The Briefing Room
General Category => Economy/Business => Topic started by: PeteS in CA on February 24, 2021, 06:21:28 pm
-
Fry’s Electronics permanently closes all stores nationwide
https://www.kron4.com/news/national/frys-electronics-permanently-closes-nationwide/ (https://www.kron4.com/news/national/frys-electronics-permanently-closes-nationwide/)
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – Fry’s Electronics is going out of business.
KRON4 has confirmed that the iconic Bay Area retailer is permanently closing the doors of all stores nationwide.
The company has changed its website so that it now just shows a goodbye message.
The message says in part,
“After nearly 36 years in business as the one-stop-shop and online resource for high-tech professionals across nine states and 31 stores, Fry’s Electronics, Inc. (“Fry’s†or “Companyâ€), has made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently as a result of changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Company will implement the shut down through an orderly wind down process that it believes will be in the best interests of the Company, its creditors, and other stakeholders.
The Company ceased regular operations and began the wind-down process on February 24, 2021. It is hoped that undertaking the wind-down through this orderly process will reduce costs, avoid additional liabilities, minimize the impact on our customers, vendors, landlords and associates, and maximize the value of the Company’s assets for its creditors and other stakeholders.â€
If you've never seen a Fry's, think of it as a Costco for electronic and electrical stuff. In its heyday its Campbell, CA store created traffic problems on the main streets where it was located. I won't call this a "Covid Death", but the Covid shutdowns and related buying habits changes probably pushed it over the edge.
-
Fry’s Electronics permanently closes all stores nationwide
https://www.kron4.com/news/national/frys-electronics-permanently-closes-nationwide/ (https://www.kron4.com/news/national/frys-electronics-permanently-closes-nationwide/)
If you've never seen a Fry's, think of it as a Costco for electronic and electrical stuff. In its heyday its Campbell, CA store created traffic problems on the main streets where it was located. I won't call this a "Covid Death", but the Covid shutdowns and related buying habits changes probably pushed it over the edge.
This has been coming for over a year, it started with them carrying less products, namely computers, motherboards and almost anything of a major brand label. I was surprised when they closed their Anaheim, Ca. store but knew what was coming when close to a year ago I went into the other local store in Huntington Beach, CA and the shelves were either empty or being greatly reduced in size and number and the employee gave me a BS reason of of reorganizing the store. The last six months most of what they carried was low end crap. Seems like all the places I used to go to get tools or electronics and such are dead and gone.
-
Many years ago, I bought a "bare bones" desktop tower from them. Basically a box with a motherboard and power supply, you supplied the hard drive, software and peripherals. It did not work at all, so I took it back and made them boot it up for me. It failed for them, too, so they brought out another. The fourth unit worked, after three boxes that were bad. They took the bad ones to the back and put them back on the shelf.
I don't think I ever set foot in a Fry's Electronics again after that.
-
This has been coming for over a year, it started with them carrying less products, namely computers, motherboards and almost anything of a major brand label. I was surprised when they closed their Anaheim, Ca. store but knew what was coming when close to a year ago I went into the other local store in Huntington Beach, CA and the shelves were either empty or being greatly reduced in size and number and the employee gave me a BS reason of of reorganizing the store. The last six months most of what they carried was low end crap. Seems like all the places I used to go to get tools or electronics and such are dead and gone.
A lot of the technoid products are going to have to be bought online, I think. Consumer electronics and electrical appliances can be bought at Best Buy, but their customer service has been less than wonderful of late.
Between less than fun access and so-so customer service, we've avoided the Fry's nearest us, the Campbell location. Traffic was not great because all four corners of the intersection had major stores at or near the corners. It was also very close to a freeway exit. Several years ago the Elephant Bar restaurant on one of the corners closed. When In-N-Out (or CfA) proposed rebuilding and using the property the city of Campbell turned them down, supposedly for traffic reasons. Now Fry's is also closed, and In-N-Out and CfA are flourishing, elsewhere, because drive-through has always been part of their business model.
-
Hate seeing another brick and mortar electronic store go bust. I actually got some good deals there, and quality was good.
Got to hand it to Best Buy, they are surviving while many of their compeitiors (including my shock at the time- Circuit City) have all fallen by the way side.
-
Get used to this headline. With Biden at the helm, everything but Target and Walmart will be shutdown.
Armagedon...it is real and coming to your neighborhood.
-
Good riddance. Their business ethics sucked.
-
Hate seeing another brick and mortar electronic store go bust. I actually got some good deals there, and quality was good.
Got to hand it to Best Buy, they are surviving while many of their compeitiors (including my shock at the time- Circuit City) have all fallen by the way side.
@catfish1957
There are two TVs in this house from Fry's, the small Acer computer I am using for this post is from there. My good computer is from Best Buy. Are you sure you and I didn't meet each other in Fry's or Best Buy?
-
This is sad. I can't say I ever enjoyed going to Fry's, but it was convenient to have one here in the off chance I needed something same-day and they had it in stock. Also, I really, really don't like to see Amazon get any more business than they already have.
For computer parts, I think Micro Center is better. I wish they would open one up here in the Pacific Northwest, but I guess brick-and-mortar expansions are on hold everywhere now.
-
I used to go to Fry's a lot as the one in Webster was close enough I could go during lunch. I built my last machine buying from Micro Center. My Go-to store for surplus electronics is EPO.
More and more I purchase online.
-
My story involves the every-shrinking retail outlets that offer Hoover Wind-Tunnel Type Y replacement bags.
Two generations-old retail hardware stores closed up and last week, the young fellow checks the store's inventory and location of the vacuum-cleaner replacement bags....come up that they're only available to order online. No longer in-store??
Bullshit!!
