Windows Software:

When you first insert your Service Center 6 CD, this is the Autorun screen that pops up.  As you can see, there is actually a few options to choose from.  The first option is to do a standard install.  This is the option a user should take when installing on their own personal PC in order to test out the software and become more familiar with the testing.  The Terms and Conditions state that the software can be permanently installed on one system at a time only, so take that into consideration. 

"Quick Install and Run" allows you to install the full suite of software, however it is only installed until the next system reboot.  Because of this, it is the ideal option for running on client or customer PCs.  At this point I would like to point out that the Terms and Conditions allows for a backup of the original disc.  If you are like me, you might have a bad habit of leaving test discs in customer's PCs; therefore being able to use backup discs for client PCs while the original is safely tucked away.  Now, because the CD can be freely copied doesn't mean that PC-Doctor doesn't have a good way of protecting their intellectual property.  How can this be?  It comes down to the Multipurpose USB Tool.  The Service Center software will not run unless the USB Tool has been inserted into the system. 

The third option is the "Run from CD".  This allows limited testing straight from the disc only, with no installation. 

For the purposes of this review, we will go over the full Installation method.

Once you insert your Multipurpose USB Tool, and select the box confirming your agreement with the Terms and Conditions, the rest of the install proceeds much like any other.  The Service Center 6 works just fine on both the XP and Vista boxes that I tested.

Like most software, Service Center installs anywhere you like.  From the screenshot above, it appears that it takes about 100MB of space. 

Once you select your install path, the program installs.

Lastly, the program is installed and ready to roll.  Time to test some computers!

As previously mentioned, the software will not run without the Multipurpose USB Device installed.  So, obviously the first step in testing is to insert it. 

Above is the main screen for the Service Center software.  From here, we can access virtually every aspect of the suite.  Click the pic above (and the ones below as well) for a larger version. 

There are four different areas of the software itself: "Home", "Diagnostics", "Script Editor" and "System Information".  Each screen has three different panes that vary in their function in the different sections of the software.  On the Home area these three areas include the navigational bar on the left, the quick categories in the middle, and the system information area at the bottom.  

For the main area the System Scripts and the Storage Scripts launch the diagnostics page with their respective tests already set up and ready to go.  The Script Editor and the System Information buttons open their respective tabs, and finally the Help icon opens a Windows style Help Index that is actually helpful.  In it is a description of how to use the software, as well as a detailed description of each test. 

The Burn-in Script launches the above window.  Once you select the tests you want and click Run, it takes you to the Diagnostics page as well, with your tests selected and ready to go. 

The next major area is the "Diagnostic" screen.  From here we can select a whole array of tests; everything from motherboard, to CPU, RAM, video, to hard drives, communication ports and card readers.  The left pane now provides us with test categories, the main area shows all the individual tests, and the bottom area now has shortcut links to various Windows locations, such as the Control Panel, Device Manager and Security Center.  I must admit, having the shortcuts is a nice touch. 

The Diagnostic area is likely where a technician will be spending most of their time, since that is where all the testing resides.  Each section has an impressive array of tests, with each component ranging from two to fifteen available tests.  Many appear to be similar to the DOS tests, such as the Interactive and Port tests, with of course a much nicer GUI. 

Third on the list is the Script Editor.  While the Diagnostic area only shows tests that are pertinent to the hardware detected, the Script Editor shows every test available, and boy is that list expansive.  Everything from Blu-Ray drives to TV Tuners has a test available for it.  The purpose of the Script Editor itself is to allow techs to save custom test scripts that allow for a further level of automation dependant on the tech shop's needs.

Setting the scripts up are painless as well, all you have to do is click on the left each test you want to add, and in what order.  You can also determine passcount, and minimum time per test.  Lastly you can also determine whether tests run in parallel or not.  Once you have the script the way you like it, save it to the USB Device. 

The last section of the Service Center Software is the System Information tab.  Much like the DOS version, it shows the detailed hardware capabilities of all detected hardware.  Whenever a category on the left is selected, the main pane is populated with the relevant data. 

