Comment: Is the Shack back?

Okay, not having any major news to report (okay, there's some and I'll get to it soon), I figure I should post something. Why not something about Radio Shack? :)

The last few years haven't been good for the Shack in my area. They're all cell phone stores, with little stock or inclination to provide help for the electronics enthusiast. ("You've got Questions, we've got answers... as long as it has to do with your cell phone..." ahem...) It's been pretty sad.

But then... ta da! Lately, there's been a bit more interesting stuff showing up in the stores. Particularly of interest is the PC modding supplies from botique outfits like Thermaltake and others. Could the Shack be coming back to it's roots? Are they really going to start carrying bits for hobbyists in abundance again?

Probably not, but the stuff from Thermaltake, including fans, light kits and power supplies is definately welcome. Hell, I even found a set of Mobo standoffs! I know it might sound like I'm getting excited about a little thing... well, I am. I miss Radio Shack. Being in a metro area, we only get the corp stores, not the customized franchise stores of yore (you have to go out to the rural communities to get those still). I think it's high time to see the Shack getting back, at least a tiny bit, to the enthusiast community.

What's this have to do with CoCos? Well...

Instead of just picking some cable every now and then, you can actually go down to the Shack and get supplies to mod and repak you CoCo. Find a PS, add some fans, repak it into a slick case... with luck, most stores will have this stuff in stock by the end of Summer. No need to order parts you don't get to see and handle from the net. Just pop into Radio Shack and pick up what you need. Wouldn't that be nice? :)

Still have to see how it plays out, of course. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed. And hey, it's one more reason to start planning that CoCo mod or repak you've been planning for ages. :)

Have a look at http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kw=&brandCode=1000958

Angel's Luck,
Capt