Richmond, Va. — Circuit City is offering customers free PC checkups at its retail stores now through Aug. 26 as part of its back-to-school marketing activities.
The service, valued at $40, will be performed on desktop and notebook PCs regardless of where they were purchased. The checkup includes virus and spyware scans, removal of temporary files, checks of hard drive capacity and system memory usage and efficiency, and removal of dust and debris. Customers will also receive a written report identifying any problems and outlining solutions.
In addition, Circuit City is offering students and teachers with valid IDs a 50 percent discount on any single PC service purchased during the promotional period.
The No. 2 CE specialty chain has also released the results of a national survey of 2,300 colleges which showed that 72 percent of students “cannot live without” a computer, and an equal number would choose a notebook over a desktop.
Among other findings:
·60 percent of colleges either require or recommend computers for their students;
·53 percent of college students “cannot live without” a cellular phone; and
·21 percent of college students “cannot live without” a TV
Circuit City’s in-store PC assortment includes more than 20 desktop models and nearly three dozen notebook models, with price points starting at $300 for the former and $480 for the latter. The company maintains an even wider PC assortment online.