Testing and Conclusion:

So, in the course of a couple weeks, I had a chance to play with the kit to see what it was capable of.  I wanted to see how the Service Center software would match up against some of the free utilities available out there today, such as Prime95 and Memtest86.  The advantage of Prime95 and Memtest86 is that they are free, small, and easy to use, so it would take some serious convincing to show that the Service Center is worth the $400 price of admission.  

Initially, to test the effectiveness of the Service Center, I overclocked my PC to a point where I knew it would be unstable.  I would then run Prime95 or Memtest86 to see how quickly my instability would be found.  Finally, I would run the Service Center tests as well and see how well it would do.  What I found was intriguing.  When it came to intermittent fails, where the system was otherwise stable, Prime95 and Memtest had no problem picking the problem up.  Service Center 6 however, did not pick up on these soft bit error type fails.  If the fail was bad enough that it could be classified as a "major" fail, then Service Center picked up on it.  Upon further investigation, it started to make sense as to why this is.  Prime95 is a small utility that is designed to stress the CPU for as long as it takes, and report any error, no matter how miniscule.  Memtest is much the same way, it will report any single bit error that exists, and will test ad infinitum to do so.  Both of these suites are extremely narrow in their scope, and as such, are very good at the one task they are charged with.  Service Center 6, on the other hand, is a "Jack of all Trades" type of software.  It tests every single component in the system, and as such won't compare in the ability to seek out small problems in any given part of the hardware.  What it can do, however, is pick out the major problems in any of the hardware, as well as easily give all pertinent hardware information, which still gives the software significant value in my opinion.  So, what is the point here?  The point is the same as it has always been for PC Techs:  there is no single software that will find every problem.  Even with the Service Center, it is always advisable to keep around different test suites to specifically target troublesome hardware.

So, now to the crux of the matter.  Since this is a bundle of equipment that is aimed at helping PC repair businesses boost their bottom line by reducing repair cycle times, we have to analyze the value the Service Center provides.  Is the Service Center really worth $400?  To answer that, we need to look at all the different components provided and see what items have real value to the PC Tech and what items do not.  For most of the techs out there, I would have to say that the loopback devices do not offer much value, if at all.  There is little to no use for Serial or Parallel ports these days, and so the need to test those ports has severely diminished.  The 128MB flash drive also provides very little value, as most techs and geeks probably have a pile of flash drives of equal or greater size laying around.  The inclusion of the Multipurpose USB Device makes the extra flash drive that much more useless.  The power supply tester provides some value.  It isn't anything special compared to what you can pick up at any computer store, however it is useful to those that don't have one already.  I would have liked to have seen one with a built-in voltage readout, as that can make life easier.  The POST code reader is a different story, however.  It is amazing how expensive these devices are on the open market.  Many places will not even disclose the price openly, though I have gathered that they regularly exceed $100.  That, combined with the usefulness it provides for a non-booting system, it's not hard to find that it adds quite a lot of value to the kit. 

Finally, I do believe the software provides a significant value, however the value to the buyer will vary depending on their needs.  For a hobbyist, this kit is overkill.  Most hobbyists could get by on $100 worth of testing hardware, and the plethora of free utilities.  For a system builder, the burn-in scripts make for an excellent sanity check of system operation before shipping units out the door.  For a repair tech, the DOS and Windows testing offers quite a bit of flexibility with the potential to quickly identify any major hardware issues, so long as they still have other software suites on hand should the problem become elusive. 

What it comes down to in the end, the end user is going to need to take a long hard look at exactly what their needs are before purchasing the Service Center 6.  This realization alone will differentiate the happy customers from the unhappy ones. 

Note: Club Overclocker is now using a new rating system based on a score of 1 to 5.
Please go to our rating system page for more information.

Performance:	4 out of 5
Innovation:	4 out of 5
Quality:	5 out of 5
Stability:	5 out of 5
Aesthetics:	4 out of 5
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Overclocking:	N/A
Value:	3 out of 5
Project Skill Level (5 being most difficult)	3 out of 5