Issue #6 - Jan./Feb. 1985

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1985 INDEX RETURN TO MAIN PAGE Ramblings From The Ridge Renewal Reminder CES - Las Vegas West Hartford Happennigs What About The Competition? Telecommunicating Programs, Programs, Programs Simple Maintenance For ADAM Making Smart Letters & Forms Smarter ADAM The Good And The Bad FORTH Bulletin, Etc. Monitor Hookup Pitfall 2 (Review) Pitfall 2 (Review 6-2) Tarzan (Review) Tarzan (Review 6-2) Zaxxon Super Game (Review) Zaxxon Super Game (Review 6-2) Montezuma's Revenge (Review) Dragon's Lair (Review) Dragon's Lair (Review 6-2) Model AD 100S Printer Silencer (Review)

Packcopy (Review) Packcopy (Review 6-2) Q*Bert's Qubes (Review) Pitstop (Review) Address Book Filer (Review) Videotunes (Review) Videotunes (Review 6-2) Trek (Review) AdamCalc (Review) Frogger II: Three Deep (Review) The Basic ADAM - A Self Teaching Guide (Review) Adam Agenda (Review) High Scores User Group News Glitches, Bugs, Errata, Etc. Bulletin Board ECN Program Library Art Gallery (Program Listing) Fans (Program Listing) Graphics Program (Program Listing) Schedule Maker & Events (Program Listing) Graphics Demo (Program Listing) Graphics (Program Listing)

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Ramblings From The Ridge
by D. Sage, Editor
    As I indicated in the last issue, this issue is late. We will try to get back on schedule as quickly as possible, but it will probably take a couple of issues to do so.
    We now have survived a full year and intend to continue publishing ECN and develop now software. We have gone through three cover designs. Our current layout was provided by Ted Gocal. We appreciate his assistance. The artwork in the cover box is mine. The cover tells a story none of us wanted to see. More on that later.
    ECN continues to change. We now are able to provide screen graphics thanks to our new Mitsubishi video printer. We will try not to overdo this but would like to provide at least one screen picture of each new software package reviewed. If the graphics start eating into our text too much we will limit it. Some of the pictures may not be first rate, especially if the screen image is low in contrast. Be patient, we will try to make adjustments but it will take some experimentation.
    I have been very busy since our last issue. I am trying hard to keep up with your letters and questions. It Is not always possible to do so. I read all of the mail and try to answer personally as much as possible. If it appears that no answer is required or you have asked a general question that should be answered in ECN, you may not get a personal reply. In order to have time to write software, I have to cut back something else. If you need an answer quickly say so in your letter and be sure to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. Such answers will probably be hand written. We still operate our telephone hot-line on Saturday mornings from 9 am until noon CST. If your question can be answered by phone, give us a call. No collect calls please. If you have a modem please do not contact me by E-Mail on Compuserve. My Compuserve and long-distance charges are getting out of sight. Write a letter or call me instead of using E-MAIL.
    Some of you are worried about our continued support for the ADAM. Please do not worry. We will be here to publish ECN and help you for a long time to come. We all need to work together. Let's do what we can to make as much software available as possible. Share your programs with us and the rest of our subscribers. If you send us a program that has commercial potential, we will tell you and suggest places to contact that will help you market the product. Otherwise we will print your program in ECN or make it available on a program library data pack.
    As I said earlier, I have been busy programming since our last issue. The result of all this work is the first commercially available backup program for the ADAM. The program is described in our ad and in two independent reviews in this issue.
    I have also been working on a program that will retrieve files and programs from data packs that are unreadable (those that produce 1/0 errors). This program is now workable, but is very complex and difficult to use. it is also very, very slow. I intend to try to simplify it as much as possible and provide some additional utilities that will make it easier to use before making it available. So there is hope for all those data packs you have that cannot be accessed.
    I also have been talking to a number of independent programmers, who like myself, are interested in supporting the ADAM. We need to know from you what type of software you would like to see during the next year. We also need to know what hardware you would like to have. if you will write to me, ATTN: New Product Development, and give your ideas, we will make up a list to share among all interested software developers. Please do not include questions in these letters. If any of you are programmers and are interested in participating in the program development project, send me a letter describing your areas of expertise and interests: address the letter to me, ATTN: Programming Help. If you are skilled in the hardware area, address the letter to ATTN: Hardware Help.
    It has come to my attention that some of you have been sharing programs from ECN with non-subscribers through Compuserve. While all the programs presented in ECN are copyrighted, I have no objections to you sharing this material with other ADAM owners. I do not want to see anyone publishing these programs or in any way charging for their distribution. In addition I ask that you make it clear that ECN is the source for the program and that you give credit to the author. We also would hope that you would encourage these non-subscribers to subscribe to ECN. After all, $12.00 a year is pretty cheap. We don't make much on this but every little bit helps to cover our costs in purchasing products for review and testing.
    In the last couple of issues I have suggested that we all start a letter writing campaign to a number of companies encouraging them to support the ADAM. A number of companies have developed software for the ADAM but have been unable to get retailers to carry the items. Some of these products include conversions of top rated software available for other computer systems. Write to these companies and urge them to make their products available through the various mail order companies that sell ADAM products. These software companies include:

