Adam于1983年发表时有个小插曲。为了炫耀它,Coleco决定展示从ColecoVision移植至Adam的大金刚游戏。任天堂此时正在与Atari商议授权将FC游戏机销售至日本以外地区,而最后签署预计要在国际消费电子展中完成。Atari对于大金刚游戏的家用电脑版本有独占权利(而Coleco则拥有电视游乐器版本的权利),当Atari看到Coleco在电脑上展示大金刚时,他们与任天堂计划好的交易被延迟了。Coleco被迫同意不能贩售大金刚的Adam版本,致使其最后被腰斩。但Atari与任天堂的交易亦未付诸实行,因为Atari的CEO在一个月后被开除,而该计划草案亦不了了之。最终,任天堂决定贩售自己开发的系统。
如同当时的许多其他电脑,Adam使用电视做为显示器。SmartWriter"电子打字机"在开机时会自动启动。在这个模式里,系统就如同打字机一般工作-能立刻打印出用户输入的文字。按下Escape/WP键则能使SmartWriter切换至文书处理模式,如同现代的文书处理器一般工作。
一个较便宜的Adam版本可以插在ColecoVision上,这被宣称是提供一种较便宜的方式让ColecoVision用户可以升级到Adam。
* Adam在开机时会产生强大的磁场,其足以破坏所有留在机内或主机旁之磁性媒体的数据。更糟的是,某些Coleco的说明书指示用户在开机前放入录音带-据推测这些说明书可能是在此问题被发现前印的。
* 由于Coleco应用了相当奇怪的设计-从打印机供应所有系统的电源,若是打印机故障,所有的系统都将无法作动。
* 与当时其他电脑不一样的是,Adam没有内建于ROM的BASIC编译器。它内建的是SmartWriter-"电子打字机"与文书处理器、EOS(Elementary Operating System)操作系统核心与8K OS-7 ColecoVision操作系统。SmartBASIC编译器另附于其专有的Digital Data Pack录音带格式媒体中。
* 若切换至文书处理模式,SmartWriter无法在不重开机的情况下切回打字机模式。
* Adam的Digital Data Pack驱动器虽然比竟争对手的录音机更快,储存容量也更高,但较不可靠且仍无法与软驱的速度相比。Coleco最终推出了160K 5英寸软驱给Adam使用。
然而,销售并不理想,尤其是在技术问题浮上台面后。至1984年末,Coleco由于退货涌入而赔掉了3500万美元。Coleco将其怪罪于"使用手册未能给予新用户足够的指导。"Coleco重新推出Adam,附带了新的使用手册、以较低的价格贩售。每台给孩子用的Adam还附带500美元的大学奖学金(孩子们考上大学时支付)。最后,Adam的销量未能突破10万,并于1985年终止,距上市发表未满两年。
Adam使Coleco赔掉的钱即使是以Cabbage Patch Kids赚来的钱也无法弥补。Coleco于1988年申请宣告破产。
如同当时许多其他电脑,Adam即使在离开市场后仍有一群死忠支持者。有一群狂热份子每年都会在Adamcon聚会上聚集在一起。第19届聚会于2007年7月26日至7月29日于加拿大安大略省渥太华举办。
垃圾台式电脑之Coleco Adam 编辑本段回目录
支持处理器: 三个Motorola 6801 @ 1 MHz (内存 & I/O、录音带与键盘控制)
内存:64KB,16KB视频内存,32KB ROM
扩充:3个内部插槽、1个卡匣插槽与一62.5kbit/s half-duplex序列槽-AdamNet。在右侧另有一个与ColecoVision相同的扩充插槽。
第二存储媒体:Digital Data Pack录音带,256KB
图像:德州仪器 TMS9928A (类似在TI-99/4A内的TMS9918)
256 × 192 分辨率
32 叠图
音效:德州仪器SN76489AN
3声
白噪音
主要参数编辑本段回目录
NAME | ADAM |
MANUFACTURER | Coleco |
TYPE | Home Computer |
ORIGIN | U.S.A. |
YEAR | June 1983 |
END OF PRODUCTION | 1985 |
BUILT IN LANGUAGE | SmartWriter wordprocessor, Smart BASIC delivered on data-pack |
KEYBOARD | Full-stroke keyboard with separated arrow keys, ten command keys and six programmable function keys. 75 keys |
CPU | Zilog Z80 A |
SPEED | 4 mHz |
CO-PROCESSOR | 6801 Master-microcomputer |
RAM | 64 kb (25 kb available with Smart Basic), upgradable to 144 kb |
VRAM | 16 kb |
ROM | 32 kb |
TEXT MODES | 40 x 24 / 36 x 24 |
GRAPHIC MODES | 256 x 192 |
COLORS | 16 |
SOUND | 3 voices, 5 octaves |
I/O PORTS | Cartridge slot (complete system only), RGB video out, 2 x Joystick sockets, expansion port, 2 x ADAMNET port (serial port used to connect printer, digital tapes and keyboard), 3 x card connectors inside the case |
BUILT IN MEDIA | 1 - Digital data pack reader (real to real magnetic tape encased in a Lexan cassette), 256 KB. There is a room for an optional second one |
OS | EOS (Elementary Operating System) / OS-7 |
POWER SUPPLY | Built-in the printer ! |
PERIPHERALS | Second digital data-pack drive, 5''1/4 disk-drive, modem, 64k RAM expansion |
PRICE | $700 (USA, 1983) $300 (USA, 1985) $100 (USA, 1987) 1510 (France, 1984) 915 (France, 1985) |
详解编辑本段回目录
Ah, finally, "The first, complete, single-package family computer that includes all necessary hardware and software", at least in Coleco's eyes.
