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Email brainerdupdate.com

Nates Computer Services now offers email @BrainerdUpdate.com
Offering paid upgraded email accounts.
http://brainerd.mail.everyone.net
Nate’s Computer Services also offers other email offerings among the many services offered  email services include @onamia.com @milacamn.net @twincitiesmn.net email services.
In addition there are customized solutions for your own domain name.
All email services from Nates Computer Services can be found at Email page

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On-Site Help

All on-site help now requires Routine Customized Services, and is only available currently in the cities of Brainerd and Baxter. It is primarily for business, however we may allow previous customer for home users. In the future we may possibly pre-screened home customers but it is not currently offered. This is mainly since there are safety concerns with driving, as well as some business customers not understanding what we do and not paying right away. There is also a safety issue with some homes, such as smoking or pets and other issues.

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My Site updates video

Something special the Brainerd Fire Department Does

Later on today I will show you a video of just one of the special things the Brained Fire Department does besides putting out fires. They usually do this 3 times a year as far as I know.

Disclosure: Nate’s Computer Services benefits financially from advertising associated with this video.
More Memorial Day Video:

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computer tips Going Green My Site updates tech culture

Why Nate's Computer Services doesn't do repair

 
Why doesn’t Nate’s Computer Services do repair?

  1. It is extremely time consuming, even when working on more than one system at a time and even when using Frequently Replaced Units (FRU)
  2. If it is on-site that adds additional time, driving expense, logistics, and safety hazards for the technician and/or company doing repair.
  3. with cut rate computer prices, the pricing for computer repair is hard to judge,  the main good reason would be to save the data(which our organization does help with), or to cut on waste (which our organization advocates), cost is not a good reason.
  4. Broken down computer typically are problems caused by the end user’s misuse, abuse, neglect, or lack of knowledge, whether its primary user or a second user(including kids) that also uses the computer.  Also the environment in which the computer is in may cause damage-such as but not limited to smoke, pet dander, and bugs.  In any of these cases it is typical policy of most companies these days to deny warranties or deny working on the computer.  With the exception, of lack of knowledge, it is our policy as well. (Do not bring your bug or smoke filled computers here! 🙂
  5. Sometimes equipment is heavy and can be hard on my back.  I worked 3 summers moving things in a school (non computer work) and never hurt my back.  I hurt my back doing contract work for 3 different companies. That is the primary reason I don’t do contract work anymore, unless dealing directly with small businesses. (That is why we do not allow customers to bring in CRT monitors or laser printers to our business, if you want to get rid of it we will refer you to someone that recycles them)
  6. I have never liked computer repair.
  7. Computer repair, outside of warranty periods, typically is not necessary since the computer (or device) needs to be upgraded anyway.
  8. With a click of a couple buttons and a confirmation the computer can be easily wiped out and started fresh.  It is expected that you have all your data(information) backed up or use a server for data storage. Sometimes if the computer has been preconfigured, a technician can do this remotely.
  9. For non-hardware problems, many times it is not necessary for the technician to come on-site or for users to bring in or ship their computers. It can all be done remotely, via networks or Internet.
  10. Sometimes it just isn’t necessary anymore for non-warranty repair. If you take good care of a well built system, chances are it won’t break or if it is, it’s covered under warranty. Or if it isn’t built well, but it’s cheap, you just get a new one and recycle the old. One long lasting computer hardware theory, is more apparent than ever today, and that is avoid moveable parts. You can definitely see that with tablets and smartphones, very evident in the company Apple‘s design.
  11. Any contract work with some of the major IT repair and installation companies are very hard to deal with and are on an ethically slippery slope.
  12. The provider -customer relationship typically is not good.
  13. It is looked down upon in the general technology industry
  14. It isn’t my specialty. Although I have a worthless, as far as obtaining a good job for me, grandfathered in A+ Certified Professional certification from CompTIA, which deals somewhat with repair (Although, notice neither computer or repair is in the title of it anywhere). Although, a class requirement of 2 of them,  of my 5 college degrees none of my majors have the word repair in them. 4 majors do have the word computer.
  15. It is not profitable for our business. (It may be for other businesses)
  16. We do other things better.

