PC Place INC — Local services in Albuquerque

I have noticed a couple of negative reviews about the PC Place. I’m astounded! Were these people at the PC Place? Or, are they confused? Again, I have used the PC Place since the mid 90s (see my previous review below). Plus, I have taken in machines acquired elsewhere for friends, no problem! I go nowhere else! I live and work in Valencia County. I will take off work and drive to Albuquerque to take my machines to Charles at the PC Place. (Which is very seldom as the machines I have from the PC Place rarely need anything, and it is usually an issue I caused, or just normal age on the machine.) ------The PC Place has always been forthright, knowledgeable, and reasonable in their fees. In addition, I am aware of a situation where a boy brought in a very dead computer, but did not have the money to purchase another one. Charles gave him a used computer that met all of this boy’s needs. Of course, Charles can’t do this for everyone, but how wonderful of him to do this for this young boy! In --- fact, Charles has helped me and a friend of mine, resurrect some laptops we acquired that went to individuals that could not afford a computer (Ages 9 to 87). Charles even worked on a couple of them at his home, just before Christmas. He charged us a token fee. They were a mess from a previous “tech” and Charles had to spend a lot of time on the computers to fix what the previous “tech” had done. Not all techs are created equal. I hear some real horror stories. Hey, they should have had a V-8 and gone to the PC Place! You should too! Thanks again, Charles and the PC Place!

--------Review from a year ago:--------

I have been a client of the PC Place since the mid 1990's. They are extremely knowledgeable, competent, and honest. I have recommended them to a number of people, including employers, and have never heard a negative comment, only praise.

I am a graphic artist and I need my computers to handle a lot. However, when I send a friend to the PC Place they evaluate the needs of the customer and sell them only what they need. Is that not too cool! Plus, if they have a computer they purchased from somewhere else that has a problem, they fix it in the most economical way they can. They don't try to sell them something else. If the computer is not fixable, they will tell you right away. The PC Place practices honest "Straight Talk." NO ONE touches my computers but the PC Place. And I have three at this time. All of which I bought from there. I can't say enough good things about the PC Place. Before I found them, I was in computer hell with other computer "professionals." To other graphic artists, yes I have used Macs. I'm excellent at crashing them. PCs, in my opinion, are just as good, if not better. Okay, I think PCs are better, I'm a renegade! But, you need a good machine. Charles, at the PC Place understands this more than anyone I know....

I'm seeing a few reviews that say how rude they are on first contact, but that hasn't been my experience at all. I was looking for a monitor yesterday and was ok with a refurb as long as it works. The salesperson told me the refurbs typically don't have issues when I asked (it was very cheap so I wanted to see if I found a great deal), but fired it up for me on request anyway so I could see there weren't any dead pixels or anything. He was patient and personable, and answered my questions about other things adequately. He even told me where I'd likely find the specific cable I wanted (not everyone carries 1.5ft dvi cables these days). I even had short interactions with a couple of other workers who clearly thought I'd just walked in, but were polite once they realized I was being helped.

To be honest, I likely wouldn't bring any of my machines to them, but that's because I'm more of a DIY sort and even have the skill to reflow and/or replace components on my machines' boards. However, for the info I need or to get individual parts they might provide, they'll definitely be one of my first go-to's based on my experience with them so far.

Edit: I can't suggest this place to a transgender person. I eventually got misgendered constantly, even after correcting the guy. I stand by my previous interaction with them, but I won't go...

We had a broken hinge on our HP laptop. They were familiar with the problem, ordered the parts, and did the repairs in the promised time period. The result was great -- it looks and works like new. Price was reasonable for a tricky repair to a glued-together computer with a fragile screen. UPDATE: Minus one star. After using the computer for a while after the repair, I noticed new icons on the desktop. PC Place installed software and a PDF file explaining what they installed, how to use the files, and some top level tips about avoiding and checking for malware. I think it was done to appear helpful and to remind us about their business if we might need further help, so I don't think the intent was malicious. My complaint is that they didn't tell me they were going to do it and the software included a remote desktop utility, a category that always makes me nervous. If the permission was buried in the service agreement that I signed, I didn't notice it. I didn't expect software installation for a strictly hardware problem. I might have agreed to their installations, though, if they had asked first. And I would have appreciated an...