At 05:03 PM 3/18/97 -0500, you wrote:
>A friend of mine found a Coleco Adam "Super" system, or something like
>that, and was wondering how to operate the tape drive. I remember the tape
>was fast. It looked like a standard audio tape but would spin like it was
>in fast forward, and would be loading level 2, while you were still playing
>level 1. Anyway, he says he is stuck in a typewriter mode and doesn't know
>how to get out. I remember this mode too, but it's been so long I don't
>remember either. Anyone?
>
> mhop(a)snip.net
I don't know about an Adam super system but I founded and ran an Adam Users
Group, and edited a regular Adam Newsletter for many years so maybe I can
help. There are other Adam interested users on this List.
First let me describe the Adam tape drive, which was officially called a
Digital Datadrive and the specially formatted digital cassettes were called
Digital Datapacks. The data was transferred to/from the CPU and recorded on
the tape in digital format. The read/write tape speed was 20 inches per
second and the transiting was 80 inches per second. Compare that with the
regular cassette recorder which has a tape speed of 1 and 3/8" per second.
Hence the need for good quality tapes.
Regular commercial support for Adam still exists in the US and Canada.
If your friend has the keyboard and the printer, which included the system
power supply, he should connect all three together and connect the video
output TV terminal to a standard TV (Channel 3 or 4 depending on the
position of the selector switch on the rear of the CPU). Then switch on the
system with the on-off switch at the rear of the printer, and if he gets the
"Electronic Typewriter screen, all he needs to do is press the Escape key
once and he's into a proprietary word processor called SmartWriter.
For this there is no requirement to have a tape in the drive. It comes on an
Eprom.
If he, or anyone else needs further help with the Coleco Adam, sent me
e-mail at my e-mail address and I'll gladly help as much as I can.
I still have my original Adam sitting in its workstation, but its been
modified somewhat. As well as its two original datadrives it now boasts a
320k 5.25" floppy drive, a 1.44 meg 3.5" f;loppy, a 40 meg IDE hard drive, 1
meg of RAM and produces video on either a composite colour monitor or a Wyse
50 terminal, depending on which of the four available operating systems I'm
using. With two serial ports and one parallel port.
Cheers.
David Cobley.
Fidonet on the ADAM, CP/M Tech
and Hewlett-Packard Echoes.
Internet-dcobley(a)mail.island.net, or,
davidc(a)macn.bc.ca
In a message dated 97-03-18 16:42:06 EST, you write:
<< I find that pawn shops are often as good as thrift stores. To be honest
I've gotten most of my stuff by leaving my number at small computer shops
and asking them to call me if they pick up old junk in trade. Usually
they either charge me $10 for anything they get or they just call me and
ask me to haul it off before they junk it. >>
Bill,
If you happen to get anything for the TI, I'd be interested in purchasing it
(like your $2.99 console for example!) Maybe you could contact me first to
let me know what's in stock. That would be helpful.
Bryan Nicalek
bnicalek(a)aol.com
> My actual junk yard includes:
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
<stuff snipped>
> ATARI 400, ATARI 800, ATARI 6700XL, ATARI 800XL,
Atari 6700XL ?? You mean 600XL, right? I don't there was a 6700xl.
mhop(a)snip.net
A friend of mine found a Coleco Adam "Super" system, or something like
that, and was wondering how to operate the tape drive. I remember the tape
was fast. It looked like a standard audio tape but would spin like it was
in fast forward, and would be loading level 2, while you were still playing
level 1. Anyway, he says he is stuck in a typewriter mode and doesn't know
how to get out. I remember this mode too, but it's been so long I don't
remember either. Anyone?
mhop(a)snip.net
At 01:23 PM 3/16/97 -0500, you wrote:
>> 4: TI's first model computer - #4 - sounds cool, heh?
>If it was their first, why #4? What happened to 1-3?
Ummm... If y'all don't mind the extra added crazyness, The TI-99/4 was
*not* the first model! There was a TI-99/2!
I do know that there were prototypes made of this machine, and I _believe_
it actually made it into limited production, but on that note I'm not
really sure.
I remember seeing a picture of one on the web.... I'll go back to lurking
on this thread until I can find the exact reference again... might take me
a while!
Cya l8r,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
Roger Merchberger | Everyone complained to me to change my .sig,
Programmer, NorthernWay | but no-one could recommend something better.
zmerch(a)northernway.net | So you'll have to put up with this *junk*
| until I find some new wisdom to share.
I just had to forward this to the list because I almost fell
out of my chair laughing when I read it. BTW, Welcome to the
list Hans!
