LGR - Tandy is Making Computer Products Again!
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Date: 2022-04-14
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Comments and reviews: 10
Inaflap
Radio Shack used the name Tandy for their stores in the UK. I remember a Tandy store opening in my home town back around 1986. Hobby electronics was more popular, and it was a place to find components. I recall they sold products with the Radio Shack brand. Some audio kit, like cassette recorders, were labelled Realistic, and multimeters had the Micronta branding. I bought my first analogue multimeter from that store in 86. It feels well made, and I still make use of it. I've just had to change the probes, and the fuse a few times. I was given a Realistic CTR 73 cassette recorder last year. It's decent for a shoe box type recorder and I was pleased to add it to my collection.
In the UK there is a similar store called Maplin, which has traded for decades, and used to produce a huge (usefully detailed) paper catalogue of electronics components. Last week they also went into administration. They'd turned into a store that sold overpriced Chinese remote controlled toys, disco lights and PC kit.
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Radio Shack used the name Tandy for their stores in the UK. I remember a Tandy store opening in my home town back around 1986. Hobby electronics was more popular, and it was a place to find components. I recall they sold products with the Radio Shack brand. Some audio kit, like cassette recorders, were labelled Realistic, and multimeters had the Micronta branding. I bought my first analogue multimeter from that store in 86. It feels well made, and I still make use of it. I've just had to change the probes, and the fuse a few times. I was given a Realistic CTR 73 cassette recorder last year. It's decent for a shoe box type recorder and I was pleased to add it to my collection.
In the UK there is a similar store called Maplin, which has traded for decades, and used to produce a huge (usefully detailed) paper catalogue of electronics components. Last week they also went into administration. They'd turned into a store that sold overpriced Chinese remote controlled toys, disco lights and PC kit.
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mspenrice
Typeface excepted, the general design of that packaging, right down to the colours, pretty much confirms it for me that Maplin wasn't so much the company that took over Radio Shack / Tandy in the UK as simply a weird rebrand of them. Those are totally ownbrand Maplin keyboards and mice, just with the Tandy logotype in place of the Maplin one. still in the same colour rather than the classic red.
And I wouldn't at all be surprised to find out they come from the exact same production line as the Medion and Tevion equivalents sold by Aldi and Lidl, whose packaging - and the products themselves - look fairly similar too.
And man, Realistic. I've got so many Realistic branded C120 cassettes hanging around. absolute cheapest way of getting large amounts of recording time, back in the day.
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Typeface excepted, the general design of that packaging, right down to the colours, pretty much confirms it for me that Maplin wasn't so much the company that took over Radio Shack / Tandy in the UK as simply a weird rebrand of them. Those are totally ownbrand Maplin keyboards and mice, just with the Tandy logotype in place of the Maplin one. still in the same colour rather than the classic red.
And I wouldn't at all be surprised to find out they come from the exact same production line as the Medion and Tevion equivalents sold by Aldi and Lidl, whose packaging - and the products themselves - look fairly similar too.
And man, Realistic. I've got so many Realistic branded C120 cassettes hanging around. absolute cheapest way of getting large amounts of recording time, back in the day.
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eliotime-
I'm impressed of how the actual US RadioShack stores are almost the same than peruvian ones. In 2014, peruvian RadioShack stores made an alliance with Coolbox, a company that makes some cheap electronic gadgets.
Also, I've found some cheap gadget brands like BostonTek (a. k. a. -Boston-, Teraware and some another cheap gadgets, but the peruvian RadioShack stores now are selling neat gadgets as iPhones, Chromecasts and some good gadgets.
Now, I'm using a Teraware keyboard that is practically cheap, but the typing sound is clicky.
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I'm impressed of how the actual US RadioShack stores are almost the same than peruvian ones. In 2014, peruvian RadioShack stores made an alliance with Coolbox, a company that makes some cheap electronic gadgets.
Also, I've found some cheap gadget brands like BostonTek (a. k. a. -Boston-, Teraware and some another cheap gadgets, but the peruvian RadioShack stores now are selling neat gadgets as iPhones, Chromecasts and some good gadgets.
Now, I'm using a Teraware keyboard that is practically cheap, but the typing sound is clicky.
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SkyOlo
I got used to cheap plastic tech. Yes, it still does feel bad to the hand, but i use it anyway like it's nothing. I just think to myself -Oh well, it's just plastic. - If I found a smartphone made of cheap plastic but with decent specs in my local store, I'll buy it. I don't care how cheap a tech product is made, I just want it to run decently. So yeah, I trade build quality for specs.
