It's a situation Boca Raton and Ft. Lauderdale computer repair seekers know all too well - and are often confused as to how to respond to.

Especially in these dire economic times, the decision of replacing your computer with more powerful model when something goes wrong is a difficult one.

Given the shortage of cash so many consumers are experiencing, more are opting to give Fort Lauderdale computer repair shops a shot than in years past.

Local data supports this theory.

Since the economic slowdown started a year ago, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton computer repair companies have seen a rise in the number of customers who want to keep old PCs and laptops running.

“(In the past) we’ve seen people take perfectly good machines and look for excuses to replace them,“ said one computer repair organization owner. “Now they’re looking for ways to keep the machine going for another two years."

People throughout South Florida have become more conscious about the decision to spend, for example, $300 for a repair vs. $750 for a new laptop.

In the past few years, only about 25-40 percent of customers would choose the Fort Lauderdale computer repair route. Now businesses are seeing close to 100 percent at least considering strongly their options as far as getting their computer fixed before they buy a new one.

There was a slight lull in repair requests around Christmas, when sale prices and overall desire to buy gifts led more people to buy new laptops and/or PCs, but that faded by January as prices returned to normal and the grip of the recession tightened.

“When things get tight, that extra few hundred bucks will buy gas or groceries" said one Ft. Lauderdale computer repair shop patron. “I would love a second computer but given the state of the economy right now, I had to settle for a memory upgrade."

Memory upgrades, some computer repair experts say, are one of the most effective ways for people to make their old computers run better - and always rank highly in terms of the repairs that give you the most bang yfor your buck.

This recent trend may not be limited to just repairs, either.

As the recession deepens, some are predicting a similar uptick in South Florida residents upgrading their businesses' websites (and subsequent web presence) as opposed to spending bigger bucks on traditional advertising and marketing.