I got a Coleco Adam...looking for some info

[doubledown]

Well I finally got a Coleco Adam, well 2 actually, both complete in their boxes, and I'm looking for some info from the experts. One of the Adams has dual DataPak drives, the other one is a solo. Neither has anything in the expansion slots. I've seen a few sites that list basic specs of the hardware and I've seen eColeco's site, but what expansions/peripherials are really worth getting. I've seen some info on memory upgrade boards, disk drives, and hard drives, but don't know a whole lot about any of the above. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Atariboy]

I'm not sure what there is to offer, but mine has a modem installed on one of the internal expansion slots. Not worth getting though I'm sure, I'm not sure it can even be used for anything now.

[Inky]

I have an Orphanware 256K expansion with parallell port. That's a must. There's a lot of 'hombrew' stuff that requires additinal memory. Esp. Power Paint.

 

I'd look at http://www.ecoleco.com for more things. there was a hard drive adapter at one point. not sure if its still available

[+else]

A disk drive is an absolute must -- which is why they go for good money (and don't come up very often) on eBay. The difference is AMAZING, and really highlights what a mistake the tape drives were. Tapes wear out rather quickly after repeated use, and this especially true with games (which access the tape A LOT). A disk drive turns the Adam in to a fast and reliable machine.

 

I remember getting our Adam when I was a kid, and after only a few days of playing Buck Rogers the tape stopped working. What a disappointment that was. I think all those fast to slow to fast to slow access speed transitions that the tapes are subjected to stretch the tapes much faster than a normal cassette player does and lead to premature failures.

 

I have no experience with a hard drive. But since there were so few software releases for the Adam to begin with, I've never really seen the need for one.

Edited March 6, 2008 by else

[+Psionic]

I remember getting our Adam when I was a kid, and after only a few days of playing Buck Rogers the tape stopped working. What a disappointment that was.

Probably got erased when you turned the system on.

[Pixelboy]

The only thing I can really recommend is a 3.5-inch disk drive. I haven't really investigated this yet, but I've heard of PC software that can read and write on 3.5 diskettes formatted for the Adam. As for RAM expansion or hard drives, well, it depends what you plan to do with this computer. If you only want to play around with it a bit before putting it into storage, you might as well just track down common software (like the Super Games) on datapacks.

[Rik]

I saw a complete boxed Adam at the thrift last year,passed on it,i couldnt be bothered to hunt around for parts,supplies,and the headaches involved with it.I should have bought anyway.It was only $9.99.Plus i heard the Adam component with the cart slot,is a damn good,like a second CV console,but better.

Edited March 7, 2008 by Rik

[+Psionic]

I saw a complete boxed Adam at the thrift last year,passed on it,i couldnt be bothered to hunt around for parts,supplies,and the headaches involved with it.I should have bought anyway.It was only $9.99.Plus i heard the Adam component with the cart slot,is a damn good,like a second CV console,but better.

You most definitely should have bought it for $10. :!:

[+remowilliams]

You most definitely should have bought it for $10. :!:

That's for sure. A complete boxed Adam set in good shape tends to sell for quite a bit.

[doubledown]

Well I plan on modding it to negate the need for the printer. Either making an internal (if there's enough room) or external power supply modification. I think I may start using it as my main ColecoVision. I guess my main questions are:

 

Do the DataPaks really wear out after 50-100 uses? If so what would I need to be able to copy them to a floppy or hard disk? Obiviously a hard or floppy disk drive, but what about some kind of expansion card and/or cables, and what software is available.

 

Are the memory expansions necessary. I see eColeco sells a 64k standard install upgrade and a 256k version that requires a secondary controller card for addressing and a connection cable between the two. What programs need 64k more memory and which ones would need 256k more memory?

 

Realistically I would be using this with my ColecoVision multi-cart, other ColecoVision cartridges, and the Adam Super Games.