-
Good riddance. Their business ethics sucked.
I tried to shop them when I lived in Gwinnett Co. GA I found they seemed to practice the old master "Bait And Switch" trick on their Electronics. If you could find an associate to help you find the sale Ad items that is. "Sorry sir we sold out of that model but we do have this mo better model for only a few dollars more. And today only... we will throw in a free ....
-
Even Apple is closing stores (for other reasons):
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02/25/apple-macarthur-center-store-closing/
-
Originally when Fry's opened its first store in the bay area it had lots of electronic components, tools and test equipment well beyond just computer and home entertainment stuff. Now there are too many variations to stock making it too costly to put it all into a physical store so someone can get exactly what they are looking for in one stop. They were also notorious for lost leader items with no stock...
-
For those who build their own computers, do not scrimp on the power supply. Cheap store-brand and no-name power supplies probably violate some basic safety standards and are unlikely to be able to source their rated power for more than a few seconds without a loud noise, a bright flash, and an acrid odor. The store-brand and no-name power supplies also all but certainly scrimped on some key components that will fail in 2-5 years. If you're super curious about this, browse over to https://www.badcaps.net/forum/ , especially the "Troubleshooting Power Supplies and Power Supply Design" forum.
-
For those who build their own computers, do not scrimp on the power supply. Cheap store-brand and no-name power supplies probably violate some basic safety standards and are unlikely to be able to source their rated power for more than a few seconds without a loud noise, a bright flash, and an acrid odor. The store-brand and no-name power supplies also all but certainly scrimped on some key components that will fail in 2-5 years. If you're super curious about this, browse over to https://www.badcaps.net/forum/ , especially the "Troubleshooting Power Supplies and Power Supply Design" forum.
This is very true. I chased constant stability problems with a new system I built, ended up asking for suggestions on a forum that specializes in the motherboard brand I was using, and someone there said "it sounds like a power supply issue". This wasn't a cheap power supply - it was a good quality Corsair brand that I had used in my previous system. But I went ahead and replaced it, and sure enough, no more stability issues. Corsair replaced the supply, so I have a spare laying around in case I need it.
Some good brands are Seasonic, Corsair, EVGA. There are others, but those are three of the most popular, reputable brands.
-
Originally when Fry's opened its first store in the bay area it had lots of electronic components, tools and test equipment well beyond just computer and home entertainment stuff. Now there are too many variations to stock making it too costly to put it all into a physical store so someone can get exactly what they are looking for in one stop. They were also notorious for lost leader items with no stock...
Yes, it sort of reminded me of the old Radio Shacks where you could go buy one of a very small few electronic components. You'd buy an LED or a pack of resistors and the package looked like it had been sitting there since the 70s. I always wondered how they managed to make money on those. Even with ridiculous mark-ups, it seemed like they'd be selling it at a loss given how long they sat on the shelf before someone bought them. A fellow electrical engineer and I used to joke that they were actually just laundering money for the mob.
-
Fuk Fry's.... I miss Radio Shack.
The days of going to a store to by a potentiometer are long gone.
-
Fuk Fry's.... I miss Radio Shack.
The days of going to a store to by a potentiometer are long gone.
yeah, but just go to digikey or mouser or arrow, and get a much better selection.
-
Get used to this headline. With Biden at the helm, everything but Target and Walmart will be shutdown.
Armagedon...it is real and coming to your neighborhood.
Get used to this headline.
I agree. The dollar store of electronics can't survive this crap?
-
Fortunately (for me) there is still one place left in town that I can go for components. EPO https://epohouston.com/ (https://epohouston.com/)
I've been going to them for 30 years now.
(https://epohouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/DSD_6968-1080x385.jpg)
-
For those who build their own computers, do not scrimp on the power supply. Cheap store-brand and no-name power supplies probably violate some basic safety standards and are unlikely to be able to source their rated power for more than a few seconds without a loud noise, a bright flash, and an acrid odor. The store-brand and no-name power supplies also all but certainly scrimped on some key components that will fail in 2-5 years. If you're super curious about this, browse over to https://www.badcaps.net/forum/ , especially the "Troubleshooting Power Supplies and Power Supply Design" forum.
I've even had "Top of the Line" power supplies fail right out of the box. But I had no problem getting a replacement. It only cost me time and frustration.
What is really frustrating is when you replace a bad power supply with another brand new also bad power supply. American named companies with Chinese made products.
-
Yes, it sort of reminded me of the old Radio Shacks where you could go buy one of a very small few electronic components. You'd buy an LED or a pack of resistors and the package looked like it had been sitting there since the 70s. I always wondered how they managed to make money on those. Even with ridiculous mark-ups, it seemed like they'd be selling it at a loss given how long they sat on the shelf before someone bought them. A fellow electrical engineer and I used to joke that they were actually just laundering money for the mob.
Back in the 70's when I was a kid I loved those Radio Shack P-Box kits... The Regenerative 3 Transistor Shortwave Radio was my first...
-
Back in the 70's when I was a kid I loved those Radio Shack P-Box kits... The Regenerative 3 Transistor Shortwave Radio was my first...
yeah, Rat Shack used to actually be a cool place for people interested in basic electronics. An even better company for that was Heathkit.
-
yeah, Rat Shack used to actually be a cool place for people interested in basic electronics. An even better company for that was Heathkit.
I had/did a lot Heathkit stuff too... That was my first round of test equipment. Meters, frequency counter, oscilloscope, etc... I still have my SB-1400 HF Transceiver... I had to get rid of most of it on my last move a few years ago...
-
I had/did a lot Heathkit stuff too... That was my first round of test equipment. Meters, frequency counter, oscilloscope, etc... I still have my SB-1400 HF Transceiver... I had to get rid of most of it on my last move a few years ago...
Yeah, I reluctantly got rid of most of my ham equipment a year ago. Just no way I can do any HF stuff here. I did keep an HT. I may get back into it once I am able to relocate to a more urban area.
-
I tried to shop them when I lived in Gwinnett Co. GA I found they seemed to practice the old master "Bait And Switch" trick on their Electronics. If you could find an associate to help you find the sale Ad items that is. "Sorry sir we sold out of that model but we do have this mo better model for only a few dollars more. And today only... we will throw in a free ....
I purchased a CD/DVD drive at a North Fulton Co store. After installing it, I discovered it didn't work. But when I returned it to the store a week later, they refused to refund it because it was 'obsolete'.
-
Back in the 70's when I was a kid I loved those Radio Shack P-Box kits... The Regenerative 3 Transistor Shortwave Radio was my first...
Never seen a Fry's in my life... But Radio Shack shutting down cut like a knife, I'll tell you what.
-
Never seen a Fry's in my life... But Radio Shack shutting down cut like a knife, I'll tell you what.
Well, by the time they went they were little more than a cell phone store.
-
Well, by the time they went they were little more than a cell phone store.
That is the truth. That and several isles of different cables, wire and zip ties. The perfect store for a Antifa wanna be or serial killer..
-
That is the truth. That and several isles of different cables, wire and zip ties. The perfect store for a Antifa wanna be or serial killer..
Yeah, they kind of remind me of that cell phone store that Jimmy worked at in 'Better Call Saul'
-
Well, by the time they went they were little more than a cell phone store.
Not up in here. Granted, they were less than they had been, and I was probably less informed of them than I had been, seeing as how the only store left was up in Whitefish, and out of my normal way... But till they finally left, they remained a sturdy supply of everything electronic, even as their inventory shrunk down to a series of drawers in the back of the shop. Perhaps that was the doing of the shop owner who knew the reliance folks around had on him.
-
Not up in here. Granted, they were less than they had been, and I was probably less informed of them than I had been, seeing as how the only store left was up in Whitefish, and out of my normal way... But till they finally left, they remained a sturdy supply of everything electronic, even as their inventory shrunk down to a series of drawers in the back of the shop. Perhaps that was the doing of the shop owner who knew the reliance folks around had on him.
I miss that about Radio Shack, too. Their finished products suffered a continuous decline in quality to the point they were too unreliable to buy, but I found the loose parts a great thing. I knew where I could go to scrounge up some 4.7K Ohm resistors at 2% accuracy, or a Zener Diode that I knew would work, but now I have to mail-order that stuff and wait a few days to get it.
-
In 7th grade, I would hang out at Radio Shack every day after school because they had a TRS-80 powered up on display. That's where I learned to write BASIC.
-
I miss that about Radio Shack, too. Their finished products suffered a continuous decline in quality to the point they were too unreliable to buy [...]
That's kinda true. Two of my early CB radios were Realistic Navajo base stations... The second being my first SSB unit. After that one I shortly converted to Midland products.
-
In 7th grade, I would hang out at Radio Shack every day after school because they had a TRS-80 powered up on display. That's where I learned to write BASIC.
IIRC, the Trash 80s were on the expensive side, and all the S/W was proprietary so you were limited to what they decided to sell.
-
When searcing the web for What happened to RS I came across this:
Left for dead, twice, RadioShack gets another shot online
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/left-dead-radioshack-shot-online-74381808
-
In 7th grade, I would hang out at Radio Shack every day after school because they had a TRS-80 powered up on display. That's where I learned to write BASIC.
LOL! They had a DOS based desktop called 'Deskmate' that stayed around long after Windows got onboard... I preferred Deskmate to Windows for a very long time. Who needs multi-tasking beyond the odd TSR?
Another one that stayed with me all the way into Win2k was a gizmo called Pathminder... A little file utility that I could use with my eyes closed. I still miss it now and then.
-
That's kinda true. Two of my early CB radios were Realistic Navajo base stations... The second being my first SSB unit. After that one I shortly converted to Midland products.
In my town the RS store was in a mall between Sears and Jacque Penny. Each sold CB Radio's. I shopped all three for price. Ended up buying a Sears Model. It might have been a re-branded Cobra as Sears was famous for doing that stuff back in the 70's. I'd still have that CB if I hadn't lost it and my guns in a tragic boating accident
-
I still remember the Lotus 1-2-3 keystrokes.
-
When searcing the web for What happened to RS I came across this:
Left for dead, twice, RadioShack gets another shot online
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/left-dead-radioshack-shot-online-74381808
It exists! Just for giggles, I did a search for a 5K Ohm potentiometer, and they sell them in both linear and audio taper.
https://www.radioshack.com/
-
In my town the RS store was in a mall between Sears and Jacque Penny. Each sold CB Radio's. I shopped all three for price. Ended up buying a Sears Model. It might have been a re-branded Cobra as Sears was famous for doing that stuff back in the 70's. I'd still have that CB if I hadn't lost it and my guns in a tragic boating accident
Still have a Sears Roadtalker 40ch. in my pickup... That radio is iconic. :beer:
-
This has been coming for over a year, it started with them carrying less products, namely computers, motherboards and almost anything of a major brand label. I was surprised when they closed their Anaheim, Ca. store but knew what was coming when close to a year ago I went into the other local store in Huntington Beach, CA and the shelves were either empty or being greatly reduced in size and number and the employee gave me a BS reason of of reorganizing the store. The last six months most of what they carried was low end crap.
Seems like all the places I used to go to get tools or electronics and such are dead and gone.
@GtHawk
Do you know how to say "Thank you Masters" in Chinese?
If not,maybe someone from the Bush,Clinton,Pelosi,or McConnell families can teach you?
