Companies you are surprised still exist

[rumborak]

Figured could be an interesting delve into the past. My list:

AOL - People still use them?!

RealMedia - Yes, they still exist, and they're still pimping their player.

Wells Fargo - Every time I travel South I see a  lot of them, but to me they're the quintessential "stagecoach transporting bullions" kind of company

[BlobVanDam]

WINZIP

[rumborak]

Oh god yes They're on version 19 now!!!

[BlobVanDam]

I don't know anyone who spent money on zip programs back in the day, let alone in 2015. Seriously, who pays for a zip program? 99% of the functionality the average person needs is built into every OS, and the other 1% is in every freely available program!

I'll bet that every company that gets listed in this thread is only alive due to people over 50 existing.

[Implode]

Best Buy

[rumborak]

In the same vein, RadioShack. Even though, that might not be for long, the way it looks.

[Implode]

Earthlink. My gf's family just switched to Comcast from them a few months ago. (Honestly I don't know which is worse)

[Nel]

Best Buy's real good for being a showroom for computer stuff that I'll buy from someone else. 

And the occasional album with store-exclusive bonus tracks, like with Target.

[King Postwhore]

Mom and Pop Hardware Stores.  With Lowes and Home Depots popping up everywhere these stores are so overpriced that they force you to go to these big conglomerates.

[Chino]

Mom and Pop Hardware Stores.  With Lowes and Home Depots popping up everywhere these stores are so overpriced that they force you to go to these big conglomerates.

We have one a few miles from me called Ken-necticut Hardware (owner's name is Ken). I go there all the time. I buy a lot of spray paint and they only charge $0.50 more per can. I find they carry a lot of items I can find at the big places. I needed a copy of an older key made a few months ago. Both Lowes and Home Depot said you can't copy keys that old anymore. Apparently they only carry about two dozen key shapes to copy. I went to the place in town, and they had about 100 shapes they could make copies from. I walked out with three new keys for $7.00. Can't beat that.

[cramx3]

My mom still uses AOL and refuses to stop.  I don't get it, but apparently she is not the only one. 

[King Postwhore]

For small things sure but for the most part, people are looking for something for less.  Now customer service at the big stores suck and if you are willing to pay for the immediacy then they are the place to go but they always seem barren.

[Stadler]

Wells Fargo - Every time I travel South I see a  lot of them, but to me they're the quintessential "stagecoach transporting bullions" kind of company

Don't get me wrong, they still blow, but they are anything but that old school idea.  They just bought Wachovia, and again, while they are a "big bank" (I would never not use a Credit Union ever again) they are extremely "viable" in the current sense of the word. 

[Prog Snob]

Mom and Pop Hardware Stores.  With Lowes and Home Depots popping up everywhere these stores are so overpriced that they force you to go to these big conglomerates.

I usually go to the M &P stores first, just to give them the business.  If I'm paying a couple of dollars more then so be it.  Familiarity comforts me and I thrive on comfort, so seeing the same people for years and years means something to me.

WINZIP

I didn't even know it still existed. I've never paid for a Zip program and since using Linux, the Zip programs are pre-installed and whatever add-ons are needed are free. 

[jasc15]

Kodak.  They're trying, I suppose.  They still sell digital cameras and photo printers, etc. but they are a shell of their former self.  Apparently they still maintain some R&D efforts at their Rochester facility.

Also, many film makers still buy film from them so that production line is still running.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/business/at-kodak-clinging-to-a-future-beyond-film.html?_r=0

[Nekov]

I don't know anyone who spent money on zip programs back in the day, let alone in 2015. Seriously, who pays for a zip program? 99% of the functionality the average person needs is built into every OS, and the other 1% is in every freely available program!

I'll bet that every company that gets listed in this thread is only alive due to people over 50 existing.

It probably exists because of corporate use. Aside from zipping files it's also a good tool for encryption. And in the corporate world if anything fails you can't blame it on free software, but you can on one that you are paying for

[cramx3]

I don't know anyone who spent money on zip programs back in the day, let alone in 2015. Seriously, who pays for a zip program? 99% of the functionality the average person needs is built into every OS, and the other 1% is in every freely available program!

I'll bet that every company that gets listed in this thread is only alive due to people over 50 existing.

