I saw from the reviews that this place was on the expensive side. But my friend said they had this particular 2 prong to 3 prong converter for cheap, so I went there to get one. It cost $1.99. I remember seeing them on B&H Photo for $2.75 for a two-pack, so I thought, no shipping, it's not THAT bad, and bought one. Then I biked down to ACE hardware down the street for some other stuff, and I saw that they had the same kind of converter, better looking, for 59 cents! That's 29% of the price! In other words, they were charging over 3 times as much. Moreover, I saw that they sell the Apple mini-DVI to DVI adapter for 29.99. Apple store, $19.00. They sell the HP 92 ink for $22.99. CVS, $19.99. FedEx Kinko's, $15.99. Amazon, 2 pack for $27. Anyway, you get the idea. read more

If your looking for old stuff, you might find it here. If you want the new stuff - be prepared to pay through the nose. Actually, you will pay through the nose for old stuff too. This place stocks a few things that places like Best Buy won't have, like cables and connectors that aren't made by Belkin and priced out of this world. But if you want anything that IS name brand, expect to pay at least 10% more than a Best Buy or Frys. I've seen fans and power supplies at half the power of what you can find at Best Buy for two or three times the price. Maybe they need a new supplier? They sell last generation hardware - but at todays generation prices. Who is going to buy an 80gig hard drive - USED - from them, when you can get one - NEW - at Best Buy for 2/3rds less? I don't know where they are geting their pricing strategy, but it needs help. If it takes them that much to stay in business, they should consider getting out. It's not like they are relevant anymore. read more

Service, service, service! I came in desperate after losing my old Kodak digital camera charger. I could order one on eBay or Amazon but wait 1+ weeks for shipping time (+ pay for shipping). Wanted a better solution if possible. And basically there was a good shot at getting some charger (non-Kodak) that was the right amount of volts and amps and use that instead. That's precisely what they had here. A modem plug that worked to charge my camera. The helpful desk guy picked it out of a pile for me but was reluctant to sell it to me because he wanted a modem person who needed it to get it at some point down the road. I offered to rent it from him for a week, but he did me one better: charged the camera for me in the store. How cool is that? So I bought nothing but got treated with much respect and would go back. 4 stars instead of 5 because the prices seemed a bit high. But hey--if you need something, sometimes finding it easily/locally is hella worth it! read more

Excellent! My Dell laptop crashed. I nervously brought it in to these guys early on a busy Saturday. The tech plugged it in, checked it out, and told me confidently it was a software problem. He didn't try to upsell me, quoted a 2 hour estimate ($150 tot), and said they'd need it for a full day. I got the call on Monday and picked it up. It's like new! read more

I'm one of those people who doesn't know a thing about the basic functions of a computer but need to use one for my life, and when something with it goes wrong (as in this case), I haven't the slightest clue where to go for help. Someone said go to Best Buy and get a the Geeksquadron to help, but I didn't want the formalities of a corporate-run megastore like Best Buy. Steve, who I found out likes cats, got my computer back running in timely, honest and friendly way on the same day! Right on Grand Ave, it's really easy to access on foot but parking kinda sucks. There are meters and Parking Guys. I recommend taking a bunch of change you got in a jar somewhere. There's also a quirky cafe nearby where you can get everything you need: coffee, hotdogs and Day of the Dead themed tobacco pipes... read more

My computer had been infested with viruses and desperately needed an upgrade in the system. I live in the neighborhood, so I called them up and left my computer there. A few days later, all my computer's software and documents were intact, but the upgrade was done and the viruses all gone. I also recommended the place to a friend who burned up their motherboard, I don't know what happened, but they were happy after the visit. For a small business like this, the price is actually pretty reasonable. Honestly, I don't mind the money, as long as the job gets done. Oh, and for those of you complaining over the amount of time it takes for them to do things, stop. I mean, they don't have an employee for each computer and they've got lots of computers and hardware to work on. Just wait your turn guys. The staff there and the owner are great people. Helpful, friendly, and great. Recently, there was a theft that stole a new computer; so that's probably why they're a little bit more careful. I mean, wouldn't you do the same? Overall, I recommend this place with full stars. read more

I brought my computer and oculus rift into Alex - the computer wasn't working and I was unable to resolve the problem with oculus support. He was simply, awesome. He listened, walked me through the options, costs and warranty info. and then......got everything working! He went the extra mile to get it done quickly - I won't take my computer anywhere else now - seriously great customer service and support! Thank you soooo much!!!!! read more

