back to article Morgan Computers: Your memories

Last week's coverage of the shuttering of Morgan Computers, the mini-chain of cheap computer dealers, sparked memories of first computers and other odd bits of kits from you lot. Bertie Bassett remembered: In the days before ebay Morgan was the place to get end of line kit and much much reduced prices - I've visited both …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Sad, sad day.

    Bought my first "real" computer from Morgan in Brum. AST 286 with a whole 512 MB of memory, Hercules graphics and a B/W monitor.

    It's not too long ago I consigned that beauty to the server room in the sky.

    This news has brought a tear to my eye. I'll raise a glass to the memory of Morgan Computers tonight.

    Paris is wiping a tear from her eye too. Must be a bit dusty in here.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I have fond memories...

    My first hard disk came from Moragan, a 21MB, 8Bit MFM hardcard for my Amstrad PC1512.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bleading edge just got sharper

    The problem is that, for me, the bleading edge is cheaper, sooner. I can buy brand new kit which is slightly less than leading edge for the same money ... I mean, 4 core 64 bit processor low energy 60w 2.5Ghz at 4000 FSB, motherboard with VGA/DVi/HDMI output, 7.1 output, 4gig of RAM ... delivered ... and build it myself in a case and power supply that I've already got. For less than three hundred quid.

    Who needs second hand when you can get better value brand new. Doesn't make sense.

  4. Adrian Jones

    Hope they can continue.

    The website is still running (Under News is ElReg's article about them selling the online business!) so maybe there is hope.

    I bought my first PC from the New Oxford Street store, then an iPAQ 3630, a Fuji digital camera, an HP all-in-one printer (cheapest way to get a networked scanner!) and lots of odd bits and pieces like USB sticks and network cards.

    The only kit I had a problem with was a PVR that was pretty rubbish. Morgan accepted it back without a problem.

    One of the few websites that I like to just browse through every now and again, just to see what's available.

  5. Peter Gathercole Silver badge
    Headmaster

    So upset...

    ... that I let the grammar slip!

  6. Fluffykins Silver badge

    Does anyone remember JobStocks?

    Delightful electronic and techie surplus store off Hoe Street, Leytonstone London area, if memory serves me right.

  7. Neil Greatorex
    Thumb Up

    Morgan, aah Morgan

    Bought shed loads of stuff from them over the years, they were decent people, knowledgeable, friendly & enthusiastic. Sigh.

    My absolute best buy, though, for a drinking buddy (we all know the story here, "you're into computers, I want to 'computerise' my accounts) was a 386 PC (MASSIVE 40Mb drive), 14" monitor, GE "NLQ" dot matrix printer + other sundry supplies, for less than the cost of the SAGE software he'd already bought.

    Yep, it's still working perfectly now more that 20 years later :-)

  8. Rob Beard
    Pint

    Brum store

    Ahh I remember Morgan from their adverts in the computer mags of the 90's. My Dad and I visited their Brum store once or twice (which considering we lived in Devon was a bit of a trek for us). I must have been about 12 at the time. I remember one time we went up there because we'd bought components to build a computer off some dodgy company who advertised in Micro Mart who had sister company in Birmingham and we had to return the bits to them. As we were in the area we popped in to Morgan's Brum store and had a good look around. I remember getting rather excited by some of the exotic computer kit they had in. I can't remember what my Dad bought. I did think though that we'd probably have been better going to Morgan in the first place!

    I've not personally bought anything myself from Morgan, but I do remember being tempted a few times, I guess now there's so much competition out there from the likes of eBay, eBuyer, Aria etc that these guys just can't compete as much.

    Rob

  9. John Geddes

    My first (10Mb) Hard Disk ...

    ... for my IBM PC in about 1988: a bargain at £100 from Morgan.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Tech-Bay Jive Talk

    I worked at Morgan for eighteen months 1992-93 as the shop technician at the Birmingham store. The wages were s****, the prospects were none but I have never worked at a company and had so much fun with the lads who worked there, before or since. I'd just lost my job and was grateful for getting back into work at the time, it gave me a huge amount of experience with the huge variety of kit they used to sell and I've never looked back.

    I'm surprised Bob Nicklin is still around, his drinking sessions are legendary amongst the staff and no-one could keep up with the copious amount of beer he could sink.

    I hope all the lads that used to work there are ok and best of luck to everyone who is still there... just don't ask me about the 'managers specials' I was asked to build out of scrap parts to fill an empty space on the window display! ;o)

    RIP Morgan Computers.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    It might have been Morgan

    that supplied my Amiga kit.

    The monitor was still working a few years ago but from a set top box configured to receive terrestrial analogue tv.

  12. Les Matthew

    I must be the odd one out

    Was never all that impressed with what they had on offer in the Tottenham Court Road shop.

  13. Bob Ginger
    Dead Vulture

    Farewell then Morgan, we hardly knew thee...

    A sad, sad day.

    Got my first evah pc from Morgan. It was, IIRC, a Fujitsu with 386dx, 4MB, 50MB and a B&W VGA monitor.

    Built like a brick shithouse it was. It had some kind of push-rod going from the power switch at the front of the case to the actual power supply at the rear. The motherboard was crammed onto (it looked like) a3/4 length expansion card-type daughterboard which slotted into some bus or other on a sparse "motherboard". Poor, naive fools that they were, they intended you to upgrade by slotting in a more powerful processor card, rather than by chucking the pc in skip and getting another.

    Sold it to a guy at work when I upgraded to an Olivetti, again from Morgan. 486dx 50Mhz, 8MB, 500MB, 15" SVGA...

    ...Do not ask for whom the motherboard beeper beeps, it beeps for thee.

  14. amanfromarse

    286 with 512 mb of ram

    er.. I don't think so.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    @amanfromarse

    Well spotted, glad I'm not the only one. I had a 386 with 512KB of RAM and eventually a 486 with a pant wetting 16M (YES MEGA!) B of RAM, shame about the 220MB HDD.

    *grumble* mms messages bigger than hard disks *grumble*

  16. Steve 114

    Not quite so cheap

    Liked it a lot, much of their stuff still runs here. But their habit of headlining the '(££-1).99' price, *without VAT*, was really irritating.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    missing printer

    Yes, they have closed and no one seems to know what happened to equipment left there for repair before they did so.

    For instance, I left a Samsung printer with them for repair days before they were due to close. They did not tell me they were closing ...

    Now, they say they have sent the printer to Samsung but Samsung is not commenting. This was on the 29 October...nearly a month ago...

    I had been a client of Morgan Computers for many years. Sad to see how they treated customers once they no longer needed them. I can only hope the new owner can do better.

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