Yes, the Adam was produced by Coleco from '83-'85. It came in two different models, the first as an expansion module to the Colecovision game system and the 2nd as a stand alone that could accept Colecovision cartridges (had a Colecovision build in). I have a boxed one (you can see mine off to the left here - http://www.goatstore.com/museum15.jpg), which is the Colecovision expansion module. It was basicly a Z80 based micro with it's sound and graphics based around the Texas Instruments TMS9928A for graphics and SN76489AN for sound (both of which were already in the Colecovision). If it sounds familiar, it's because it's similar to the TI99/4A and what became part of the MSX stanadard. It also had 64K of RAM, along with 16k of Vram (which is why you'll often see it advertised as having 80k of RAM). From my understanding it's a dual Z-80, supplying it's own Z-80 and having access to the one in the Colecovision portion. It consisted of three components connected through a serial net called ADAMNET. Consequently, all three components (The daisywheel printer, the main chasis, the keyboard) had to be connected for the Adam to function. If you were missing the printer for example (which the power was actually supplied through), you couldn't start up your Adam. The main chasis had a special storage medium called a High Speed Digital Data Pack, with an empty section for a second one to be added. They were basicly a type of DAT used for storage, and most of the Adam's software was distributed on these. Inside you had 3 card slots where you could add things like an internal modem (which I have), extra ram, or whatnot. There was also a bus expansion slot as well. There were cards made at the time to add seperate printers, expand the memory an additional 256k, etc. Later 3rd part expansions included adding a couple megs of memory, hard drives, etc. You could also add a 160k 5 1/4" floppy drive developed by Coleco, as well as a cd-rom by Coleco as well (though this didn't see any real mass-production). The first batch had to basicly be returned or refubished because of production errors, and the company spent so long promising it on the market that by the time it actually got there it was to late to do anything. Interestingly, the company cancelled two products to put it's focus on the Adam. The first being the original expansion module #3 for the Colecovisionin 1983. This was to expand the capabilities of the Colecovision and use special program wafers instead of cartridges, that would have given the Colecovision NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) or SMS (Sega Master System) level hardware support long before anyone heard of the two. The second was when they canned the Colecovision alltogether in 1984 to focus on marketing the Adam (as many companies felt at the time of the '84 crash that the future was in computers and not game consoles). When the Adam failed in the market because of the long delays and quality problems, it was pulled in '85. (I was a stock holder at the time, and still have a bunch of the big color stock portfolios they'd release to shareholders). It's other claim to fame was almost nixing a deal (which never went through) between Nintendo and Atari. To put it breifly, Nintendo had approached Atari to distribute it's system in the US. They had several meetings, one of which was to be at the Summer '84 CES. It turned out Coleco was showcasing the Adam at that show as well, along with a datapack called Super Donkey Kong (an expanded version of it's original Donkey Kong cartridge that it had licensed from Nintendo for the Colecovision - it came packed in with the original Colecovision game console). Atari had the exclusive license from Nintedo for Donkey Kong on home computers, and threw a stink and threatened to nix the distribution deal (which never occured, and the Atari computer and console divisions were sold the next month to the Tramiel family). Consequently, Coleco pulled the game from it's computers. As an expansion module, the Adam represents one of the few tangible representations of the promise of what I call the "holy grail" of video game companies of the late 70's and early 80's. The promise to turn their video game console in to an actual programmable computer. Marty

It was the Coleco Adam. Played games really well. Peace... Sridhar On Thu, 27 Mar 2003, Jay West wrote: