Mac support for the way you actually work.
Corporate IT covers the office. We cover the rest.
Your Mac isn’t an asset on a spreadsheet somewhere. It’s how you work, how you connect, how you run your practice, your family, your side hustle, your life. When something goes wrong with it, you need someone who gets that, not a ticket number and a four-hour window.
We’re real people who really know Macs. We’re local to Seattle, available to come to you, and we won’t make you feel bad for needing help.
Tell us what’s going on, and when works for you. We’ll figure out the rest when we get there.
Services
What we do.
Fixed, Actually.
Everyday help with the tech problems around your home.
“Have you tried turning it off and on again?” only goes so far.
We handle the everyday stuff: the Mac that beachballs every time someone makes popcorn, the printer that works only on Sunday mornings, the WiFi that dies as soon as your mother calls. No question too basic, no problem too small. We fix them for good.
Here Be Dragons.
A simpler home setup, sorted out and easy to manage.
Most homes accumulate subscriptions, logins, and cables faster than anyone can keep track.
We map what you have, what you use, and what we can get rid of. Then we build a setup that’s simple, secure, and easy for everyone in the house to live with.
Your Home’s Missing Manual.
Simple instructions for running your home tech.
→ How to restart the WiFi.
→ Getting the printer to talk to a new Mac.
→ Reconnecting the smart thermostat.
We spell out how your house actually runs, so when the power goes out, your house sitter isn’t stuck in the dark, or interrupting your vacation.
Love Your WiFi.
Strong WiFi in every corner of your home.
Dead zones, dropped calls, and buffering in the middle of your favorite show.
We design and install whole-home WiFi that covers the office, the kitchen table, and your secret reading nook. So you can take that team call snuggled up with your morning cappuccino.
Lights. Camera. Sorted.
We tune your home network for demanding online activities.
Movie night, game day, or a video call with Gran.
Choppy streams, frozen video, and laggy games kill the moment. We dial in your home network, streaming devices, and TVs so when you hit play, everything just works.
The Boring Kind of Security.
We set you up with simple habits that keep you safe online.
Good security at home shouldn’t feel like work.
We set up password managers, device encryption, and system settings so your information stays protected without you having to think about it.
And if something looks off, even if you already clicked it, we’re one message away.
Backups. Hold the Drama.
Automatic backups for every device in your home.
Family photos, home videos, and important documents aren’t replaceable.
We back up every device in the house, so when a drive fails, an iPad goes missing, or a glass of champagne decides to give your MacBook a New Year’s kiss, you still have what matters.
New Mac, Who Dis?
We set up your Mac right the first time.
New Mac, hand-me-down, or work-issued laptop.
We migrate what you need, leave the cruft behind, and set up your accounts, email, and apps the way you actually use them.
When you open the lid, it feels like yours, not someone else’s cold leftovers.
About
Where we’re coming from.
Why Patrin?
We mark the trail through technology, so our clients can focus on their work.
Patrin is an ancient word travelers used for the trail markers they left, arrangements of leaves and grass that said, “this way, the path is clear.” It captures something true about the work: we navigate terrain our clients don’t have time to learn, and we leave things better marked than we found them.
Remote teams are our focus because that’s how creative companies are being built: principals in different cities, talent wherever the talent is, and no file server anchoring them. Most small creative teams have never had dedicated IT staff; they’ve had whoever was stuck figuring it out, and no clear path forward. We built Patrin for them.
For you.
About Our Founder.
Thirty years supporting Mac teams, retaining some clients for well over a decade.
James didn’t set out to work in tech. He took a job at Adobe Technical Support to learn the software for his own artwork. He turned out to be good at it. Better still, he could explain it to other creatives without losing them.
Over the next few decades, he closed a few thousand help desk tickets and made a couple of cross-country moves. He spent long stretches at some of NYC’s best creative agencies: MediaMonks, Big Spaceship, Campfire, and a few dozen others. Along the way, he has grown with the arc of modern creative infrastructure: the internet and WiFi, MacBooks replacing desktops, iPhones replacing paper, servers moving to the cloud, and the office itself going remote.
When the work went remote, the options for supporting distributed creative teams fell short of what those teams needed. James built Patrin to close that gap.
Whatever the challenge, the deadline, or the stakes, the work is always the same: understand the problem, explain it clearly, lay out the costs and consequences of each option, and let you make the call.
I’ve been working with James for over 10 years. I’m a performing artist and instructor, and truly have zero computer skills. Thanks to James, I’ve built two successful websites and continue to improve my content. He’s also walked me through many tech ‘emergencies’ and responds incredibly fast to my emails.
What I really love about his approach is that he doesn’t make you feel stupid for not knowing or understanding seemingly basic things. We all have our strengths, and if technology isn’t one of them, James’s calm and concise approach is the best. I highly recommend his services!
— Anna V., Contortion NYC
Questions
We’re glad you asked.
Fit & scope.
Do you really know Apple products?
Apple platforms are all we do. James has been supporting Apple users long enough to see the entire experience reinvented. Several times over.
Every app you live in, every quirk of macOS, every new way software finds to misbehave at the worst possible moment: we’ve seen it, fixed it, and probably have an opinion about it.
Do you only do Macs, or can you help with my whole setup?
We’re strongest on Macs, iPhones, and iPads, but we also help with your WiFi, printer, and backup drives. We can even figure out most things on Android or Windows, though if those are your primary devices, you’re better off with an expert on those platforms.
Can you help with my work laptop?
We’re happy to help where we can. As a general rule, if you have permissions to modify something, we’ll be able to help you with it. IT departments usually put guardrails in place to protect your company’s data and devices from compromise or malware. We wouldn’t want to interfere with that. Everything on this side of those guardrails, we’re glad to take on.
