1 Jan 2012 - Richard Davies Computer Services celebrate 10 years.
Tavistock Times 4 Jan 2012 - feature page
Setting up his own business was the last thing Richard Davies planned to do when he left the Submarine Service after 22 years. However during his time at sea he recognised that the on board computer systems held no fear for him and that given the opportunity, this environment was where his future lay.
He worked hard at gaining the Microsoft Qualifications that would be needed to work in the industry outside the Navy and so, with the encouragement of his wife and business partner Sally; Richard Davies Computer Services was born. The decision not to have premises in town has proved pivotal to their ability to respond to whatever comes their way.
Richard will often do complex work in the quiet of the evening without the distraction that a busy daytime office brings. That flexible approach continues when a client needs a solution that involves working out of office hours to minimise downtime – crucial if you are running a business and have employees who can’t work. Home users will also know that breakdowns always occur when least convenient! Remote assistance software, enabling Richard to work on a machine across the internet at a client’s invitation has obvious advantages for everyone and has been a great addition to Richard’s services. Most usually the software is installed in the workshop and always at the client’s request. In this way, existing customers can get support, diagnosis and help whilst sitting in front of their PC. Never wishing to be retailers but service providers means truly impartial advice when it comes to recommending hardware or software to clients. Should someone have a particular favourite software package then Richard will incorporate their requirement into the computer that he builds for them, advising them of alternatives if it is no longer compatible with today’s technology.
Clients looking at the www.rdcs.com website will find several core machines assembled by Richard using carefully researched and quality assured parts. The vast majority of the 500 bespoke computers built by RDCS for local homes and businesses over the last 10 years will be one of these. Taking care to source quality components is a time consuming job but means that each PC comes with a 2 year parts guarantee, so it’s time well spent.
2 Jan 2012 - Prices start to drop for Hard Disks since Thailand flooding - typical 500Gb SATA III disk now at just over £70.
27 Oct 11 - Floods in Thailand are causing major disruption to the supply of computer hard disk. This has caused a massive shortage along with a massive price increase. Last week a typical 500Gb Sata III hard disk cost £38.40 now costs over £130. This will affect the price of all new computer systems until the situation resolves.
13 July 11 - Microsoft warns end of XP - read review
Windows 8
11 July 2011 - Windows 8 (alias WPC 2011 or Windows 2011) beta is launched giving a glimse of the new Operating System from Microsoft to be launched fully in 2012.
Click here for the CNET review
SCAMS
There is an increasing occurance of telephone calls reportedly from Microsoft or an IT company informing you that your computer is infected with a virus. They will direct you to website which they pretend to be working from (these are genuine websites from reputable IT support companies). They will then ask you to examine your event log which will show a series of warning signs, critical errors etc, creating a fear, pretending the reports are related to virus's which they are not. Then comes the sell - they will help you fix them at a cost of around £180. Not only will your PC be compromised by there interference, more importantly your bank account will be empty.
Just put the phone down.
Microsoft Office 2010 now available at Richard Davies Computer Services.
1 - Office Home and Student. Not for commercial use. Can be installed on 3 family computers.
April 2010. RDCS became a registered Dell Partner. This new venture gives us a direct sales and technical support portal with Dell expanding our services further to support you.
Richard Davies Computer Services awarded with Trading Standards 'buy with confidence' logo.
Devon County Council Trading Standards Service has introduced the Buy With Confidence Scheme in an attempt to promote the highest standards of trading in the County of Devon. Businesses who become members of the Scheme will undertake to operate their business in a legal, honest and fair way. They will also offer a customer-friendly service and respond to complaints in a constructive manner. Read article.
Feb 2010. Federation of Small Business (FSB). Richard Davies Comupter Services becomes a member of the FSB.
Does the welcome flash box on the home page look a little odd? If so you need to update your PC to the latest version of Adobe Flash - click here for the update.
Windows 7 is here
As you have all probably heard by now, Windows 7 was launched in the UK on 22nd Oct 2009. For those of you with Vista you can upgrade to Windows 7 with a seamless transistion. Not only will Windows 7 upgrade migrate all your data to the same place as before but also your desktop icons, background and applications. Your existing applications should all work, in some cases better than before as Windows 7 has a huge library of pre-installed up to date drivers and applications.
The overall feel of of Windows 7 is faster than Vista however some applications like Word take a little longer to open. This aside, Windows 7 has corrected a number of foibles that put people off Vista. For those who still have Windows XP the transition is more problematic and it may be simpler to upgrade to a new PC (depending on performance).
Windows 7 - what's it all about?
Upgrading from Vista
Depending on your hardware and your current edition of Windows Vista, you can use the Upgrade option during installation to upgrade from Vista to a corresponding or higher edition of Windows 7.
If your current edition of Windows Vista can't be upgraded to the edition of Windows 7 that you want to use, you can still install Windows 7 by using the Custom installation option instead. However, the Custom option doesn't preserve your files, programs, or settings.
Upgrading from XP
You can't upgrade directly from XP and will have to do a clean install. This involves backing up all your data, installing Windows 7 then migrating your data into Windows 7. It may not be possible to upgrade your computer if below the mininum hardware specification - run the upgrade advisor below. All is not lost - it may be possible to improve your computers performance by upgrading the proccessor, memory and graphics card so that Windows 7 will work.
Download the upgrade advisor from the following - Before scanning your computer with the upgrade advisor, be sure to plug in and power on any USB devices such as printer, external hards, scanners etc.
