Team Members
These are members of my team. Please click on a name to read about my colleagues.
Patrick Cranston
Patrick is my close colleague and long time friend. He has over 15 years of Macintosh support and database development experience. His clients include The Rolling Stones, the National Hockey League, World Wrestling Entertainment, Robert Morris University, United States Steel, Patete Kitchen & Bath Design Center and GreenApple Barter to name a few.
Patrick is masterful at database development in FileMaker. He has designed numerous databases for small and medium sized businesses. Patrick has designed databases for CRM, Project Management, Scheduling and a wide variety of other business needs. He also works with companies looking to incorporate their databases into their website for access over the web.
For companies looking to switch from PCs to Macs, Cranston Consulting provides project planning and management second to none. They will assess your needs, develop a roadmap and manage your project to make your switch a success.
Patrick and I work together and communicate daily, as we team up with Charles Firth on several larger projects.
He is a patient listener, Apple Certified Technician and a calm professional. He is a certified member of the Apple Consultants Network in addition to all his Apple hardware repair certifications. I am proud to refer to Patrick as my colleague.
Cranston IT - 888-813-5558 - http://www.cranstonit.com
Patrick is my close colleague and long time friend. He has over 15 years of Macintosh support and database development experience. His clients include The Rolling Stones, the National Hockey League, World Wrestling Entertainment, Robert Morris University, United States Steel, Patete Kitchen & Bath Design Center and GreenApple Barter to name a few.
Patrick is masterful at database development in FileMaker. He has designed numerous databases for small and medium sized businesses. Patrick has designed databases for CRM, Project Management, Scheduling and a wide variety of other business needs. He also works with companies looking to incorporate their databases into their website for access over the web.
For companies looking to switch from PCs to Macs, Cranston Consulting provides project planning and management second to none. They will assess your needs, develop a roadmap and manage your project to make your switch a success.
Patrick and I work together and communicate daily, as we team up with Charles Firth on several larger projects.
He is a patient listener, Apple Certified Technician and a calm professional. He is a certified member of the Apple Consultants Network in addition to all his Apple hardware repair certifications. I am proud to refer to Patrick as my colleague.
Cranston IT - 888-813-5558 - http://www.cranstonit.com
Bob Donaldson
Bob is a professional photographer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That's his full-time day job. When he's not out taking creative photos of our great city, or with his family, you can undoubtedly find him repairing old computers with our Apple Recycling Team.
His skilled work with older computers led him into a part-time career of fixing all Macs in Pittsburgh area as the common resource for hardware and software for all Apples running Mac OS 9 or earlier versions of OS 8, System 7 and even as far back System 6.0.3... Bob is our team's "Classic Mac Consultant" and loves the challenge.
Some more history:
Since 1997 Bob has been a faithful member of the North Pittsburgh Macintosh Users Group and shown his knack for fixing older Apple equipment.
We began our donation program informally at the Pleasant Valley Shelter for Men, on Brighton Road, in the North Shore of Pittsburgh in 2001-2002 with some limited success. We got a handful of computers fixed for the men to take home after their short stays looking for food, warmth and social support. The program worked for a while but was tough to manage. We got about 12 machines repaired and successfully distributed to the men and their families. It was more of a individual effort from a few friends.
At an NPMUG meeting in 2003 Bob and others at the NPMUG helped rekindle the idea of having a systematic and well staffed program of collecting old computers and saving them from their dumpster destinations. With Bob's help we landed the donation program at the Lighthouse Christian Foundation on Route 8 North in Butler in 2003. Bob was a key figure in organizing a team to make this larger initiative grow. Within four months we fixed 71 computer systems and had the results recorded in a FileMaker database.
Great success at the Lighthouse led to outgrowing the limited space... so Bob and I migrated the entire project to Ambridge, PA in 2004-2005. And now over the span of 2005 and into 2006 Bob has taken on a leading role in that community service program... spending several hours a week volunteering his time at the center. Our total donations were over 350 at the end of 2005. Bob helped me rewire the Center for Hope with CAT5e wire in October 2005. By late March 2007 we had taken over 50% of The Center for Hope for dedicated computer donations and training.