My HP laptop was moving slowly and wouldn't stay connected to wi-fi. The folks at General Computer Systems were friendly and easy to work with. They identified the problem, fixed it, and I had my laptop by the end of the day. read more

Amazing friendly efficient service! Alex diagnosed my computer's problem (stopped being connected to internet) & fixed it - in under 5 minutes! I walked in, barely waited - and was out the door with my laptop restored. This is a great business. read more

Fast and very helpful. They clearly value customer service. Maybe not the place for a computer shopping spree but for repairs and such, absolutely the place to go. read more

Ever since bringing two computers into this place a couple of months ago, i have had NOTHING but trouble with both of them. I left with one of them and the tech had forgotten to plug in the power supply so i got home and had to immediately come back. that was just the most eggregious problem. My main complaint about them is that they are just not doing careful quality work - not sure if they are in a hurry, or what the issue is, but I had to ARGUE with the owner for a discount on what was CLEARLY their fault. I had been going to these guys periodically for YEARS but I will never go back. I didn't like the service and I didn't think I was treated with much respect. read more

General Computer fixes all kinds of computers. Beware: Before they service your machine they do NOT check to see if there is a manufacturer's recall involved. As a result they may do a repair that the manufacturer would do for free. I spent $570 at General Computer only to find out later that this repair was covered for free by the manufacturer. This was the case even though the computer was no longer under warranty since there was a high failure rate for the particular part involved. I'd strongly advise that you go first to an authorized dealer for your computer. They will let you know whether the repair is covered. If the repair is NOT covered it might then make sense to compare the price for repair at the authorized dealer to the price at General Computer or elsewhere and then go with the least expensive option. General Computer was completely unwilling to refund even part of the unnecessary $570 I spent with them. Needless to say, this did not inspire a sense of confidence in their ethical standards. I'll steer clear of them in the future. read more

I have been going to General Computers for years. They always diagnose my computer issues quickly and fix the problems fast. They are courteous and offer affordable prices. I highly recommend coming here for any computer related issues. read more

I walked in yesterday because my PC had a black screen. The owner immediately checked out what was happening. And within 30 minutes, it was fixed! These guys are transparent, honest, and service-oriented. The owner told me exactly what he was doing and explained what happened. Plus, he gave me a way to troubleshoot in the future. The best money I've spent in a long time on my PC! Thanks, GCS! read more

We have a video production studio up 3 blocks on Grand. When we had an emergency these guys came over, picked up the computer, started working on it right away and had it fixed within hours! These guys really know computers. I've used them for several years for repairs. They ask you to sign on the work order that you backed up your files, so do that right now! read more

I've been going to this store for over ten years. I have had pc's and laptaps repaired here. I also bought a home security camera system here and had them install it. They did excellent work. Any equipment I need for my desktop and laptops I always purchase here. The people at General Computer Systems figure out your repair problems and fix them fast. They explain clearly what they have determined and what they can do about it. They are also very nice people to work with. I especially appreciate the attention and assistance provided by the owner and by Alex (technician). Everyone there is very good at what they do and they seem to enjoy their work. The lady at the front desk is very kind and patient. She follows through on your requests and makes sure you get the help you need. It isn't nice to have computer problems; but if you have them, I strongly recommend coming here first to see whether they can help. Their prices are fair and affordable. read more

I go to them first every time I have a computer problem. They are clever helpful and friendly, this is a rare find! Honest knowledgeable service is a priceless find when it comes to something is important as my computer data. read more

Hey, for a small computer shop, I think these guys are honest and fair. I've bought lots of last-minute parts from them and they've always been good to deal with. May cost a few bucks more but not beyond reason and I don't have to drive to Fry's. read more

Came in with a laptop that had an intermittent screen outage. It seemed almost certain that the problem was in the link between motherboard and display, and Alex fairly quickly diagnosed the problem as being in the ribbon cable that passes data between display and cpu. Laptop manufacturers are notorious for not making repair parts available, so while I was a bit disappointed that the replacement cable cost $90, and took over a week to arrive, that really is not GC's fault. Repairing the video cable introduced a new problem in the display, there is now a small region in the upper right corner of the display that permanently glows bright yellow. Fixing that would require buying a replacement screen - and since I am pretty sure I can live with the glow, and since they did give me a discount on the repair cost, I took the computer as it was. On the whole, I am much happier with how my laptop works now, and appreciate the work done by GC. read more

This place is decent, have used them twice. Had them recently save my old Sony laptop, re-installed everything and got rid of viruses, etc. Price was $150 and then they put on McAfee for another $45. ( Took them two days to do it, seemed like they could have done faster. ) I would recommend if you don't quite feel like spending more than $600 for a new computer. read more

Smart, helpful, reasonably priced. Good peeps.

