Organize-It

 

1

6

Elizabeth J.

Boston, MA

Recently my computer; which I affectionately call Jude had been slow to start up.  It got progressively worse over the next few days.  I had been to Tom at Organize-it before when I spilled pepsi on my key board, so for this problem I knew just who to go to.  
Tom told me that my slow to boot issue is a sign of  a hard drive failure to come so I upgraded my hard drive and got a data transfer onto an external hard drive all for $200.  That may seem like a lot, but A its cheaper than buying a new  computer which is what the talking heads at the genius bar want you to do and B my computer is my everything.
Tom is really awesome, not only does he take care of all of us Mac folks he also is super smart in current affairs and history and civics related things.   If Tom ever left Boston or stopped repairing macs...well don't even want to think about that.

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5

11

Ryanne B.

Boston, MA

So, I came home last Tuesday to my roommate saying "I have bad news". Her cat, upon being excited that she was home to feed him, decided to run around and proceeded to knock over a precariously perched glass of water ALL over my precious less-than-a-year-old Macbook Pro... all over the keyboard...while it was on...and I wasn't home.

Short and sweet: Took it to the Apple Store at Cambridgeside.. they opened it up. $1200 to fix it because the Logic board was corroded and completely F'd. $1200!!! That's like a whole new computer!

My dad actually recommended Tom at Organize-it because he is a Mac Addict (you need two ipods, Dad, really?) I called and got a price quote right over the phone $710 including parts and labor. Brought it in on a Weds, it was ready by Friday afternoon!

Tom is a great guy and if you passionately love your computer, so will he. He knows his stuff and has been in the business of repairing Macs for a while. He'll listen to you bitch and moan if you listen to him. AND if you're lucky and charming, he'll give you a t-shirt!

Thanks Tom, you're the man.

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Elite '08

102

111

Beth E.

Medford, MA

April 2007: I buy myself a birthday present, my beloved Macbook Pro.

October 2007: The speakers cease to function. No ding on startup. No music from iTunes. Even the headphone jack wasn't working. No sound at all. Sad Beth.

November 2007: Party at Super N.E.S.T - separate recommendations to go to Organize-It from both Tarah and Ligaya. It was kind of like Monopoly, but in reverse. Do not go to the Apple store, go directly to Tom at Organize-It. In Monopoly terms, leave jail immediately, and go collect $200.

January 2008: I finally get around to taking my computer to Organize-It.

From the website, it looked like appointments weren't necessary. Little did I know that they had been closed the week before for vacation. I walk in on a Monday afternoon, and though Tom seemed really busy, and a bit frazzled, he took the time to get my info and take my Macbook into his possession. He warned me that since they were so busy, it might take longer than usual to get it back, he quoted 5-7 days, but hoped he'd have it back to be before the end of the week. I had momentary disconnection panic, but figured I could always use the PC desktop that really just collects dust in my office. I leave, and go back to work.

The next morning, there's a message on my cell from Organize-It, asking me to give them a call about my computer. I call back, hoping it's not bad news. Quite the contrary, the call was to tell me that my computer was fixed, and I could come pick it up whenever. Big smiles. Especially since my computer is still under warranty.

The place itself is small. There's only a small space in which to stand, as there are file cabinets and boxes stacked creating a wall between the door and the rest of the place, leaving only a small counter. If there's someone in there, you wait in the little space between the 2 doors until they're finished. Luckily they have all sorts of articles and thank you letters posted all over so there's stuff to read while you wait.

For all you mac owners, Tom thinks the AppleCare is a must. He says it's going to break sometime, the only question is when, and how bad. Had I not still been under warranty, this repair would have cost me about $350. They can hook you up there, and they'll even give you a call just before your warranty runs out to remind you to get the AppleCare if you want to get those xmas gifts paid off before putting the money down for AppleCare.

Next time I have a problem, I'll be taking my baby straight to Tom, though I'll probably call for an appointment first.

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Elite '08

78

115

Damon I.

Boston, MA

Dropped my MAC on it's noggin.  No amount of titanium finish could save the superdrive or rescue my Larry David DVD contained within.  Distinguishing marks of abuse on the exterior meant that this wasn't going to be accepted as warranty work ):

Organize-It seemed a little strange at first.  I rang a bell to gain entry to the tiny space filled floor to ceiling with dangerously teetering piles of boxes and mac products.  Possibly the most fervent MAC enthusiast I've met yet, owner, Tom, lovingly caressed my Macbook like it was his own and explained that everything would be good as new soon enough.  The following day, the work was done, and Tom even banged out a few dents in the case, all for a price significantly lower than the vertical monopoly store would have charged.

Since Macbook hard drives are inevitably due for failure, I'll surely be making another visit to Organize-It soon.

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4

13

Anthony L.

Cambridge, MA

I have to start with the bad:  this place has a miserable location for me, and there is NOTHING near it where you might park yourself if a repair is going to be super quick for them to do.

The good:  they do expert work at a blinding speed -- this is what creates the desire to have a comfortable coffee shop nearby.  I have been there twice and the most recent time I should have simply cooled my heels for 45 minutes, as by the time I emerged from the T in Harvard Square, I had a voicemail telling me if I were nearby I could pick up my machine, as it was ready.

If you have the time, sure it is fun to soak up the Feng Shui of the Genius Bar and let them ship your rig to Apple for repair (sometimes they are prompt, too).  But if you don't mind standing in an area about the size of a phonebooth as you drop off your hardware, you know that you'll be getting a fair shake from people who can tell you quite plainly how long something is going to take.

