Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

[walkonby]

i like how the local beer lady at the local fine beer shoppe i frequent, is telling me to buy these mucho pricey beers at 30 $ a four pack and the such, and to store them like wines.  "storing beers for six to eight years before drinking them is a the new thing."  very interesting.

[sweetcell]

because i'm not sure where else to post this:

 

Circuit City to liquidate remaining US stores

Bankrupt Circuit City Stores Inc., the nation's second-biggest consumer electronics retailer, said Friday it failed to find a buyer and will liquidate its 567 U.S. stores. The closures could send another 30,000 people into the ranks of the unemployed.

a while back, i used to look forward to these liquidation sales.  maybe it was because i took it as the end result of managerial incompetence or hubris.  but now they strike me as sad and a tad unfair.  yes, i know that CC had it coming for a while.  still, it's hard to rejoince in a liquidation sale these days.

[vansmack]

That's hilarious.  I was on the circuity city web page making my wish list when I saw the notice that somebody posted in this thread.

There's some good stuff to be had...

[HoyaSaxa03]

gizmodo is saying that the liquidation sale is all BS... any experience with one?

[vansmack]

gizmodo is saying that the liquidation sale is all BS... any experience with one?

I got some great shit at CompUSA's liquidation sale.

It's a total bluffers game, btw, much like the tower records liquidation.  If you get there early, you'll have the best selection.  But if you're patient, you have a chance at a really good bargain.  But if you wait too long, they sell out.

I made a priority list and set a spending cap.  I found parts were much easier to be patient on, but built systems went pretty quickly.  Most of the markdowns happened on Friday - and it would stay that way for about a week.  For example, I picked up a few OEM hard drives - one when it was 40% off and a second when it was 60% off.  I used the liquidation to replace stuff (going to a full G wireless network, bigger harddrives, more RAM, etc.) - I may do the same with circuit city except that I just bought a new TV for the bedroom, dammit.   

[vansmack]

Hey Mac guys....

I'm setting up an Airport Express this weekend for a guy who wants his music collection through his stereo.  Somebody, I think it was raebyddet, was asking about the Digital aspect of the express (I think you could go from a stereo 3.5 plug to an optical plug).  Did anybody ever do this and what was the end result?

In addition, I'd like to do both an analog setup and a digital setup - can this be done with one airport express or do I need two?

[vansmack]

In addition, I'd like to do both an analog setup and a digital setup - can this be done with one airport express or do I need two?

Allow me to expand on this...

He has a Denon 2 Zone reciever.  Zone 1 can handle a digital or analog signal, so I would like to use an Optical connection.  Zone 2 can only handle an analog signal and would require me to use RCA jacks.  Therefore, what I would like to do is split the 3.5mm plug and use one plug for a 3.5mm to RCA connection, and use the other for the 3.5 to Optical connection.

Can this be done?

[sweetcell]

what I would like to do is split the 3.5mm plug and use one plug for a 3.5mm to RCA connection, and use the other for the 3.5 to Optical connection.

Can this be done?

i don't think it can.  the express' spec page sez "3.5-mm audio minijack for analog or optical digital sound" - note the "or".  both analog and optical plug in to the same jack/port, so the express outputs only one format depending on what is plugged in.  i've never heard of an 3.5"/optical all-in-one splitter... it would have to be pretty slick: suck the optical light pulses down its center, while the outside casing connected to the analog.

methinks that you'll need some sort of an external contraption to output the signal from the express and then split it in two (search for "toslink splitter", send one output to something that can convert it analog maybe?).  but i say this based solely on my understanding of that webpage.

[Venerable Bede]

i like how the local beer lady at the local fine beer shoppe i frequent, is telling me to buy these mucho pricey beers at 30 $ a four pack and the such, and to store them like wines.  "storing beers for six to eight years before drinking them is a the new thing."  very interesting.

i think some of the hardy and samuel smith's can stand up for that long. . .the sam adams triple bock could probably also age. . .i had read an article about ageing beer, but can't remember where i might have read it (egullet possibly).

[vansmack]

i don't think it can. 

I see what you're saying.  The first person I talked too at the Apple Store looked at me like I was crazy - no idea what I was talking about.

The second person thought it was worth a shot, but didn't know what to expect. 

I have all the parts so I may as well try.  I think as long as the output is Stereo, it will work (depending on the splitter of course, and I have about 10 different 3.5mm splitters).  If the output is stereo and the splitter or the RCA jacks convert the signal to analog then it's the end point that should matter not the statting point.  I don't know the engineering of RCA jacks though.

But you're right, if the output is determined by the type of plug (or signal request) then I'm definitely hosed.   

[vansmack]

Nevermind.  I just found a couple of forum posts that said it will definitely not work.  Sweetcell's prediction is correct - if you stick a 3.5mm stereo plug in the there, you get analog, if you put a mini to TOSLINK plug in there, you get digital.  You can't have both.

[sweetcell]

<deleted: semi-pedantic explanation of 3.5 & rca plugs, and the need for conversion between analog and optical>

But you're right, if the output is determined by the type of plug (or signal request) then I'm definitely hosed.   

well, you wouldn't be completely hosed... you'd just need something to split the single output of the express into two.  an optical (toslink) splitter would allow you to send one optical signal straight to the optical in on zone 1, and send the second optical signal to some sort of optical-to-3.5 or optical-to-rca converter.

[sweetcell]

gizmodo is saying that the liquidation sale is all BS... any experience with one?

learn fast, 'cause:

Liquidators will start arriving in our 567 stores across the U.S. over the weekend, and closing sales will start as early as Saturday, January 17.  Closing sales will run as long as it takes to sell existing inventory, but are expected to wrap up by the end of March.  When the liquidation sales are completed, the stores will be closed.

http://www.circuitcity.com/closed.html

[vansmack]

learn fast, 'cause:

So here's what happens and how you can get ahead.  Everything is reset to MSRP, and then 30% is reduced from that price.

This means that every xbox 360 game will be either $42 (for $60 games) or $35 for ($50 games).  For new releases that's a pretty good deal.  Other things like Rock Band and game consoles that don't usually go on sale can also be had on the cheap.  I think some netbooks might be had on the cheap tomorrow too.

Things that are usually sold well below MSRP could very well be more expensive tomorrow then they are today (like HDTVs, Digital Camera's, most PCs).  Those things you will have to be patient on.

Every week or two that goes by, the items are further reduced.   

[vansmack]

Im sitting outside circuity city right now (they open in ten minutes). if theres nything in particular you want me to check out for you, speak up.