About the best computer help I've ever received came from this place. My computer broke down in the middle of filling out applications for grad school and they repaired my beloved 10 yr old computer - beyond what was called for just to ensure I walked out a satisfied customer. They go over and beyond! read more

I was ready to give up hope on my desktop computer as it wouldn't boot up. I was dreading the idea of having to buy a new one. Luckily I brought it in to Alex at GCS, he was very knowledgeable and pin pointed the problem right away. Within a few minutes, my computer was fixed! He was helpful, customer-oriented and efficient which I appreciate. I was very happy to walk out with a working computer for less than I expected to pay. read more

Only two short visits so far but was impressed. First visit i needed a CPU fan, the one on the shelf they had was some over the top $65.00 unit. One of the store managers took a $14.00 fan and took the time to modify it to fit my heat sink using 3 tools and 1 box cutter. No charge for labor, about 20 minutes. They went out of their way to make me happy. I'll be back for a third trip soon. read more

If you want the worst service, no communications and a huge bill at the end of the day...do go to General Computer. My experience: My old computer needed to have the info uploaded to an external hard drive. That cost $110. I told them I just wanted to get my info from my business outlook to my new. They also knew that for some reason I could not get my HP software to upload into this computer. As this was a newer Dell...Dell sent a replacement. I took it back and was told that to get the info over to the new computer that the most it would cost was around anouther $119. I let them do it and told them to make sure that all my business outlook got into the new computer. I thought I was clear. I also told them that I had finally got the HP software downloaded to my new computer so WHATEFVER they did, DO NOT do anything to lose that...(I know I told them that at least 6 times). It turned out that they somehow saved my info in OST...NOT PST and that the only way they could get it over was to try and convert it...they had the computer almost one week...I came to get it...opened it up...NO business outlook (which was the only thing that was in OST)...so a whole week lost and they didn't get it done right....so they said the only thing left without them having to buy a new converter (theirs was too old) was to do a clone...(I am not a computer geek...that's why I hired them)...then they did the clone...finally came to get it three days later and I could see my business outlook...but the cost went up from $119 to $300!!! without even a call to let me know that they changed their minds and had additional issues. I negotiated with them and they dropped off $75 (BIG Deal) Got it home and guess what ...NO HP...no printer, no scanner, no fax...and because they cloned the old original operating system replaced the new operating system and it wiped out the HP and now I can't get the HP software to go into the old operating system . I called them and they refused to do any better than to let me bring it back at an additional cost so they could look at it and even if they could not get it fixed I still would be charged. I asked how much and they said it probably would take at least another 2 hours or 150 dollars...or more depending on how long it would take them to get it to work...Again...no call when they knew my HP printer would disappear if they cloned...they just did it...did not communicate with me or eacr h other about what my needs were. DO NOT take your compuoter there unless you want to be taken advantage of. Good luck... read more

If you like the Grand Theater for their movies, you will LOVE these nearby neighbors for their computer support: old school in all the right ways. Simply trying to repair computers (vs. tossing them in some landfill and buying something new) can seem quaint, but there are lots of situations when a hard drive dies, or gets corrupted, or a bit more memory would help a lot, or you want a bigger screen... They also have some great deals on older (but warrantied!) hardware and systems that could be enough for your needs. GCS takes whatever issue you bring in the door, tells you if they can help, and then solves it efficiently and economically if they can. They've helped me several times, and I bet they can help you. read more

Bought Apple's Mountain Lion upgraded operating system. It has been a nightmare to load. Huge program that requires an incredibly strong Internet connection. It took me a week, 10 plus tries, at different locations to finally get it done. A CD would have been a nice option for me. None are available. read more

omg they are really nice and friendly. and they do a great job and they are honest. i built enough trust going over there several times aready on smaller fixes. now i will trust them to help me fix my larger computer issues. i trust them! trust is not usually what i put a label on on a local computer store. read more

