9. I can create a business website name for you and advise on buying a domain name.. eg www.ebay.co.uk is a domain name i can create a unique powerful name to help you market yourself online and offline i can colaborate with you and advise you on tips and tricks to coinsider when creating a name so youll know whats useful to know about domain names and how they work and why some are worth millions of pounds and why a name alone can get you more business!

10. I can show you how to set up a simple website like this one our on now for no cost, i can guide you through all the steps there are to creating a simple blog website, how to get adverts on it , how to count visitors to your site and simple marketing techniques to get visitors to your site.Just 1 in 3 small businesses have a website, id say all businesses need a website as the old ways of finding info such as phonebooks and yellowpages are overtaken by people searching online for info..let me make you a simple website in a few hours..again we can discuss your needs on the phone or skype.

11. I can clean desktop pc's internally and externally and keyboards and computer mice..its amazing how much dust and dirt gets inside computers..failing to keep a pc in good condition can cause problems and lowering of performance of a pc and itll make less noise if its clean.

12. You can call me for advice on what software you need to perform a certain task..as well a the many dozens of programmes im very used to installing im also well aware of a huge number of other programmes people use, i can recomend programmes for you and tell you where to get them from..again many times ill be able to get you an official genuine version of a programme for free.

13. I can offer phone support to guide you step by step through problems and installations of software if you cant wait for me to visit your home to fix a problem, many pc manufacturers and sellers charge £1-£1.50 a minute to there own customers which equates to £60-£90 an hour! and many times their service isnt helpful, i find it far better to sit by a client and explain things to them in person but if you absolutely cant wait for me to visit you you can use my phone support .Call my usual number // i charge /// for up to 15 minutes and £///per 15 minutes. You can pay me in advance so you can still call my normal phone number or you can pay me using paypal.com to send a payment from a credit or debit card to my email address which is /// i must be paid on time or i will charge extra for late payers, ( £10 fee if not paid within 7 days ) paypal allows you to make an instant payment to someones email address of any amount. Paypal is easy to join and use so i recomend people to use this to pay me for phone support, that way i can check people have paid me in advance for my services.