Sierra, Sierra On-Line Bldg. Coarsegold, CA 93614 Nancy Evans, Spinnaker Software 215 First Street Cambridge, MA 02142 Peggy Sheridan-Marketing Div. Parker Bros., Inc. 50 Durham Rd. Beverly, MA 01915 Margaret Torme Imagic 40 Gold Street San Francisco, CA 94133

Stephen D. Arnold LucasFilm Ltd. - Game Group P.O. Box 2009 San Rafael, CA 94912 Epyx 1043 Kiel Ct. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Infocom 55 Wheeler St. Cambridge, MA 02138 Activision Drawer 7286 Mountain View, CA 94042

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    Feel free to add to this list, but we know that Sierra, Epyx, and Infocom have already done conversions that are awaiting enough support to go to market.
    In addition write to the president of Coleco and tell him how you would like to see continued products and support for the ADAM. Try to be positive and personal in your letters.
    Right now many of us would like to have a printer interface that would allow us to connect other printers to the ADAM. If Coleco or another party does not produce a universal printer interface soon, we will do everything we can to get this product on the market. If all else fails I'll get out my trusty soldering iron and make the things myself. We are also considering putting together an 80 column kit for the ADAM. These things do take time and experimentation and testing. Time seems to be in short supply around here, but I will try. If any of you want to help, let me know.
    Some of you have expressed an interest in what projects we have in the works for ADAM. My list currently includes a machine language development system, a utility package for SmartWriter files (centering, right justification, variable line spacing, etc.), SmartFiler utilites, educational programs, and tools to allow non-programmers to take advantage of ADAMs sound and graphics.
    Don't forget, we welcome your support, contributions and input. So get busy and send us something soon. Everyone will appreciate it. You will be happy to know that the Sprite Editor I have been working on has been written. It is still full of bugs and may or may not appear in this issue. If I get it completely ready I will try to stick it in. If not, I should have it in the next issue.
    We are still awaiting final word on a French version of ECN. If you are interested let us know so that we may pass the word along it it becomes available. Return to Top

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Renewal Reminder
    If your mailing label has an 8501 on it, then this is your last issue, unless you have sent in your renewal. Remember we will not be sending out any renewal notices. We are looking forward to serving all of you for another year and hope that all of you will stay with us. ADAM will survive if we all stay In touch and work together. I hope to see all of you In our March anniversary issue. Return to Top