What do we do?
We offer web design, web hosting domains & online storageemail, and digital photography and Digital Computer Help (often times called support as a general generic industry term).
In September of 2007 or possibly before we quit doing computer repair. We started doing On-Site Computer Help. It was done both to avoid confusion with another provider in the area, as well as to really do something different.
Sometimes both the term and the actual doing of computer repair has crept back to haunt the business.  Sometimes it has been because of advertising companies, with incorrect information, they all had errors with the exception of the printed business advertising section (called “Yellow Advantage” at the time) of the Brainerd Dispatch, which quickly updated the advertising correctly. Most advertising companies sold my info to other advertisers. It was hard to find a correct category in the phone directory.  It could be called computer training, but it isn’t necessarily that, it can be a little more urgent.  We could just put it under computers, but then people will call us asking for computers or computer parts. So sometimes, I have been stuck.
Also when money is tight I didn’t always wait for the right customer and I would do just about anything (legitamate), for any customer, to make money. As you may know, that does not work well in about anyway. I lost good customers because of it.
Digital Computer Help has the ability to allow the individual user or small business to really get at the root of the problem and come up with solutions that can sometimes be long lasting.
Not only can it solve problems, but we can find new uses of technology and ways of doing things to improve the computer users’ or businesses’ experience. For businesses and even individuals,  we have sometimes even found ways for them to generate more revenue and decrease costs – not necessarily typically, but on occasion.
Why don’t your customers use the free or low cost support they already get with their computer, internet service provider, or other technology product/service?
Sometimes they do and it works for them.
Sometimes they do not know it is available, and I help them with that.
Sometimes it inadequate for their problem or not covered by what they do because the intermingling of systems or it is beyond what is necessary for them to support.
Sometimes users cannot understand a person with an accent. (although with my disability sometimes my own speech can be at times hard to understand)
Sometimes they cannot understand the technical terms, also called technical (computer) lingo, geek speak, or techno jargon.
At times we may assist them with talking to a company.
How is it working out doing Digital Computer Help?
We have had to discontinue the on-site portion of computer help for home customers, and limit it for businesses. We still offer In Business Help.  Most that have used remote Digital Computer Help  enjoyed it as well (after figuring out how to get it set up).
The future is looking good.
Companies, other than Nate’s Computer Services, mentioned are of their respecful owners, are linked for your convenience, and are not affilated with us, besides us being a customer of theirs.

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About my business name and slogan

Nate Zone Sign
A photo of my old room at my parents old house south of Onamia.
I came up with my business name sometime during 2006. I decided to incorporate my nickname “Nate” which is of course shorthand for my first name Nathan. “Computer” was used because it is one of the main things used in my business, of course not the only thing. Not as many people know what IT, information technologies, technologies, IS, or information systems, or information services means. “Services”, which is always supposed to be plural means I offer a variety of different services.
The assumed name “Nate’s Computer Services” was registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State in 2007.
Some have made mistakes about my name assuming it was just service and just computer repair. It does offend me when people say my business is the same as the “Geek Squad” or a “break fix” business because it has never been just that. Half of our business is back to being online.
Anyway the slogan for my business is “Nate’s Computer Services strives to make people’s technology experience better.” It has also been shortened for print purposes to “Striving to make your technology experience better.” It was influenced by the 4-H motto: “To make the best better.”
My logo was primarily derived from my personal logo from the Nate in the Nate Zone sign which I made and hung on my door when living south of Onamia about 1994. I added the computer around it since I seen computer monitor ads with photos showing inside the screen.
Another interesting thing “NatES” is the 1st 3 letters of my first name my middle initial is E and my last initial is S.
Shortly after the time I decided the business name, in 2006, I registered natescomputer.com for this web site. I later registered different variations of the name for typos and marketing purposes.
Others include the full business name natescomputerservices.com. Shorter variations include nate.biz and nates.us and nateservice.com .
One other thing to note. If you would take away the word computer from the name or technology from the slogan it would still fit the business. They are just added to be more descriptive. The focus is on services and to make the experience better.

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My Site updates

Will be phasing out on-site residential service

Due to safety issues with driving and being in people’s homes we will be phasing out residential service.
Those that have an active service plan can still get in home service until the plan expires.
We will be focusing on online help and services.
We will still offer on-site help at businesses that are non-residential in Brainerd & Baxter.

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My Site updates video

Common Loons in Minnesota Video


Minnesota’s State Bird the Common Loon. This video starts off with Lake Superior near Baptism River & Tettegouche State Park. Later goes to Long Island Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern MN. The video ends at the Mississippi River in Brainerd MN.

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My Site updates video

Aitkin Fish House Parade


I added a video of the Aitkin Fish house Parade Nov 27 2009
Photos from the fish house parade

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