Personal Computers

I have worked with Personal Computers ever since the introduction of the IBM PC in 1981. I have worked with all versions of DOS and versions of Windows since the introduction of Version 3.1 (to be honest, I was not a huge Bill Gates fan until Windows 95 was released). I have since gained considerable experience in installing and configuring all flavours of Windows. I don't claim to be an expert on all user software but I do have personal experience of most of the software published by Microsoft and other major publishers.

Although I don't profess to be a hardware engineer, I have in the past had to discourage one of my clients from cancelling his existing hardware maintenance contract, as, having watched me pull PCs to bits and rebuild them, he was confident I could perform a superior job to his existing supplier. The fact that I did not keep an inventory of relevant spares did not worry him as he felt that, nine times out of ten, "you fixed the damn thing anyway". I think his confidence in my skills was a trifle misplaced but, nevertheless, I appreciated his enthusiasm for my abilities.

Although I refuse to become involved in the sale of hardware or software (my independence is important to me), I am more than happy to advise clients on such purchases based on previous experience. If requested, I can help the client select suppliers based on price, support, or locality.

Networks

Most of my clients have networks that I have either installed and configured or I maintain. Although, in the past, most of my clients used Novell Netware, today most small networks utilise the inbuilt features of Windows and can be cabled or wireless.

My previous experiences as the Group Systems Manager of a FTSE100 company, has given me considerable insight into the selection, installation and day-to-day use of various network-wide applications such as backup, antivirus, and email/internet to the desktop.