IBM predicts that its tech support phone calls will drop from 4.8 million to 4.7 million this year, while e-mail questions will soar from 85 million to 155 million. The Micron Millennia PC, for example, includes software from PC-Doctor Inc. that diagnoses technical problems. Web site and connect with a service that restores damaged software. Gateway, which also will begin offering diagnostic software from PC-Doctor this year, already has a phenomenal tool called GoBack. Sadly, the self-healing tools that are available today can't do much beyond fixing minor glitches like incompatible software files.
More advanced tools are on the horizon.
Although its technicians can take control of your cursor and see open files on your screen, they can't rifle through your hard drive. They offer tools, such as telephone hotlines, live e-mail chats with technicians, and electronic bulletin boards for swapping advice. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.