You may remember a few years back here in Indy when Computer Renaissance seemed set to be a…read moremini-chain of computer repair and sales stores. Somewhere along the way, certain folks involved in the project parted ways with a Castleton location becoming what I believe is now called Computer Express and this location on Pendleton Pike laying claim to the actual Computer Renaissance name.
I'd had a not terrific experience with the Castleton location and also with another small computer store in the Castleton area, so the first time I popped into this store 3-4 years ago I was more than a little hesitant. I was preparing to head out on the road and would be traveling a couple hundred miles by wheelchair. I wanted a laptop that would endure and allow me to stay in touch with folks while on the road.
Even though it was only a few days before I left, the folks at Computer Renaissance hooked me up with a fairly priced used Dell laptop along with a wireless adapter. They gave me a great deal on a computer that lasted for quite awhile. They answered all my questions and got me all set up for the road.
Early this morning, my monitor died and I was in the middle of a pretty important project. So, I headed back to Computer Renaissance to see what kind of a deal I could find on a new or used monitor.
Computer Renaissance is located in Sunnyside Shoppes in one of several strip centers in the area. It's easily visible from Pendleton Pike an even has an accessible parking spot with a ramp right in front of it. You go into their double doors and there's a service counter to the left and a showroom with mostly used models on the floor along with all the usual ancillary supplies one usually finds in a computer store including monitors, keyboards, motherboards, etc. Computer Renaissance carries desktops, laptops, notebooks, etc. They do computer repair in store or they will do housecalls ($50 for a service call, $85 for the first hour).
HP, Dell and Lenovo Business-Grade laptops start at $199 (Lenovo actually starts at $149). The have Windows 10 Pro Desktops starting at $399 and Windows 10 Pro Business-Grade Desktops starting at $199. I saw an IMac 2 for right around $349 tonight (I was way tempted) and I can easily say they have something to fit just about any budget. You always want to check their website as they're usually running specials and sometimes you need to mention it to get it (for example, they have a winter special - 15% of all used desktops, 10% off all used laptops, but you have to mention the special.
While the monitor that died on me was an HD monitor, I wasn't necessarily concerned about buying another one right away. They had a couple of brand new, in the box HD monitors. I've noticed that their new products do tend to run at market rates. Instead, I opted to look for a wider-screen monitor. Tonight, the widest they had was 20" - they had two ready to go and I found one that seemed perfect. It ran $59 plus tax. Most of their used monitors are rated by screen size. The prices, I've found, are fair but also reflect the fact that they do serious quality control on their merchandise. I trust these guys to not sell me junk. So far, I've not been disappointed.
They added in the cables I'd need, which I think is pretty good since we're talking about used products here. One of the employees even carried it to the car for me. They take cash and credit (with ID - and they do ask for it). They do not take checks.
If you're on a budget or in a time crunch, Computer Renaissance does quality work at fair prices for both selling of equipment and computer repair. While I've not had a computer repaired there, a friend has and her experience was similar to mine. They're always friendly, willing to answer questions, can typically handle rush repairs and don't try to upsell just to make a bigger profit. I'm happy and I'll definitely keep going back.
