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The Hilltop Blog
Hilltop is celebrating our 8th anniversary by giving to those who deserve it the most.
Jim Turner - Friday, April 22, 2011
Who want's to help wounded soldiers and get two chances to win an iPad 2? Hilltop is going to raffle off two iPad's to raise money for The Fisher House. For $8 (for our 8 year anniversary) you get a chance at both of the iPad's. We will pick one winner on May 6th and the other on May 13th. You can pick up an entry form tomorrow at our Computer Recycling and Paper Shredding event or any time after Monday at any of our three locations. Simply fill out the entry form and drop it off at any of our locations along with your $8 donation. You do not need to be present at the time of the drawings to win.
InSight Managed Services Plans (MSP)
Jim Turner - Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Hilltop InSight Managed Services Plans are the consistent and affordible way to manage your network and user support needs. Our MSP clients have one fixed rate all you can eat plan that covers all of their user support needs from 7AM until 7PM. Our MSP clients receive 24/7 monitoring of their servers and critical systems. MSP clients don't pay anything extra for disaster recovery. We can offer this because our MSP clients generally don't have disasters. They don't have disaster because our 24/7 monitoring alerts or Network Operations Center about potential issues before they become disasters. Contact our Service Dispatcher to setup a phone call or free onsite assessment to see if Hilltop InSight Managed Services are right for your business.
The Shark Tank
Jim Turner - Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Hilltop Computers is launching a new flat-rate Managed Service Plan for home users this summer. The basic plan will cover unlimited remote tech support from 8AM until 10PM. Our upgraded plans will provide for additional services such as antivirus, remote backups, unlimited bench time in our shops, and even scheduled computer replacement every three years.
I decided to approach an ABC television show named The Shark Tank to see if they have any interest in our new flat-rate model for home users. At the same time, we have launched a new Facebook page named Hilltop Computers Needs 10,000 Fans to get us on The Shark Tank.
If you are a fan of Hilltop Consultants, Inc. or the Hilltop Computer Shops, please visit the Facebook page and show your support by becoming a fan or letting us know that you "Like" the page. Another way to support our efforts, is to follow HilltopComputer on Twitter.
Here is my application for The Shark Tank:
Hello Shark Tank Casting Team,
I decided to approach an ABC television show named The Shark Tank to see if they have any interest in our new flat-rate model for home users. At the same time, we have launched a new Facebook page named Hilltop Computers Needs 10,000 Fans to get us on The Shark Tank.
If you are a fan of Hilltop Consultants, Inc. or the Hilltop Computer Shops, please visit the Facebook page and show your support by becoming a fan or letting us know that you "Like" the page. Another way to support our efforts, is to follow HilltopComputer on Twitter.
Here is my application for The Shark Tank:
Hello Shark Tank Casting Team,
My name is Jim Turner. I am a 36 year old technology consultant and business owner from Bethesda, MD. I am the handsome guy in the middle of the attached photo. I am surrounded by my team of extremely talented technology consultants and computer technicians.
While I already have a successful IT Consultancy, and three computer repair shops in the Washington, DC Metro area, I have decided that it is not enough. I have a business model that will allow my company to capture a significant portion of the computer repair and tech support business nationwide. My business model treats tech support like cell phone service. We all used to pay by the minute before we found flat rate plans that made sense. I have a flat rate service offering for computer repair and tech support that gives its subscribers top notch support at a very manageable rate. This flat rate service offering is already profitable in my area and once I take it national, I am sure that a company like Dell, Verizon, Comcast, or another technology company will want to acquire my business in order to compete with Best Buys Geek Squad.
A visit to my website will show you that I am the real deal. My company was recently voted the Best Computer Repair business in Montgomery County, MD by Bethesda Magazine. I was also mentioned by Business Week as an early adopter of the Apple iPad for business use. I have also successfully presented technology seminars to local groups, such as our local Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club regarding technology and more specifically Social Networking. My current clients are among the most educated and intelligent people in the country. I list former US Senators, retired US Army and Air Force Generals, as well as nationally known attorneys and lobbyists as reference clients.
I may be a computer geek, but I can explain technology and technical support to anyone, even a national audience. Bring me on Shark Tank and let's introduce my business model to your national audience.
Jim Turner
President
Hilltop Consultants, Inc.
2010 P Street
Washington, DC 20036
jturner@hilltopconsultants.com
1-877-365-TECH
Join us and bring a guest to our seven year anniversary Open House for a chance to win a new iPad.
http://hilltopturnsseven.eventbrite.com/
New iMacs, mini servers, and "magic" mice
Tom Wanat - Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Apple announced several new products this week including new iMacs with a laundry list of new specifications. As nice as the new iMacs are two other products grabbed our attention:
- Magic Mouse -- With a multitouch surface atop a sleek, wireless mouse providing multiple buttons, scroll, and more. This looks like a winner that will work on any computer with built-in bluetooth.