In March of 2007 we found our computer project out of room to grow in Ambridge, PA. We moved our entire operation to Goodwill's CRC (Computer Recycling Center) in Lawrenceville and became a partner in recycling with Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh.
Fast forward to April 2008 and you find Bob the leader of our large all-volunteer recycling team at Goodwill with 1,162 computers credited as fixed by our team.
Bob is a true friend and reliable, unselfish, dedicated colleague in this non-profit project to get used computers into the hands of appreciative families. And consequently has grown into the role of "the guy that fixes all the old Macs..."
Bob Donaldson Consulting - 412-477-9188
Apple Recycling Team, Pittsburgh
Bob is a professional photographer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That's his full-time day job. When he's not out taking creative photos of our great city, or with his family, you can undoubtedly find him repairing old computers with our Apple Recycling Team.
His skilled work with older computers led him into a part-time career of fixing all Macs in Pittsburgh area as the common resource for hardware and software for all Apples running Mac OS 9 or earlier versions of OS 8, System 7 and even as far back System 6.0.3... Bob is our team's "Classic Mac Consultant" and loves the challenge.
Some more history:
Since 1997 Bob has been a faithful member of the North Pittsburgh Macintosh Users Group and shown his knack for fixing older Apple equipment.
We began our donation program informally at the Pleasant Valley Shelter for Men, on Brighton Road, in the North Shore of Pittsburgh in 2001-2002 with some limited success. We got a handful of computers fixed for the men to take home after their short stays looking for food, warmth and social support. The program worked for a while but was tough to manage. We got about 12 machines repaired and successfully distributed to the men and their families. It was more of a individual effort from a few friends.
At an NPMUG meeting in 2003 Bob and others at the NPMUG helped rekindle the idea of having a systematic and well staffed program of collecting old computers and saving them from their dumpster destinations. With Bob's help we landed the donation program at the Lighthouse Christian Foundation on Route 8 North in Butler in 2003. Bob was a key figure in organizing a team to make this larger initiative grow. Within four months we fixed 71 computer systems and had the results recorded in a FileMaker database.
Great success at the Lighthouse led to outgrowing the limited space... so Bob and I migrated the entire project to Ambridge, PA in 2004-2005. And now over the span of 2005 and into 2006 Bob has taken on a leading role in that community service program... spending several hours a week volunteering his time at the center. Our total donations were over 350 at the end of 2005. Bob helped me rewire the Center for Hope with CAT5e wire in October 2005. By late March 2007 we had taken over 50% of The Center for Hope for dedicated computer donations and training.
In March of 2007 we found our computer project out of room to grow in Ambridge, PA. We moved our entire operation to Goodwill's CRC (Computer Recycling Center) in Lawrenceville and became a partner in recycling with Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh.
Fast forward to April 2008 and you find Bob the leader of our large all-volunteer recycling team at Goodwill with 1,162 computers credited as fixed by our team.
Bob is a true friend and reliable, unselfish, dedicated colleague in this non-profit project to get used computers into the hands of appreciative families. And consequently has grown into the role of "the guy that fixes all the old Macs..."
Bob Donaldson Consulting - 412-477-9188
Apple Recycling Team, Pittsburgh
Charles Firth
Charles is the first person I turn to for server work on Macs. But his expertise reaches far beyond just Macs... his first choice of computers. As an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator in the Apple Consultants Network, he works with our Pittsburgh area team in tackling virtually any level of Apple network issue.
He has solved some of the toughest Mac - Windows - Unix server challenges we have brought him. Coming off a successful tour of duty at a Pittsburgh IT company, he brings over 14 years of hands-on server design, install and maintenance with him.
He is thorough, methodical, and a great listener/teacher with my clients. His ability to convey networking concepts to school districts, small businesses and corporate IT teams makes him a valuable and reliable extension of my business.
We work on projects together as a network and user support team often... he will tackle all the server and high-end IT support with the System Administrators while I support and teach the users... at several sites like highs schools, colleges and businesses... small business and corporate settings.
I would not hesitate to refer him to anyone needing Apple network or cross-platform server support.