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CES - Las Vegas
by D. Sage
    Much of this report was made possible by Al Roginski, who offered to attend the Consumer Electronics Show on our behalf. We would like to thank Al for his efforts in bringing us the latest news.
    Coleco was distributing the infamous press release announcing their sale of ADAM inventory. In the announcement they indicated that although ADAM sales had improved, they felt that the home computer market was too unstable to continue in this area. Coleco has indicated that they will continue to provide maintenance support through Honeywell's Service Centers. Their contract with Honeywell has another four years left. They also indicated that their toll free hot line would continue for another year and that they would honor all warranties and would provide software support for the rest of 1985. We have been advised through a number of sources that it is unlikely that Coleco will introduce any new hardware that has not already been produced. This would mean that the universal printer interface, 80 column card and tractor feed have probably been scrapped. Other products such as CP/M 2.2 and the updated telecommunications software were to be shipped in the near future. Coleco has also indicated that they will be making technical support more readily available to third party developers.
    The list of "NEW" products being shown at the Coleco booth included: "Berenstein Bears Return to Spooky Old Tree", "Math Quest", "The Best of Electronic Arts", "Illusions", "Dam Busters", "Grog's Revenge", "2010: The Strategy Text Game", "Cabbage Patch Kids Workout", "Family Feud", "Jeopardy", "Root Beer Tapper", and "Spy Hunter". Coleco also indicated that there would be other yet to be named titles available for the ADAM.
    Other news concerning support for the ADAM comes from Image MicroCorp. They announced that they would be producing a 64k memory expander for the ADAM and that it would be available within the next 45 days. They also indicated that a speech synthesizer and an RS232 interface would be introduced later in the year.
    Both Atari and Commodore introduced new computers at the show. Atari was displaying their new ST line of computers. This is essentially a color Macintosh look alike. The 512k version of this machine is set to be priced at $1000. A monitor and disk drives are to be priced at $200 each. Jack Tramiel indicated that the machine should begin appearing in retail stores by April of this year. The machine uses a mouse and its processor is the Motorola 68000.
    Commodore did not display their new AMIGA super machine. This machine is expected to be introduced later in the spring. Commodore, however, appears to have finally taken the hint and introduced a Commodore 64 compatible computer dubbed the 128. This machine is supposedly capable of further memory expansion up to 512k and will be priced around $250.
    There did not appear to be anything else at CES that was anything close to earth shaking. We expect to see more new products appear at the June show. Return to Top

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West Hartford Happenings
by D. Sage
    I have heard so many rumors about what is going on that it is difficult to figure out which story to believe. Well here goes. Coleco has sold all inventory of the current ADAM computer. It appears that the inventory was purchased by 0DD LOT a division of REVCO. Total production of all ADAMS, once current parts are used, will be around 400,000 units. Approximately 250,000 of these have already been sold.
    Coleco is rumored to have built two other computers. The first of these is a disk drive version of the ADAM. The second is an Apple compatible computer that was shown in private at Las Vegas. It is rumored that this second machine is also compatible with all current ADAM Software. It is believed that Coleco will be negotiating with other companies for the U.S. rights to this latter computer. Coleco may retain rights for overseas distribution. Both AT&T and GTE may be interested in this product since it also includes a built in telephone and probably will support some form of videotext.
    About all we can do is take a wait and see attitude. There currently appears to be a great deal of confusion at Coleco about what exactly the sale of the current ADAM inventory means. Those of you who own ADAMs will have to decide whether to buy items you want now at current prices or take the chance of waiting for prices to drop. Some items were produced by Coleco in only small quantities. These apparently include 64k memory expanders and AdamCalc. Other items such as modems and disk drives are more readily available. We have been advised that there will be one more production run of disk drives. Look for the price of ADAMs to drop to $300 by the first of February. We are already beginning to see prices around $400 for stand-alone ADAMs and $300 for the Colecovison Expansion Module. At these prices I will probably buy at least two more ADAMs.
    You all will be happy to know that regardless of Coleco's actions, there will be software support for the ADAM. The following are bits and pieces that we have put together over the last several days. This information comes from reliable sources and is not based on rumor.
    Lucasfilm Ltd. Game Division plans to introduce Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractulus for the Colecovision/ADAM sometime in mid 1985. An independent software company is working on a telecommunications package for the ADAM that is similar to the XModem package for other computers. Another independent is working on a trivia game for the ADAM. A number of major software titles are expected to be introduced via mail order firms in the near future. We have been promised review copies, but cannot give any details at this point. The game Evolution has been introduced for the ADAM in Canada by Sydney Dataproducts, 315 Laurel St., San Diego, CA 92101. International Computing will be supporting the ADAM through a number of introductions, most of these will be in the area of text adventure games. Star-Byte, Inc. has indicated that they will continue to support the ADAM and have a number of new introductions planned. As stated earlier Image MicroCorp plans to continue to support the ADAM through hardware and software introductions. Westico, 25 Van Zant St.. Norwalk, CT 06855, has announced that they have completed the conversion of a large number of CPM programs to the ADAM format and that they will be distributing these products. A listing of such programs will be included in the CPM package put out by Coleco. Some of the programs listed by Westico are Wordstar, Multiplan, CBasic, Cobol, Pascal, dBase II, and many others. It has also been rumored that a version of the MSX operating system may be made available for the ADAM. We will of course keep you posted on any further developments. Return to Top