LESSONS PRICES AND LESSONS OFFERED

All my lessons are £// per hour . I can teach children or total novices to using computers, elderly people ( known as silver surfers ! ) anyone call /// to book me or if im available online try skype calling ///as this wont cost you a penny to call me on. Just as when you were at school some people learn quicker than others, some people get stuck at some points and so its impossible to say how long anything will take to teach..as its all about you. I am extremely patient and helpful and will go at a pace you can handle, ill also make sure your learning by asking you to do things to check your learning. By the way as im teaching the principles of doing things i can also actually install the software im telling you about ! so you get 2 tasks done for the same money. Otherwise i could simply get on with any task you ask me to do on my own and not teach you , id get things installed quicker but when using computers and the internet its you who needs to understand how to use all the software on your pc.
This is some of the lessons i can give..
1. using  technology eg bitt//  this requires over 2 hours as theres a lot to cover. if you book say 2 hours and we run out of time you can simply rebook me to finish off the lesson at another time.
2. Using antivirus and antispyware. again 2-3 hours needed, i can install the software during a lesson or just explain what to do and what to use.
3. Setting up a simple blog website such as this site your on now..i can explain how it all works, how to create articles, how to add adverts to a site to make a little money, how to get people to your site, how to link websites you like from your site such as ive done in the article i numbered number 42 in my archives, ill explain everything you need to understand to do this yourself.
4. Browser lessons..how to bookmark sites you like, how to check the history of sites people in your home have used, how to spot if sites are safe to use the second you go to a website, how to attach addons to browsers and toolbars. I teach which browsers to use and everything about using them.
5. Firewall lessons.. crucial you know how to use a firewall..this can be tricky..how fdo you know what to allow into and out of your pc? ill show you how to set up a free firewall used my millions of people. 1-2 hours needed if also installing it.
6. how to back up files lessons ..if you own a cd or dvd burner i can show you how to burn your data whether its pictures eg jpeg files or music eg mp3's and videos eg avi files onto disks if you need the software to do this ill show you how to do all this. you need 2-4 hours to learn all i can teach on this and try it out.
7. Auction lessons..buying and selling info may take 2-4 hours. Ill show how to find what you want and how to pay as little as possible for it !. these lessons alone can save you thousands of pounds..enough savings for you to pay to have all my lessons!. For example a kingsize bed mattress i wanted was £1200 new in adverts in all newspapers, i used an auction site to get the same thing brand new for £360 a staggering saving of £840..now i dont know how many hours you have to work to earn £840 but for most people thats a very good 2 weeks work or 80 hours work to spend £800 or so, and i saved that on 1 purchase!, now you see why online auctions are so popular..book me to teach you how to win auctions ( too many people waste their time trying to win items but often failing to win them..i show have to save time and win far more than you get outbid on and i show how to sell your unwanted items..making some money for yourself.
8. Windows lessons ...unlimited hours you could spend explaining how to use microsft windows xp for example..such as how to move files from 1 place to another, changing the time and date on a pc, using system restore, changing your desktop wallpaper, how to clean your computers registry..you should do this reguarly. Book 2 hours+ to start with and we can progress at a pace you like to learn how to use windows operating systems.
9. Protecting kids lessons, if you want a thorough understanding of the software options available to you we can look at each option together and choose and set up the package thats best for you. ill also explain all my tips for keeping your kids safe when online. book 2 hours for this at least.
10. Email lessons, one of the most popular ways to use the internet nowadays, ill teach you what options you have.. ie which companys provide free email addresses and services, how to create an email address and how to use it..we will test it all works and you have written steps to follow when im gone so your confident to use it on your own. Spam the unwanted emails you will get can be dealt with..i can teach you which product to get to fight this menace, believe me when you get hundreds of emails a day as i do you learn how to fight them.
11. lesson on sharing your digital photos online by putting them on a free website so anyone can view them worldwide. So many people have digital cameras now so ill teach you what to do to upload your pictures to the world wide web, your friends and family will really appreciate your efforts for doing this, we all love photos.
12. how to play videos you download from the internet lessons. Again 2 hours plus needed for this. When you download tv programmes or films or short films unfortunatly they wont all play in the same media player so youll easily end up with 5 or 6 different media players on your pc, on top of this they often require codecs ( small bits of software that unlock how a files played with media players) so this can get complicated..ill make it all nice and simple for you so you can play the files you get. Media players have loads of different settings you can change and it can get baffling if you dont know what your doing so book me to learn about this..this lesson compliments the p2p lessons as thats where most of you will get your videos from.
13. Internet radio lessons 1-2 hours. I can show you how to set up software to record radio stations that you can listen to on your computer, and how to find radio stations from the internet.There are millions of radio stations worldwide and now you can listen to most of them for free! brilliant. Also the bbc for example has a listen again service so if you miss a radio show when it was played live in the schedules you can now find most shows online and listen to them in the following week or so after the show was first played. You record the radio shows to your harddrive and then you can put them onto cds or dvds.

Ok thats a lot of things i can teach you, if there is anything else you want to know ive not mentioned here do call me it may be ive forgotten to mention it here, or ive not updated this info as im so busy call me whatever problem or question you have and ill do my best to help.

The internet and computer industry evolves at a frightening pace, its been said 1 year in the computer industry is equivalent to at least 10 years in any other industry in terms of how much research and development goes on in it. This means home pc users often struggle to keep up with the latest software as its constantly being revised and perfected..you must keep getting the newer versions of software to fix the flaws in older releases..this is an endless job ! I can honestly say that to keep the 40 programmes of software i use up to date therby fixing the flaws security researchers find in them means i need to install software probably every week..it is an endless thing you need to do..just as you need to keep buying fresh food weekly so to you must keep getting the latest versions of the software you use. I can teach you all you need to step in to the worldwideweb ( WWW) and happily make use of its endless resources. There are tens of millions of websites now , ive listed a few hundred ive used in the past to get you started hunting around the internet In article42 in my archives ( i number each article i write so you can write down which of my articles contain info you want if you ever want to go back to it..the lower the number the older it is in terms of when it was first written..but i do update articles so although article42 my list of useful sites began in september 2005 it is up to date as i updated it in august 2007) To find my archives look at my homepage ( the webpage my website displays to you first at www.beingahuman.blogspot.com read the article down the right hand side explaining whats in this website then look lower down the right side and youll see my archives listed in date order, please take a look through them andif you spot an advert on my site that may be useful to you feel free to click it and go look at what ever was offered to you in the advert, then when youve looked at that come back to my site , i hope you book me to teach you about the internet and computers and to solve your computer problems all the best from david

Ok so call David on /// to discuss what you need doing , estimates are free so talk away! its a good idea to read all this article and make a list of all the things you want me to do so i can estimate how long itll take to do and at what cost roughly, make a list of things you want done so when you phone up you dont forget anything. I look forward to hearing from you soon all the best David