Coleco ADAM

The Coleco Adam is a home computer and gaming system. It was an attempt to follow on the success of the company's ColecoVision video game console.  The system was first released in late 1983 as a stand-alone system and as an expansion for the ColecoVision (port 3). The Adam was not very successful, partly because of early production problems.  Production ended in January of 1985.

It was released with a professional quality keyboard, one data drive (256K tape) for storage and loading games/programs and a daisy wheel printer (typewriter quality).  Software included Word Processing, SmartBASIC, and Buck Rodgers Planet of Zoom Super Game Pack (on tape).

Options included a second data (tape) drive, up to two floppy drives (160K each), 64K memory expander, and 300 baud modem.  Additional software was available including CP/M 2.2 (operating system), Smart FILER (database), ADAM CALC (spreadsheet), SmartLOGO (Programing), ADAM Link (for the optional modem), and many games.

Technical Specs

CPU: Zilog Z80[33] @ 3.58 MHz
Support processors: three Motorola 6801 processors at 1 MHz (memory & I/O, tape, and keyboard control)

Memory: 80 kB RAM, 16 kB video RAM; 32 kB ROM

Expansion: 3 internal slots, 1 cartridge slot, and a 62.5 kbit/s half-duplex serial bus called AdamNet. The stand-alone also has an external expansion port of the same type as the ColecoVision expansion port, on the right hand side.
Secondary storage: Digital Data Pack tape cassette, 256 kB

Graphics: Texas Instruments TMS9928A (a close relative of the TMS9918 in the TI-99/4A)

• 256 × 192 resolution
• 32 sprites

Sound: Texas Instruments SN76489AN (a rebranded version of the TMS9919 in the TI-99/4A)

• 3 voices
• white noise