Do you recognize all of these parts and know their functions? If not, you probably wouldn't even attempt to diagnose and repair problems when they occur. We can troubleshoot and repair (if necessary, usually within 24 hours), and at about half the price you would be charged by the big chain stores!*
We aren't Geeks or Nerds, but then we're not trying to be. We have over twenty years of experience building, maintaining, and repairing computers, and we know what our services are really worth. Some of the "Big Box" chains depend on the fact that you don't! We'll do our best to get your computer up and running and back to you as fast as possible- without charging an arm and a leg. Whether you need an upgrade, a repair, or a whole new system we can do it for you. Contact us and we'll talk- until you're convinced that we're right for the job.
*Service and repairs available only in the Raleigh, NC area. Email us at
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Have you ever heard the term "refurbished"? Read on and we'll tell you why this may be the way to go when you're buying a new system.
Q: What is a refurbished PC? A: There are lots of things that can happen for an item to be labeled factory refurbished. They range from being damaged and repaired before purchase all the way to a brand new item that is simply overstocked.
Some examples:
Consumers taking advantage of a stores' return policy. These items are returned to the manufacturer, repackaged and sold as "refurbished"
Sometimes an items' packaging is damaged and not accepted by a store or customer, but the item works perfectly.
Sometimes an item is returned to the manufacturer because of a small defect of some kind. The part that is defective is replaced, tested and then repackaged just like new.
A box that was opened, nothing more.
Demos from a stores shelves are inspected, tested and repackaged; then sold as refurbished..
Brand new overstocked items are also labeled factory refurbished.
We don't always know the history of each item, but if it is labeled factory refurbished it is inspected & serviced by the manufacturer then tested and repackaged to meet original product specifications. All merchandise is warranted by the original manufacturer unless otherwise specified.
We know that sometimes a new or refurbished computer is just not in the budget. Believe it or not, we have the answer for that, too! We are always acquiring used computers and parts that are in perfect working order. An example of this is what is called a "working pull". These are parts that have been removed from perfectly good systems in order to install newer or different ones. An example would be a company that decides to buy flat screen monitors in order to save space on employees' desktops. Now they have a whole bunch of perfectly good monitors that would cost them money to dispose of. We can take those monitors off their hands, and recycle them ourselves! This may sound too good to be true,
2/29/08, Skulltrail completely incompatible with NVIDIA 3-Way SLI»»
Today some rather interesting information has been passing through our Inbox today on the status of Intel's Skulltrail platform and the currently available multi-GPU solutions. In case you haven't been following the life of Intel's Skulltrail platform, it is Intel's "answer" the failed AMD QuadFX platform from a couple years ago. It will be avail... Read more..
2/1/08, Big Fish Audio updates music loop collections»»
Big Fish Audio has released several new music loop collections compatible with Apple’s GarageBand and Logic music creation applications. Read more..
2/1/08, MarsEdit blogging software adds native tag support»»
MarsEdit, the blogging software, has been improved with native tag support and other enhancements in its 2.1 release. Read more..
2/1/08, What Would a Combined Microsoft-Yahoo Look Like?»»
Microsoft’s $31 a share offer for Yahoo is made possible by Yahoo’s slumping shares (Yahoo’s stock was trading at about $31 a year ago). While Yahoo has rejected Microsoft’s entreaties in the past, with Terry Semel stepping down as chairman of the board yesterday, things might be different this time. I ran some quick, back-of-the-envelope numbers to see what a combined Microsoft-Yahoo would look like financially, and how it would compare to Google.
* Microsoft figures are trailing four quarters and headcount is from June.
Those headcount numbers and operating expenses could be cut significantly. The real impact to Microsoft, though, is not visible in these numbers because Yahoo represents a new growth opportunity for Microsoft in advertising revenues and online services. During the last four quarters, Microsoft’s revenues for its online services (MSN, Windows Live, etc.) were $2.8 billion and it lost $949 million. So just combining Yahoo with that business, you get revenues of $9.8 billion, but Microsoft would still be showing a net loss for that business of $289 million.
But this is an advertising play for Microsoft. It wants to combine the scale of its recently acquired advertising networks with that of Yahoo’s, along with Yahoo’s vast consumer reach (which is appealing to advertisers, who see all those eyeballs as valuable inventory).
On the conference call explaining the deal, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer points out with glee that, while other companies may make competing bids for Yahoo, one company that clearly can’t is Google. Citing a 75 percent market share in the paid-search advertising market worldwide, Ballmer asserts, “Google is prevented by antitrust laws from buying Yahoo.” (He should know, he does have some experience with antitrust laws). At the end of the call, he also said that another driver behind the acquisition is to move Microsoft towards a more Web-based software-as-services company:
The Windows user wants to be live. There will be a Windows Live. There will be an Office Live.
Yahoo clearly has some strengths in this area, with its continued evolution of Yahoo Mail, acquisition of Zimbra, and other initiatives.
