ADAM Computer

Coleco's home computer, released in October 1983 as a complete system rather than a box needing extras: 64K of RAM, a digital data pack drive, a detachable full-stroke keyboard and a daisy wheel printer, with SmartWRITER word processing held in ROM so the machine was useful the moment it was switched on.

In the box

• SmartBASIC and Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom, both on data packs.
• A blank data pack for the owner's own work.
• The printer, which is not optional - see below.

The printer powers it

• The whole system is powered through the daisy wheel printer, so the printer must be connected for anything to run.
• A failed printer therefore takes the computer down with it, which is the design decision the ADAM is most remembered for.

The launch went badly. Defective data pack drives and defective printers followed the machine from release, and it was withdrawn in January 1985.