Raspberry Pi Store opens in the UK

I think it looks awful. I wonder who it's supposed to appeal to - parents already educated on what the Pi is, or kids. The interesting bits are under glass! And if I were (say) 12, I wouldn't find those shelves of content interesting.

They ought to test that store style in a more 'normal' town/city, where there is less wealth, and there are no similar-looking Apple or Microsoft stores..

I agree with you. For me (and many of us, I suppose), this video is something exciting, nice, clean... Ok, too clean! It's a bit aseptic if I can say. When I was young electronics was different but the most exciting shops were just where it was possible to ask exchange ideas and opinions, together with the staff and the other older and younger customers. It was a sort of meeting point. I remember passionate hobbyists and engineers arriving with their half working prototypes in plastic bags, sowing them on the bench and asking what was better...

I love - in an abstract and absolute vision point of view - this shop, it's fascinating but thinking to the target, and focusing the probably most important three ones, I think too something else:

1. A maker can visit it once, then come back to online forums (maybe element14, hopefully) and continue his projects ordering online
2. Industrial engineers involved in PI used for prototyping of embedded Linux devices (or similar) stay far away from this place, as well as he will buy stuff for himself
3. Kids, that if not trained by parents (already trained) that knows more or the same, they can find nothing better than what they see on the Internet, with the not secondary option to chat with the creators themselves. And - sic! - the interesting stuff is under glass. True that you can ask, but it's different than seeing it, touching it and - why not? - seeing it in action.

Is there a fourth target this shop scenario is oriented to?

Enrico

I agree with you. For me (and many of us, I suppose), this video is something exciting, nice, clean... Ok, too clean! It's a bit aseptic if I can say. When I was young electronics was different but the most exciting shops were just where it was possible to ask exchange ideas and opinions, together with the staff and the other older and younger customers. It was a sort of meeting point. I remember passionate hobbyists and engineers arriving with their half working prototypes in plastic bags, sowing them on the bench and asking what was better...

I love - in an abstract and absolute vision point of view - this shop, it's fascinating but thinking to the target, and focusing the probably most important three ones, I think too something else:

1. A maker can visit it once, then come back to online forums (maybe element14, hopefully) and continue his projects ordering online
2. Industrial engineers involved in PI used for prototyping of embedded Linux devices (or similar) stay far away from this place, as well as he will buy stuff for himself
3. Kids, that if not trained by parents (already trained) that knows more or the same, they can find nothing better than what they see on the Internet, with the not secondary option to chat with the creators themselves. And - sic! - the interesting stuff is under glass. True that you can ask, but it's different than seeing it, touching it and - why not? - seeing it in action.

Is there a fourth target this shop scenario is oriented to?

Enrico

Regarding bringing stuff in, you've reminded me of the old Tandy/Radio Shacks.. my local one had a soldering bench and tools in their back office, the manager would let me use it after school to fix my projects.. From the video, the idea of Pi's switched on and ready to use is really good, so that kids can pick up some experiment ideas from around the store or elsewhere and try them out, so I hope they keep that part of it.

The US Fry's Electronics seems exciting too, they have themes like Inca temples or space age.. I know nothing about aesthetics, so I could be wrong about what appeals to kids.

Also I agree with your point about seeing things in action. Here my 8 and 5-year old nephews love going into the shed and seeing me do stuff, they get involved too like gluing wood to make a box for their toys, or watching me cut things.. that seeing in action or tactile suggestion makes a lot of sense.

Yeah can any one in the US throw up a picture or two of the insides of Fry's apparently it's a sight to behold

I'm glad there are a radio rally or 3 around here that has a pile them high sell them cheap attitude to selling electronic curiosities!!

They are so good... I've been to about half a dozen : )

Here I like Clas Ohlson (Swedish store). Nowhere near the same, but they have a bit of electronics (LEDs etc) and a few kits, as well as home furnishings, garden stuff, tools that are useful for electronics, etc. Quite interesting store! When I first visited it, I spent 3 hours.. and wrote them an e-mail complementing their store : ) They replied too.

I think half the problem is that  modern Malls and even in town shops  have exorbitant rents which couldn't be met by selling 5p LEDs and the general Tat(tm) that we all love. There are many small outfits about but they are very much in the back streets and industrial buildings where  the price is more reasonable. This is what led to the Gadgetification of Maplin as they struggled to be competitive in the Highstreet!