December 8, 2025

One of the Coolest Ideas I've Heard in a Long Time: Micro Center's Build & Learn Service

Executive Summary

I was blessed to have come of age as a computer scientist when CompUSA was still a consumer computing behemoth. If I remember correctly, my first experiences with GNU/Linux happened after I bought Corel Linux (it came with a book and installation CDs) from a CompUSA store in Virginia Beach, Virginia in around 1999. More than any computer store still in operation, Micro Center reminds me more of CompUSA than anyone else. They have the same energy and drive that I remember from the classic version of CompUSA from the late 1990s/early 2000s.

When I write articles for Djere.com, I try to be selective and only write about the things that I would want to read. This is one of those occasions: Micro Center came up with such an outstanding idea that I had to write about it.

Micro Center just announced its Build & Learn service: you'll go to a Micro Center location, and one of their computer building experts will help you (as needed) as you build your new PC. In my opinion, this is an absolutely brilliant idea that I hope other businesses emulate. I'll share some of the ideas that this announcement inspired me to think about.

Keywords: Micro Center, CompUSA, Build & Learn, PC Building, GNU/Linux, Corel Linux, Djere.com, Custom PC, Consumer Electronics, Tech Retail

Glossary
|-- Acronyms & Abbreviations
| |-- AI: Artificial Intelligence
| |-- CPU: Central Processing Unit
| |-- EV: Electric Vehicle
| `-- PC: Personal Computer
|-- Companies & Brands
| |-- Circuit City: Defunct consumer electronics retailer
| |-- CompUSA: Defunct computer superstore chain
| |-- Djere.com: The author's publication platform
| `-- Micro Center: Computer retailer founded in 1979
`-- Technology & Services
|-- Build & Learn: Micro Center's assisted PC building service
|-- Corel Linux: Discontinued Linux operating system
`-- GNU/Linux: Family of open-source operating systems

The History of Micro Center

While many of us associate the golden age of computer retail with the late 90s era of CompUSA, Micro Center actually began its journey much earlier. The company was founded in 1979 in Columbus, Ohio, by John Baker and Bill Sheehan. Interestingly, both founders were former Radio Shack employees who had a vision that went beyond selling pre-packaged electronics. They wanted to create a true haven for computer enthusiasts: a place where you could find the specific components needed to build or upgrade a machine, rather than just buying a sealed box off the shelf.

This distinction is crucial to understanding their longevity. While competitors like CompUSA and Circuit City eventually expanded too quickly or drifted away from their core technical audience to chase general consumer trends, Micro Center stayed true to its roots. They maintained a highly trained staff and kept their inventory deeply stocked with the CPUs, motherboards, and maker components that serious computer scientists and hobbyists actually needed. This steadfast dedication to the "builder" demographic is, in my opinion, the primary reason they survived the retail apocalypse that claimed so many of their peers.

Ford CEO Jim Farley Recently Revealed a Key Problem in U.S.A.-Based Manufacturing: the Accessible Knowledge Gap

I absolutely love Electric Vehicles (EVs) and absolutely love U.S.A.-based automobile manufacturers. I've driven Ford, Chevy, and Chrysler vehicles and I've loved every single one of them. For example, the Chrysler Town and Country is an absolute tank that never fails. It might not be the most modern of vehicles from a technological standpoint, but it's a highly reliable piece of engineering that just works.

The Chevy Volt (generations 1 and 2) was an engineering marvel that was ahead of its time, but the buying public wasn't quite ready for it. The Chevy Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Ford F-150 Lightning continue this tradition of U.S.A. ingenuity in engineering. However, Ford's CEO, Jim Farley, recently brought a fact to everyone's attention that is too big to ignore. In November of 2025, Farley announced that he can't fill 5,000 car mechanic jobs that each pay $120,000 per year. There are not enough highly skilled people to fill those positions.

Farley's alarm has alerted us that we have to get back to what made the United States great in the first place: education and lighting the fire of a thirst for knowledge in people. The solution to the problem is incredibly easy yet incredibly difficult at the same time: we have to get back to teaching people in a relaxed and comfortable way in a relatively low-stress environment that gives them ample time to actually master the skills.

In other words, we have to largely throw the "quick profits" motive out of the window, the intense financial pressure that makes us always rush, and we have to get back to the art of classically training people. The "real product" isn't the product, or the high profits attained by selling the product: the real long-term sustainable product is a person who is well trained, confident, and eager to apply their knowledge to building real-world products. A person who feels valued, highly trained, and appreciated will absolutely destroy any obstable that gets in their way, and that is the most important key to building a society that thrives in the long run.

Micro Center's Brilliant Concept

If I really value you, then I'll meet you at your level of need. I understand that your knowledge is incomplete, and I accept the fact that you might make mistakes. But my job is to help you get from the level that you're currently at to a higher level: I build your ability and I build your confidence. Then, I hand you off to the next person who will build you even more. It is this spirit that we have to get back to.

Slow is fast: and nothing great is built in a rush. Attention-to-detail is the ONLY way you end up with a product that consistently exceeds all expectations. I suspect that a lot of people will take a look at what Micro Center is doing, and they'll copy it: that's an extremely good thing.

Imagine a future where you go into an auto repair shop that has an observation deck over the repair bay. If you want, an expert technician (or perhaps even AI) can explain to you exactly what the mechanics are doing to your car in every step, and why.

The future of humanity will be one of human empowerment where it is expected that we explain things carefully to people so that they truly understand every detail. Understanding is where the true power comes from, and it won't happen systematically until that becomes the global unifying mindset. I highly commend Micro Center for taking this extremely important step in the right direction.

Thank you for reading this article!

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