# ANOTHER electronics store? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 14, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001 "2004-04-14T17:49:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/1 "2004-04-14T17:49:33Z")
They are building a Fry’s Electronics near me. It’s about half a mile from our Circuit City, Best Buy, and CompUSA. Makes you wonder where “a competitive environment” ends and “that’s just crazy” begins. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/2 "2004-04-14T17:59:45Z")
By my work here in Woodland Hills, Circuit City, CompUSA, and Staples are all in the same strip mall. Best buy is across the street, Good Guys is caty-corner, and Fry’s is right down the street. You’d think this would create a more competitive sales environment, but they’ve all had the same prices on anything I was looking to buy. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/3 "2004-04-14T18:33:59Z")
Normally I would agree with you, but I love Fry’s with an unholy passion. They often have killer sales on software or computer components which are slightly behind the cutting edge curve – I’ve been able to keep my computer nice and speedy for next to nothing thanks to Fry’s. Plus, it’s the only electronics store I know of that actually has _electronics_. Like resistors and multimeters sort of electronics. Try buying a resistor at Best Buy. [sub]Hmmm, maybe I’ll stop by Fry’s on the way home. It has been almost a week since I was there last…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/4 "2004-04-14T18:36:08Z")
**Max\_Castle,** I worked in that same area (in the 20th Century Insurance building), and I completely concur. The overabundance of electronics stores is especially confusing, given that Woodland Hills doesn’t seem to have a heavy geek population… **dropzone,** what’s the theme of the new Fry’s gonna be? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/5 "2004-04-14T18:50:07Z")
Fry’s Electronics is truly awesome. When people visit silicon valley from out of town and I want to give them a quick taste of what the culture here really is, I take them to Fry’s. The best thing about Fry’s used to be the way each store had a theme, although they seem to be backing away from that. The new Sunnyvale store (which is at least the third, and maybe the fourth, location they’ve had within about a 4 block radius) is even bigger. But it appears to have no theme. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/6 "2004-04-14T19:12:55Z")
You can have _too many_ electronics stores? ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/7 "2004-04-14T19:44:10Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Fry’s Electronics is truly awesome. When people visit silicon valley from out of town and I want to give them a quick taste of what the culture here really is, I take them to Fry’s. Huh? Are you guys for real? I consider myself a few steps away from Geekdom, but I’m definitely a gadget/electronics/toys/computer enthusiast. Fry’s is the most unholy of places. I prefer bamboo torture and genital mutilation to Fry’s shitty customer service, dubious business practices and general “shit on the consumer” attitude. I like the prices, but 9 times out of 10, ordering online is preferable and some times even cheaper. If not the same price and cheaper, it certainly does my blood presure some good not to have to wait 4 hours in the return line because some fucking shitbird decided to purchase something and return it missing pieces and parts and it was just resealed and placed back on the shelf, sans return label. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/8 "2004-04-14T20:49:42Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > I consider myself a few steps away from Geekdom, but I’m definitely a gadget/electronics/toys/computer enthusiast. Fry’s is the most unholy of places. I prefer bamboo torture and genital mutilation to Fry’s shitty customer service, dubious business practices and general “shit on the consumer” attitude. Although I would never claim Fry’s has great customer service, I have found that places like Best Buy and CompUSA have far far worse. I’ve yet to encounter an employee at either store on the sales floor (a rarity in itself) who wasn’t 16 years old and completely untrained (unless being taught to lie to some old lady about how she absolutely needs a $3000 Pentium 4 with the latest graphics card and DVD burner to surf the web and send email counts as trained). Ugh. Fry’s is great if you’re a geek who knows what you need. If you don’t know what you need, these days you’re pretty much screwed no matter where go. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/9 "2004-04-14T20:59:08Z")
Jesus, I’ve never even heard of Fry’s ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/10 "2004-04-14T21:23:20Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Fry’s is great if you’re a geek who knows what you need. If you don’t know what you need, these days you’re pretty much screwed no matter where go. I realize this. Unfortunately, 9/10’s of all the stuff I buy from them(RAM, Hard drives, Etc), require that I put up with their shit. Man do I have some good stories about Frys! LoL 😃 Sam ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/11 "2004-04-14T22:41:04Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > They often have killer sales on software or computer components which are slightly behind the cutting edge curve Hmmmmm, granted, I’d have to upgrade through several generations to get to that point\* but they thought is nice. > [@](#): > > …for next to nothing the sweetest words! > [@](#): > > Plus, it’s the only electronics store I know of that actually has _electronics_. Like resistors and multimeters sort of electronics. Really? :dubious: REALLY? Perhaps I spoke too soon! - - Another group I belong to is reinventing the Tandy Model 100 for the 21st century. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/12 "2004-04-14T23:26:35Z")
