I'm another Ames resident with computer issues and after calling HomeTown Tech my issues are over. I chose them because they have a high Better Business Bureau rating but I'll stay because they are excellent at what they do. They went over and above the call of duty in helping me and my 2 computers. I moved here from CA years ago and this company has attributes that shout Iowa Nice. Very intelligent and very knowledgeable and highly skilled but with none of the gimmicks and hard sell pressure. None. I highly recommend these people - and I tend to be picky! read more

If your repair job goes smoothly, I imagine that Hometown Tech is a perfectly acceptable business. If there's any wrinkles or delays, good luck finding out about it until after you've spent 4 weeks waiting for your initial assessment. I was told 'at most 2-3 weeks, probably less' to get an assessment on repairing a laptop fan error. Narrow margin in the worst case, but I can deal with 3 weeks before getting my data back. One business day before the three weeks were up, I called to figure out what was happening- the only point of contact that I had was a new hire at the front desk, who could only tell me that my file was empty, but assured me that the assessment could have started, and that she'd direct the tech to call me. The tech never called. On Monday, I called at 2 PM. This was foolish, as the 10 AM to 6 PM hours on the google listing actually mean 'you can only reach people at 10 AM', so the automated voice messaging system told me to check the google listing for the business hours that they update daily. Tuesday, three weeks and a day in. I called at 10 AM, and was put in contact with the manager, who apologized for the delay. They'd had a family emergency and were gone for a week, and the 2-3 week backlog had gotten worse- fair enough. They told me my assessment was more difficult than expected, but she'd call the owner and primary tech in and the assessment would be done Thursday. Thursday, I hear nothing. Friday I call to pick up my laptop and cancel the job. I am fed up with the experience, with having to pull teeth to get any idea what's happening, and getting wrong information when I get information. I get an appointment for noon. Shortly before noon, I get a call from the owner who says they're putting it back together, hopefully in time for the appointment, and they expect the fan error to be fixed when they do. They don't have it finished, and it turns out the reason the assessment took so long was a key came off and part of the case snapped while they were disassembling the laptop, and they were trying to find a replacement. As accomodation and to mollify me they let me backstage and let me do some basic data recovery with their gear while the tech reassembled the laptop. +1 star I guess?? Unfortunately, once the laptop is reassembled the fan error is not fixed, and it's clear that it's not the kind of mechanical blockage that should be a quick cheap fix. At the end of the day my $50 assessment fee and four weeks of waiting got me 'unknown fan error that'll be too expensive to actually be worth fixing.' Worth the $50, but not worth the 4 weeks with no idea what is happening. Why is the business structured so the only point of contact clients have is unable to tell whether the assessment has started? Why does the manager being gone for a week mean a full extra week of delay? Why was I not called when it was clear they wouldn't make the estimate? Why was I not called when the breakage occurred? Why was I not called Thursday when it was clear they wouldn't make THAT estimate either? Why did I have to actively call at 10 AM every time to ever find anything out about the status of my case? It is partly my fault for accepting the initially stated delay, and it is partially faultless for the manager's troubles. Nonetheless, I fully regret coming here and will not be doing so again. read more

I came in with the hopes of fixing / upgrading my pc. Not only did they upcharge me about $75 per part I purchased. They also charged me $300 for 3 hours of labor. And to top it all off. My pc has an overheating issue. They have a "30" day warranty and I brought my pc back 3 times during this period. Same issue and the tech literally told me he couldn't fix the issue that they created. I got scammed. The manager is crazy saying she doesn't "manage her techs" when I asked for ETA multiple times. They hardly pick up the phone during office hours. Never use this place they are horrendous and will cost you an arm & a leg. read more

found them to be very helpful and especially patient in explaining things to this very non-techy person. Their knowledge was very good and I am very pleased with the new computer they helped me set up. I believe their charges are very reasonable and I can highly recommend them. read more

The owner Nick is a great guy. He fixed my laptop a few times when it was not powering up. Only took him a few minutes to fix and he didn't charge me anything. His prices are fair and he is the true face of his business and values long term relationships with clients. read more

About the only negative I could say is that they seemed a little slow. I've never taken my computer into a repair shop before and not gotten it back by the next business day. With Hometown Tech it took until the next business day for them to let me know what was wrong, then another four days to fix it. This was slightly inconvenient since I need it for work, but I made due. Otherwise, I have nothing but glowing things to say about my experience. Their staff was incredibly friendly and professional, and so helpful. They let me know every step of the way what they were doing and the cost, and even let me know of a secondary problem my computer had that they could fix for minimal cost. Highly recommend, I'll definitely be taking my computers back to them if I need help in the future! read more

Home Town Tech is the best!!! Nick knows everything about computer repair and more!! If there is something he doesn't know, he will research until he figures out how to do whatever needs to be done! I can not recommend this place enough!! read more

Outstanding help and service, including follow up calls within the 30-day guarantee timeframe. All employees shared their expertise and advice when asked, and did not try to oversell or include additional unnecessary items. Would definitely recommend and will use them again. read more

The staff at Solid Systems was very friendly and has helped me with all computer issues I've had. They're quick to respond which is a big plus when you're stuck with a slow computer or one that's not working the way its supposed to. They've also been able to help me with other things such as installing a wireless router -- it's very helpful having someone to do that for me rather than having to figure it out on my own. I would definitely recommend the company to anyone with a computer problem -- big or small. read more

I am giving this business one star because that is about all they deserve. I brought in my laptop to get looked at a few years back they informed me that it would cost more for me to fix my laptop than replace it so that is why I think they deserve at least a star, for their honesty. Now the problem lies with the fact that I have finally got around to pulling my old hard drives out the computer I took to them. I figured with a place that has this high of remarks that I could trust them to do great work, but I found the exact opposite. When I removed my old hard drives from my computer I found a name taped to the outside, I thought that this was the person that worked on my computer but I was wrong. I found that the hard drive they put into my computer belonged to someone else. I then gave them the benefit of the doubt and thought it could possibly be a test drive, but that was also incorrect. They put someone elses hard drive into my computer and now I am worried that the other person has my hard drive in theirs. The most upsetting part about this is the fact that I had very important pictures on that computer that meant a lot to me and the fact that there could be sensitive information still on my hard drive that could include everything including tax information and even my SSN. So moral of this review make sure you look to see if what you receive back from them is the same as what you take them or you might have the same fears as I do. read more

Very professional!!! Everyone was easy to talk to, and up front about costs. I appreciated that Nick and Erica stayed a little longer in a snow storm so I could pick my computer up. A great company that is so much better than any of the name brand companies out there!!!! read more

My business was in a major jam when our server went down during our busy time of the day. Mike quickly picked the server from our store and brought it to their location. Within a couple of hours, Mike delivered the working server. He had quickly rebuilt the server by using parts from one of our other workstations. Because of HomeTown Tech, what would have been a major catastrophe turned out to be far more manageable. The staff was very helpful and friendly and their prices are very reasonable. Looking forward to working with them in the future. read more

Nick was extremely helpful and pleasant to work with in getting our home computers up to speed. He is professional, efficient and a whiz as far as knowing his stuff! All around an excellent business experience. read more

While visiting Ames for business, I found I had left my laptop charger in Michigan. Nick came to the rescue! Nick was gracious enough to get my computer charged up and ready to go for my meetings. I am extremely grateful for his assistance...it is much appreciated. He could have easily tried to sell me an expensive charger I didn't need or send me on my way, but he didn't hesitate to help out. Thank you... read more