Alex did a great job fixing the power supply for my LG monitor. It had been suffering from a serious flickering problem, which lasted for about 10 minutes after start up. I had taken the monitor back to Best Buy, where I originally purchased the monitor. They told me the it would be cheaper for me to buy a new monitor, rather them sending it to their repair center for an estimate. Instead of buying a new monitor from Best buy I decided to do a little research and found out that the problem could be fixed by a good repair shop. General Computer fixed the problem the same day, and now the monitor works like new ... for a lot less than the cost of buying a new monitor, as Best Buy wanted me to do. Many Thanks to Alex and general Computer Systems!! read more

I've had two older computers start acting weird on me and taken them to GCS. The guys at their diagnostic bench have always been super-helpful and their solutions have always been what's best for me. In one case they told me expect the device to die but that it wasn't worth trying to upgrade (no charge) and in another they did all of the work while I got a cup of coffee. Fast, affordable and friendly - that's a great experience from a computer repair! read more

I came to Gen Comp in 2001 when my Gateway laptop crashed. The work was awesome, quick and he restored everything for me on CDs. He replaced the hard drive, gave me the old hard drive and was very reasonable with pricing. I believe I was the first OCR from my workplace to patronize this place. I have referred every one of my colleagues to him, and I believe they all go to him now. The only reason I don't 5-star him is that while I have sent him a great deal of clientele, he's never acknowledged it when I've returned. But I cannot deny his work and I would not take my computer to anyone else. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. read more

Ok, I've wanted to do this for a long time, if there is any business in Oakland that deserves to be labeled the worst at customer service and customer experience it is this place. Not only do they lack even the minimal level of good customer service it is my strong belief that they take advantage of customers that don't have a good understanding of PC's hardware and software. I first encountered this place by way of an employer, I was hired as the Systems Manager for a local company and in the process of organizing the PC systems inventory, ROI's, and operating systems legality I came across multiple systems that were sold to this company by General Computer Systems that I could not trace the COA (Certificate of Authenticity) for the Operating Systems. I called them up and spoke to the owner E.G. (yeah that's his name EG), and to say the least when he realized what I was calling for he became very defensive and elusive saying that "it is legal for us to sell PC's with pre-installed operating systems and DO NOT provide the customer with the disks and product keys COA". Most would most likely not think a second taught on this but Hey people, "THIS IS ILLEGAL". To continue, when I inspected these systems they were found to be poorly assembled with parts that looked to be used, and after going over the warranty for these systems it was very general and suspiciously all the systems seemed to fail right after the warranty expired; not really a big deal right? But remember the above "systems sold without the COA or installation disks"? Well you see there is a reason for this, when the poorly built systems break down either for hardware or software reasons, the reason why businesses that sale PC's are obligated to also give the customer the installation disks and all installation resources is because when your system should encounter problems (and they will) you with your installation disks have the option to rebuild or repair your system without taking it to someone else to do so. These guys sale their systems on purpose without the Operating System installation resources so that when your system breaks down you just might bring it back to them to get it fixed and boom they charge you big time "again" - thereby increasing their return on investment by at least 60%. Pretty smart and also pretty illegal... These guys' in my opinion are operating just above the radar, preying on unsuspecting customers and finding ways to charge them money up front as well as setting them up for return business. Frankly I don't like these guys because of how they do business - Just sell what you sell the best way and in the process provide people with good help and a good product. I just want good service... Oh and by the way, the ill comments made by others here I can back up especially the one where the guy said "The owner seems to be an extremely arrogant man" - more like an A-hole. Additionally be ready for the miscommunication from all the employee's even the owner in all his glory seems to struggle with english. Stay as far from these guys as you can - you can do better... read more

I brought in a video card to them to check out because my computer's monitor wasn't displaying correctly. They had a replacement card for sale but the owner suggested I return home& try plugging my monitor directly into the computer's monitor port(bypassing the video card). He described what to look for in the back of the case. I did as he suggested and, lo and behold, the monitor displayed correctly allowing me to use my computer again! When I began this computer repair project I didn't expect this quick,easy and inexpensive outcome! Hats off to General Computer! read more

