>>Any Borders bookstores left in your neighborhood?
>
>There still are some Chapters/Indigo bookstores in Greater Vancouver. I bought a book on Exchange 2010 there a few months back. Actually, it went like this:
>
>- Go online, check that a nearby store has stock, see online price is $42, includes free shipping
>- Go to the store, pick up the book, go to the checkout. Notice that the cover price is $62.
>- Before ringing up the purchase, ask the clerk if they honour the online price. "Oh no sir, we can't do that, it's completely separate"
>- Leave book at checkout without buying it
>- Go home, order it online, get it delivered to my door for $42
>
>Talk about a head-scratcher.
>
>I think the bricks&mortar Chapters stores are trying to become lifestyle/social hotspots. They have in-store Starbucks, comfy chairs, cozy lighting etc. Maybe they hope customers won't notice how much less the on-line prices are, or they're hoping to cash in on impulse purchases.
>
>Amazon can be scary good. A few years back I crashed my road bike and needed an obscure part. Tried lots of local bike shops - no dice. Amazon to the rescue: http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-ST-5500CA-Left-Cover-Plate/dp/B001GSQMC0
>
>I think a lot of bricks&mortar dry-goods retailers have good reason to be very afraid.
>
>BTW were you able to get your device upgraded at the hackerspace a while back? How did that go?

As it turns out I was unable to make it to the meeting - got hung up at the office too late that day. However I'm still very happy you pointed it out because in the process of looking up the meeting place I stumbled across the fact that the Hawaii Public Libraries have 350 FREE Microsoft training courses! whoooot!
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Free-Access-to-Over-350-Microsoft-Courses-for-Library-Cardholders-in-Hawaii-234062.shtml
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2011/nov11/11-10HawaiiITAPR.aspx
Awesome huh!