Shopping for a clue

For a computer project I'm working on, I needed a cable - a 44-pin IDE cable, to attach a notebook drive to a motherboard. When I set out to find it, I thought it'd be easy - lots of places sell notebook drives, a bunch of motherboards have connectors for them. I couldn't have been more wrong.

The first stop in my journey was at Frys - the home of everything. I looked through all of the drive cables they had and couldn't find one. If I needed something that glowed in the dark, I was set, but nothing with 44 pins (only 40 for those that are counting). I asked a sales clerk, thinking maybe they were elsewhere. Rather than helping, he told me I couldn't possibly need the cable - sure, notebooks drives have 44 pins, but you can't plug that int a motherboard. Is that what they teach salespeople these days - the customer is wrong, make sure to point it out?

Moving right along, I went to a different Frys. They had the same selection - lots of glow in the dark cables, cables that lit up, cables that would bear your first born. But no 44 pin cables. I threw caution into the wind and asked a sales lady for help. I told her what I wanted and her eyes lit up, she knew what it was. She led me around the corner and gave me an adapter to go from 44 pins to 40 pins. Doh! Does "cable" sound like "adapter"? I picked up a cable, showed it to her and said "like this, but with 44 pins on each end instead of 40." Alas, she was a graduate of the same school as the other Fry Guy, she told me I wouldn't need something like that.

Giving up on the stores, I hit the Internets (one of them, I think it was number 8).

The first place I found was Central Computers - they've got a couple of stores nearby, I figured maybe one of them had it. I called the Sunnyvale store and asked the guy who answered the phone whether they had this cable. He quickly said yes. I didn't trust him, so I said "are you sure? I'm looking for a cable to connect a notebook drive..." He stood by his answer..

Then I realized the Santa Clara store was closer, so I called them. Larry (his real name) answered the phone. I asked him if they had the cable. He said no. I said "bummer, your store is closer than the Sunnyvale one, I didn't want to drive up there." He said "they wouldn't have it either, we don't carry things like this." But Curly (made up name, seems to fit in nicely with "Larry") said they had it in Sunnyvale.

So I called Curly back. "Hi, I called a few minutes ago and asked about the 44-pin IDE cable, you said you had them." He agreed. I explained "but Larry at the Santa Clara store said you wouldn't, none of your stores carry them." Curly thought for a minute, then said "wait, you said 44-pin IDE cable? Oh, we don't have them." But you told me you did when I called a few minutes ago.. "I thought you meant a different cable." Curly, you suck.. 'nuff said.

The next (and last) place I called was kinda funny too. I started by asking "Are you a retail store?" And the saleswoman said "yes." I asked "do you happen to have a 44-pin IDE cable to attach a notebook drive ..." She said "oh, we're not really a retail store, but we could order it for you if you want." Doh.. Did you train with Curly?

I gave up and just ordered the damned thing online, can't wait to see what I end up with..