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4

5

Gregory S.

Boston, MA

Unfortunately and sadly call me naive, I decided to go to Organize-It out of convenience. The unscrupulous owner / technician is knowledgeable about Apple computers, but I must say, after the fact, I got ripped off at $874 after receiving a lot of double talk from the assistant about the original estimate of $645. Quite frankly, it was a total nightmare! The purpose: I needed to upgrade my RAM, hard drive and needed data transfer to my Apple computer. The job was "almost" done right, however, when booting up my computer the start up disk settings were all screwed up - I was a bit confused but THANKS to the Computer Loft in Allston, they assisted me over the phone and corrected the problem; Organize-It was too busy to assist me. Also, the print setting were all screwed up when I got it back, Organize-It had the AUDACITY to quote me an additional $150 to correct the problem!!! I don't mind paying out hard earned money for services rendered; however, compared to the over the phone estimates of the Computer Loft in Allston, MA., I would have paid significantly less at $580 for the same parts and labor - approximately $300 LESS! Quite frankly, it just takes about a minute to place RAM Random Access Memory into a computer, and it is equally easy to replace a hard drive. My advice, shop around and get estimates before getting any kind of computer upgrades. But please avoid Organize-It at all cost!!! I know I won't get any money back from them, but this is sweet revenge!!! Oh, and if you do happen to bring your computer to Organize-It, they have a $175 estimate / diagnostic fee.  Watch out for his slippery assistant.

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Elite '08

1705

650

Ligaya T.

Cambridge, MA

This place has got character. Owner, Tom Roberts is a pretty cool guy. He makes you wait in the vestibule while meeting with other clients as the 'shop' is one room cluttered with parts, every surface covered with laptops with various movies running on them. The walls are plastered with old articles dissing PCs and espousing the benefits of Macs. There's even an article about a Dell spontaneously combusting in Japan. Tom is the 3-D version of the space: eccentric, enthusiastic and knowledgable.

He hooked me up. And his data recovery runs half to a third of the price of other Mac authorized places. I heard him trying to sell a lappie to the lady in front of me but it was very good natured. I like him so much I might get him a dustbuster for the holidays.

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Elite '08

30

150

Sean E.

Somerville, MA

I still don't know exactly what happened.  Basically one day my computer decided it wasn't going to turn on anymore.  Like it simply passed away in it's sleep.  Which is kind of the truth since I may have unplugged it while it was in "sleep" mode.  I didn't think my G4 Power Mac Tower was that old -- but I guess that was enough to kill it because there wasn't the faintest sign of life in all my attempts at resuscitation.  I started to get this creeping realization that 95% of my music collection had suddenly vanished from existence.  Woe was me.

But not for long.  After a short search -- thanks Yelp! -- the answer seemed to present itself: Organize-It.  What kind of sounds like a container store is actually a service station for all things Apple/Mac related.  A quick phone call gave a diagnosis of power supply something or other and a very reasonable price to fix the problem.

Tom, the owner, didn't even mind much when I had to leave the computer with him for an extended period and he even upgraded my computer a bit here and there at no extra cost.  Highest recommendation.

(As an added bonus you can celebrate your computer's renewed lease on life with good beer and food at The Squealing Pig right next door.  But that's another review for another day.)

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Elite '08

111

123

Tarah H.

Boston, MA

Organize-It saved my life.

I'm a proud Mac owner. I don't know how I ever survived while using PCs. When applying for a job, my Powerbook G4 died. I waited over 2 hours at the Cambridgeside Mac store to speak with a genius. Their diagnosis: It's probably your hard drive. Their recommendation: Go to Organize-It.

The shop is anything but organized. Be sure you don't judge this book by its cover. The prices are reasonable to amazing and the staff generally friendly, knowledgeable and honest. Great turn around time.

My hard drive had indeed gone. I went in on a Tuesday afternoon. I was told that they would have an idea as to the damage and possibility of a data recovery (at a fraction of the cost of those ship-your-hardware-out-and-pray places!) by Thursday. Surely they meant next Thursday. The following afternoon, I received a call. My computer could be saved! Did I want them to do the recovery? Of course the answer was yes! My computer, if I wanted to get it, would be ready that afternoon! Next day service! Craziness! I had dinner plans that night, so opted to pick it up the next day.

I've had no problems with my lovely computer since. (knock on wood)

It should be known, though, that Tom can sometimes have a limited amount of patience with customers. I didn't experience this personally, but I've known it to happen (I ended up working there for a stint while searching for my "grown-up job" ...another way Organize-It saved my life!) Sorry, Tom, minus one star.

Basically: This place is amazing. They're certified! (won't mess with your warranty) Don't go to the Mac store, go straight here. They know their stuff!!

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Elite '08

13

164

Bill K.

New York, NY

This is the only place to go to get service on your Mac.  I checked Apple's list of vendors in the area and frankly, some of them were completely clueless. Scary.

I needed to upgrade the hardware and software of a Power Mac and the folk at Organize-It immediately understood what I wanted.  Not only do they have deep technical knowledge, but they practically bleed passion for Apple/Macs.  

They were extremely helpful and reasonable as I tried to decide what I would upgrade immediately vs. what could be done later.  The final product is a huge improvement and well worth the money.  I would recommend them without hesitation.

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