Loved it!\r
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I was a walk-in to this place. Had an old computer i hadn't fixed/used since 2006, and after walking by the place i felt inspired to go in and finally get my old laptop taken care of. Mine was a special case since the damage done to my computer was of a physical nature (my brother dropped it in such a way that the battery couldn't charge. grrrrr.) \r
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Anyway, after explaining to the gentleman there that i had old songs and documents i wanted salvaged, he proposed i save myself trouble and extra $$ by just getting all that info on an external hard drive instead of paying extra to have it shipped out to a repair guy. Although i was willing to pay extra for sentimental reasons (my 1st laptop! that i worked very hard for!) i appreciated that he had my-the customer's-best interest at heart. \r
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My laptop came back earlier than the scheduled date, and a lady called to let me know it'd arrived and allowed me to come after usual business hours. I was really pleased with everything. The lady who called me also happened to be the owner, and she let me check everything then and there to be sure the repair had worked (although there was a workshop going on right behind us). \r
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I love places that are small, where the owner is local and, of all rarities, loves their business enough to still want to work there! I've since moved from nyc to a smaller city, with a calmer, slower pace where people try to get to know each other and do good work for their neighbors, who in turn are understanding if things take a little longer than usual. There isn't that constant energy of MeMeMe! NowNowNow! Such places are common of where i moved to now, but not so much in ny anymore, not even for brooklyn, and believe me, i've seen the change over the past 10 yrs. Microchip Cafe is a survivor of that old-school NY neighborhood feel. Not some recent, sleek and glossy ""local"" transport. \r
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So if you're looking for a place of genuine, laid-back computer nerds ;) who are especially helpful if you know oh so little about computers, then look no further than Microchip Cafe! \r
My only regret is that i can't remember the names of the people who helped me, as it's been 5 months since i moved and was so busy settling into my new home. But i believe it's a testament to them and their professionalism that i made sure to write this review almost half a year later.
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