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.
2/1/08, 'Telescope' adds 6x zoom to iPhone camera»»
Want more zoom power in your iPhone camera? This company offers a 6x zoom lens. Read more..
2/1/08, PhoneValet Home Edition enhances iPhone support»»
PhoneValet Home Edition, just introduced last month at Macworld Expo, has already been updated with an improvement to its iPhone support Read more..
2/1/08, Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion»»
Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo for around US$44.6 billion in cash and shares, to better compete with Google in the market for online services. Read more..
2/1/08, WOW. Microsoft Offers $44.6 Billion To Acquire Yahoo»»
It’s been rumored for a long time, but now it’s reality.
Microsoft has made an unsolicited $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo. The bid, which would consist of cash and Microsoft stock, values Yahoo shares at $31 a share, a 62% premium on Thursdays closing price.
Michael stated during his appearance on Fox Business this week that Yahoo could face a takeover by Microsoft as part of an ad play, and he was right. Microsoft cites online advertising as being one of the key benefits of the acquisition, saying that “resulting benefits of scale along with the associated capital costs for advertising platform providers make this a time of industry consolidation and convergence. Today this market is increasingly dominated by one player. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a competitive choice while better fulfilling the needs of customers and partners.”
The emphasis is mine but it’s another key point: Microsoft + Yahoo = a stronger competitor to the Google borg.
Microsoft has previously shown an interest in Yahoo, with reports in May 2007 saying that Microsoft had approached Yahoo about a friendly takeover.
As follows, the letter from Microsoft to the Yahoo board, there’s also a conference call at 8:30am EST where we hope to get more details.
January 31, 2008
Board of Directors
Yahoo! Inc.
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Attention: Roy Bostock, Chairman
Attention: Jerry Yang, Chief Executive Officer
Dear Members of the Board:
I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of Microsoft to make a proposal for a business combination of Microsoft and Yahoo!. Under our proposal, Microsoft would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 based on Microsoft’s closing share price on January 31, 2008, payable in the form of $31 in cash or 0.9509 of a share of Microsoft common stock. Microsoft would provide each Yahoo! shareholder with the ability to choose whether to receive the consideration in cash or Microsoft common stock, subject to pro-ration so that in the aggregate one-half of the Yahoo! common shares will be exchanged for shares of Microsoft common stock and one-half of the Yahoo! common shares will be converted into the right to receive cash. Our proposal is not subject to any financing condition.
Our proposal represents a 62% premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock of $19.18 on January 31, 2008. The implied premium for the operating assets of the company clearly is considerably greater when adjusted for the minority, non-controlled assets and cash. By whatever financial measure you use - EBITDA, free cash flow, operating cash flow, net income, or analyst target prices - this proposal represents a compelling value realization event for your shareholders.
We believe that Microsoft common stock represents a very attractive investment opportunity for Yahoo!’s shareholders. Microsoft has generated revenue growth of 15%, earnings growth of 26%, and a return on equity of 35% on average for the last three years. Microsoft’s share price has generated shareholder returns of 8% during the last one year period and 28% during the last three year period, significantly outperforming the S&P 500. It is our view that Microsoft has significant potential upside given the continued solid growth in our core businesses, the recent launch of Windows Vista, and other strategic initiatives.
Microsoft’s consistent belief has been that the combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! clearly represents the best way to deliver maximum value to our respective shareholders, as well as create a more efficient and competitive company that would provide greater value and service to our customers. In late 2006 and early 2007, we jointly explored a broad range of ways in which our two companies might work together. These discussions were based on a vision that the online businesses of Microsoft and Yahoo! should be aligned in some way to create a more effective competitor in the online marketplace. We discussed a number of alternatives ranging from commercial partnerships to a merger proposal, which you rejected. While a commercial partnership may have made sense at one time, Microsoft believes that the only alternative now is the combination of Microsoft and Yahoo! that we are proposing.
In February 2007, I received a letter from your Chairman indicating the view of the Yahoo! Board that “now is not the right time from the perspective of our shareholders to enter into discussions regarding an acquisition transaction.” According to that letter, the principal reason for this view was the Yahoo! Board’s confidence in the “potential upside” if management successfully executed on a reformulated strategy based on certain operational initiatives, such as Project Panama, and a significant organizational realignment. A year has gone by, and the competitive situation has not improved.
While online advertising growth continues, there are significant benefits of scale in advertising platform economics, in capital costs for search index build-out, and in research and development, making this a time of industry consolidation and convergence. Today, the market is increasingly dominated by one player who is consolidating its dominance through acquisition. Together, Microsoft and Yahoo! can offer a credible alternative for consumers, advertisers, and publishers. Synergies of this combination fall into four areas:
Scale economics: This combination enables synergies related to scale economics of the advertising platform where today there is only one competitor at scale. This includes synergies across both search and non-search related advertising that will strengthen the value proposition to both advertisers and publishers. Additionally, the combination allows us to consolidate capital spending.