Firth Consulting - 412-427-5903 - http://www.firthconsulting.com
Charles is the first person I turn to for server work on Macs. But his expertise reaches far beyond just Macs... his first choice of computers. As an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator in the Apple Consultants Network, he works with our Pittsburgh area team in tackling virtually any level of Apple network issue.
He has solved some of the toughest Mac - Windows - Unix server challenges we have brought him. Coming off a successful tour of duty at a Pittsburgh IT company, he brings over 14 years of hands-on server design, install and maintenance with him.
He is thorough, methodical, and a great listener/teacher with my clients. His ability to convey networking concepts to school districts, small businesses and corporate IT teams makes him a valuable and reliable extension of my business.
We work on projects together as a network and user support team often... he will tackle all the server and high-end IT support with the System Administrators while I support and teach the users... at several sites like highs schools, colleges and businesses... small business and corporate settings.
I would not hesitate to refer him to anyone needing Apple network or cross-platform server support.
Firth Consulting - 412-427-5903 - http://www.firthconsulting.com
Ken Ubrey
Ken is the best wiring expert in Pittsburgh. He can look at your building, listen to your needs and map out the best route for the data and phone wires in any building... old or new. Ken has the certifications and tools to fix just about anything Apple related. He is a careful, precise, clean and considerate contractor.
He can find the very best way to tunnel wires through tight spots and leave your office or home or school looking great. When I need help with infrastructure planning and wiring Ken is the first person I call. He also has a long history with Apple as the lead technician at the Pittsburgh Computer Store... where we first met in 1990... and later as the co-founder of MacOutfitters of Cranberry with me. He designed the network for the store, installed it with me and then hired and managed the computer service department at this popular Apple reseller for the first year in 1999 - 2000.
Ken now focuses primarily on his wiring business and is sought by many professional phone and IT companies for his talents.
Mac Support of Pittsburgh - 412-299-0119 - PDF Brochure
Ken is the best wiring expert in Pittsburgh. He can look at your building, listen to your needs and map out the best route for the data and phone wires in any building... old or new. Ken has the certifications and tools to fix just about anything Apple related. He is a careful, precise, clean and considerate contractor.
He can find the very best way to tunnel wires through tight spots and leave your office or home or school looking great. When I need help with infrastructure planning and wiring Ken is the first person I call. He also has a long history with Apple as the lead technician at the Pittsburgh Computer Store... where we first met in 1990... and later as the co-founder of MacOutfitters of Cranberry with me. He designed the network for the store, installed it with me and then hired and managed the computer service department at this popular Apple reseller for the first year in 1999 - 2000.
Ken now focuses primarily on his wiring business and is sought by many professional phone and IT companies for his talents.
Mac Support of Pittsburgh - 412-299-0119 - PDF Brochure
Greg Slavik
Greg has been working in the traditional graphics industry since 1975 and in the electronic side since 1986 here in Pittsburgh. He understands all the complexities of Adobe Post Script, fonts, paper, color, old machinery and the growth of the industry.
I call on him to troubleshoot Quark, Macromedia and Adobe products for the professionals I service. He is a good listener, troubleshooter and trainer who has the street sense and great sense of humor that my clients love to hear when they are stuck on a deadline and need the very best to come help them. Since 1990 I've been calling on Greg for expert advice and never hesitate to have him work with my professional publishers, graphic artists, and print professionals.
Graphic Support Services - 412-486-6075 - http://www.graphicsupport.net
Greg has been working in the traditional graphics industry since 1975 and in the electronic side since 1986 here in Pittsburgh. He understands all the complexities of Adobe Post Script, fonts, paper, color, old machinery and the growth of the industry.
I call on him to troubleshoot Quark, Macromedia and Adobe products for the professionals I service. He is a good listener, troubleshooter and trainer who has the street sense and great sense of humor that my clients love to hear when they are stuck on a deadline and need the very best to come help them. Since 1990 I've been calling on Greg for expert advice and never hesitate to have him work with my professional publishers, graphic artists, and print professionals.
Graphic Support Services - 412-486-6075 - http://www.graphicsupport.net