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What About The Competition?
by D. Sage
    My first question is: If you are no longer in the business, how can you have any competition?
    In any event the other computer companies in the home market are still there. Apple is busy as ever selling IIe's, IIc's and Macintoshes. IBM has improved the Jr. and cut its price. The product is now selling as a low end version of the IBM PC. You can buy a Sanyo for about the same price as a Jr. and have a full fledged IBM compatible, so why buy a Jr.? The IBM name of course. We Americans have this thing about names.
    The Japanese are still lurking off shore with their computers. This is supposed to be the year they come ashore, but who knows. They may be waiting for a better product before taking on the American market. Some Japanese companies seem to be satisfied with producing products for sale by American companies.
    I have already covered Atari and Commodore so there is little need to say more about them. Time will tell if their new products will have a chance. A color Macintosh would be hard to pass up for under $1000.
    The Sinclair QL is being sold in Europe and is supposed to be available by mail order in the US this spring. This is a neat machine that I saw at Chicago last summer.
    Don't expect to see much new until CES in June or possibly at the European show in the spring. Most computer companies have learned that it is best not to introduce a new product until you are ready to go with it. Return to Top

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Telecommunicating
by D. Sage
    If you have a modem and have been on Compuserve, you probably have figured out that Coleco has apparently dropped the ADAM SIG. Even the earlier notice that appeared is now gone.
    Never fear, ADAM owners have created their own SIG thanks to the cooperation and assistance of Family Computing magazine. For those of you who didn't know it, Family Computing has a special group on Compuserve that includes an on-line magazine and various bulletin boards. To access the area currently being used by ADAM owners simply log on Compuserve and then type in GO FAM-200. This will take you to the Family Computing SIG. The ADAM group exchanges information on the bulletin board for specific computers. When you get the menu prompt select option 3. You will then be able to read messages from ADAM owners. Instructions are provided on request on using the bulletin board. You can read other messages as well as compose your own.
    If you use this service do so with some courtesy. Remember we are guests of Family Computing and should conduct ourselves with that in mind. Try to restrict your comments to those that will be of general interest. If you want to leave a message for a particular individual, try to do that through E-Mail rather than the bulletin board. Reading all these messages takes time and time is money. One day I spent three hours of connect time getting caught up on reading messages. Since I don't have a local access number that means I had three hours of long distance charges as well as three hours of connect charges. Unfortunately many of the messages were little more than greetings. Many of the messages were also redundant. I suggest you read previous messages before asking a question. Often times you will find that your question has already been answered. This bulletin board is no place for profanity or rudeness. If we don't conduct ourselves properly we could lose access to something we all need.
    The Family Computing SIG also supports on-line conferences between users. ADAM owners have already held a number of scheduled conferences. In addition by typing in the command "co" at the bulletin board you can enter the conference mode at any time. Often you will find other ADAM owners on-line to talk to.
    Several of us are trying to organize regular group conferences. I am hoping that we can organize this on at least a once-a-month basis. These conferences will be advertised on the Family Computing bulletin board. If you decide to attend such a conference please abide by the rules that have been established so that all can benefit. For the last couple of conferences, John Zimmerman of Tulsa has acted as moderator. The rules that follow were compiled by him and should be followed during any such scheduled conference. After you enter the conference made (by typing "co") you will be on channel 30. Conferences are held on channel 3. To get there type "/tun 3". You will start seeing messages appear on your screen. Don't worry, these are live transmissions from other ADAM owners. To talk all you have to do is type a line. The line will be transmitted when you hit the return key. Now for the rules: 1. Ask for the floor before saying anything. John will let you know when it is your turn. To ask for the floor type "floor, please," and then be patient. You eventually get your turn. 2. When you finally get the floor, type in what you have to say when you are finished end it with "go." This way others will know that you are done. 3. Remember that all of us pay for this service so keep your questions and answers short. If you have a personal question, save it for E-Mail. Don't waste everyone's time asking something that will not be of interest to anyone but yourself. Finally remember that this is a conference for ADAM users. Please confine your questions to the ADAM and please be patient. Eventually you will get the hang of how the conference works. Hope to see you all there soon.
    If you have the time and money you may want to explore other parts of Compuserve. I think that you will find a number of interesting services, many of which will be described in Compuserve's publications which all Compuserve subscribers receive. Return to Top

