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


Frances &/or Richard Clee wrote:
> 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 have looked in Garage sales, thrifts, etc. and the only ADAM
disk drives I've ever seen (at least in the SE US) has been the 
ones that I bought from individuals in both Texas and Califor-
nia. Don't know how this differs from the availability in Canada
though. I've hit thrifts and pawn shops from Dothan, Al to 
Huntsville, Al, and Pensacola, AL without seeing a single one. 
Don't guess the ADAM was popular in these parts. :)


>.. 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.......<



I have seen ADAM's at sales before, but the optional peripherals
I have yet to see in one... of any flavor (memory cards, second 
DDP, disk drives...). Mind you, I don't frequent garage sales 
very often, but I at least try to hit the thrifts once a week.:)


>..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 upgraded 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....<



I have heard that the reliability of the MI drives is top notch.
I haven't used them myself though, so I can't say. I give Mark
Gordon a lot of praise for releasing some upgrade ADAM hardware
...I personally own a 256k card, MIB3, and the MI IDE controller,
they're great. 



>..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 run-
ning 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.....<



I can understand this. One of the reasons I'd like to do this is
simply for my own benefit since it would help me to better under-
stand how the ADAM works. I know a lot about how the Commodore 
equipment works, since I have repaired a great deal of it over 
the years. Hardware projects of any type should be a welcome 
addition to the ADAM I think. 

Speaking of which, I remember talk a while back about a project
RTC (real-time clock) for the ADAM using the controller from a 
spare keyboard. Did this ever make it, or what?

*Geoff!*


EDITOR'S NOTE:  Naturally, it "made it" !   As a matter of fact,
I have one of the little buggers right here!

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