EDIT: What are your local tech stores in your country? In mine, there is Mediaexpert, Euro, and Komputronik.
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I got used to cheap plastic tech. Yes, it still does feel bad to the hand, but i use it anyway like it's nothing. I just think to myself -Oh well, it's just plastic. - If I found a smartphone made of cheap plastic but with decent specs in my local store, I'll buy it. I don't care how cheap a tech product is made, I just want it to run decently. So yeah, I trade build quality for specs.
EDIT: What are your local tech stores in your country? In mine, there is Mediaexpert, Euro, and Komputronik.
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Anton
I mourned the demise of the Microsoft Explorer Trackball until I finally found another trackball that i could live with Adesso iMouse T1. It has taken a beating now for a few years. It starts off with the buttons VERY Stiff, to the point I moved the main click to the right side button. Now after like 6 years, all the buttons are still very good and responsive, and much easier to press.
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I mourned the demise of the Microsoft Explorer Trackball until I finally found another trackball that i could live with Adesso iMouse T1. It has taken a beating now for a few years. It starts off with the buttons VERY Stiff, to the point I moved the main click to the right side button. Now after like 6 years, all the buttons are still very good and responsive, and much easier to press.
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Brian
General Wireless filed for bankruptcy in March 2017, after claiming its Sprint partnership was not as profitable as expected, [4] and announced plans to close all but 70[5] of their company-owned stores after Memorial Day Weekend of 2017, [1] and shift its business primarily to online. [6] In addition, approximately 425 franchises continue to operate under the RadioShack name.
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General Wireless filed for bankruptcy in March 2017, after claiming its Sprint partnership was not as profitable as expected, [4] and announced plans to close all but 70[5] of their company-owned stores after Memorial Day Weekend of 2017, [1] and shift its business primarily to online. [6] In addition, approximately 425 franchises continue to operate under the RadioShack name.
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bigemugamer
I noticed you plugged in both bluetooth dongles, my k400 and M510, bought separately, run off the same dongle, I'm assuming then Tandy does not use a similar type of 'unifying receiver' technology that Logitech uses? I have a hard time believing Tandy would force people to use multiple USB ports. could you test this LGR, I'm kinda curious, thank you.
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I noticed you plugged in both bluetooth dongles, my k400 and M510, bought separately, run off the same dongle, I'm assuming then Tandy does not use a similar type of 'unifying receiver' technology that Logitech uses? I have a hard time believing Tandy would force people to use multiple USB ports. could you test this LGR, I'm kinda curious, thank you.
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Daniel
Later on they sold a Wireless keyboard/mouse combo under the Tandy brand (they both use the same dongle) and they're much better mice and keyboards. I'm still using it, and using it right now to type and click this stuff.
The keyboard isn't perfect but it's certainly got enough spring in it's step, and the mouse is amazing.
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Later on they sold a Wireless keyboard/mouse combo under the Tandy brand (they both use the same dongle) and they're much better mice and keyboards. I'm still using it, and using it right now to type and click this stuff.
The keyboard isn't perfect but it's certainly got enough spring in it's step, and the mouse is amazing.
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DrFruikenstein
A Radio Shack that's still open?
Wow!
While I knew that they were still in business, after they closed most of the stores (only leaving the independent stores open, excepting Monroe Wisconsin, I haven't seen any more open stores in my travels at all. Note. Occupation - Truck driver. I do get around.
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A Radio Shack that's still open?
Wow!
While I knew that they were still in business, after they closed most of the stores (only leaving the independent stores open, excepting Monroe Wisconsin, I haven't seen any more open stores in my travels at all. Note. Occupation - Truck driver. I do get around.
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Konekoling
Oh hey, that's the exact same make of keyboard I have, except mine has a logitech logo slapped on
. honestly, I just got it for the sake of more easily moving my keyboard out of the way for when I'm using my drawing tablet. I'm glad I've never been one for playing games on keyboard, because it's Not Great
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Oh hey, that's the exact same make of keyboard I have, except mine has a logitech logo slapped on
. honestly, I just got it for the sake of more easily moving my keyboard out of the way for when I'm using my drawing tablet. I'm glad I've never been one for playing games on keyboard, because it's Not Great
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