Can you fix my broken iPhone or Mac screen?
No. Hardware repairs like cracked screens, failing batteries, or water damage need an Apple Authorized Service Provider and genuine Apple replacement parts. We can handle everything around the repair: diagnosing the problem, backing up your data, and restoring your settings when it comes home.
What if I just need help with one thing?
We’re happy to help. One problem is as welcome as a dozen. Just know that on-site visits carry a one-hour minimum, so even a single quick fix is a full hour. If that works for you, we’re there.
Cost & billing.
What does this cost?
Our services are time-based and billed in 15-minute increments, with rates that depend on the service:
- Remote Support:$ 175/hr
- On-site Studio Support:$ 200/hr *
- On-site Home Support:$ 150/hr *
*On-site appointments are a 1-hour minimum and include an hour of travel time, which covers most of Seattle. If you’re farther out, additional travel is billed at 50% of the appointment rate. We’ll let you know if travel is likely to exceed the included time when we confirm.
If you’d like a sense of the cost, we’re glad to give you our best time estimate once we know the scope of the problem. If a job turns out to be more involved than expected, we’ll tell you as soon as we know and let you decide whether to keep going.
Once we’re working together, quick questions by email or text are generally free; we’re not going to nickel-and-dime you for a two-minute question.
A note for our Washington clients: as of October 1, 2025, Washington’s ESSB 5814 requires IT providers to collect sales tax on our services; you’ll see it on your invoice.
If you’re outside Washington, you’re exempt from this added tax.
How and when do I pay?
When the work’s done, we send an invoice with links to pay by card, ACH/bank transfer, Zelle, cash, or check. Payment is due at the end of the appointment unless we’ve agreed otherwise in advance.
Prompt payment is the one thing we’re firm on. Not to be difficult, but because chasing invoices takes time neither of us gets back.
Working with us.
Will you have access to my personal files?
Granting us access to your personal device is an act of trust, and we take that seriously. We focus on fixing the issues you’ve raised and making sure everything works. If we need to access something we think may be sensitive (your photos, a web browser, or affected files), we’ll flag it and let you decide. And anything you’d rather we leave alone, we will.
Nothing happens out of your sight; we work beside you. You’re welcome to watch, ask questions, and take notes.
How fast do you respond?
Reach out by text or email, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours; usually much sooner. If it’s urgent, text us directly, and we’ll respond as fast as we can.
Can we meet somewhere other than my home?
We can work wherever you’re most comfortable, whether that’s your dining room table or your favorite café down the street. That said, we can’t fix your home WiFi, printer, or iMac without access to them, and most tasks need a solid internet connection, which not every café has.
Can you help my whole remote team?
Yes, we love supporting fully remote teams. See our remote teams page for details.
What if I need to cancel?
We respect your time and ask that you respect ours, but we understand that things happen. If you need to cancel a scheduled session, we ask for 24 hours’ notice.
- Cancel more than 24 hours out, and there’s no charge.
- Cancel less than 24 hours out, and you’ll be billed at 50% of the session minimum (one hour for on-site, 15 minutes for remote).
- A no-show is billed at the full session minimum, plus any travel costs.
We show up on time and ready to work; if we ever need to cancel, we’ll give you as much notice as we can. And of course, if we do, there’s no charge.
How do we get started?
Reach out. Tell us what’s going on and when works for you, and we’ll figure out the rest when we get there. No drawn-out consultation, no sales pitch. Just show us the problem and let us fix it.
Reviews
I think they like us.
James managed IT for Campfire for over five years, introducing us to Google Apps and saving us tens of thousands of dollars on email hosting every year.
The server system he created for us was much easier for our Macs to utilize, had a backup routine that we could understand and trust, and was flexible enough to see us through multiple office moves without a hitch.
He was always very responsive and explained problems in non-techie terms we could understand; to be honest, I miss working with James.
— Lisa Erwood, Former Office Manager, Campfire NYC
James continues to be a long-term trusted partner in establishing excellent and scalable solutions for IT help desk, deep technical infrastructure standards, and hardware solutions to suit any need, plan, or configuration.
Simplicity, stability, and scale consistently lead the way, and options are always part of any solution James recommends.
In a word: Lifesaver.
— S Jason Prohaska, MediaMonks NYC
Apostrophe’s mighty team of artist representatives are experts in many things, but IT is not one of them. Thanks to James, we don’t have to be. James has been a godsend in conquering our New York office’s unique technical challenges — like being left unable to get reliable internet after Hurricane Sandy.
James helped us find an innovative, stable, high-speed internet solution, then upgraded our server, and conquered our backup situation. He was even there for us when our phone system went down, getting us back up and running with much better service.
Really, my only wish is that we could clone James for our other offices!
— Kelly Montez, ApostropheReps.com
I’ve worked with James exclusively in my small business since we opened. His support and expertise have been an invaluable asset to our company and team. He is incredibly responsive and has come to save the day at a moment’s notice on more than one occasion.
As a small business owner, I have found this to be a tremendous support. I can highly recommend him to any business looking for superb, reliable tech support.
— Aubri Balk, Agency Director, Aubri Balk Inc.
Our office has been utilizing James’ exceptional services for quite a while now, and I can’t emphasize enough how crucial their knowledge, expertise, and patience have been in streamlining our company’s IT operations.
James has helped us through a number of hurdles, especially when we set up a brand new office space earlier this year. His efficiency is remarkable, and his friendly demeanor has made us all feel much better about our lack of technological skills. I would gladly recommend James as an excellent resource to anyone in need of IT services!
— Nicole Palermo, Studio Manager, Frank Collective
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