A good independent computer shop in NYC?

August 10, 2005 7:49 PM

A good independent computer shop in NYC?

I am in New York for a few days, and I need to help a friend with some computer stuff. Surely this town must have a decent indie computer shop where I can buy things like PCI cards (I need a DVI card and a SATA controller, among other things) and accessories (accessible by subway) in Manhattan, South Bronx, or West Brooklyn. J&R, Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA need not apply. Where should I go?

posted by Kwantsar to Computers & Internet (12 answers total)

Response by poster: P.S.-- Sorry, Optimus Chyme.
posted by Kwantsar at 7:49 PM on August 10, 2005

TekServe For Mac obn 23rd between 6th and 7th.; for PC, no obvious choice. The place on Duane, almost directly across the street from the Kinkos, just west of Broadway has been cool for my employer; J&R on Park Row will have everything you need at an OK price.
posted by ParisParamus at 8:34 PM on August 10, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks, Paris. The box runs Windows, FWIW.
posted by Kwantsar at 9:05 PM on August 10, 2005

Sorry. I'm not a PC Person, but I don't have the impression there are well-known independent PC shops in NYC; too much competition + high rents + nature of PC market = lots of little independents. Then again, perhaps that's true everywhere?
posted by ParisParamus at 9:20 PM on August 10, 2005

Just get stuff off of newegg. Independent stores will always have higher prices and a smaller selection, and for something like PCI cards, you don't really need too much of a recommendation/consulting.
posted by devilsbrigade at 10:27 PM on August 10, 2005

Can I piggyback to ask if there are any places in the city where I could take my laptop to get a balky power connection fixed? I checked the yellow pages and had trouble finding computer repairmen.
posted by CunningLinguist at 5:07 AM on August 11, 2005

I agree if you have a Mac your best choice is TekServe For Mac obn 23rd between 6th and 7th.
posted by doug3505 at 5:24 AM on August 11, 2005

I can no longer recommend TekServe to anyone. After more than ten years of giving them my business and my Mac-support clients' business, they finally ruined our relationship for good. I can put up with a lot of attitude (fine, this is New York City, I can deal with that), but to have an incompetent mistreat my own computer in front of me, then deny it, and then call names, well: that's too much. It's a nest of slovenly condescendingg jerks giving bad service after long waits and then charging high prices. Go elsewhere. There's a reason Apple is renting a storefront just two avenue blocks away.
posted by Mo Nickels at 6:34 AM on August 11, 2005

What's wrong with J&R? Family-owned, pretty excellent service, and convenient. I tend not to lump J&R in with the other big-box places...
posted by moxyberry at 2:53 PM on August 11, 2005

I can no longer recommend TekServe to anyone. After more than ten years of giving them my business and my Mac-support clients' business, they finally ruined our relationship for good. I can put up with a lot of attitude (fine, this is New York City, I can deal with that), but to have an incompetent mistreat my own computer in front of me, then deny it, and then call names, well: that's too much. It's a nest of slovenly condescendingg jerks giving bad service after long waits and then charging high prices. Go elsewhere. There's a reason Apple is renting a storefront just two avenue blocks away.

Oh, but Mo Nickels, what about the 10 cent cola? Not enough to balance out the bad service, I suppose.
posted by moxyberry at 2:54 PM on August 11, 2005

I've had good experiences with Madison Computer.
posted by anildash at 11:58 PM on August 12, 2005

Response by poster: moxyberry-- J&R (In my experience) has the same ridiculous markups and smarmy knownothing salespeople as do the others. That the shop is owned by a family instead of public stakeholders is irrelevant to me.

anil-- thanks. I'll try them next time.
posted by Kwantsar at 8:13 AM on August 16, 2005