I bet the lines at Radio Shack will be longer than the lines were at Verizon Stores today for the Droid...

So after the "not so phenomenal" unveiling of Motorola Droid to USA yesterday http://bit.ly/did-droid-conquered-USA-today

Like us, other buyers are asking too, if did it really conquered america or not (like verizon promises to their "mocking" advertisement)

Now it seems, iPhone realize that they should try AT&T for a change? Dang.. shouldn't they see what will happen to droid first? before making hasty testosterone induced decisions...

Actually, Radio Shack is better than Best Buy for variety in hard-to-find parts (when you don't want to buy stuff online and wait for it to arrive). Like I recently bought a couple of LEDs from Fry's. If I didn't have a Fry's in my town, I'd probably have tried Radio Shack.

Yeah, radioshack is good for electronic components, and it has many convenient locations.

That is IF they still carry them, and not have taken them out in order to make more space for Boost Mobile phones.

Radioshack is for electronics. You go there when you want to make something with the breadboard you have lying around.

One thing that keeps them going is customer service: When you go into one of their relatively small stores, you will be promptly met by a friendly and (mostly) knowledgeable person who listens to your needs and provides multiple solutions, not just the "deal of the week" variety. I actually think they over train their people to do this. You typically won't get nearly the same service at Best Buy, Fry's or any website.

Remember, some people are so un-tech savy they really need a live guide to replace a dead video camera battery or pick & connect a bluetooth headset.

Also, Radio Shack has been re-inventing themselves for years: when I was young they sold vacuum tubes & transistor radios. They just latch on to the current market trends and follow suit.

Plus their supply of harder to find "do it yourself" parts makes them invaluable to builders when something is needed ASAP (I know Fry's blows them away at this, but Fry's isn't everywhere like the Shack is). I'm not a fanboy either, its just that I know I can go there and get what I want NOW for more money.

I do wonder if at sometime in the future the whole technology product landscape will morph into something that Radio Shack can't re-invent themselves to stay profitable in. But for now, they will be a fall back for the mall shopping mom who just needs to pick up a special adapter quickly without having to hunt for it on their own in a warehouse sized facility.

They should audit Radio Shack..

Smells of terrorist money...

USA #1

guy943: many towns with and without Fry's have specialty electronic components stores.

RadioShack is surviving due to cell phone sales. They undercut other places so you go there, then gouge the prices on everything else int he store to make up for it.

NewEgg won't help you find out which components will help you build that electronic DIY project you dreamt about in your sleep last night!

They do have a seriously awesome headset I keep buying there and an epic $6 2-year replacement plan even if I tear it to shreds. I guess I still go there then, they're the only ones with that headset. ;(

If Monster Cable can survive, so can the Shack...

Yeah, but c'mon man... Every true "geek" you're talking about in #1 on your list also knows you can go get a DPST momentary switch, some LEDs, and a project box (plastic, or the plastic with the aluminum face, your choice) at that very moment, without waiting for delivery, from Radio Shack. In fact, I can walk to one that's only a few blocks away here in NYC. And where else you gonna get the good gospel of Forrest M. Mims?

I love Fry's (when I'm in California), NewEgg is great, but I'm not mad at Radio Shack. All of these retailers can co-exist.

"T-Mobile report" = "T-Mobile rep"

Radio Shack used to be where a person could go to get tech help , now its :

You've got Questions they've got Batteries!!

Their T-Mobile rep probably did tell them that.
If they're anything like the AT&T people. "All channels 1080p" when their box can't even output 1080p and "You'll get the premium services with the HD package without subscribing to them".

radio shack is still named radio shack where i lived. they're like COMPUSA but with a tiny store and like 5 employees.

RadioShack DID NOT change it's name.

The Shack only appears in some advertising and promotional materials. Just like IHOP is still International House of Pancakes, HoJo's is still Howard Johnson's and KFC was still Kentucy Fried Chicken.

(@Link2877)

No, they just renamed themselves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

Maybe you should read up on that.

http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics26.html

With the TRS-80, you can calculate as fast as Superman!

Yeah, but MJ (somewhat ignominiously) ended up in the Washington Wizards.

soon to be named "THE 7"

It is a rather outdated name, however - it originally stood for their stores being open from 7am 'til 11pm, although they now go 24 hours a day. But it's such a great name, who would change it? I do like "The 7," though.

In some countries, 7-11 actually sells more stuff, including electronics.