[Coco] At RadioShack, a history of hits and missed chances

[Rob Rosenbrock]

>
> On Oct 6, 2014, at 10:27 AM, Frank Pittel <fwp at deepthought.com> wrote:
>
>> While the hobbyist and DIY market is huge I don't think that it's
>> bigger then ever. Anyone remember Heath Kits and the various
>> electronics magazines from the 70s What's happened is that the
>> nature of it has changed! It used to be mostly ham operators, etc
>> but now has moved away from that and towards microcontroller
>> based projects with a large emphasis on home made robotics.
>
> The microcontroller projects is what has greatly increased the size of the
> market. It's no longer just electronics hobbyists that are doing
> electronics. When I went to Maker Faire in San Mateo last year, the place
> was *packed* so much you could barely move through the crowd. There's now
> lots and lots of people & children that are interested in creating art,
> doing something with crafts but want to add some blinky lights, music
> people, and more that aren't trying to make electronics a hobby, but are
> turning to simple microcontroller projects to do what they need to do. And
> those are definitely the kind of people that are going to be going
> in-store to get some parts so they can follow along with whatever guide or
> video they found on the internet. They won't want to wait a few weeks just
> so they can save a couple of bucks, they're the type that want to "rapid
> prototype" and won't think twice of purchasing from a store that's nearby,
> as long as the parts are there to get them going.

Radio Shack kits may not have been on the level as those of Heathkit, but
they did expose many people to electronics who might not have otherwise.
These type of kits may be available online, but having them in the stores
makes them more readily available. (Especially for those who do not have a
credit card or PayPal account)