Well, that’s it. After more than three decades, Fry’s Electronics has closed down. There have always been electronic stores around since the 80’s, but Fry’s was a really special place for me this whole time. Not only could you buy all kinds of electronics and appliances here, but if you really wanted to, you could purchase the individual components to improve a PC, or better yet, you could actually build your own. That’s what I did for the first time back in 2004. Buying all the individual parts was way more expensive than buying a pre-made PC, and it took a lot of planning, but I’ll never forget the feeling when I turned on the finished product for the first time. I nervously watched the boot sequence run, and when it finished completely without a hitch, I actually screamed ‘It’s alive! ALIVE!’ And then, I remembered I still needed to install Windows! Building PC’s in a den is the 21st century version of building hot rods in a garage. Through the years, whenever I needed to fix up my own computer or someone else’s, Fry’s was my go-to place, and each store had its own unique identity. My two most favorite stores were in Tempe, AZ, and here in the City of Industry, CA, where I had to see for myself just what had become of this place. I know there are tons of sites online where you can good good prices on components and complete items, but there is something special about having a place where you can physically hold an item and feel it, knowing the magic you will be able to accomplish with it. There will always be places online for the masses who are buyers, but for those among us who are builders, this world is getting a lot darker, and it means we are going to have to try that much harder to build our own light. RIP, Fry’s. 💻 #fryselectronics #rip (at Fry's Electronics) https://www.instagram.com/p/CL0lBo7A7xD/?igshid=18h9sxjton5nv
