Smart Computer Service gave me two quotes, first, $70, then a $35 minimum for any work. I had asked about removing a hard drive from a desktop. I had myself tried and failed (unaware it was a different part I had struggled to remove). I asked how long the task might take. Smart Computer Service said it could take an hour. They said they did not know how many screws there might be or they might have to open the computer from the front. It's been said there is one born every minute. A sucker, in other words. Maybe that is what the "smart" means in the name of this business: taking advantage of people with limited knowledge. Another shop I called said they would probably do it for free. In LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES the guy had removed the hard drive. I offered payment for his trouble, which he adamantly refused. Again, the task took LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES. read more

I've had Roger help me with my computer a few times and he's saved me from much concern and angst. Not being a technology expert I trust Roger to problem solve and get things back up and running. He makes me feel safe and secure when things come up I've not expected. Roger is honest, reliable and efficient. read more

I was so fortunate that I found Smart Computer Repair. Roger was extremely helpful, patient and knowledgeable. I had a back injury and he was kind enough to help me carry my printer. He went above and beyond the call of duty. I had some follow up issues, and he was kind enough to help with that as well. I highly recommend Roger. He's the best. read more

I was in a complete panic when I idiotically dropped my net book on the concrete at the BART station 2 weeks ago. It immediately started making a horrifying clicking sound, the screen went blank and it began giving me mystifying messages. Let's just say I am not the most computer savvy, so I had no idea what to do. I started maniacally trying to find someone local to help me (thank you, James D. for your review which led me to Roger!). I spoke to Roger who immediately put me at ease. He told me to bring it in, he would diagnose it and call me right away with a quote. I was so worked up that I was not super friendly (sorry, Roger!), but he was not thrown and I brought my computer right in. Long story short, I wasn't able to save my hard drive (unless I wanted to bring it to a special lab and spend $1,500 or more to retrieve cute emails from my boyfriend and photos of my cats - not), but Roger replaced my hard-drive, increased my memory and installed Windows XP for me for an extremely reasonable $180. He did it within one day, and also was helpful in explaining everything to me that was beyond my understanding. Thanks, Roger, for saving my computer and putting my mind at ease! read more

I use my 5 yr old laptop every day for a new job, and I noticed the start up was taking a long time and then one day I just got the blue screen. I couldn't take it back to Fry's in Palo Alto over the weekend, but this location was closer to my home so I called him. Roger stated reasonable hourly rates and the last thing I wanted to do was spend $300 just to be told I needed to buy a new computer. In one day, Roger diagnosed and treated my problem (a hard drive that was too full, transferred all the stuff from my old hard drive to a bigger, newer hard drive) without losing any programs or data, and my old computer is running again super fast! He did it for less than $300, which saved me tons of headaches with data recovery and additional time and expense. Roger is truly a gem!! So glad he's here!! Thank you so much Roger! read more

I have a Dell laptop that has a keyboard and touchscreen. The keyboard mysteriously stopped working one day so I went to Smart Computer Service. I went to see Roger and he told me to go buy a wireless keyboard to fix the issue. That was not something I wanted to carry around with me. So eventually he fixed it and charged me $60. Two hours later the same problem returned. I ended up tinkering with it myself and it seemed to be ok. Abiut a month later the same problem returned. I called again and they wanted to charge me again to diagnose the problem for something they had already looked at. The person on the phone said they have a 30 day guarantee policy. I have been to other repair places where they fix it the first time and take better care of you so I am never going back here again. I would go elsewhere and save yourself the hassle of having to beg them to fix it only to have them do a lame job. read more

I took my computer to Roger for a broken laptop screen - I called at least 3-4 other vendors in San Francisco and he was the only one to quickly and helpfully respond. He was very responsive every time I called, and I really appreciated this. I took my computer in and he gave me a rough quote of timeline and pricing based on my rough estimate of the issue (we weren't quite sure what happened). My laptop was quickly fixed, two days earlier than he estimated. Although the repair was more intensive than we originally thought, he worked with me on the price. He also noted that my in-computer camera was broken, but mentioned that this could be fixed later if I wanted (instead of just fixing it and charging me more money - that repair alone would have been very costly!) I appreciated him keeping me in the loop on the repair and sticking close to his original estimate. Very good service because of this. I recommend him and will be returning if I have further issues. read more

It's a terrible experience, he quote the price at first, and didn't repair my computer well after I have given him the whole repaired fee. I wasted time and money going there many times, but he insisted me paying extra money to buy another used hardware. My computer still can't work well now even after his advices, I hate to pay full money for a still broken computer and have to buy a new one. read more

Dont know if thats standard now, but I was taken aback from the $150 quote for assessment / repair of my desktop that's not starting. Wish he would spend 10 minutes to open it first and tell me what's wrong before quoting - I wasn't willing to spend more than $60-80 on the repair. Didn't end up using the service. read more

My laptop died and Roger diagnosed it immediately as a mechanical problem with the hard drive. He put it in a new 80G hard drive and had my laptop ready in 24 hours. He also reinstalled my Windows XP operating system, MS office and some other software. Now my computer is running faster than ever. Total cost $150. I definitely recommend. read more

Rodger, who was working with me on my domain was unprofessional. Kept hanging up on me multiple times when I needed help with transferring with my webmaster and DNS. He was horrible. May have to get a new domain. read more

I give Roger @Smart Computer Service a 5 star because I'm so afraid of being ripped off with computer repairs, and really depend on honesty when looking for a repair person/shop. Roger was extremely nice, helpful and, I think, fair. I felt confident leaving my computer in his hands and was confident with his approach in remedying the problem. Pricing quoted was exactly the same when I picked my computer up - no "well, I had to do this...blah, blah, blah, so your price was more than I quoted". THAT is a big deal to me. No surprises, just great customer and repair service. When leaving, Roger told me that, should I experience any problems following the repair, to give him a call. I would definitely recommend Smart Computer Service for anyone needing their computer repaired. Now, mind you, I've just picked up my computer and have yet to experience any problems. Should there be anything of concern I will most definitely write a review; however, I don't anticipate anything 'negative'. read more

Really nice and communicative. Roger knows a lot about computers and was really quick to diagnose what was wrong. Fixed my computer immediately at a very fair price. Definitely recommend. read more

Roger is excellent and super efficient! I've been using him for over 6 years.

I've been going to Roger for years. The Best! He solved all my problem quickly, professionally, and at a reasonable price.

Customer beware! Customers should ask for billing charges in writing before service begins. I was told the labor charge would be $95/hr. The technician took 1.5 hrs and charged for 2 hrs, informing me after the service that he counts a partial hour as a whole hour. Also, he installed increased memory and optical mouse without informing me of the charges in advance. I feel taken advantage of &I regret not asking. He had an honest face. He would not negotiate the fee when I objected. read more

I broke the H key off my laptop while trying to fix it. I brought it in with no appointment and the guy fixed it right there for $10. But call in advance because they aren't always in, I just got lucky. read more

I called ahead to have a loose DC socket repaired. Roger asked me to call when I would be in route, so someone would be there to greet me or my representative. Roger quoted the price before beginning the work. After the work was done, my "rep" forgot to get a receipt. A couple of days after the repair, my laptop died again. Without requiring a receipt, Roger re-checked his work. He found that the adapter needed to be slightly more powerful than manufacturer's recommendation (it is an old laptop.) My rep purchased a more powerful adapter, and Roger wrote a receipt for the adapter and for the original work. To me, this is a sign of an ethical, quality-oriented business. I will have no hesitation in referring to this service in the future. read more