NERD ALERT: CompUSA Closing?

[molonlabetn]

What is this 'CompUSA' you speak of? Is it like a Best Buy, except that it sucks?

[TGO David]

What is this 'CompUSA' you speak of? Is it like a Best Buy, except that it sucks?

Yes. It was primarily a PC/Mac superstore until they started dabbling in home audio and video a few years back. There is (or was) a location at both the 100 Oaks Mall and at the Coolsprings Galleria area in Nashville.

Best Buy has pretty much killed them.

[shaftbass]

It bodes well for me since they are overpriced and there aren't any around me.

[The Rabbi]

Let's see.... you like H&K's, and Macs.

I knew there was a reason I liked you.

Yeah, you two are obviously Eurofags....

[creeky]

Yeah, you two are obviously Eurofags....

And here I thought we were just equally quality conscious.

But it's cool. You can stick with your typewriters and flintlocks

Rabbi... It's all good. LOL!!

[The Rabbi]

Funny you say that.

I own 2 typewriters but dont use them anymore. There is something about typing on one that is totally different from a PC. Sort of like the rhythm from shooting a revolver.

Maybe on to something here....

[creeky]

We carried a group of Boyscouts through the Tenneessean a couple of years ago and on one wall in the stair well they had an old mural on the wall. It shown the newspaper industry from the kid on the corner to computers. the Girl giving the tour asked

the kids what "this" was. (Pointing to a prat of a guy at a typewriter.) None of the kids knew what it was. Most just said an old computer.Dang kids and their rock n roll music!

Just think Rabbi... before long we'll be showing kids revolvers and the'll be asking us what are those thangs for! LOL!!

"Really! You guys shot lead through those! Cool! But where does the Flux Capaciter go? And where do you put the dilithum crystals paw paw?" LOL!!!

[analog_kidd]

I went to W. Knoxville CompUSA today to look for a tape drive for a client. After walking around for ten minutes with no luck finding one, I sucked it up and went looking for help. The guy I found looked at me with a puzzled expression when I told him what I wanted. I asked him if he knew what I was talking about, and he said "Are they those things that write to a cartidge thingy?" He obviously had never seen one. We walked around together for a few more minutes while he said "Lets try here, no, OK let's try there". Ultimately we came to the conclusion that they don't carry a single tape drive.

This is one reason I don't like to shop here. They never have what I am looking for, and it is rare that I find a knowledgable sales person.

[The Rabbi]

We carried a group of Boyscouts through the Tenneessean a couple of years ago and on one wall in the stair well they had an old mural on the wall. It shown the newspaper industry from the kid on the corner to computers. the Girl giving the tour asked

the kids what "this" was. (Pointing to a prat of a guy at a typewriter.) None of the kids knew what it was. Most just said an old computer.Dang kids and their rock n roll music!

Just think Rabbi... before long we'll be showing kids revolvers and the'll be asking us what are those thangs for! LOL!!

Actually Ed Lovette in The Snubby tells about an FBI training class where one prop was a Smith 65. One trainee picked it up and when told to make it safe asked "sir, how do I open the cylinder?"

[Marswolf]

I went to W. Knoxville CompUSA today to look for a tape drive for a client.

I'm surprised tape drives are still around. I had one on my first PC clone. With hard drive prices so low these days, I'm surprised everyone isn't just mirroring their drives.

I just added a 120GB portable Mini USB drive for my computer backup. It won't do a complete mirror of both of my drives, but will back up all of my applications and their data plus the data on my wife's machine.

And it fits in my shirt pocket. Only bad thing is that the USB slows down data transfer a bit.

[creeky]

I'm surprised tape drives are still around.

For server backups they are still pretty much the standard. My facility even

requires us to hold our weekly backups off site (min 20 miles from facility). They are more for corporate enterprises than anything.

The home user or small business man has smaller cheaper options. You can buy two 300 GB firewire drives for under $300, and do a double redundant backup of your assets and still remove one of the drives each night for off site saftey.

[Guest Phantom6]

Actually Ed Lovette in The Snubby tells about an FBI training class where one prop was a Smith 65. One trainee picked it up and when told to make it safe asked "sir, how do I open the cylinder?"

And this surprises anyone? Hell, we're talkin' about the FBI here!

I've been to a CompUSA store three times in my life and don't feel like I'm going to be missing anything with their closure. Besides, my old Remington typewriter is every bit as reliable as my 870.

