4 ms·

I wouldn't bother waiting for Maplin. They made a big flap about stocking Arduino boards and kits and have they ever got any in? No! <insert rant about how Map

by meaty 14y ago

I wouldn't bother waiting for Maplin. They made a big flap about stocking Arduino boards and kits and have they ever got any in? No! <insert rant about how Maplin rocked in the 1980's but went down the pan>

Zenst 14y ago
duely noted and agree about the spread of products and there audience now compared to 1980's - certianly was more electrical enthusiast back then compared with the range of stocking junk they tend to have nowadays dominating there stores. But that said I do feel they will come true on this one as they already taken pre-orders (though going to wait so I can walk in and pop down some hard currency and walk out with one myself) http://www.maplin.co.uk/raspberrypi http://www.maplin.co.uk/raspberrypi But we shall see how history unfolds, you may be right though I have good feelings on this. Just recalled why maplins went downhill as there used to be maplins shops and tandy/radio shack shops and it was the later that sold the chinz shall we say. Now there is just maplins filling both holes.
- meaty 14y ago
  Indeed. Maplin are like an Argos these days, except the service is worse than Argos and you have to wait longer to be served, and they have less in stock, and the staff run away when you ask them anything. Looking at their £69 offer - it does look pretty good actually. If they deliver, I'll be very surprised and would consider forgiving them for a while :) Tandy - £1 for 5 resistors!! How could they possibly have failed?
  - jufo 14y ago
    On Saturday Maplin's online stock check said there were two starter kits still in stock at Wimbledon - a little over a mile away from me. There had been five in stock a few days before. I walked there and was in time to get the last one. Now there seem to be none left in the London area, and the online site says new stock is due in 16 days. Let's hope the next batch will have 512MB Pis - the Pi in my kit is in an element14 box, but is not the latest board version (not made in UK, no mounting holes).
    - Zenst 14y ago
      lucky and unlucky you. Still thanks for giving the heads up that there stock initialy was not the 512mb versions, something I think I'll definetly be checking for when I get mine.
adaml_623 14y ago
On a side note that is marginally related to the Pi. Does anybody know of any electronic stores that run electronics courses/nights to get people/kids/students involved in electronics. I know that gaming stores sometimes hold tabletop gaming nights which is logical. It seems to me that Maplin/Tandy/DSE/etc are missing a trick in terms of getting people actually interested in and knowledgeable about the things they sell.
- Evbn 14y ago
  You might have better luck at a local college. A friend learned welding at community college (after earning a four year university degree)

by meaty 14y ago

Zenst 14y ago

duely noted and agree about the spread of products and there audience now compared to 1980's - certianly was more electrical enthusiast back then compared with the range of stocking junk they tend to have nowadays dominating there stores. But that said I do feel they will come true on this one as they already taken pre-orders (though going to wait so I can walk in and pop down some hard currency and walk out with one myself) http://www.maplin.co.uk/raspberrypi http://www.maplin.co.uk/raspberrypi But we shall see how history unfolds, you may be right though I have good feelings on this. Just recalled why maplins went downhill as there used to be maplins shops and tandy/radio shack shops and it was the later that sold the chinz shall we say. Now there is just maplins filling both holes.

meaty 14y ago
Indeed. Maplin are like an Argos these days, except the service is worse than Argos and you have to wait longer to be served, and they have less in stock, and the staff run away when you ask them anything. Looking at their £69 offer - it does look pretty good actually. If they deliver, I'll be very surprised and would consider forgiving them for a while :) Tandy - £1 for 5 resistors!! How could they possibly have failed?
- jufo 14y ago
  On Saturday Maplin's online stock check said there were two starter kits still in stock at Wimbledon - a little over a mile away from me. There had been five in stock a few days before. I walked there and was in time to get the last one. Now there seem to be none left in the London area, and the online site says new stock is due in 16 days. Let's hope the next batch will have 512MB Pis - the Pi in my kit is in an element14 box, but is not the latest board version (not made in UK, no mounting holes).
  - Zenst 14y ago
    lucky and unlucky you. Still thanks for giving the heads up that there stock initialy was not the 512mb versions, something I think I'll definetly be checking for when I get mine.

adaml_623 14y ago

On a side note that is marginally related to the Pi. Does anybody know of any electronic stores that run electronics courses/nights to get people/kids/students involved in electronics. I know that gaming stores sometimes hold tabletop gaming nights which is logical. It seems to me that Maplin/Tandy/DSE/etc are missing a trick in terms of getting people actually interested in and knowledgeable about the things they sell.

Evbn 14y ago
You might have better luck at a local college. A friend learned welding at community college (after earning a four year university degree)