[Pixelboy]

Well I plan on modding it to negate the need for the printer. Either making an internal (if there's enough room) or external power supply modification. I think I may start using it as my main ColecoVision.

The power supply in the printer is pretty big, so you can forget about putting it in the Adam memory console. I bought such a "naked" power supply (I think it was from eColeco) but I never got around to testing it, or even installing the metal casing I bought for it (I'm not even sure it fits, as there are two different power supply models out there).

 

Do the DataPaks really wear out after 50-100 uses? If so what would I need to be able to copy them to a floppy or hard disk? Obiviously a hard or floppy disk drive, but what about some kind of expansion card and/or cables, and what software is available.

The datapacks issue is mostly dependent on luck. Some can tell you horror stories, but back when I was a kid, I had an Adam and played it all the time, and I never had any problem with my tapes. As for copying, check the PM I just sent you.

 

 

Are the memory expansions necessary. I see eColeco sells a 64k standard install upgrade and a 256k version that requires a secondary controller card for addressing and a connection cable between the two. What programs need 64k more memory and which ones would need 256k more memory?

None of the Super Games require more than 64K, that's for sure, and the other Coleco-published products (Recipe Filer, etc.) don't require more RAM either. The software items that break the 64K threshold are mostly little-known programs that were released by independent third-parties.

 

 

Realistically I would be using this with my ColecoVision multi-cart, other ColecoVision cartridges, and the Adam Super Games.

If it's just for gaming, a hard drive is probably overkill, although you can always look around. Acquiring copies of the Super Games on 3.5-inch floppies is probably the best way to go for the long term.

[+remowilliams]

Well I plan on modding it to negate the need for the printer. Either making an internal (if there's enough room) or external power supply modification

You can use a modern switching PS like the one I used here. You may also be able to use a small PC power supply, but may need to place an artificial load on some lines to bring them up.

 

Do the DataPaks really wear out after 50-100 uses?

In my experience they tend to last until a drive chews them up or accidentally erases them - don't leave a tape in the unit while powering it on or off. They are easily copied to floppies with a simple program. I copied all my Super games that way.

[doubledown]

The power supply in the printer is pretty big, so you can forget about putting it in the Adam memory console. I bought such a "naked" power supply (I think it was from eColeco) but I never got around to testing it, or even installing the metal casing I bought for it (I'm not even sure it fits, as there are two different power supply models out there).

 

 

Well I know the Adam's power supply is big as it takes the 110VAC in to an 18VDC unregulated for the printer, and then converts some of that 18VDC to 12VDCI, 12VDCL, 5V, and -5V for the printer, the adam, and the ColecoVision game board. By negating the printer I don't need the 18VDC, all I need is the rest. Which is basically what the ColecoVision needs plus an additional 12VDC line. The small open frame power supplies I use for my internal power supply ColecoVision mod will definately fit into where the expansion cards go, as long as they weren't all used, or maybe I could stuff it into the PCB side of the console. I've seen that eColeco sells a Adam game board power supply which basically is just a ColecoVision power supply with a DB-9 connector to plug into the Adam's power port, but then you can't use the DataPak or any other external drives. So in which case why the hell have an Adam at all unless you only chose it because of the native composite video output.

 

Thanks for the info.

[+else]

I believe the only software released by Coleco that uses the 64k expansion memory are:

 

SmartWriter (word processor)

Adam Calc (spreadsheet)

CP/M (alternative operating system)

 

So unless you plan on using your Adam to write the next great novel or some such thing (yea right!), there's no need to bother with it....

[Inky]

I believe the only software released by Coleco that uses the 64k expansion memory are:

 

SmartWriter (word processor)

Adam Calc (spreadsheet)

CP/M (alternative operating system)

 

So unless you plan on using your Adam to write the next great novel or some such thing (yea right!), there's no need to bother with it....

 

However, as mentoned, there's a lot of third party software that uses the expansion

 

 

I remember running a BBS on my ADAM, and used the memory expansion as a ramdisk