computer store

Random Computer Store Images Dump

~ mpklamerus ~ Leave a comment

The dumping of images I originally posted on the CompStoreVisuals accounts on Twitter and Cohost continues. I’ve been looking through both accounts since the Cohost one is shutting down soon and it looks like even the Twitter account is starting to get screwy, probably from the site decaying. All of these are also on the Mastodon account but I would feel better having them somewhere else too.

This one was found somewhere on Flickr

image of a decaying building that just says "Computers"

These were submitted by Martijn of DOS Game Club

photo from across the street of a white building that says "Gooil@nd Computers"
photo but closer from across the street of a white building that says "Gooil@nd Computers"

This is Software Dschungel (Software Jungle) in Vienna, Austria.

Photo found by @/Kloennes on Twitter who said “Great store that sadly closed down about 10 years ago.”

front of a computer store that says Software Dschungel but has a monkey holding the logo and a cd-rom for the O

Computer Store Photo Dump: The Computer Store in Alabama

~ mpklamerus ~ Leave a comment

Still going through Twitter and Cohost posts for my CompStoreVisuals account and reposting them here since that’s more permanent. I saw that the site for The Computer Store in Mobile, Alabama is down (tcs360.com) and there hasn’t been a facebook post in a few years, so I’m assuming the store is gone now. So I suppose enjoy these pictures of the dog and as a record of a place that’s no longer around.

outside of the store with a basic sign saying The Computer Store and a dog peeking through the door
some older macs in boxes and on a table and a dog laying on a pillow
a sign saying "Ask about our custom built PC Desktops!!! starting at $399.95 only at the computer store" and a picture of a desktop computer
photo of a desk with a mac on it and shelves with computer parts. There's a poster saying "Why Mac?" and bullet points on it

Random CompUSA Link Dump

~ mpklamerus ~ 1 Comment

The process of copying over all my posts from Cohost before the shutdown continues, here’s some more things you might like to look at. You can find more of these posts here.

This blog contains a few photos of a CompUSA store.

Here is a short YouTube video of people buying Windows 95 on launch day at CompUSA and Egghead Software.

And here is a random photo of the kids section at a CompUSA. I think I just grabbed this from a google image search

the kids section of CompUSA that has a sign saying Comp Kids and looks like a short and planet

Computer Store Photo Dump: Scrubbin’ Bubbles

~ mpklamerus ~ Leave a comment

Since Cohost has now been confirmed to be winding down and will be read only until the end of the year before shutting down, I will start posting here (hopefully almost daily) with all the stuff that I posted on the CompStoreVisuals account there. I think most, if not all, of this should already be on the Mastodon account but I wanted to have something more permanent for the photos and videos I’m posting. Apologies for what will feel like computer store spam for a while. The “Thoughts on Cohost” post will arrive eventually (TLDR: Not a perfect site but I’m sad) but until then, enjoy?

This photo is one I actually took a long time ago on my phone. The place is now gone.

Sign for Scrubbin Bubbles
Westland, Michigan, United States

a sign saying Scrubbing Bubbles Coin Laundry Tanning & Computer Cafe

Computer Store Photo Dump: Celebs at CompUSA

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I’m not actually sure where any of these pictures originally came from on the web and I can’t find them anymore. So for the sake of preserving important computer history, here are photos of famous people at CompUSA. If you would like more, here’s some pictures from Getty Images of Bill Gates signing copies of Windows 95 and a couple of Steve Ballmer. Depending on your definition of famous, here’s some of Richard Garriott and Warren Spector at Egghead Software. So uhhhhh, enjoy!

picture of Emmanual Lewis giving a thumbs up next to an employee
Emmanual Lewis from the show Webster
Andre 3000 standing next to an employee at the store.
Andre 3000 from Outkast
Steven Seagal shaking hands with an employee
Steven Seagal, actor and Russian propoganda tool

Computer Store Photo Dump: Computer City in Hawaii

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Sometimes between the time when I posted this to my computer store social media account a few years ago and now, most of the archives for this newspaper went down so I thought I would repost the Wayback Machine link for the Star Bulletin reporting in 1998 that the Computer City stores in its Waikele and Kakaako locations closed pending a $275 million acquisition by CompUSA. I just realized now that this lines up with when my local Computer City in Northville, Michigan had closed after only being open for two years. From browsing Wikipedia, it sounds like CompUSA had no interest in keeping the Computer City brand and either closed the stores (mine was fairly close to a CompUSA) or converted them to CompUSA stores.

a man and woman pushing boxes on a cart out of a Computer City store
From the Star-Bulletin: “Dr. Doug Johnson of Kaimuki is assisted by Computer City
associate Nancy Tapia, while he carts off the very last computer
system sold at Computer City’s Victoria Ward store. The store
is now closed, making way for Pier 1 Imports.“

I also came across this article about a Computer City opening.