[TGO David]

IT isn't what it used to be.

[dunndw]

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit with that picture.

He'd be too much tech for the GS.

I went by CUSA today to talk to my sales rep. Sad to see him as a red shirt. I didn't see very many "good" deals. They did have a decent open box deal on a new Toshiba laptop. If I didn't have 5 already it would have come home with me.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

IT isn't what it used to be.

So True. I actually got a call because a friend called GS over wireless issues, and they changed $200, showed up and said "Its your laptop's fault. Can't fix it."

What was the problem? A fried junky router GS sold them and

misconfigured. New router, no more problem.

I have yet to see a retail store in a while (chains anyway) that actually carries quality components. At least CUSA had some brand name stuff.

Last time I went in Best Buy, everything was their generic store brand, which seems to be sub par (at least in my experiences). Same for the non-computer "office supply" stores.

[saintsfanbrian]

When I started I was the dude you called when your Dell didn't work. Now I am doing SQL support. What a journey over the last 10 years. It definitely opened my eyes as to what I didn't want to do with my career.

Anyway, I wouldn't trust one of the guys from Geek Squad to come to my house and touch anything. Hell, I don't let the DirectTV guy run cable at my house. Just hook up the dish, get it pointed and leave me a box of cable and some crimp on ends.

[The Average Joe]

I've been to CompUSA only a few times myself.

The 100 Oaks store is just around the corner from my office.

I've bought a printer/scanner for my wife and then gone back after the ink cartridges when they ran out.

The scanner was on sale and the print cartridges weren't but were easier to get to than anywhere else at the time. I won't be missing CompUSA or their prices on ink.

Lately I've found that Circuit City had better buys on the cartridges and on other components for my computer.

Lately, I've been getting my computer accessories (wireless mouse, power cord for the cigarette lighter, card reader, etc.) at Target, but only because I had a gift card. (moto for shopping at Target - "What Target lacks in sporting goods, they make up in hot chicks shopping there".)

Best Buy is kind of inconvenient when running through Cool Springs.

I'm glad they built the one over on Charlotte Pike.

I'll be stopping in more often, now.

[TGO David]

"What Target lacks in sporting goods, they make up in hot chicks shopping there".

And working there. Very true.

[fury2neon]

I take it you've never owned a Thinkpad...

I have one now actually. What a boat anchor! Fortunately, I did not buy it, the employer did

[creeky]

I have been checking CompUsa (Cool Springs Store) over the past weeks.

Bought a coupld of things... nothing major.

On lunch I dropped by there to see if prices had dropped some more.

As I was looking around I walked past the back wall. They are bringing office

stuff from the back and stacking it up for sell. Typical used stuff...

Then I saw something truly sad... they are selling picture frames...

with employees pictures still in them... some say... "5 years", "10 years", in them.

It was pretty tragic and funny.

Had to share.

[Guest bkelm18]

And working there. Very true.

Yes, one of the fringe benefits for working at Target. I get to look at all the hot chicks that shop there and I get to flirt with the hot chicks that work there. Too bad the money sucks and the job is mindless and boring. Haha.

[~Emily~]

The first and only time I stepped foot into a CompUSA store was about 11-13 years ago. I told the salesman that I was looking for a CPU and he gave me a blank stare. I tried to explain what it was and finally thought to ask for a processor. He seemed to have at least heard this term and took me back to a parts area. I don't really remember if they had them but everything they had was way too expensive and with the ignorant sales rep I decided I would shop somewhere else.

At the time I was building my personal computer that started with a huge black tower that I still have now. Through the years I've just upgraded with mamaboards, processors, RAM, drives, etc. I have several but this big honking tower is still my primary machine.

If my IT guys and I have a pressing need for something we will go to Best Buy because our company is paying. For my personal needs I shop at Buy.com, NewEgg, Tiger, etc. My company used to buy at CDW but now we buy at JDM and PCConnection. It does pay to compare prices between all of them.

So no, I won't miss CompUSA at all.

[dunndw]

They were a really good backup location. I have clients all over Mid TN who will call me out for one little problem, then end up needing all sorts of crap. CompUSA was local, stocking gave a almost decent reseller discount.

It was easy to run and pickup parts and lunch @ the same time.

I was told that the 100 Oaks store was getting shipments in from other stores to help move inventory. They has a decent Toshiba laptop for around 600.00. All it needed was another gig of memory installed to be a good laptop