- Mac Mini with Snow Leopard Server -- A beefed-up yet little, quiet, and energy-efficient Mac Mini targeted at small offices that need file sharing, email, shared calendaring, address books, and instant messaging. This is an interesting move for small businesses wanting an all Mac/iPhone solution, and Apple's challenge to Microsoft's established Windows Small Business Server 2008.
Microsoft announces Mac Office 2008 SP2
Tom Wanat - Monday, July 20, 2009
Microsoft has announced the immediate availability of Microsoft Office for Mac Service Pack 2 (SP2), a free major update to the Mac Office suite.
In addition to speed improvements in Word and Excel, SP2 introduces new PowerPoint features, and new software for integrating Mac Office to online files. This new software tool named, Document Connection lets Mac users find and open documents stored on their office SharePoint server or in the Microsoft Office Live Workspace.
SP2 is available for download through the Microsoft Office software updater or via the Mac Office Web site.
Macs to gain Exchange integration with Snow Leopard
Tom Wanat - Tuesday, June 09, 2009
We think the most interesting news out of Apple's big summer-conference for developers is that Mac OS X Snow Leopard, due in September, introduces Exchange integration built directly into each Mac.
The resurgent popularity of Macs means we see more and more in our client's offices, and nine times of 10 they'll have Microsoft Office for Mac on them -- which is about $400 for the version of Office that includes Entourage with Exchange support. (As a quick aside, we've lost track of how many times we've seen people buy the $100 version of Office with the crippled Entourage that cannot talk to Exchange. Note to Microsoft: People in that situation feel tricked.)
So, what does having Exchange support built-in to Mac OS X mean? For one, it means that Apple's already nice programs Mail, iCal, and Address Book become a lot more useful for most: Email, tasks, and to-dos will show up in Mail; Appointments and room reservations show up in iCal; and contacts show up in Address Book. This event video shows a demonstration at about the 40-minute mark.
Second, It seems the Apple marketing machine has decided Exchange integration is one of the top bullet points of Snow Leopard. People will hear about this feature. And Apple is making sure the price is palatable too: Starting in September all new Macs will come with Snow Leopard, and the upgrade for existing Mac owners is $29.
Third, we figure people will, by and large, stop paying for the $400 version of Office. Some didn't buy it anyway (see above), but now it's hard to see who would spend a $300 premium for the Exchange-enabled Entourage. That audience would appear to shrink to encompass only those people who find the Outlook-like look of Entourage familiar enough they prefer it.
With the release of iWork '09, Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are finally strong contenders against Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. iWork coupled with Snow Leopard appears to throw down a gauntlet and reduce the price premium of buying a Mac -- say what you will about hardware costs, but most PC users get their versions of Office/Outlook bundled without paying $400.
Is this the beginning of a new front in the Microsoft vs. Apple war of words, or is Apple fighting to keep TCO down for their users?
Next-generation operating system news
Tom Wanat - Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Apple and Microsoft are gearing up to release their next generation operating systems before the end of 2009. Microsoft's Windows 7 and Apple's Snow Leopard (10.6) have both been in the news lately as work wraps up on each.
The latest news from Microsoft is that Windows 7 will be ready in time for the holiday season. There's a lot riding on Windows 7, as it's hoped to finally provide the must-have upgrade to XP that never materialized in Vista. New features include a new look, faster start-up and shut-downs, and easier home networking.
Meanwhile Apple has been characteristically tight lipped about Snow Leopard, but it's widely expected to deliver better integration to Windows computers and networks, and speedier performance thoughout. It's expected in the Fall.
Any new computer bought today should be able to run these new operating systems. If you're planning a purchase with an eye toward the future, focus on buying a system with a lot of memory (RAM), or have more installed when you decide to upgrade. Computer memory is basically priced at an all-time low right now, and it greatly helps overall performance.
Laptop rating posted by Consumer Reports
Tom Wanat - Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Consumer Reports just released their latest ratings of laptop computers. Apple was a big winner across the board, with the highest ratings for 13", 14-16", and 17" sizes.
Dell, Toshiba, and Hewlett-Packard also had machines that placed well in certain categories. For instance, the NYTimes observes the $2,000 15" MacBook Pro had a score of 75 out of 100 while the $700 Toshiba Satellite had a score of 64.
We've seen good deals lately from every manufacturer, and those deals are likely to get better when the back to school buying season heats up this summer. Contact us for a recommendation for your needs, and we are here whenever you need help with data transfer to a new computer.
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