Released in October 1983, the Adam was available in two versions, as an add-on to the very popular ColecoVision game system, or as a stand-alone home computer system, as seen above.
At $600, the Adam was a great deal, including a letter-quality printer, high speed built-in storage, and 64K of user RAM.
Data storage is via built-in cassette drives. Ordinary audio cassettes cannot be used, they are not of sufficient quality to reliably store computer data.
Coleco sold high quality tapes specifically made for the Adam, capable of withstanding the high-speed 20 ips (inches per second) read/write and 80 ips rewind speeds.
SmartBASIC is one of many applications and games available on "Adam High Speed Digital Data Pack".
The Adam also has a cartridge slot on top to accept and play all ColecoVision game cartridges.
Although the Adam has a high-speed serial bus specifically for Adam peripherals, it has no standard serial or parallel ports for printers, modems, and other standard peripherals.
The included daisy-wheel printer is very noisy and slow, printing about 10 characters per second, but it has much better print quality than any dot-matrix printer, a cheaper and more common printer of the 1980's.
The daisy-wheel printer has a spinning disk, or daisy-wheel, with all of the printable characters on the outer edge. If the printer is told to print the letter "a", it spins the daisy-wheel until the character "a" is at the top, then hits it with a striker, imprinting the "a" on the paper, similar to a typewriter.
The printer continues to spin and strike the daisy-wheel until all the appropriate text has been printed. The printer has to know where all of the characters are located on the daisy-wheel, otherwise it wouldn't know when to strike it. Because of this, it is probably best to use a daisy-wheel supplied by Coleco, although many other daisy-wheels have nearly the same character layout for standardization.
Here is an example of the Adam daisy-wheel print quality:
The printer is connected to the Adam console via the AdamNet, a 62.5K bps, half-duplex, shared serial bus. Can you run the Adam without the printer? No - the printer contains the power supply for the entire system, so it must always be hooked-up and turned on.
After the Adam was released in October 1983, Coleco had to cease distribution of the Adam and fix the printer, which was having reliability problems. Because of this, Coleco missed the 1983 Christmas buying season, a major disappointement and loss of revenue.
By the time they got the Adam fixed and were shipping again, people believed that it was an unreliable system, and shyed away from it.
Coleco stopped shipping systems in January 1985, after only one year.
Some of the Adam's interesting features:
In September 1983, Popular Science magazine published an article about the Adam computer, having just been previewed at the 1983 Chicago CES (Consumer Electronics Show).
The funniest thing about the Adam computer is the single box which everything came in - it's giant!
大事记编辑本段回目录
相关链接编辑本段回目录
参考文献编辑本段回目录
http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/adam/index.htm
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=57&st=1