Red Planet Industries

I’ve been using Red Star and now Red Planet to repair my overtaxed and broken machines for over a decade. Marcus has always provided me with the best in personal service. He has always been up front and frank with issues and problems. I highly recommend him and his shop wherever he may roam.

UPDATE:
5 WEEKS LATER…
I am now having computer issues that are related to the work he performed due to improper installation of software and now I will have to take the computer into the Apple Store and pay them again to get this issue resolved. Note that I have never had any computer issues prior to receiving the work (for an upgrade) from Marcus Smith.
I don’t know folks. I’d watch out for this one and go elsewhere.

Excellent, no fuss, helpful service AND god value for money

Bottom line: These guys DO fix Macs and do a good job, but they did a slow job. They apologized for the turnaround and gave me a really good price on the work. Mac is fine and has been working for a month and that’s all I care about.
People: Ask for Marcus. There are a few other people there that are PC people. Marcus and one Mac tech can fix Macs. He’s smart and honest. I don’t know about the other people so much.
The Work: Solid work. Fixed my power port and didn’t BS me about it needing anything else it didn’t need. Unfortunately with nearly ALL Macs, they had to tear the entire computer apart to fix it, and that took a while. They cleaned the insides too, which were loaded with cat hair, cuticle bits, and other gross things.
The Turnaround: They were slow — nearly two weeks with my machine — which while it takes a while to fix a Mac and order the part, it doesn’t take that long. It was explained to me that their regular tech was hurt and so they didn’t get it done, but I think the other tech that I had been working with dropped the ball and then took a few days off. Marcus picked up the ball and finished it. I can’t say that this is their norm.
The Price: They only charged me for three hours of work when they could have charged for the tear down and rebuild of the entire machine. I was prepared to pay a lot more. It may have been because I had to wait so long. The price was WAAAAAAY less than I would have paid at any other Mac fix shop.

Let’s just clarify one thing, because this shop comes up in a search for Mac Repair or Apple Repair.
This place has NO Mac techs… hasn’t had any for almost half a year, according to the rather humourless woman at the counter ~ who opened the store up 15 minutes late the morning I chose to be there when they note they open ~ and then proceeded to allow me to get a whole 5 minutes into my explanation as to what was going on with my G4 before replying… with no hint of deadpan humor whatsoever… that they don’t have a Mac person there.
It would tend to beg the question as to why she didn’t mention this in the first 20 seconds, as my laptop was placed right there on the counter in front of both of us…
Also…the irony did not escape me that here was a shop rife with «proleteriat» sorta marketing imagery… yet they don’t do Macs…(?)
Not saying they are bad nor good… just, if you are looking for a Mac place, this isn’t it.

I love this place! So helpful, so no-​pressure, and so trying to get the best deal for you. And, incredibly nice! I have had interactions with both Marcus and another guy (sadly I did not get his name) and they were both amazing, friendly, calm, and great to hang out with while I was getting driver updates and such. I TOTALLY recommend them. And, in addition to being so cool, they are very very knowledgeable!

I can only leave 5 stars??? That’s it!!!
So I called 4 computer repair places with great Unilocal reviews and only 1 had gotten back to me, too 3 weeks though.
Then I remembered! 7 – 8 years ago I once again didn’t back up my junk (why does this sound so wrong? note to self, listen to less hip hop) and at the time cried my eyes out until I found Marcus at what was Belmont Computers. Though this time I tried to back it up, I just failed (okay, again, sounds wrong). Prior to that incident, I had a 14 year no crying streak. Whereas everyone else wanted to charge tons of $ with zero guarantees, he recovered ALL my data quickly and for a very fair price.
Fast forward 8 years and I discovered that Belmont Computers was no longer and so via Unilocal (thanks Unilocalers) I found Marcus at Red Star. This time the recovery was trickier. He was able to retrieve everything, including a file that an «expert» told me was completely unrecoverable because it was blank when I opened it even before my computer crashed. Not sure if the other guy didn’t know how, or if he just didn’t want to because that file took longer than everything else combined. Thank god too because that was my «The Office» file, where I have been compiling all the crazy insane-​ness that happens at the loony bin I work at, to sell to «The Office» later. Hey, anythings possible!
Marcus, the owner, is friendly and very skilled. If he couldn’t do something, and that hasn’t come up, I honestly don’t know that anyone can. He doesn’t put you down when if you say «download» when you should have said «install» like one computer guy did a while back hahaha. I was so lucky to have found him again. He saved my computer and my mental health… not once, but twice!
A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Highly recommend this place…
I have to admit… I thought a small computer repair shop sitting behind an internet café in Portland may prove to be a bit of a hostile environment for a relatively computer illiterate individual such as myself.
Turns out, they were really friendly and helpful. And I felt free from judgments. Found the mac computer part I needed without having to visit some big box store. Two thumbs up.