It probably exists because of corporate use. Aside from zipping files it's also a good tool for encryption. And in the corporate world if anything fails you can't blame it on free software, but you can on one that you are paying for

This.  I've worked for banks before that install a paid version of some zip program that was required to be used when sending attachments in emails for the encryption.

[Chino]

The last place I worked had to buy a license for all 7000 employees for the ability to zip/unzip

[JayOctavarium]

Mom and Pop Hardware Stores.  With Lowes and Home Depots popping up everywhere these stores are so overpriced that they force you to go to these big conglomerates.

We have a Lowes and Home Depot both on the other side of town. When I need something small, there is a small mom n pop shop like half a mile away. Keanes or something like that. Literally grew up with my Dad going there whenever we needed something. Always excellent customer service.

If I can't get what I need there, a little further away is a Do It Best center... which if I am correct, are privately owned franchises. Still great customer service.

If Do It Best doesn't have it... then I make the venture to Home Depot / Lowes. Wander around. Get ignored.  Never really find what I need. Yea fuck them.

[KevShmev]

Dairy Queen.

There is one minutes from where I live, and every time I drive by, I think, who still goes there?

[BlobVanDam]

I don't know anyone who spent money on zip programs back in the day, let alone in 2015. Seriously, who pays for a zip program? 99% of the functionality the average person needs is built into every OS, and the other 1% is in every freely available program!

I'll bet that every company that gets listed in this thread is only alive due to people over 50 existing.

It probably exists because of corporate use. Aside from zipping files it's also a good tool for encryption. And in the corporate world if anything fails you can't blame it on free software, but you can on one that you are paying for

I didn't even know Winzip did encryption, but I haven't used it in probably 15 years. I've always been partial to the good old unregistered copy of Winrar for that.

Kodak.  They're trying, I suppose.  They still sell digital cameras and photo printers, etc. but they are a shell of their former self.  Apparently they still maintain some R&D efforts at their Rochester facility.

Also, many film makers still buy film from them so that production line is still running.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/business/at-kodak-clinging-to-a-future-beyond-film.html?_r=0

It's sad to see film die out so quickly over the past decade or so, especially as digital is still a developing technology that hasn't surpassed it in quality yet imo (or shelf life). But I guess that's not really a sustainable niche.

[lordxizor]

Dairy Queen.

There is one minutes from where I live, and every time I drive by, I think, who still goes there?

I do. I love Dairy Queen!

[TL]

Best Buy's real good for being a showroom for computer stuff that I'll buy from someone else. 

And the occasional album with store-exclusive bonus tracks, like with Target.

Interestingly, here in Canada, Target will soon cease to exist.
They started opening stores here a couple years ago, quickly getting to 133 locations. They had terrible selection, low inventory for what they did have, higher than expected prices (especially for food items, which they were literally getting from a Canadian grocery chain, and as a result were always charging slightly more than said grocery chain was), poor customer service, and an almost non-existent website. They also assumed that Canadian consumers were exactly like American consumers. When frequently told by a lot of people that they should actually make any effort to adapt to this market, their attitude was "nope, you guys will learn to like it".
Shockingly, this didn't work out, and by the end of the month, all 133 store swill be closed (most already are).

Also, Best Buy managed to piss off a lot of Canadians recently. For some quick backstory, about 12 years ago, they purchased a Canadian electronic retailer called Futureshop, and continued to operate that brand as well as their own here.
Recently, they very suddenly closed all of the Futureshop locations. A few will be turned into Best Buy stores, while most are just closed. The fucked up part is that the employees at the closed stores literally found out that they were unemployed by showing up to work and finding a locked building with a sign. There was no advance notice to employees or consumers. So overnight, 1500 people are suddenly out of work. Needless to say, I'm never buying anything at a fucking Best Buy ever again.
Edit: Another fun little detail; Employees at stores that are being converted into Best Buys will have to re-apply for their own jobs. At the same locations. Even though they technically already worked for Best Buy.

[Calvin6s]

Wells Fargo - Every time I travel South I see a  lot of them, but to me they're the quintessential "stagecoach transporting bullions" kind of company

Wells Fargo is a huge bank.  And I might add, they provide my personal account with really great services all for free.

[Cool Chris]

Lowes/Home Depot do not provide the customer service at the level of a Mom and Pop store. But to say it is non-existent is unfair and untrue. If I have a question, I have always received prompt and courteous service.  Of course service will vary based on who is on the floor at any given time, at any given store.