-
I still remember the Lotus 1-2-3 keystrokes.
Always did like Lotus better than MS. Stayed with it even when IBM was distributing it for free. But it never could get on top of MS Office. Word Perfect stayed around a while longer... I think only in legal offices.
-
Still have a Sears Roadtalker 40ch. in my pickup... That radio is iconic. :beer:
I was pretty PO'ed when the FCC upped the channels to 40, because at the same time they throttled the legal power output.
-
It exists! Just for giggles, I did a search for a 5K Ohm potentiometer, and they sell them in both linear and audio taper.
https://www.radioshack.com/
Woah. That's like a trip down the Wayback machine... Transistor radios and all!
Look at the store locator... That can't be right... I got half a mind to get in the truck and wander down to Stevensville just to see if they're still there.
-
I've even had "Top of the Line" power supplies fail right out of the box. But I had no problem getting a replacement. It only cost me time and frustration.
What is really frustrating is when you replace a bad power supply with another brand new also bad power supply. American named companies with Chinese made products.
@Elderberry
Good luck finding any electrical component these days that ISN'T made in China.
Seems like the modern "liberals" that run the Dim Party these days LUV slave labor.
-
It exists! Just for giggles, I did a search for a 5K Ohm potentiometer, and they sell them in both linear and audio taper.
https://www.radioshack.com/
No SHit! that is cool. They made the best aerosol pot cleaner back in the day. It would clean and lubricate the contacts. Can't remember the name of it now. But I need some to clean up my Marantz 2270.
Edit:
They have it! This is great.
https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-control-contact-cleaner-and-lubricant
-
Always did like Lotus better than MS. Stayed with it even when IBM was distributing it for free. But it never could get on top of MS Office. Word Perfect stayed around a while longer... I think only in legal offices.
I had WordPerfect and Borland QuattroPro, too. Once, I successfully converted a WordPerfect document into MS Word, but was never able to replicate it.
-
I was pretty PO'ed when the FCC upped the channels to 40, because at the same time they throttled the legal power output.
That was one of them places my ability to abide by the law kinda hit a gray area. I had 100 amp bi-linear running out of the pickup till maybe 10 years ago, and over 600 watts out of my base...Till uncle charlie came to town, of course. :whistle:
Probably just as well... Buying my neighbors TV filters was getting to be expensive.
-
I had WordPerfect and Borland QuattroPro, too. Once, I successfully converted a WordPerfect document into MS Word, but was never able to replicate it.
I was conversant with QuattroPro, but I supported Lotus. Till I didn't anymore (one of the last), and became an MS Office guru. I still get calls for Excel and Access. Even though I threw Office away years ago for Ooo. I just don't need office apps all that much anymore.
-
No SHit! that is cool. They made the best aerosol pot cleaner back in the day. It would clean and lubricate the contacts. Can't remember the name of it now. But I need some to clean up my Marantz 2270.
Edit:
They have it! This is great.
https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-control-contact-cleaner-and-lubricant
I could use some of that. Back on the Test Floor we called that TIC spray. "Technician In a Can."
-
No SHit! that is cool. They made the best aerosol pot cleaner back in the day. It would clean and lubricate the contacts. Can't remember the name of it now. But I need some to clean up my Marantz 2270.
Edit:
They have it! This is great.
https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-control-contact-cleaner-and-lubricant
Best stuff for that is DeOxit. They have a spray and brush on version, and make a cleaner/lube and a lube/preservative. One of my former hobbies was fixing and restoring old electronics test gear, and I've use a ton of that stuff. Works great on guitar pots and pickup switches too.
-
Best stuff for that is DeOxit. They have a spray and brush on version, and make a cleaner/lube and a lube/preservative. One of my former hobbies was fixing and restoring old electronics test gear, and I've use a ton of that stuff. Works great on guitar pots and pickup switches too.
@BassWrangler Thanks
I'll look into that. The RS site said thier brand was OOS.
-
Best stuff for that is DeOxit. They have a spray and brush on version, and make a cleaner/lube and a lube/preservative. One of my former hobbies was fixing and restoring old electronics test gear, and I've use a ton of that stuff. Works great on guitar pots and pickup switches too.
I ordered me some of that DeOxit. I have a all-house sound system with pots in every room, and an older stereo to drive it that has dirty contacts all over the front panel.
-
That was one of them places my ability to abide by the law kinda hit a gray area. I had 100 amp bi-linear running out of the pickup till maybe 10 years ago, and over 600 watts out of my base...Till uncle charlie came to town, of course. :whistle:
Probably just as well... Buying my neighbors TV filters was getting to be expensive.
That reminds me of a shipmate I had. He ran 2kw in his car. And his home rig was a 600w ham rig paralleled up to 10kw. He's just fire up more tubes if he was getting walked on. He had equipment seized by the FCC and he'd build more. He prided himself of being an active member of the Illegal Radio Operators of America.
-
That reminds me of a shipmate I had. He ran 2kw in his car. And his home rig was a 600w ham rig paralleled up to 10kw. He's just fire up more tubes if he was getting walked on. He had equipment seized by the FCC and he'd build more. He prided himself of being an active member of the Illegal Radio Operators of America.
I've got a great story, from a former coworker, related to the TRS-80 and radio.
My friend had just gotten one of the new personal computers. I think it was a TRS-80, or similar model. Now this was Back in the days when personal computers were very new, and so the only option for permanent storage was cassette tape. So this guy had written his first program, and at the end of the evening he wrote it out to tape.
This guy had a neighbor that was big into CB radio and had a big fixed installation antenna and a fairly powerful transmitter.
