[TriLUG] Intrex going out of business 15 Dec

[Joseph Mack NA3T via TriLUG]

On Mon, 26 Nov 2018, Brian Daniels via TriLUG wrote:

> It's a shame that things are so bad that they aren't going to try 
> falling back to fewer locations or reduced hours. 

I think they've already tried this. They merged the Chapel Hill and Durham 
location in to one at Patterson place a couple of years ago. I assume the loop 
gain has dropped below 1. It's like a species going extinct when none of the 
individuals can support themselves.

> Going to be really annoying when you need a network cable or a power supply 
> right now, and only have the overpriced Best Buy stuff to choose from.

I liked getting free advice and assurance that although they only had a limited 
selection, the device they carried, was the one from that segment of devices 
with the lowest returns.

I remember asking Tim one day which of two devices I should get. He pointed to 
the expensive one. I said "you're only saying that because you get more money 
for selling that one". He calmly said "I get less for selling that one than I do 
for selling the cheap one". He then gave me his margins on both devices. I 
didn't know how they could stay in business with the slim margins he quoted. 
After that I knew I could trust the people there. I've always taken their advice 
and I've never had any problems because of it. I'm happy to pay the extra cost 
to buy from them as I regard it as the cost of having a local business that 
helps you. You don't get help from Worst Buy.

> We're supposedly one of the tech hubs of the Southeast, but you sure couldn't 
> tell it from our retail options.

I called congress person David Price's office in DC a couple of years back and 
asked what he was doing to foster the area as a tech hub. The phone answerer 
asked what I meant.

I said that the boosters who'd created RTP back in the 70's (Soul of a New 
Machine) and earlier has all passed on and that RTP was being left to run on 
momentum without leadership, while other areas in the country were forging 
ahead.

The phone answerer had no idea, itself a bad omen, and said to call back a 
couple of days later.

I did.

What David Price had done to help RTP stay ahead was to vote for infrastructure,
which I took to mean roads and sewers.

As a result, I don't vote for David Price.

Joe

-- 
Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
jmack (at) wm7d (dot) net - azimuthal equidistant
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