Sales associates John Powell, left, talks with Edmund Chu and his brother, Richard Chu, about Apple computers in the new Computer City store on Auahi Street, across from Ward Centre in Kakaako.
Photo by Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

Computer Store Photo Dump: State Street Computer

~ mpklamerus ~ 1 Comment

Here is a series of ads for a place called State Street Computer in Ann Arbor, Michigan showing the initial excitement for the Amiga, ads selling the computer, and then the final ad for the store showing their liquidation sale. I don’t have dates for all the ads because I saved these images a while ago and didn’t take notes then, but I can guess that it’s roughly from the mid 80’s to the very late 80’s or very early 90’s. These images came from looking through local newspapers and also from the Ann Arbor District Library website.

An ad introducing the commodore amiga for $995.00 and listing the computer's features and the store's address
An ad listing why people should pick up an Amiga instead of a Macintosh
an ad telling people to come see the amiga, the computer for the creative mind
an ad saying that summer is here and listing an special for the Amiga 500 that will save people $500
An ad for their liquidation sale, stating that everything must go. Says that all software is 30%-50% off

There’s a few other ads that I found as well. I’m guessing the freedom of the press one is aimed at college students looking to start their own zines or newspapers since this was right next to the University of Michigan.

Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one! Buy a Computer AND Laser Printer AND Software for only $2995 Atari Mega-2 Computer w/monitor Atari SLM804 300 dpi Laser Printer Microsoft Write & VIP Professional 2 Megabytes of memory User-friendly mouse environment STATE STREET computer 334 S. State, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (313) 663-0090 12 1/2% NBD bank financing available in one business hour.
Before you Kickoff on the wrong foot check out our everyday low prices Commodore PC20-III Clock Speed 4.77, 7.16, and 9.54 MHz Graphics 720x348 Monochrome, 320x200 16 Color, 640x200 4 Color Expansion 3 Expansion slots,1 Serial 1 Parallel port, Separate Hard Disk connector Memory, 640KB Memory Keyboard, Enhanced PC Keyboard Storage, 5 25" 360K Floppy Drive or 3.5" 72OK Floppy Drive, 20 Meg Hard Drive Software Included, WordPerfect v.5.0 $1580.00 our everyday low price IBM PS2 Model 30 Clock Speed 8 MHz Graphics 720x348 Monochrome,320x200 16 Color,640x200 4 Color Expansion 3 Expansion slots, 1 Serial 1 Parallel port Memory, 1MB Memory Keyboard, Enhanced PC Keyboard Storage 3.5" 720K Floppy Drive, 20 Meg Hard Drive Software Included, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word $2025.00 The University price quoted from the 'Computer Kickoff" Come in and see our complete line of Commodore, Amiga, Atari ST, and Delta Gold PC products. Commodore is a trademark ofComnodor Business Machines. Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Inc. Stop in or Call STATE STREET COMPUTER 12 1/2% bank financing available in one business hour. 334 S. State. Ann Arbor Ml, 48104 (313) 663-0090
State Street Computer and Al Nalli's Music Annex Have Joined Forces to Provide Complete Computer MIDI Support! Come in and see for yourself: ■ Advanced but affordable Amiga, Atari, and IBM -compatible computers ■ State-of-the-art sequencing software such as Doctor T's Keyboard Controlled Sequencer V1 .6 for Amiga and Atari computers ■ In-store synthesizers and VHS video editing equipment ■ Superimpose Amiga animation over your video to make a computer graphic music video, or add professional titles to your videos 12 12% NBD bank financing available in 1 business hour. STATE STREET COMPUTER 334 South State Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 (313) 663-0090 This ad was produced using an Amiga, Professional Page, and the PSJet+ Laser printer in the State Street Computer Club.

Unfortunately I cannot find any images of the actual store. I looked up the location of the store on Google Maps and it would have been a high traffic spot near the University of Michigan.

Google Street Screenshot from 2011 showing the Nickels Arcade area of downtown Ann Arbor

If you have any photos of the store, I would love to see them posted somewhere.

Sources:
1. https://aadl.org/node/245897
2. https://aadl.org/node/245702
3. https://aadl.org/taxonomy/term/76102
4. https://aadl.org/node/245850