The next day, he wanted to work on his program some more, so he went to load it from tape. This wasn't working, and he got really frustrated that all his work was lost. He was curious if anything had made it into tape at all, so he popped the cassette into an audio cassette deck and pressed "play". Out over the speakers came "breaker breaker, come on back" (or something similar). Apparently the neighbor had been transmitting when my friend was saving his program, and there was enough interference to completely overwhelm the signal from the computer.
-
The heart of the TRS-80
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1907/5887/products/Picture_of_Zilog_Z80_CPU_IC_for_Sinclair_ZX_Spectrum_and_Amstrand_8_bit_computers_RP4UJXMP3UDQ.png?v=1510085896)
-
I never had the TRS-80. My first machine was the SYM-1 a 6502 machine that also stored to cassette. My next machine was a used 386.
-
The heart of the TRS-80
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1907/5887/products/Picture_of_Zilog_Z80_CPU_IC_for_Sinclair_ZX_Spectrum_and_Amstrand_8_bit_computers_RP4UJXMP3UDQ.png?v=1510085896)
I believe the Z80 was a child of the 8080, by Motorola?
-
I believe the Z80 was a child of the 8080, by Motorola?
Ah shit. It's about to get all geek in here now!....LOL 999yawn 999yawn
-
Ah shit. It's about to get all geek in here now!....LOL 999yawn 999yawn
Hey, it led me to a can of good TIC.
-
The Zilog Z80 was based on the Intel 8080. My first programming class was assembly of the 8080.
-
The Zilog Z80 was based on the Intel 8080. My first programming class was assembly of the 8080.
My first programming class was the first grade. :whistle:
-
My first programming class was the first grade. :whistle:
I see what you did there.
More true today than back when you were a pup.
-
I see what you did there.
More true today than back when you were a pup.
I don't know.
There was a cold war back then.
There is a cold war now.
-
That reminds me of a shipmate I had. He ran 2kw in his car. And his home rig was a 600w ham rig paralleled up to 10kw. He's just fire up more tubes if he was getting walked on. He had equipment seized by the FCC and he'd build more. He prided himself of being an active member of the Illegal Radio Operators of America.
I never could get that kind of torque out of my pickup.. I regularly burned down antennas as it was... Wound up with twin ugly sticks, plane mounted on the corners of the hood...
-
I never had the TRS-80. My first machine was the SYM-1 a 6502 machine that also stored to cassette. My next machine was a used 386.
Mine was an Apple][+. I worked at Eckerds until I had enough to buy one. My parents chipped in for a small Sony TV that was its monitor. Wish I had kept it. Those also ran in the 6502.
-
I believe the Z80 was a child of the 8080, by Motorola?
Right on the child of 8080, but 8080 was from Intel. Z80 was from Zilog.
-
Mine was an Apple][+. I worked at Eckerds until I had enough to buy one. My parents chipped in for a small Sony TV that was its monitor. Wish I had kept it. Those also ran in the 6502.
My first was a busted Radio Shack 386sx... I had to learn everything before I could fix it. For many months I would turn it on, a bunch of stuff would spit on by, and ended it up on a blinking cursor that would do nothing.
Turned out to be a pie recipe in the AUTOEXEC.BAT ... It mostly just errored every line, but it actually choked on something.
Once I figured out DOS, and how to write a standard Autoexec.bat and Config.sys, there I was, with my first free computer.
-
My first was a busted Radio Shack 386sx... I had to learn everything before I could fix it. For many months I would turn it on, a bunch of stuff would spit on by, and ended it up on a blinking cursor that would do nothing.
Turned out to be a pie recipe in the AUTOEXEC.BAT ... It mostly just errored every line, but it actually choked on something.
Once I figured out DOS, and how to write a standard Autoexec.bat and Config.sys, there I was, with my first free computer.
OH man, that is hilarious. I thought you were going to say "turned out to be a bad RAM chip" or "turned out to be a bad power supply". But then I read "pie recipe in the AUTOEXEC.BAT" and nearly spit out my coffee.
-
Mine was an Apple][+. I worked at Eckerds until I had enough to buy one. My parents chipped in for a small Sony TV that was its monitor. Wish I had kept it. Those also ran in the 6502.
I still have my SYM-1. Its been a whole lotta years since I've fired it up though.
(https://www.industrialalchemy.org/media2/pict1/sym1.jpg)
-
OH man, that is hilarious. I thought you were going to say "turned out to be a bad RAM chip" or "turned out to be a bad power supply". But then I read "pie recipe in the AUTOEXEC.BAT" and nearly spit out my coffee.
True story... :laugh:
... And where I got my affinity for software. happy77
-
I still have my SYM-1. Its been a whole lotta years since I've fired it up though.
(https://www.industrialalchemy.org/media2/pict1/sym1.jpg)
Wow! I had never heard of that one. Had to look it up. Cool!
-
I believe the Z80 was a child of the 8080, by Motorola?
The Z80 had an extended enhanced instruction set based on the 8080 instruction set. It was created by Zilog and was their first product. The first CPU I ever used was a Z80 with all the connections wire wrapped on perf board. That was back in around 1979 I believe. I still have it... I used it to make a touch tone speed dialer where you could press the # sign and two digits on any touch tone phone in your home to speed dial a stored number... I wrote the code in machine language on grid paper... I didn't have access to a computer or an assembler at that time... So I have fond memories of the Z80...
-
The Z80 had an extended enhanced instruction set based on the 8080 instruction set. It was created by Zilog and was their first product. The first CPU I ever used was a Z80 with all the connections wire wrapped on perf board. That was back in around 1979 I believe. I still have it... I used it to make a touch tone speed dialer where you could press the # sign and two digits on any touch tone phone in your home to speed dial a stored number... I wrote the code in machine language on grid paper... I didn't have access to a computer or an assembler at that time... So I have fond memories of the Z80...
