Tacoma Week of Lists Day 3: Stores for Computer Geeks

This post is about computers, or rather where to buy the bits and pieces of which computing systems are composed. Using the stores on this list you will be able to procure not only the state of the art but items that were the state of the art a decade ago. If your idea of geeking out is ordering a new MacBook Pro from the UW Bookstore you may not belong in many of these places. However if you enjoy debating the merits of the OpenBSD’s packet filter, PF, versus iptables of Linux or you know how to make your own DB9 Null Modem Cable but are too lazy to get around to it then you will feel right at home.

1. PC Club and CompuCare

These guys go together because they are adjacent and pretty much interchangeable for me. Their S. 38th St locations are convenient and they carry a lot of the stuff one might require. This is a spot you can go to get a usb/serial adapter, IDE cables of all lengths and sizes as well as various other bits and pieces. Unfortunately their stock is far from comprehensive so we may have to leave the city limits for the stuff we need.

2. INFOTECH SYSTEMS

This is my go to spot for cables and other widgets. Recently I had a need for a DB9 Serial Null Modem Cable, a CompactFlash to IDE Adapter and several 1 FT Cat 5 cables. The prices here are great on many things and ok on others. Cables and other accessories are priced extremely well. Networking hardware is priced about average. Warning take cash or a debit card with a PIN, INFOTECH will add a surchage for using Visa or MasterCard. They call it a discount for using cash, I call it stupid.

3. REPC

REPC bills itself as, “the oldest and largest computer retail recycler in the Pacific Northwest.” As such you can find gems from years past at their Seattle and Tukwila locations. It has been awhile since I visited but as I recall the Seattle location had scads of old Sun hardware. This is the place to go to look for obscure and obsolete hardware.

4. PCRecycle

PCRecycle is a dependable source for working used hardware. If you need Pentium III or Pentium 4 era hardware at reasonable prices this is a reliable source. They also have good prices on accessories like mice and networking cards. They used to have a Tacoma location but I think it is a Teriyaki restaurant now. In their Tacoma location they had wall on which they hung all manner of PCI and ISA cards. There were graphics cards, network cards, modems, hollywood mpeg decoder cards and more. The used cards ranged from $2 to $5 as I recall. It was great!

5. UW Surplus

UW Surplus can be really hit or miss. Their prices have inflated over the last 4 years as more people have become aware of this treasure trove. They are the most reliable source of PowerPC era Apple Macintosh hardware. Lately they have been selling the lampshade style iMacs for $200. They have piles of G3 and G4 towers. Once a month UW Surplus has an auction at which they sell the really cool stuff. This is the place to go for a pallet of Pentium 4’s, a pile of DEC Alphas, your own server rack, a laser, a drill press, a geiger counter or other wacky items.