cmyk

Ok, I don't know how many people realize just how sad it is that Tekserve is closing. This is a store that didn't so much break retail rules as ignore them. From the owners to everyone that worked their, they loved what they did and took pride in serving their customers. It was a bit of Hippy Heaven with the vintage Coke Machine that dispensed the little glass bottles for a dime; what you soon noticed was that there was a small dish of dimes on top of the machine & that pretty much summed up the philosophy of Tekserve. That along with the aquariums, terrariums, vintage Macs, old radios and all manner of ephemera, Tekserve provided a stimulating environment that went beyond just "selling". 

I have been a customer since 1989 and they have bailed me out of many a tight spot. Where personal computers began as "optional" in our lives, they soon became essential and being without one meant one couldn't work; Tekserve understood this. Many times I would bring in a machine and they would take it and have me wait for 20-30' and it would be done. None of this "pick it up in 2 weeks" stuff.....they get it, you need your machine. They also understood that not everyone wanted to (or could afford to) buy the latest model every year or 18 months. They loved keeping the old ones going. They had the parts, system discs and know how to accomplish that. Amazingly, they actually fixed stuff. I had an old PowerBook and the cable from the monitor to the video board had come loose. They explained that the wire was very, very fine and it was really not meant to be fixed; it was somewhat akin to reattaching a hand. The guy behind the counter offered to try and solder it back, it would run $100.00 win, lose or draw. I went for it and was not disappointed. His skill were not lost on me having earned my radio license at 14 and done quite a bit of soldering myself. In short, it was an amazing place in and of itself and even more amazing that it existed in NYC.

By contrast we now have Apple Stores. Oozing technology and cool with little to no soul. If something is broken, the chances are the recommendation is to buy the latest model. Bringing in an older machine is basically not an option as they don't stock parts and essentially have no interest. If I were to step outside reality for a moment I would think it would have been nice for Apple to subsidize Tekserve......they could have done it secretly. It could have been this Consulate of Good "Apple" Will where the tough problems get solved and hard questions get answered. But that is not the world we live in. Perhaps someone will recognize the value of what Tekserve created and do something similar but I won't bet on it.

Frankly, along with doing more than anyone else in NYC to move Apple forward, they showed us a business model that needs to be copied; passionate, small, independent works for me.

I'll miss Tekserve and I know I'm not alone.

SZ