OH, good heavens, wire wrap. The first real product I ever created was an electronic device to read the plastic cards used in Malcom Ving mechanical locks. I wire wrapped the prototype. You would connect one wire, and another one would break. I vowed "never again".
But that's a cool project you describe there. My first job out of college was doing telephony hardware and software. I personally have zero fond memories of any of the Intel ISA chips. But in that first post-college job I did a lot of assembly, mostly DSP, but some CISC stuff too. For CISC chips I have worked with Motorola 680x0, 6502, and 6809 chips. For DSP I worked with the Motorola 56K, and the Analog Devices 2101/2105. Really loved the 2101 in particular.
-
The Z80 had an extended enhanced instruction set based on the 8080 instruction set. It was created by Zilog and was their first product. The first CPU I ever used was a Z80 with all the connections wire wrapped on perf board. That was back in around 1979 I believe. I still have it... I used it to make a touch tone speed dialer where you could press the # sign and two digits on any touch tone phone in your home to speed dial a stored number... I wrote the code in machine language on grid paper... I didn't have access to a computer or an assembler at that time... So I have fond memories of the Z80...
I did machine language back in tech school...1981.
-
I did machine language back in tech school...1981.
Mid 80s for me. One class was enough to know that was NOT the route for me. Worse advice my advisor ever gave me and taught me to ignore her.
-
I did machine language back in tech school...1981.
I always kicked myself for not learning ASM. So elegant, efficient, and light weight. Always admired them little 64k firecrackers that can still probably do more than most modern stuff.
-
Thanks for the great memories my fellow Briefers.
-
I did machine language back in tech school...1981.
I always equated machine language with the noise on the cassette. Never knew there was an interface to write it. There was a physics teacher at my high school (nicknamed Moon Mullins) who dabbled in all of that. He created some sort of space game (TRS-80) on what seemed to be an endless 3-dimensional matrix where all the special characters stood for an object in the game. When I finally made it to high school, I was so looking forward to taking his class my senior year. But at the end of my junior year, he got laid off due to budget cuts, and Physics was turned over to an 8th-grade Earth Science teacher who had more seniority.
$&%#!@ teachers unions.
-
I had picked up my SYM-1 the summer of 81 for the first offering of a Micro Programming course, that fall, using the SYM that everyone had to buy. There wasn't much literature on it. It was based on the MOS Commodore KIM-1( the first single-board computer). I found the Wumpus (https://github.com/jefftranter/6502/tree/master/asm/KIM-1/TheFirstBookOfKIM/Games/Wumpus) game in a KIM-1 book and was able to hack it to get it to run on the SYM.
-
I had picked up my SYM-1 the summer of 82 for the first offering of a Micro Programming course, that fall, using the SYM that everyone had to buy. There wasn't much literature on it. It was based on the MOS Commodore KIM-1( the first single-board computer). I found the Wumpus (https://github.com/jefftranter/6502/tree/master/asm/KIM-1/TheFirstBookOfKIM/Games/Wumpus) game in a KIM-1 book and was able to hack it to get it to run on the SYM.
Ah, Wumpus! That brings back some memories.
-
I always equated machine language with the noise on the cassette. Never knew there was an interface to write it. There was a physics teacher at my high school (nicknamed Moon Mullins) who dabbled in all of that. He created some sort of space game (TRS-80) on what seemed to be an endless 3-dimensional matrix where all the special characters stood for an object in the game. When I finally made it to high school, I was so looking forward to taking his class my senior year. But at the end of my junior year, he got laid off due to budget cuts, and Physics was turned over to an 8th-grade Earth Science teacher who had more seniority.
$&%#!@ teachers unions.
That would suck. In college I took awesome elective on the topic of Science Fiction. The class was taught by Bud Foote, who in addition to being a full professor was a published, although lesser-known, sci-fi author. The course was taught at a local bar, and consisted of reading assignments which you would then discuss over beers at the bar. Half-way through the class, the college lawyers decided this was a bad idea, and the class was cancelled. We all got an "A" in the class, but it sucked because this was one class everyone looked forward to.
-
I always equated machine language with the noise on the cassette. Never knew there was an interface to write it. There was a physics teacher at my high school (nicknamed Moon Mullins) who dabbled in all of that. He created some sort of space game (TRS-80) on what seemed to be an endless 3-dimensional matrix where all the special characters stood for an object in the game. When I finally made it to high school, I was so looking forward to taking his class my senior year. But at the end of my junior year, he got laid off due to budget cuts, and Physics was turned over to an 8th-grade Earth Science teacher who had more seniority.
$&%#!@ teachers unions.
When I was in High Screwl they eliminated Advanced Chemistry right before I qualified to take it, after a year I took both Physics and Chemistry for that reason.
-
When I was in High Screwl they eliminated Advanced Chemistry right before I qualified to take it, after a year I took both Physics and Chemistry for that reason.
They figured yall would make LSD. 888high58888
-
My last semester of Jr. High the Chem teacher left and a biology teacher taught the class. She didn't have a clue. Daily discussion was " who wants to show their homework on the board. No labs at all. Now my college Organic Chem lab was Righteous! It was scheduled as a six hour lab once a week and I don't think I ever got finished under 4-1/2 hrs.
-
...
Some good brands are Seasonic, Corsair, EVGA. There are others, but those are three of the most popular, reputable brands.
In OEM computers, e.g. HP, Dell, etc. Delta Products (a former employer, BTW), Lite On, and AcBel are good brands.
I've even had "Top of the Line" power supplies fail right out of the box. But I had no problem getting a replacement. It only cost me time and frustration.
What is really frustrating is when you replace a bad power supply with another brand new also bad power supply. American named companies with Chinese made products.