[Nel]

I'll be completely honest. If I want a quick fast food burger... I actually prefer Dairy Queen's over Burger King's and the other places. It doesn't make me feel sick like the other places do lately.

[jammindude]

Dairy Queen.

There is one minutes from where I live, and every time I drive by, I think, who still goes there?

It's not the food....it's the BLIZZARDS.   And even they know it.   Whenever the weather gets warm, the line at my local DQ is 10 cars deep...and they ALL want blizzards. 

On to the OP.    Atari.    There was a time when I figured Nintendo and then later PS had put the final nail in their coffin....and I think they very nearly did go under at one point.   But as far as I know, they still develop games even though they are not the giant they once were.

[Anguyen92]

Dairy Queen.

There is one minutes from where I live, and every time I drive by, I think, who still goes there?

For a moment, I thought, "I went there like a few months ago for some ice cream," then I realized, "Oh wait, that was Baskin Robbins.  Whoops."

Anywho, main topic.  Hmmm.  If only it was like a few months ago, I would have said KMart, but the KMart that's like a 5 min. away from my house closed down.  That's a bit of a bummer, I used to walk there all the time and play the demo version of video games there, since I couldn't afford them (that was before I realize I can play all the games I really want to enjoy just with a PC).

[BlobVanDam]

On to the OP.    Atari.    There was a time when I figured Nintendo and then later PS had put the final nail in their coffin....and I think they very nearly did go under at one point.   But as far as I know, they still develop games even though they are not the giant they once were.

I think someone just basically bought up the name and whatever games they owned. It's not really the same Atari we think of these days.

[Nel]

K-Mart used to be great back when I was a kid. But any time I've been there in the last ten years, it's been a dreary, desolate ghost town. Items on the floor, things unorganized on the shelves, terrible, overpriced selection (the CDs. My god, the CDs are so expensive there), dust everywhere, barely an employee to be found. They recently built a Walmart about a block away from it two years ago, and I'm surprised it's still standing. I honestly think I could just shoplift the place and no one would notice anything.

It's next to a Sears Outlet in the same building and together they make up what could be the most depressing building in town. And there's some pretty shitty, nearly abandoned buildings here, so that's saying a lot. 

[Nick]

Dairy Queen.

There is one minutes from where I live, and every time I drive by, I think, who still goes there?

Had lunch there today.

K-Mart used to be great back when I was a kid. But any time I've been there in the last ten years, it's been a dreary, desolate ghost town. Items on the floor, things unorganized on the shelves, terrible, overpriced selection (the CDs. My god, the CDs are so expensive there), dust everywhere, barely an employee to be found. They recently built a Walmart about a block away from it two years ago, and I'm surprised it's still standing. I honestly think I could just shoplift the place and no one would notice anything.

It's next to a Sears Outlet in the same building and together they make up what could be the most depressing building in town. And there's some pretty shitty, nearly abandoned buildings here, so that's saying a lot. 

K-Mart is a big one for me. I'm in an area with Walmarts, Kmarts, and Targets. Walmart has good selection and cheap prices. Target has better stuff at slightly higher prices. K-Mart is like a ghost town with higher prices, poorer selection and quality as poor as Walmart. I just don't understand how they get any business.

[Implode]

Almost every Kmart location near me has closed down.

Also Applebees. Seeing them disappearing is great.

[Calvin6s]

Dairy Queen.

There is one minutes from where I live, and every time I drive by, I think, who still goes there?

   Every 5 or so years, I buy something from them and remember "oh yeah.  That's why I stopped going here."

[hefdaddy42]

Dairy Queen.

There is one minutes from where I live, and every time I drive by, I think, who still goes there?

I had a Diablo burger and a chocolate malt there Saturday evening.

[Stadler]

Lowes/Home Depot do not provide the customer service at the level of a Mom and Pop store. But to say it is non-existent is unfair and untrue. If I have a question, I have always received prompt and courteous service.  Of course service will vary based on who is on the floor at any given time, at any given store.

Yeah, I don't share that experience.  There is a Home Depot about five minutes from me, and the customer service is as good if not better than what I am used to in the mom and pop that was in my old town.  It's a different business model, of sorts, but still.   I think it is easy to bag on the big names, but some of the criticism is unwarranted.