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Programs, Programs, Programs
    We again have a number of user written progams to share with you. The program listings for these appear at the end of ECN. David Jacksch has sent us two more fine graphics programs that are quite interesting. There are three graphics programs supplied by Charles Steele. Finally Steve Hanam has supplied us with a program to keep track of our daily activities. This program is called EVENTS and is accompanied by another program called SCHEDMAKER. The latter of these is used to create the data file used in the EVENTS program. You will have to enter and run SCHEDMAKER before running EVENTS for the first time. SCHEDMAKER will then have to be run ONLY when you need to set up a new calendar. The instructions for EVENTS are provided in the program and are relatively self-explanatory. Thanks for sending us these fine programs and we hope that you and others will continue to share your efforts with all of us. Return to Top

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Simple Maintenance For ADAM
by Mike Lee
    While most of you have found that the ADAM system is really a trouble-free computer system, there is still basic maintenance that every owner should perform.
    Obviously, one of the most important things to do for your ADAM is to keep it clean and dirt free. During normal use, it is not unusual to find paper lint and dust inside any of the components. Use a product known as "Dust-Off" to safely blow away harmful dust and lint. To help maintain the cleanliness, an investment in dust covers for your ADAM is more than justified.
    Another worthwhile investment is a bottle or spray can of anti-static spray. Not only will this product reduce the amount of dust your ADAM can attract, but the build-up of such static can drive your ADAM nuts! One such symptom of static build-up is small glitches seen on the monitor or TV screen. Another more disastrous symptom is when the print head on the printer advances to the far right of the carriage and begins bumping against the end several times or even continuously while attempting to reset. A quick but small mist of anti-static spray will completely cure this symptom. Spray the substance on a cloth and lightly apply it to each of your components. Allow it to stand a minute before powering up the system again.
    A tape head cleaning outfit is a must with ADAM. Failure to keep the head clean will not only prevent the transfer of good data, but may also permanently damage a good program (such as the SmartBasic tape). This outfit is also valuable for cleaning another component of the ADAM, the reset microswitch on the printer's print head. This small contact switch is found on the lower left side of the print head and Is mounted to either the print head on early models, or the extreme left of the printer case on later models. GENTLY clean the contact points on this switch and allow it to dry completely before using the system.
    By using a little common sense housekeeping, the ADAM should be able to maintain a happy image and stay away from repairmen for a long time. Return to Top

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Making Smart Letters & Forms Smarter
by Alan Taylor
    Editor's Note: Before following the procedure described in this article or before attempting to make modifications to any commercial program, I STRONGLY urge you to make a backup copy of the program and modify the copy. I am not trying to sell our copy program, but from personal experience you could find that the original tape cannot be accessed after such modifications are made. We cannot be responsible when you fail to heed our warnings.
    I am writing concerning Coleco's newly released Smart Letters & forms program fur ADAM. I have found the program very interesting and useful, but I also found a bug that was very annoying. I called Coleco to try and get the problem resolved and they could not help so I proceeded on my own and found a remedy for the problem.
    The problem occured when I was using the form entitled Cover Letter with Resume." All went well until I tried to enter my name at the end of the form. After my name was inserted and the "Done" Smart Key was pressed, my name would disappear and the cursor would move to the beginning of the letter. Using the Arrow Keys to return to the end of the letter, I would find my name gone and also one line from the bottom of the letter missing. Continued attempts at inserting would give the same results, taking one more line from the letter each time.
    Upon viewing this form and other forms in this program, I found the problem and used the following method to correct it:
    1. Insert Letters and Forms program into data drive and using the SmartWriter mode, "GET" the directory on the screen. Move the selection pointer to the last name on the directory then press the Down Arrow key again. This will load another page of the directory on the screen. "GET" the file labeled "cover."
    2. When the form is on the screen, switch to "moving window", use the Arrow Key to move down to the "End Page" symbol. This is where the problem is located. There should be two (2) return symbols between "(name)" and the "End Page". Insert a return at this point.
    3. Remove the program tape and using a separate data pack, save the revised form under the "cover" filename.
    4. Re-insert the Letters and Forms program tape and, again using SmartWriter, "Get" the directory on the screen. Position the selector arrow on the "cover" file and press the "Delete" command key and "Final Delete" Smart Key. This will, of course, delete the faulty form.
    5. Remove the program tape, retrieve the revised form from the separate data pack, in the SmartWriter mode, and then re-"Store" it on the Letters and Forms program data pack.
    This will correct the problem. I have called Coleco and told them what I did and they were pleased that the problem was so easily corrected. Of course I was too, but this suggested a whole new idea to me. I have created my own "Letters and Forms" on a separate data pack, complete with automatic "inserts" using the Tab Key, as can be done within Coleco's Letters and Forms program! The title of my "home-made" forms, when enclosed in "[ ]" will appear at the top of the form in orange when loaded, and the insert areas, when enclosed in "( )", appear orange and can be tabbed to, as with forms included an the program tape.
    The forms must be created on SmartWriter and stored under filenames used for files on the original program tape. For instance, one "home-made" form, say for a letter to the Mayor, would be saved with the file name "Formal." This form could then be loaded by selecting the FORMAL INVITATION from the SOCIAL DIRECTORY, after the Letters and Forms program has been booted and the separate data pack inserted. You'll have to make a note some place so you will know what form is located under what name, but you'll have your own personal customized form letters. A good way to list the file names is to print out the catalog on the program data pack while in SmartBasic.
    I hope you will find this information useful and that it will help others that have had the same problem I had. Return to Top