Computer power supply companies are mostly or all Asian. And their manufacturing is done in Asia. Delta does some medium volume production in Thailand.
I do remember, from the late 80s, a Korean power supply company with an English name that probably had a different cultural connotation in Korean than it did in English, "Torch". :silly:
-
They figured yall would make LSD. 888high58888
Good point. We had one guy distilling silver from old photography negatives, one who distilled apples until he got something 175 Proof, while I worked on contact explosives. I tarnished the crap out of my white gold class ring with Chlorine that way....
I was more likely to cook up DMT than LSD, anyway......
-
The Zilog Z80 was based on the Intel 8080. ...
Mot's uPs were the 6800 (8-bit) and 68000 (16- and 32- bit) series. The Deciduous Fruit Computer Company used to use 68000 series uPs in Macs. The original F-18 panel display used Am2900 family bit-slice processor ICs. I'm an analog guy and worked on the HUD.
Zilog's Z80 was 8-bit. They had a 16-bit Z8000 but it didn't take off. IIRC, RCA had an 8-bit uP that didn't get much market share, the 6500.
-
When my son was in Nuke school, he picked up a 74 vette and shortly after he had a supposedly good mechanic put a crate engine in it for him. My son noticed a vibration driving it and just then he got his orders for a sub homeported in Guam. I stored his vette for him and I discovered that the mechanic had used the orig flexplate and harmonic balancer from an internally balanced 454 for the externally balanced 454 crate engine. The torque conv. only has 3 bolts that tie it to the replaced flexplate so I wanted to use new bolts. I can't tell you how many auto parts and speed shops I went to and all of them only sold Chinese bolts. That was back when Counterfeit Chinese bolts was all over the news. I ended up ordering US Made bolts from McMaster-Carr. A box of 50 gr8 US bolts was cheaper than the 3 plastic bagged Chinese bolts sold by the autoparts stores.
-
Back in the early-mid 70s Honeywell used to have a surplus components warehouse/store in west Phoenix. All kinds of stuff from precision resistors to semis and more. Great for electronics students and hobbyists!
Some companies who do manufacturing in China treat their employees well ... some not so much. The latter have the kind of employee turn-over and quality you would expect from that kind of environment.
-
They figured yall would make LSD. 888high58888
I got kicked out of high school chemistry.
(Redneck + chemicals)= Guess why... You'll be right.
-
They figured yall would make LSD. 888high58888
I made nitro-glycerin in my chemistry class...
-
Mot's uPs were the 6800 (8-bit) and 68000 (16- and 32- bit) series. The Deciduous Fruit Computer Company used to use 68000 series uPs in Macs. The original F-18 panel display used Am2900 family bit-slice processor ICs. I'm an analog guy and worked on the HUD.
Zilog's Z80 was 8-bit. They had a 16-bit Z8000 but it didn't take off. IIRC, RCA had an 8-bit uP that didn't get much market share, the 6500.
The RCA 1802... I had forgotten about that one. I wrote some code in assembly for those at one time... If I remember correctly it used a register file where any of the math/logic operations could be applied directly to any register in the register file instead of the traditional single accumulator where everything had to be move in and out of it to operate on data. The register file was 16 registers deep I think.
-
I was conversant with QuattroPro, but I supported Lotus. Till I didn't anymore (one of the last), and became an MS Office guru. I still get calls for Excel and Access. Even though I threw Office away years ago for Ooo. I just don't need office apps all that much anymore.
Anyone remember XyWrite?
-
When my son was in Nuke school, he picked up a 74 vette and shortly after he had a supposedly good mechanic put a crate engine in it for him. My son noticed a vibration driving it and just then he got his orders for a sub homeported in Guam. I stored his vette for him and I discovered that the mechanic had used the orig flexplate and harmonic balancer from an internally balanced 454 for the externally balanced 454 crate engine. The torque conv. only has 3 bolts that tie it to the replaced flexplate so I wanted to use new bolts. I can't tell you how many auto parts and speed shops I went to and all of them only sold Chinese bolts. That was back when Counterfeit Chinese bolts was all over the news. I ended up ordering US Made bolts from McMaster-Carr. A box of 50 gr8 US bolts was cheaper than the 3 plastic bagged Chinese bolts sold by the autoparts stores.
Yeah, and that Chinese steel is often surplus metal with all kinds of contaminants in it - total crap. That's why the premium knife makers that make knives in China (via companies like We Knives) supply their own steel from outside China. China has awesome CNC machining, PCB fab, and assembly, but you have to be VERY careful to make sure counterfeit components don't slip into your supply chain and that good components don't vanish from your supply chain (i.e. theft), as well as make sure that corners don't get cut in the manufacturing. Basically you have a technically very advanced society with the ethics of 1970s era Soviets.
-
Anyone remember XyWrite?
I do rember Quatro Pro, but don't think I ever used XYWrite. I do remember a program named "WordStar" (IIRC, that was the name).
Also, one of my favorite programs of all times - Micrografx Designer.
-
OH, good heavens, wire wrap. The first real product I ever created was an electronic device to read the plastic cards used in Malcom Ving mechanical locks. I wire wrapped the prototype. You would connect one wire, and another one would break. I vowed "never again".
But that's a cool project you describe there. My first job out of college was doing telephony hardware and software. I personally have zero fond memories of any of the Intel ISA chips. But in that first post-college job I did a lot of assembly, mostly DSP, but some CISC stuff too. For CISC chips I have worked with Motorola 680x0, 6502, and 6809 chips. For DSP I worked with the Motorola 56K, and the Analog Devices 2101/2105. Really loved the 2101 in particular.
