Oliver P. wrote:

> Nice thing about radio shack is that they are open 7 days a week and they
> are located pretty much everywhere,

  One must remember that our experience in this country may be quite
different.  Even in major shopping centres (malls to you?), they are not
necessarily open Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

> to me that sounds cheaper then saving a few dimes and waiting for
> delivery or driving across the country just to get that last piece to
> finsh your project.

  Stock of components, as against pre-built products, has never been a
forte in this country I fear.

> Afterall time is money.

  But for item after item, money is money too!

  I sent this to someone else directly:

  "Essentially, the only components I have bought from them have been
sell-off stock, or the occasional "special".  Such as a pack of coloured
alligator clip leads, or a voice synthesiser chip when they dropped that
line.

  It is rather sad too, that all the important components seem to
appear as an item priced way beyond their value, do not sell (due
to the price of course) then shortly fall foul of the stock policy
which says that they did not sell, so they are dropped at disposals
price and of course sell out in days!

  What appears in the US to be a useful supplier of serious components
functions here as an over-priced ***-*** seller of poor quality rej****
from As*** manufacture."

  Cheers,
        Paul B.