Tech Store offers warranty support

The Hopkins Technology Store, located in Krieger 160, now offers Apple and Dell warranty support.

The warranty service, provided through IT@JH Technical Assistance, comes with no additional cost since IT@JH also services other University-owned hardware.

Graham Bouton, the Technical Support Services Manager of the Technology Store, explained that the store acquired the certification requirements necessary to become an authorized warranty provider.

"We have achieved [that certification] through courses that our staff complete as needed," Bouton said.

Officially opened on July 1st 2010, the Technology Store was created as a service to offer on-campus support for computers and to offer Hopkins students assistance in deciding on a laptop to purchase.

It is a Hopkins-run organization operated by Hopkins IT (IT@JH) in the Academic Technology Facilities department of the University.

IT@JH offers online and in-person services in order to help with all types of technological problems – from issues such as JHED and e-mail help to issues with anti-virus software and downloads.

Junior Jenna Paul-Schultz has worked in the store for a week now. She said that before getting her job there, found through a friend, she had never stepped foot inside the store. However, when asked if many students visited the store, the answer was yes.

"Many students come in to buy computers and chargers," Paul-Schultz said. "It's about 60/40 [faculty to students] who come in."

Despite Paul-Schultz's account, many students have never even heard of the store.

"We have a Technology Store?" freshman Julia Oh said.

While that response is typical of a freshman, even juniors who have been on campus since the store's conception had no idea where the store was even located.

"Really? I thought it was in Gilman," junior Marvin Yuen said.

Bouton attributes the lack of awareness of the technology store to its youth.

"Since the store has only been open just over a year, we still have some work to do with raising the awareness about our services," he said.

Bouton also commented on how the store was opened as a service first, not as a traditional retail store only focused on sales.

The other unique aspect of the Technology Store is that it is staffed solely by Hopkins students – an experience unlikely to be found somewhere else on campus.

Bouton hopes that the changing needs of students will be met as the store gains publicity.

"[We will work to] make sure [the Technology Store is] offering the types of services and products that benefit the Hopkins community," Bouton said.

Situated in the middle of the Krieger Computing Lab, the Technology Store is a small room full of Apple and Dell computers, products, and software.

For around seven years before the store opened, there was an initiative called Mobile Computing Program (MCP) that recommended certain systems and computers to incoming students.

Because there was no physical store, all laptop sales were processed online through either Apple or Dell's respective websites.

With the opening of the actual Technology store, incoming students, and their parents, now have the ability to speak one-on-one with a well-qualified employee in helping chose the best-fit computing system.

"We can also offer lower prices in most cases, since we can take advantage of the University's pricing agreements with established vendors," Bouton said.

"And for upperclassmen and graduate students, we offer a convenient location to speak with student sales staff, who also need to be certified for product support/knowledge, regarding laptop and related technology purchases."

Freshman Alice Chen is an international student from Vancouver, Canada. She purchased her MacBook Pro through MCP online before arriving at the Homewood campus.

"It was really easy. They had a clear website and I sent them a quote request, customized the laptop I wanted [in terms of memory and hard drive] and it was shipped to the Technology Store so I could pay for and pick it up on the first day," Chen said.

While Chen felt the service of the Technology Store was very good, the only criticism she had was that the physical store is hard to find because it is so far down into Krieger.