I worked for The Shack for over five years back in the 80s. Retail tech support and teaching at computer stores in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. I still own working examples of most of their computer system lines. Left the firm when everything went IBM PC compatible and I didn't want to lower my standards.

I'd love to get back to the era when American companies actually built quality products they would stand behind. Now it seems like they are all engineered to fail the day after the warranty expires.

Lots of casualties in the retail clothing, books, hardware arena. 3d printing should bring new life to some local businesses. Might even create a new awareness of the advantage to repairing products instead of throwing them away.

I'd love to get a Fry's in my city. That place is geek heaven! NewEgg is still my place-of-choice for parts for new PC's (I build all my own).

Hit the nail on the head. When they started into the mobile phone business I just shook my head and said to myself "That's the last gasp."

They're not the only brick-and-mortar store to be going under because they couldn't adjust to the online marketplace, just one of the more popular ones.

73's from W7EBC.

Yeah, I saw that. No issue if in a case though. Wonder what part it is that is sensitive.

One very minor oddity on the Raspberry Pi 2:
http://www.geek.com/chips/the-raspberry-...

Thanks ewv! I knew about the B+. Hadn't heard about the 2. Now to find some killer I/O boards.

No time for that silliness. Just do what I say, racists.

Some of you good friends may like www.hamradio.com/ if I have this link wrong just do a search of ham radio. Who knows we may be able to replicate Galt's "Force Field"!

Galt would love my friend's business because my friend has the good part of what Radio Shack used to be, plus a lot more.

I might have said: Galt might not have let Radio Shack get to this pass. In the society he created, it wouldn't have gotten there. He'd probably have been running it as a sideline with parts he derived from his ceaseless experiments.

The students who used to flock to Radio Shack to buy those kits now use Arduinos to make 3D printers and use National Instruments hardware and LabView software to do the task much more easily.

Galt would have let Radio Shack die, because it hasn't been what we think of as Radio Shack in a very long time. It had been hollowed out by the second-raters.

As I pointed out further down in the thread, contact me if you need anything in old electronics or computers. There is a Gulcher and former business partner of mine who bought out a used electronics/computers store from another friend of mine. A golf hole sponsor sized sign has Who Is John Galt in the familiar script proudly outside the entrance. Also next to the entrance is a sign saying WARNING - 20000 Ohms with a WIJG Post-It-Note taped next to it. His shop will be among the first when Atlantis debuts.

Developer and programmer are close to the same in meaning, but developer has a much more positive connotation relating to the creative component.

Now with the ability to have computer-generated code faster than even the best fist can send, some hams have developed the ability to copy over 75 wpm. It becomes another form of speech for them. I'm not too bad at furrin languages, so maybe I'll try tuning my ears to CW again. Or maybe not. Just imagine taking all of Atlas Shrugged, scanning it into ASCII, and then pushing it out in 75 WPM CW for leisurely "reading".

They hire retired or otherwise ex contractors for some positions on the floor. If you can sort through the rest to find one of them they can be quite helpful, at least if you happen to be asking about something they have experience with.

From what I've read about it they closing half the stores and Sprint is taking over the rest. That makes it seem like whatever is left will only be cell phones (with or without knowing what battery you need).

The likely reason DIY electronics are fading like this is because electronics manufacturers (not to mention automakers) want to limit the ability to make and fix their products to overpaid, expensive professionals, to protect their trade secrets. It's likely that at least some repairmen, at least those not working for chain establishments, are worth the money, most charge more than they're worth, in the name of "quality." Real quality means doing the job with as little expense as possible, and keeping your products completely user-serviceable.

Sounds like a plan. BUT.....
We can laugh, however, it's too close to reality for the laugh to be too hearty.

You have found a way to get help at WallyWorld? That's a miracle. I have trouble finding any "associate" that understands and speaks English.

My son started working at Radio Shack when he was in Jr. High. The computers came out and fascinated him. He learned how to program the tapes and was able to sell them to people that couldn't understand it. He was making enough money that he decided to join a small computer repair/program company in Dallas. Now he's a top drawer programmer with YaHoo in San Jose although he says that he's a developer. I have no idea what the difference is. I'll call him a radio if it makes him happy. He has still been buying from Radio Shack. I'm sure he'll attend the funeral.

Let's throw in a few dozen more regulations, hide them in a 2700 page proposal, don't tell anyone about it and then blame it on Bush.

Sad, worked there and then managed a store before Charles Tandy died. left when he passed, the shyster were into destroying the company even then.

Code is fun for some. It actually gets instilled in ones brain and becomes second nature. Just think CQ.. Anyone who has any code understands it right away. Same with SOS. dit dit dit, da da da, dit dit dit.. The beeps become words and one does not even think individual dots (beeps) and dashes (longer beeps). Ergo the word "The" and the beeps it represents become the same. It is sort of like typing-those who can type fast don't even think about the letters-their fingers and brain take over and put it in writing.

Well enough of my boring talk. Tnx for your attention.