My DSP experience is limited to TI 54 series parts and the TI assembler. Used them for fast acquisition in satellite demodulators where the other logic was done in FPGA. Now I do everything in the FPGA.
-
In OEM computers, e.g. HP, Dell, etc. Delta Products (a former employer, BTW), Lite On, and AcBel are good brands.
Computer power supply companies are mostly or all Asian. And their manufacturing is done in Asia. Delta does some medium volume production in Thailand.
I do remember, from the late 80s, a Korean power supply company with an English name that probably had a different cultural connotation in Korean than it did in English, "Torch". :silly:
You forgot Meanwell. I've designed a few 3d-printable cases for Meanwell power supplies. They are very popular with the 3D printing community.
-
I got kicked out of high school chemistry.
(Redneck + chemicals)= Guess why... You'll be right.
Did the school survive?
-
OH, good heavens, wire wrap. The first real product I ever created was an electronic device to read the plastic cards used in Malcom Ving mechanical locks. I wire wrapped the prototype. You would connect one wire, and another one would break. I vowed "never again".
Wire-wrapping was all in the stripping. The tiniest nick and the wire breaks right at the edge of the insulation.
-
My high school chemistry teacher was the Unabomber.
-
I do rember Quatro Pro, but don't think I ever used XYWrite. I do remember a program named "WordStar" (IIRC, that was the name).
Also, one of my favorite programs of all times - Micrografx Designer.
I used WordStar a lot. I hated to see it go. Another program I used a lot was Interleaf.
-
I got kicked out of high school chemistry.
Same here. Chemistry II. It's amazing what you can do with some powdered aluminum and ferric oxide.
-
Same here. Chemistry II. It's amazing what you can do with some powdered aluminum and ferric oxide.
I'm more partial to powdered aluminum and copper oxide.
-
Anyone remember XyWrite?
Yes I do...
(https://winworldpc.com/res/img/screenshots/4-35653304e512919df267fff1a67bd232-XyWrite%204%20-%20Edit.png)
That fateful little 386sx i fixed became an immense game changer for my business...
It contained a little DOS business suite called PFS: First Choice.
(https://winworldpc.com/res/img/screenshots/1x-085d87013f27bdc82b30535f0d662915-PFS%20First%20Choice%201.04%20-%20WordProcessor.png)
My flailing about in that computer finally found me in Deskmate, which was Tandy's DOS GUI, which held links to PFS: First Choice. There I found eventually, the power of a rather rudimentary spreadsheet system... one that wholly changed my bidding and take-off practices, turning much of that process into boilerplate automatic calculations.
I could probably still make a decent living doing take-offs for construction. But that was where it really started for me... Along with a need for a laptop so my partner and I could continue to do our takeoffs late at night at the big round table in the back of Perkins over chili fries...
What a magnificent ride.
-
Did the school survive?
Yes. It was FINE. My buddy Rory lived across the street from the high school... There was a big stump in the back yard. It did not survive. Nor did the shed it landed on... Which was in the neighbor's yard... And a few shattered windows... No more than thirty or so... Your basic fertilizer bomb, it turns out.
As restitutions go, it was perhaps my least costly. I had replaced all the glass I could, paid for the rest, and rebuilt the shed, all by the end of that summer.
Still, considering my obvious talent, I was forever banished from any sort of mixing of things... Till I started working road crew and became a powder monkey's assistant. I had thought it my calling, blowing sh*t up... Till I discovered that it was a common thing among my peers. :shrug:
-
Yes I do...
(https://winworldpc.com/res/img/screenshots/4-35653304e512919df267fff1a67bd232-XyWrite%204%20-%20Edit.png)
That fateful little 386sx i fixed became an immense game changer for my business...
It contained a little DOS business suite called PFS: First Choice.
(https://winworldpc.com/res/img/screenshots/1x-085d87013f27bdc82b30535f0d662915-PFS%20First%20Choice%201.04%20-%20WordProcessor.png)
My flailing about in that computer finally found me in Deskmate, which was Tandy's DOS GUI, which held links to PFS: First Choice. There I found eventually, the power of a rather rudimentary spreadsheet system... one that wholly changed my bidding and take-off practices, turning much of that process into boilerplate automatic calculations.
I could probably still make a decent living doing take-offs for construction. But that was where it really started for me... Along with a need for a laptop so my partner and I could continue to do our takeoffs late at night at the big round table in the back of Perkins over chili fries...
What a magnificent ride.
I used XyWrite for many years...
Anyone use Mouse Systems mice way back when? They were the first optical mouse and required a pad with faint horizontal and vertical stipes that were different colors. They were precision mice excellent for engineering work. One of the first PC based PCB schematic capture and layout tools was PCAD. It came out about the time the IBM AT was released. Used that for many years too...
-
Yes I do...
(https://winworldpc.com/res/img/screenshots/4-35653304e512919df267fff1a67bd232-XyWrite%204%20-%20Edit.png)
That fateful little 386sx i fixed became an immense game changer for my business...
It contained a little DOS business suite called PFS: First Choice.
(https://winworldpc.com/res/img/screenshots/1x-085d87013f27bdc82b30535f0d662915-PFS%20First%20Choice%201.04%20-%20WordProcessor.png)
My flailing about in that computer finally found me in Deskmate, which was Tandy's DOS GUI, which held links to PFS: First Choice. There I found eventually, the power of a rather rudimentary spreadsheet system... one that wholly changed my bidding and take-off practices, turning much of that process into boilerplate automatic calculations.
I could probably still make a decent living doing take-offs for construction. But that was where it really started for me... Along with a need for a laptop so my partner and I could continue to do our takeoffs late at night at the big round table in the back of Perkins over chili fries...
What a magnificent ride.
ZyWrite was really good at search and replace in big files. It was very fast compared to just about everything else.