Well, my \* guess \* is that at least a few of the chains you mentioned are not long for this world. At least my local CompUSA has been looking mighty barren of customers everytime I’ve been in there lately. And my local Circuit City has failed to impress me with its prices. And in my experience, electronics chains have a finite lifetime. So you may just be witnessing evolution in action here. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/13 "2004-04-14T23:29:50Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > They are building a Fry’s Electronics near me. It’s about half a mile from our Circuit City, Best Buy, and CompUSA. Makes you wonder where “a competitive environment” ends and “that’s just crazy” begins. Ah, the one on Finley right by 355? For the longest time, my friends and I thought that was going to be another movie theater. I’ll be interested in taking a look. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/14 "2004-04-14T23:34:02Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Well, my \* guess \* is that at least a few of the chains you mentioned are not long for this world. At least my local CompUSA has been looking mighty barren of customers everytime I’ve been in there lately. And my local Circuit City has failed to impress me with its prices. And in my experience, electronics chains have a finite lifetime. So you may just be witnessing evolution in action here. Well, since CompUSA bought The Good Guys, I’d say they were doing pretty good as a company. Don’t look for them to close up shop anytime soon. Sam ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/15 "2004-04-15T18:14:10Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > Ah, the one on Finley right by 355? You betcha. And you, are you of that general neighborhood? I live in Lombard and work in Lisle so it’s one of my main ways to & fro. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/16 "2004-04-16T00:03:10Z")
I live in Westmont (really close to Darien, though) and work just off of Highland and 31st in Downers Grove (says “Microsoft” on the side pointing west - look at the side facing north, third floor from top, third window from the right, then WAVE! That’s my desk). I have a good friend who lives in the apartments right by Finley and Roosevelt, so I pass by that Fry’s site somewhat regularly. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/17 "2004-04-16T03:08:32Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > Huh? Are you guys for real? > > I consider myself a few steps away from Geekdom, but I’m definitely a gadget/electronics/toys/computer enthusiast. Fry’s is the most unholy of places. I prefer bamboo torture and genital mutilation to Fry’s shitty customer service, dubious business practices and general “shit on the consumer” attitude. I can’t disagree with that… and yet, I can’t stop shopping at Fry’s either. The massive overwhelmingness of it just rubs me the right way. It’s like Las Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/18 "2004-04-16T18:51:21Z")
> [@GaWd](#): > > I consider myself a few steps away from Geekdom, but I’m definitely a gadget/electronics/toys/computer enthusiast. Fry’s is the most unholy of places. I prefer bamboo torture and genital mutilation to Fry’s shitty customer service, dubious business practices and general “shit on the consumer” attitude. For big stuff I stopped expecting miracles anywhere when I realized the name of the store was Best Buy and not Best Service, though I have received such good service there recently I asked if they had put everybody on commission As for parts stores, we had one run by nice, helpful people for about a year but otherwise Comic Book Guy could easily be Electronics Guy or Computer Guy. Nothing unexpected out of geeks. **interface2x** , that would require me driving down Highland during rush hour. Not that it gets crowded, it’s just a lot of stop lights. We really should lobby for better representation for the western burbs when planning ChiDopes, though, with a little less emphasis on the North Side of Chicago. Maybe we could even get Dinsdale (Glen Ellyn) to come out of retirement for one. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/19 "2004-04-16T18:56:46Z")
> [@](#): > > By my work here in Woodland Hills, Circuit City, CompUSA, and Staples are all in the same strip mall. Best buy is across the street, Good Guys is caty-corner, and Fry’s is right down the street. You’d think this would create a more competitive sales environment, but they’ve all had the same prices on anything I was looking to buy. See, I live right in that same area, and I used to have the same dilemma, 'til I just decided to say “Screw it” and just go to Fry’s. CompUSA is nice and quaint, but they’re overhyped and rely too much on their proprietary brand. Best Buy is only good if you find a sale. Good Guys appeals to higher-end electronics buyers. Fry’s rocks. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001/20 "2004-04-16T23:23:25Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > **interface2x** , that would require me driving down Highland during rush hour. Not that it gets crowded, it’s just a lot of stop lights. You can wave at me from the Von Maur at Yorktown, I’ve got a clear view of that baby 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-electronics-store/240001.md?page=2)