To: geoff@sprynet.com
From: Frances &/or Richard Clee <cleechez@tamcotec.com>
Subject: disc drives

A little clarification might be appropriate concerning disc
drives for the Adam. Used original Coleco drives aren't that 
hard to come by.  But if you want one you know is working, 
it will be pricey, about $75. The big problem is shipping - 
the postal and parcel services are not good at getting them
to arrive alive.  You have another option; you apparently 
have the ability to diagnose and repair a faulty drive. So go 
look at local garage sales, Goodwill stores, the Sally Ann or 
equivalents. I was offered a complete Atari (I don't know
if it was an XL or ST) with disc drive, printer and lots of
software at a garage sale last week free if I'd just take it 
away. It was working when put on the shelf X years agao. I 
declined, but deals like this are still around - I got a TI99/4A
in New Jersey last fall with expanded memory, disc drives, modem,
ton of software for $25; could have had the colour monitor 
thrown in if I'd had room to put it in the trailer. You can often
get an Adam in similar circumstances, and they're great deals if 
you can make them work.  There are still Micro Innovations disc 
drives, brand new or barely used, at the original list price or 
less. The original price was high - $200 for the 320K, but back 
then the mechanism (your generic DOSbox type) cost around $70, 
then Mark Gordon had to design and fabricate a very limited
production ($$$$$) circuit board, and supply a cabinet and up-
graded power supply.
Still I've never regretted biting the bullet and forking out $400
for my pair and I've nevr had a customer express regrets either. 
But then they work faultlessly for years.  Remember perceptions 
of pricing are different. What's expensive to a struggling student 
may not look bad at all to someone at the end of a life spent 
saving and now enjoying the fruits of that lifetime of sacrifice.
Especially if we're running DOSboxes. I used to feel Adam software
was expensive - but I can't even buy a game for the DOSbox for the
price of the most expensive piece iof technically challenging 
software A.D.A.M. Services sells.
Yes, disc drives for the Adam are pricey, compared to the ones
for DSOboxes which don't need custom software and go into a slot 
with the controller card and power supply already there. But if 
you think the supply is short, put out a query on this list and 
see what offers you get.            - Rich Clee



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