For the past 12 years or so, Paris, France, has been the location of a unique phenomenon (unique in Europe, at least): within a radius of 150 meters (about 500 ft), you can find over 60 shops selling computer parts at extremely aggressive prices. They even have a dedicated collective web site where you can search for the component you need and see where it’s available and at what price. Not all the shops participate in the site, but you’ll be able to drool at their shop windows when you stroll the “rue Montgallet” area (every computer nut in Paris – and possibly in France – knows where it is).

Most, but not all, of these shops are held by Chinese people from the same region in China. Some of the shops are very small (hardly more than a piece of corridor), some are respectably large. Some of them are very reliable – that is, they respect the prices they publish on the site and update the products’ availability at least once a day – and some of them will try to cheat you by offering more expensive substitute items, or the items of your choice at a higher price than publicized.

Continue reading Computer parts, anyone? »