I don't know if I'am a collector, but I'm intrested in old micro
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My actual junk yard includes:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Computers:
CBM 2001, CBM SK 8296D, CBM 3016, VC-20, C-64,
ITT MP-Experimerter, SC/MP II, EUROCOM I,
APPLE ][euro+, APPLE ///, Lisa 2, Basis 108,
Ohio Superboard II, TRS 80 Mod I Lv2 & Expansion,
Video-Genie, Olivetti M10,
IBM-PC, IBM-PC/XT Clone, SIRIUS 1, OSBORNE 1DQD,
ATARI 400, ATARI 800, ATARI 6700XL, ATARI 800XL,
ATARI ST 520+, ORIC 1, ORIC ATMOS, Amiga 2000,
Sinclair ZX80 & ZX81, Your Computer, MEMO TEST,
Laser 50, Laser 2000, Sinlair QL,
Yashica YC-64, Sony HiBit (both MSX I),
S100-Bus System, Eltec 80, SANYO MB 1000,
Sharp MZ80A, Sharp MZ80B, Sharp MZ80K,
SWTP, Motorola MEK6802D5, EXORterm (...),
ca. 15 additional 6800, 6802 & 6809 Boards,
ENTERPRISE 128, TA Alphatronic PC,
SIEMENS Mikroset 8080, SIEMENS 5521, SIEMENS PC 16-10,
*_SIEMENS PC-D_* (Best DOS computer ever build),
SIEMENS PC-MX (9780), SIEMENS PC-MX2,
several 486 Clone, Pentium.
Terminals:
TI Silent 700, TI Silent 709, Whisper Reader Mod 1951,
SIEMENS 97801 (green & white), SIEMENS 97801-2, SIEMENS 97808,
EECO D400, Heazeltine 1000.
Pocket Calculators:
Sharp PC 1211, PC 1241, PC 1250, PC 1251, PC 1261,
additional 14 non-Basic.
Video Games:
ATARI XL, ATARI Jaguar, ATARI Lynx, VCS 2600.
All but two in running condition.
mfg
Hans
,-----------------------------------,
! Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut !
'-----------------------------------'
In a message dated 97-03-17 14:50:15 EST, you write:
<< 1 TI99/4A with no stuff - just the basic unit. I've never had a
TI99/4A before so this should be fun. My main question is - what
is the input voltage? I'm going to need to mod a power supply to
it before I can get anywhere with it.
>>
Bill,
Your best bet is to pick up a genuine TI transformer yourself. However,
quoted from the TI transformer itself:
INPUT: 120VAC 60HZ 40W
OUTPUT: PINS 1,2: 18VAC, 18VA
PINS 2,4: 8.5VAC, 1.28VA
Hope this helps - by the way, did you get a beige or silver unit, and how
much did you pay for it?
Also, where are good thrift places to hit (other than Salvation Army), where
you can go and pick up used computer stuff?
Bryan
bnicalek(a)aol.com or reply direct to: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
I have always wondered what happens to the software that was used on the
computers that show up at thrift stores. I understand that someone who is
just upgrading from a 8088 to a pentium will keep his software but what about
Atari's, Applle II's and Commodore 64's? Why keep the software if you are
getting rid of the hardware? Can anybody explain this to me? This came to
mind again because I just picked up a C64 at a thrift shop with a 1541 and a
BusLogic card (??) but there was nary a disk or cartridge.
BTW, can anybody tell me where I can get a boot disk for the C64?:-)
Lou
In a message dated 97-03-17 06:07:12 EST, you write:
> (And BTW, anyone else had the misfortune of having to carry something
> like the Kaypro home via public transit at rush hour? The machine got a
> lot of interested stares, but boy did my arms hurt when I got home!)
Yes, except I used a luggage cart (I'm not as strong as I used to be) .
Strange thing was that no one seemed to notice.
Lou
On 20-Mar-97, classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu wrote:
>> Also, how many of you remember the old "pong" game that had the paddles
>> built into the unit? My family had one of those, I'd like to know where
>> it is now! :-)
>My brother still has one of those and I found one at the Goodwill for a
couple
>bucks. They're still around but pretty rare.
I have a SuperPong, which is a console with the two paddle controllers
built in, just as in Pong, but it is selectable between 4 different games. We
bought this new somewhere in the 1977-78 time frame if I remember correctly.
I entertained a 4 and 6 year old with it a couple weekends ago!
Jeff Jeffh(a)eleventh.com
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
// Amiga: The computer for the creative mind...since 1985!
// -------------------------------------------------------
\// True 32bit pre-emptive multitasking GUI, plug&play hardware,
\/ stereo sound, and 4096 color video modes since day #1
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Collector of classic home computers:
Amiga 1000, Atari 800, Atari 800XL, Atari Mega-ST/2, Commodore
C-128, Commodore Plus/4, Commodore VIC-20, Kaypro 2X, Mattel
Aquarius, Osbourne Executive, Sinclair ZX-81, TI-99/4A, Timex-
Sinclair 1000, TRS-80 Color Computer-3, and a TRS-80 Model 4.
Plus Atari SuperPong and Atari 2600VCS game consoles.
