Photos: New Phoenix Microcenter is a 'tech-heaven' for geeks

Post by peteforde » Thu, Nov 06, 2025, 9:06 AM UTC

fragmede wrote: post #69

peteforde wrote: post #26

Can someone offer an explanation of why this is popular? I don't mean this in a crass way, I'm actually genuinely baffled to see geeks lining up for a Costco-like experience to get stuff that you can easily get online without needing to get into a car. For me, big box stores just mean markups + staff that know less than most tech reviewers on YouTube. All in an introvert's nightmare. What's the upside?

But I want it nowwwwwww. But seriously, online shipping takes longer than driving over to the store and picking the thing up. It's not just being impatient, but sometimes eg your headphones break but you have an important meeting coming up soon. The other one is, Amazon, especially, the pictures lie about the object's size after shipping. Especially for. a TVs. Sure you can use a measuring tape, but some people reall…

Post by peteforde » Thu, Nov 06, 2025, 9:08 AM UTC

nickthegreek wrote: post #61

peteforde wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're buying art, then yeah - go to a gallery. If you're buying a shrink-wrapped GPU, then I think you're romanticizing what a big box store adds to that transaction.

If you want to build a full pc, they will walk you through every component. They will optimize a build around your budget as well. i’ve had employees hand me replacements in my carts that were both better and cheaper that I overlooked. There is a bunch of overlooked value from businesses like MicroCenter that the younger generation has never even experienced.

Post by peteforde » Thu, Nov 06, 2025, 9:13 AM UTC

esalman wrote: post #62

peteforde wrote: post #26

Can someone offer an explanation of why this is popular? I don't mean this in a crass way, I'm actually genuinely baffled to see geeks lining up for a Costco-like experience to get stuff that you can easily get online without needing to get into a car. For me, big box stores just mean markups + staff that know less than most tech reviewers on YouTube. All in an introvert's nightmare. What's the upside?

There's more to life than pressing a few buttons and stuff appearing at your door.

Post by acranox » Thu, Nov 06, 2025, 12:24 PM UTC

peteforde wrote: post #26

Can someone offer an explanation of why this is popular? I don't mean this in a crass way, I'm actually genuinely baffled to see geeks lining up for a Costco-like experience to get stuff that you can easily get online without needing to get into a car. For me, big box stores just mean markups + staff that know less than most tech reviewers on YouTube. All in an introvert's nightmare. What's the upside?

Post by brandon272 » Thu, Nov 06, 2025, 2:43 PM UTC

peteforde wrote: post #76

brandon272 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has nothing to do with whether it's art or a shrink-wrapped product, different people value different things. As an example, a vehicle may be an engineering wonder or a work of art to one person and a "silly mass-produced hunk of steel" to another. And yes, I am romanticizing in-person experiences and interactions over the insistence that more and more things in life are best experienced through a phone or computer.

Hanging out in a big box electronics store is a wildly dystopian interpretation of "in-person experiences and interactions". I don't expect to establish friendships while shopping. It's never even occurred to me.