Adafruit acquires RadioShack?

Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by taneliv on Saturday October 07, 2017 @03:47AM (#15422786)

As a non-American, I'm completely unfamiliar with RadioShack, except for having seen the name often, and often associated with some sort of strong feelings. Why do they hold such "high" status, or stay relevant in discussions? I could not really gather an answer to this from their Wikipedia page; perhaps I'm just imagining the whole attitude?

(Adafruit's collection I've browsed online, and possibly even ordered something from there; RadioShack appears not to even ship outside the US.)

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by rdtsc on Saturday October 07, 2017 @04:03AM (#15422844)

If you happen to be from the ex-Soviet Union or maybe other parts of Eastern Europe (going by your username). You might know about open air electronics flea markets. You could buy anything from tube amps, to pirated movies, trade ZX Spectrum computer programs on tapes, tools, multimeters, mechanical parts for tape players and so on. That was one of my favorite places to go to as a kid.

Well, anyway here in US RS was the place to go for kids and adults who liked electronics and needed parts and tools from what I understand. That's why there is name recognition and nostalgia about it.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by daveFNbuck on Saturday October 07, 2017 @03:54AM (#15422815)

They were a major electronics retailer when a lot of people on HN were kids, so they hold a special place in our memories. They were pretty much the place to go if you wanted to tinker.

Until the one by me closed earlier this year, it was the only place I could go to buy things like breadboards, transistors, and LEDs. Now I have to order these things online.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by evan_ on Saturday October 07, 2017 @03:51AM (#15422800)

For a really long time Radio Shack was synonymous with hobbyist electronics- they had a location in virtually every mall and shopping center in the country where they sold little plastic baggies of resisters, capacitors, and the like- not to mention kits, tools, small electronics, etc.

Then they basically all turned into cell phone stores and became irrelevant.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by __x0x__ on Saturday October 07, 2017 @06:26AM (#15423199)

And let's not forget the battery of the month club! Oh yes RS was Wonkaland for me when I was a kid. I also lusted after the CB radios they sold.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by malloryerik on Saturday October 07, 2017 @03:50AM (#15422796)

RadioShack was a ubiquitous feature in the U.S. and probably still has a far-reaching string of commercial properties. Hard to believe that any American wouldn't know them. Unfortunately they grew staid and dusty. Adafruit seems the perfect buyer.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by abritinthebay on Saturday October 07, 2017 @03:52AM (#15422804)

If you’re familiar with uk stores: Tandy Electronics, or a crappier Maplins.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by theyregreat on Saturday October 07, 2017 @04:00AM (#15422839)

Tandy used to be the housebrand name of almost IBM compatible RS computers.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by abritinthebay on Monday October 09, 2017 @02:44PM (#15436366)

Yup, made by the same company - Tandy Computers. A spin-off from the Tandy Leather Company.

Then they went retail and eventually were even bought by RadioShack

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by tonyedgecombe on Saturday October 07, 2017 @03:59AM (#15422835)

crappier Maplins

That's quite hard to imagine.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by ZenoArrow on Saturday October 07, 2017 @07:26AM (#15423355)

Maplins isn't that bad. They've got a decent range of electronic components that can be picked up in store. They might have to cater to the mass market to keep going, but at least they've not neglected hobby electronics enthusiasts.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by theyregreat on Saturday October 07, 2017 @04:01AM (#15422840)

XD It wasn’t called RatShack for nothing. ;)

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by colejohnson66 on Saturday October 07, 2017 @05:17AM (#15423024)

I’ve never heard that term before. What’s its significance?

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by abritinthebay on Saturday October 07, 2017 @09:35AM (#15423698)

Man... if you think Maplins is bad...

... my sweet summer child.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by boomboomsubban on Saturday October 07, 2017 @07:05AM (#15423299)

It's complete spread of America is why I miss it. I grew up in a town of 2,000 people and we had a RadioShack as part of the local Ben Franklin's, a chain department/art's and craft's store. Now in a town of about 30,000, I can't buy something like a SATA cable locally since it closed.

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Re:Adafruit acquires RadioShack? by jacquesm on Saturday October 07, 2017 @06:19AM (#15423179)

You may know then under the Tandy brand.

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