CFOG's PIP, March 1988, Volume 7 No. 2, Whole No. 64, page 22
Osborne Service
by Benjamin H. Cohen
A number of Osborne owners have inquired about availability of service since Mark Witt left the Chicago area. I have advised them that Xerox AmeriCare and Sears Business Systems provide service. I've asked them to give me feedback. I regret that I haven't had much, though a few said they were satisfied with the service they got and I've heard no complaints.
I have received a phone call from Heng Chuuy, whom some of you will remember worked for Mark Witt. Heng is now doing Osborne repairs out of his home in Joliet, on weekends. You'll have to bring the machine down there and usually have to pick it up later. Many problems require the running of diagnostics and that takes time. Heng doesn't have a lot of parts in stock, so you may have to wait while he orders them. I think you can rest assured that he will be reasonable and competitive. Heng's phone number is 815--439-1040 (days).
Xerox AmeriCare has downtown and suburban locations. Service is $60 per hour with a $60 minimum, plus parts. They say parts are "reasonably priced". They ought to be: they got them cheap. They also say they are rebuilding boaruls, so the supply of parts ought to last indefinitely. I'm not sure what they'll do when the supply of keyboards runs out, but keyboards seem to be fairly plentiful [Mark Witt recently sold 900 keyboards to Worswick Industries for $9.00 each.]
Xerox will put your machine on an annual maintenance agreement for $140 if you bring the machine in and pick it up. For $175 per year they will arrange for pick-up and delivery of the machine. In order to get your machine on annual contract you have to have it inspected. Any repairs would have to be paid for. You then get a 10% discount on the annual agreement if you sign up within 60 days. For time and materials service you can have the machine picked up and delivered. The rate varies. I asked them to quotet on a pick-up at my office at Xerox Centre, downtown, about a mile from the downtown service center. Two months later I haven't been called back with that information. Of course I was talking to the Lombard office and they may not be interested in helping the Chicago office get business. Xerox is at 165 North Canal, Chicago [559-9440]; 436A Eisenhower Lane, Lombard [953--1113]; and 2216 Landmeier Road, Elk Grove Village [437-3180].
Sears Business Systems Service Center is in Melrose Park [865-4412]. They do on-site service. The "trip charge" is $33.95. Service is additional: $75 per hour, plus parts. You can drop off the machine at the Villa Park or Sears Tower Sears Business Systems stores, and pick them up there, but not at Melrose Park. When I inquired about maintenance agreements, they told me that they are currently servicing only machines that they sold. I believe that applies only to maintenance agreements.
A new guy in business for himself is Martin E. Riiel, 15 W. Hubbard. He works mostly on MS-DOS systems, but fixed the serial port on Jon Shimberg's Kaypro 10. He has worked on Osbornes as well, but has no stock of parts. Riiel has been in the computer service business for 11 years and is only recently in business for himself. He works out of an office on the near North side and normally calls on customers in the Loop and North-Northwest areas. Price is $60 an hour with a one-hour minimum. Riiel's telephone number is 923-0926.