I'm continually impressed with the GCS's expertise and attention to customer service. Today, my hard disk crashed. I work as a consultant; I had major project(s) data on that drive. Equally important, I am in the middle of a project that require I have an functional computer. Long-story-short, I called Alex at GCS and I explained the error message; he told me to bring my laptop; I told him I needed to be up and running by close of business today, or I would need a loaner. He said if they could not get it working today; then, they would loan me a lap top. The good news is, within 4 hours they diagnosed the problem(s), cloned and replaced the hard drive and called me to come pickup my computer - they got me back up and running in 4 hours, at a cost of about $250.00. I have been a loyal GCS customer for the past 12 years - they have provided services to address my business and personal computer needs. I have used them for everything from on-site business networking and repairs, online troubleshooting, OTC repairs and purchases of computers, power cords, memory expansions, hard disk, monitors, software upgrades, etc. Suffice, I am extremely happy with their exemplary service and expert computer knowledge. read more

I've used this store quite a bit and have always found them to be expert, attentive and clear. I've bought two computers here and have had no trouble with them. Once I had them remove a virus from my hard drive. A few days ago I bought a speaker set there, didn't like it, and took it back. They were equally attentive to what I found objectionable and were cordial in refunding my money. Some time ago, once, I found the check out person rather unfriendly but that person is no longer dealing with payment. I give a thumbs up to this place, especially in their knowledge and solutions to computer problems. read more

Steve was amazing. Unlike eastbay computer repair, they were helpful and easy to understand. They plugged in my computer and it worked ! Unlike eastbay computer repair who tried 4 different cords and told me it didn't work and then wanted to charge $75 to "troubleshoot it". Steve did it for free. This place rocks. Not sure why they have bad reviews. I found them helpful and friendly. read more

I brought my laptop here because it was running slow and the keys were reacting slowly. Alex told me I needed a solid state hard drive to replace my standard hard drive and he would copy everything over to the new one. I followed his advise and paid the approx $380. for parts and labor and tried it out for a while but took it back after about a month because there was no improvement and they also didn't return my original hard to me when I picked up my laptop. The owner said he would look for it and call me but never did.. So I went back the other day after several months had passed since I was feeling pretty frustrated like I just threw $380 into the wind and when I arrived I asked Alex why the problem wasn't fixed and what to do about it and he shrugged and walked away with no diagnostic test or even looking into the settings to investigate the issue. Next, the owner came over and said Alex was upset at me and he started frantically throwing his arms up in the air and yelling at me indignantly like I did something to them when I'm the one who lost $380 and now was being yelled at with a strong Chinese accent. I told him this was unacceptable and unprofessional; I closed my laptop and left abruptly. I've never been treated or cheated like this at a retail or repair shop and to make it worse they still have my original hard drive. I'm sure there are better computer repair places than this in the event that you need one. Good luck! read more

The first and only deeply unpleasant merchant experience I have EVER had in this neighborhood was just had at General Computer Systems. The owner seems to be an extremely arrogant man. When we had a miscommunication about exactly what esoteric part I needed (issues with English on his part? I cannot say for certain; doesn't change what followed), he proceeded to lecture me about how he is an expert who has been in the business for years, and that I did not know what I was talking about. I just wanted the part I needed (they did have it); he wanted to let me know -- repeatedly -- that he thought I was a know-nothing. Are you NOT an uber-geek? Then stay away; you don't need this guy's attitude, especially when there is a similar computer shop (East Bay Computer Center) right around the block on Lakeshore (at Mandana), where they know how to treat a customer well. read more

Only 4 stars since it was not an actual COMPUTER repair. My blackberry was acting up - space bar sticking so many messageswereonelongword - Get it? Anyway, I took it to Verizon since it's a Verizon BB - they had no air pressure cans (we ran out of air, duh, can't find the can). Took it to Metro PC - they had no air either. Took it to ATT (my personal account is ATT although the BB is a Verizon) - they had an air can and blew out the keyboard but it still didn't work right. Two days later, took it into Sprint - I was heartily ejected since it was not a Sprint product with Sprint service - Yeesh, how much does a blast from an air can cost? Screw Sprint anyway, the service sucks. My husband said try the computer repair store around the corner - I had never stopped in there. Went in, a friendly guy said he'd blow it out with his air compressor (Yahoo!). Seems better now, took a minute, no charge, friendly staff, walked here from my house. Next time we need computer repair, I'm coming back here! read more

I went to the store today to print out my resume. They said they couldn't print using my USB. The lady at the counter wanted a "deposit" so I could print my resume. She charges me $5.25 for the "privilege" of using their computer and for 6 pages I printed. I used the computer for 2 minutes. (I timed my usage). Do not go here! They will rip you off! read more