EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: G7PSK on August 19, 2024, 04:38:10 pm
-
Saw this on FB today and as its an Australian company or was?
-
Yes, an Aussie electronics chain, Dave has done a few vids featuring them
-
"Floats on water". Uh, ok. :-/O
-
"Floats on water". Uh, ok. :-/O
Since they're in the southern hemisphere and not the northern one they must mean on the bottom side of the water, not the top. It's all relative, right?
-
Yep, Dick Smith (both the person and the company) are still around, although the company is a shell of what it used to be.
There's an article here about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(retailer) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(retailer))
They used to compete with stores like Tandy/RadioShack, but these days they just sell consumer electronics, appliances, white-goods, clothing etc...
Dick Smith the person is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1eivQNtulE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1eivQNtulE)
-
* Awwww SNAP! *
Yes, the retail chain was a big hit. Starting up in the late 60's, the history is quite a story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(retailer)
Aside from the business, Dick Smith the person is quite switched on with a broad streak of adventure and a touch of mischief. He is quite the entrepreneur and advocate for many causes, with a strong support for Australia. He is, dare I say, an Australian icon.
Perhaps the greatest example of the adventurer was his 1982-83 solo flight around the world - in a helicopter. This was quite the challenge in navigation as it was completed before GPS was made available for civilian use.
Years ago, he ran a competition with an oscilloscope as the prize - an Hitachi 15MHz 2 channel CRO .... and I won it. ;D (Yes, I still have it and, yes, it still works.)
-
Didn't Dick Smith even sell their own computer back in the 80s?