I have very fond memories of Radio Shack also. It's where my dad bought the first family computer, a Tandy 486, when I was in elementary school. The guy who s

I have very fond memories of Radio Shack also. It's where my dad bought the first family computer, a Tandy 486, when I was in elementary school. The guy who sold it to us was friendly and knowledgeable. I remember asking him how I might program the computer myself. He said "Try QuickBASIC, and make an effort to learn how to touch type. It will pay off." It was some of the best programming advice I've ever gotten. It seems like the "hacker" side of Radio Shack has fallen victim to the age of comparison shopping and online communication. For me growing up in a small town, Radio Shack was the place to go for technical advice from very smart people. And really, it was; Radio Shack was one of the few places where tech-savvy people could make money at a 9-5 with their skills and knowledge in just about every town in America. It was an ubiquitous bastion of DIY and technological enlightenment. The few times I've been to a store since childhood I've been less than impressed with both the salespeople and products. It seemed like each time I was there, another drawer had disappeared from the electronic component rack. So, whether they're changing the name or not, the real Radio Shack was gone a long time ago.