Expanded R&D capacity: The combined talent of our engineering resources can be focused on R&D priorities such as a single search index and single advertising platform. Together we can unleash new levels of innovation, delivering enhanced user experiences, breakthroughs in search, and new advertising platform capabilities. Many of these breakthroughs are a function of an engineering scale that today neither of our companies has on its own.
Operational efficiencies: Eliminating redundant infrastructure and duplicative operating costs will improve the financial performance of the combined entity.
Emerging user experiences: Our combined ability to focus engineering resources that drive innovation in emerging scenarios such as video, mobile services, online commerce, social media, and social platforms is greatly enhanced.
We would value the opportunity to further discuss with you how to optimize the integration of our respective businesses to create a leading global technology company with exceptional display and search advertising capabilities. You should also be aware that we intend to offer significant retention packages to your engineers, key leaders and employees across all disciplines.
We have dedicated considerable time and resources to an analysis of a potential transaction and are confident that the combination will receive all necessary regulatory approvals. We look forward to discussing this with you, and both our internal legal team and outside counsel are available to meet with your counsel at their earliest convenience.
Our proposal is subject to the negotiation of a definitive merger agreement and our having the opportunity to conduct certain limited and confirmatory due diligence. In addition, because a portion of the aggregate merger consideration would consist of Microsoft common stock, we would provide Yahoo! the opportunity to conduct appropriate limited due diligence with respect to Microsoft. We are prepared to deliver a draft merger agreement to you and begin discussions immediately.
In light of the significance of this proposal to your shareholders and ours, as well as the potential for selective disclosures, our intention is to publicly release the text of this letter tomorrow morning.
Due to the importance of these discussions and the value represented by our proposal, we expect the Yahoo! Board to engage in a full review of our proposal. My leadership team and I would be happy to make ourselves available to meet with you and your Board at your earliest convenience. Depending on the nature of your response, Microsoft reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!’s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.
We believe this proposal represents a unique opportunity to create significant value for Yahoo!’s shareholders and employees, and the combined company will be better positioned to provide an enhanced value proposition to users and advertisers. We hope that you and your Board share our enthusiasm, and we look forward to a prompt and favorable reply.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ Steven A. Ballmer
Steven A. Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft Corporation
Update: TechCrunch UK has a European take on deal here].
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.
1/31/08, As Twitter Service Woes Continue, Japanese Money Looks Likely»»
Twitter dumped Joyent as its hosting provider late yesterday (see our report here) and it was presumed by some that the switch away form Joyent was due to the poor reliability of the service. We later learnt that Twitter had switched to Verio, and this is where the rumor mill gets interesting.
According to one source, the move to Verio wasn’t related to issues with Joyent, but due to a yet to be disclosed investment from Japanese telco NTT, who are also the full owners of Verio. They did not provide the amount of the investment or terms, but they suggested it was finalized at the same time the Digital Garage investment was announced. Apparently it had been a done deal for months prior to that, hence the talk that Twitter had been planning a move away from Joyent for months. The Digital Garage deal was announced January 16, so presuming reasonable preparations before that, 15 days after signing to make the move is a reasonable enough time frame.
There is some sense in the notion that NTT may have been involved along side Digital Garage in taking a strategic investment in Twitter. Although both companies are separate, they often cross paths in Japan, and staff such as Stuart Woodward have worked for both. Twitter’s still strong roots as a mobile offering would also appeal to NTT, particularly as Google tries to break into Japan with Jaiku one of the platforms they may eventually be offering, and Digital Garage is creating a Japanese version, so all the better if NTT gets the mobile version of that exclusively on their phones. NTT does however have a search deal with Google, but no doubt due to the promised financial returns from it as opposed to any greater love for Larry and Sergey.
This is an unconfirmed tip so we’ve put an email into Twitter for comment on this, and if we get a response we’ll add it.
On the reliability side, the move to Verio isn’t going well for Twitter so far with regular down time, delayed messages and related issues in the just over 24 hours since the move was made. As one wag suggested on Twitter, “even www.istwitterdown.com can’t keep up.”
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over twenty years of experience building, maintaining, and repairing computers, and we know what our services are really worth. Some of the "Big Box" chains depend on the fact that you don't! We'll do our best to get your computer up and running and back to you as fast as possible- without charging an arm and a leg. Whether you need an upgrade, a repair, or a whole new system we can do it for you. Contact us and we'll talk- until you're convinced that we're right for the job.
called a "working pull". These are parts that have been removed from perfectly good systems in order to install newer or different ones. An example would be a company that decides to buy flat screen monitors in order to save space on employees' desktops. Now they have a whole bunch of perfectly good monitors that would cost them money to dispose of. We can take those monitors off their hands, and recycle them ourselves! This may sound too good to be true,
It’s been rumored for a long time, but now it’s reality.
Twitter dumped Joyent as its hosting provider late yesterday (see our report 