My wife and I took her laptop to Red Star and had it diagnosed and sadly it was pretty much shot. Thankfully, the staff told us outright, giving us a clear understanding of the costs involved and gave us suggestions what to look for in a new laptop and even provided us with an understanding of the benefits between a desktop vs laptop.
All of this without any attempts to sell us anything or push us into a hopeless repair.
Because they were completely honest and thorough in explaining the problem (going so far as to find a similar motherboard for a visual), we were completely impressed with their down-​to-​earth approach.
They’re a small business but well worth taking your computer problems to if you want a straight answer and no B.S.

It’s pretty simple really… I’m not a computer guy. I just want my computer to work and when it doesn’t I want to get it fixed. Red Star is great because I get a major virus about once a year that screws my computer up and then my whole world crashes down around me. I take it to these guys and they fix it all up, add some stuff to make it even stronger and I go on my way. The only reason I didn’t give them 5 stars is because they don’t always call you right away then they are finished with your computer. I usually just stop by the store after a week has passed and they have it ready to go. The people that work there obviously know what they are doing and they don’t make you feel stupid for screwing up your computer. If you have serious virus issues expect to pay over 100 bucks but it’s well worth it in my opinion.

Marcus at Red Star is the best. He is bright, competent, and extremely knowledgeable. We would not let anyone besides Marcus touch our computers, Red Star’s prices are reasonable and Marcus also does home visits.

Great place in Portland, especially if you live in the Belmont hood. Marcus especially has been a wealth of knowledge, including recommendations for companies for internet service, different router choices, and the occasional troubleshooting etc. Plus, they’ve been more than helpful on 2 occasions to give me step by step setup instructions over the phone. I honestly haven’t had a computer repair place with this consistently solid level of service. Not only that, they’re not salesy and haven’t tried to cram a bunch of useless add ons down my throat. I think they mostly specialize in PCs; I’m a mac guy but they’ve always been very helpful.

I went to Red Star Machine Works to buy some RAM for my computer. They were super helpful and then I had some problems installing the memory. They were then super helpful over the phone and when that didn’t work, I went back with my computer and they helped fix the problem. No wait. Highly recommend them.

Great service — fast, reasonable, and friendly. The staff was more than willing to actually explain the hows and whys of their repairs to a semi-​newb like me.
The shop itself looks like any techie’s dream… it’s a lot bigger than it looks from outside, and is full of workspaces without seeming cluttered or sloppy. Something tells me that working there is a good time… it has a welcoming vibe.
Another point in their favor: they didn’t try to ram sales of random parts or new systems down my throat. Too often repair staff at other locations try to trash what you bring in, so they can sell you something newer and shinier. Dealing with Red Star was refreshing.
PS: They have a parking lot. A real one, with actual spaces to put a car and everything. It’s great if your computer’s a big honkin’ hunk of steel and it’s raining…

As a former Belmont Computer customer (both at their first location on Belmont & around 20^th, and their last at 46^th & Belmont) I was fine with them — since I build & fix my own computers, I never had to deal with their repair service. I did ask questions, and while the former staff was a bit surly (as most computer geeks are) they did know what they were talking about. Problem is they didn’t know how to run a business, so the FORMER Belmont Computers went under last August 2008, and the place was closed until a new owner bought and re-​opened it as Red Star Machine Works in October 2008. I’ve since been a customer of Red Star, and have been nothing but completely pleased with their service. There are a few former Belmont Computer employees who were hired back on, but the new owner (s) seem to have made sure they had excellent people skills as well as technical. That and the location are the ONLY thing this NEW computer shop has in common with Belmont Computers. Personally, I’m extremely pleased to have a locally owned & operated shop like this in town, and how customer service is a priority. Their repair prices are very reasonable, and they do their best when giving free estimates — just remember that fixing computers is like fixing a car — you really don’t know how bad (or not bad) things are until you really get into the work. Given the nature of their business, I really think they deserve high marks.