Alternately, one could use "You have questions, let me get the manager", which is behavior which seemed common for RS people when I was in high school. We'd make a game of it...ask really pointed computer questions and see either what kind of lies they'd make up, or see how long it took for them to get the manager...

Radio Shack: "You have questions, we have blank stares." --John -----Original Message----- From: cctalk-admin(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-admin@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Bob Lafleur Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 15:38 To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org Subject: RE: I hate Radio Shack I've decided that Radio Shack has one reason for existance; to sell pre-paid cell-phones to low-lifes. Every time I go in there, all the sales people are occupied with selling a pre-paid cell-phone to someone who has such bad credit that they can't get a regular cell-phone. Then when they finally get to me, I ask them for an adapter, or cable, or something and they look at me like I'm crazy. "I've never heard of such a thing" they say. If it's not a pre-paid cell-phone, they have no clue.

I've decided that Radio Shack has one reason for existance; to sell pre-paid cell-phones to low-lifes. Every time I go in there, all the sales people are occupied with selling a pre-paid cell-phone to someone who has such bad credit that they can't get a regular cell-phone. Then when they finally get to me, I ask them for an adapter, or cable, or something and they look at me like I'm crazy. "I've never heard of such a thing" they say. If it's not a pre-paid cell-phone, they have no clue. -----Original Message----- From: cctalk-admin(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-admin@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of John Foust Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 3:16 PM To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org Subject: I hate Radio Shack Again and again, whenever enough time passes for me to forget how utterly incompetent these people are, and then I place an order for something - or should I say try to place an order for something - those neurons are refreshed with a new memory of exactly how much they *always* screw it up, and they try again to refresh the other neurons that tell me to never, ever expect anything but idiocy from that place, and that it's only useful if I can push them aside, get what I want, and get out without giving them the chance to screw it up. I needed to vent. Thank you. - John

something and they look at me like I'm crazy. "I've never heard of such a thing" they say. If it's not a pre-paid cell-phone, they have no clue.

Oh I know what you're saying.... all I needed with a 7404, a lowsy 7404 which next to hygrogen atoms is the most abundant thing on the planet.... Direct Quote from Radio Shack Employee: "Uhhh errr.... a chip? Whaddya mean? A clip??? Errr uhhhh, chip... must be a custom order thing, you can call the number in the catalog.... uuuuuhhhh ummmm errrrr"

Oh I know what you're saying.... all I needed with a 7404, a lowsy 7404 which next to hygrogen atoms is the most abundant thing on the planet.... Direct Quote from Radio Shack Employee: "Uhhh errr.... a chip? Whaddya mean? A clip??? Errr uhhhh, chip... must be a custom order thing, you can call the number in the catalog.... uuuuuhhhh ummmm errrrr" Radio Shack my ass! DirecTV/MSN/Cellphone Sh*t Shack is more like it. Curt ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gene Buckle" <geneb(a)deltasoft.com> To: <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 4:11 PM Subject: RE: I hate Radio Shack "I've never heard of such cell-phone, they have no clue. Shack weenie over a that if it wasn't in confused. I told him he cognitive skills would be

1. Some of the project boards, while not of very good quality, are reasonably priced. 2. Some of the project cases are nice and reasonably priced.

3. The muultipurpose wall warts are good to have. 4. The DB-25 and DB-9 metal hoods, while ridiculously priced, are very nice. 5. The better quality switches, while very expensive, are actually almost worth it.

RS is an ABSOLUTE last resort for anything. I'd rather wait a week by mail order most of the time.

Well, they USED TO (~1982?) carry DE sized hoods (for 9 and 15 pin), and DB-25 hoods. Don't think that I've seen a DB-15 hood there.

I hate to tell you this, but I've never seen a DB15 connector. I've seen DA15s and DE15s, though...

"You have questions, we have dumb looks!" g.

I can actually top that. In the early 90's, I used to do some software work for an electronics store called Supertronix.

he went into RS looking for a GaSFET and was promptly told that he might have better luck in an auto parts store.

On Tue, 11 Jun 2002, R. D. Davis wrote: Just a sanity check, here. What would be the _DC_ rating of a momentary switch rated at 3A, 125VAC? Doc

> about 600A on-load from the battery. This current is switched by the

How in the world do you measure such currents? I'd love to find out what it takes to crank my '85 Sentra. I've got an oversized battery. 8-)

On Tue, 11 Jun 2002, R. D. Davis wrote: Just a sanity check, here. What would be the _DC_ rating of a momentary switch rated at 3A, 125VAC? Doc

Back when I was in high school, when a 1 farad capacitor would have been, physically, huge (probably about the size of an RS store, or something like that),

one could telephone a RS store and ask for a 100 farad, 1KV, capacitor and the sales clerk would say "I'll check to see if we have any."

I don't hate 'em. ...... I have had problems, but I don't think they earn much, so I cut 'em slack.

John A.

Bottom line here is with the "consumerization" of many technologies, computers and so forth.... the fact of the matter is that it has moved yet another step away from a hobbyist niche to a "Buy It - Unpack It - Plug it in" world and Radio Shack no longer caters to the chip-level/technical mindset anymore, but to the consumer mindset who still can't manage to set the clock on their vcr unless the thing practically does it by itself.

I had an experience where a RadioShack employee didn't know what a null-modem adapter was. And several experience where in the middle of describing what I'm looking for, I look at the salesman's face, and realize that he has no clue what I'm talking about. So I guess when you walk into a RadioShack store, and someone asks if they can help you, and you tell them no, you're being quite literal - They *can't* help you.

Some don't know much about audio either. An RS salesdroid denied the fact that RS no longer sells Hi-Fi equipment. He didn't understand why a loudspeaker system with a low-end frequency response of 50Hz isn't considered hi-fi. Not one loudspeaker, or woofer, sold by RS, has a low end response of 20Hz or lower. No little charts anywhere in the catalog showed any freq. response curves. The distortion ratings for some of the "good" amplifiers sold at RS are rather high as well, but the RS sales clerk didn't understand that little problem either. As far as he was concerned, RS is still selling hi-fi equipment.