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ADAM The Good And The Bad
by Dennis Jurewicz
    I believe that ECN should have a regular column that would allow people such as myself and others to comment on the problems we have encountered and what has been done to correct them.
    I got my ADAM in March 1984 and had no problem getting it set up and running. Everything worked. However, as I used it I found that it did have a few bugs in the word processing program. The version I had was #59. The "End of Page", key sometimes would make graphics appear on the screen and wipe out part of the text. When this happened the right and left arrow keys would not work and part of the top bar which indicates position would disappear. The "Escape" key would not work and the only way to get going again was to shut off the computer.
    When I changed either the right or left margins and then used the "Home" key to roll the text, part of the text would disappear and graphics would appear. Again, the only way out was to shut the computer off.
    Sometimes when I used the "Insert" key the computer stayed in the insert mode. Same story, turn it off. Text would also sometimes be lost when using the "Insert" key, The "End of Page" key did not work in the Insert mode and only made garbage of the text.
    The printer worked well, however, after putting a multiple page form through it, the plastic paper guide started to tear. This caused the printer head to catch on the plastic and the printer stopped running.
    I sent the computer to Honeywell in Michigan with the request that a new unit be sent back. Honeywell sent me a new memory console and a new printer. I got back my old keyboard. Also three new tapes (data pack, SmartBasic, and Buck Rogers) were sent along with a note to discard the old ones. Well I kept the old tapes since there was nothing wrong with them. The turnaround time was only 9 days and my only cost was the UPS charge. The word processing version in this unit is #80.
    The data drive in the new unit lasted for 2 tapes before it stopped operating. I sent It back to Coleco Customer Service and got another one back in 3 weeks. So far I have had the now data drive for two weeks and it is still working.
    The new printer is a newer model than the old one I sent back. The old one, except for the ripped paper guide, always worked well. This newer model sometimes makes a high pitch noise and then will not operate. The only way I have found to get it going again is to shut the computer off. None of the advice from Coleco has helped, so if anyone has any ideas I would like to hear them.
    Even with the problems that I have had I still think that the ADAM is the best computer system for the home user, especially for the price.
    Editor's Note: The problem with the printer sounds like a jammed paper platten gear. The nylon gears on the platten can be lubricated with a small quantity of vaseline. If the roller cannot advance when ADAM Is turned on, the printer will not work. Return to Top

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FORTH Bulletin, Etc.
by Tommy L. Earnest, Jr.
    I have written the user's group in England about their group and about their version of the programming language FORTH. They said that they will be serving only the ADAM and have changed their name to The Independent Coleco ADAM User's Club. Their membership cost is 12 pounds sterling, payable by banker's draft.
    The version of FORTH they were working on is finished. However, since there is no assembler for ADAM they had to write the language on another computer. Whenever an RS232 interface is available they will download the program to ADAM and test it out. They hope to have Forth available for distribution early this year.
    I have also found a way to access SmartWriter without having to press the ESCAPE/WP button. In typewriter mode, simply press Control-[.
    I have written many major computer software manufacturers about making their products available for ADAM. Many seem interested, while some say production will begin soon. Write them. The more mail they get the better our chances. Remember when the C-64 came out it hardly had any software at all. Just look at it now. Return to Top

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Monitor Hookup
by Carlton Caldwell
    Earlier it was suggested that a pot could be attached to ADAM's video output in order to reduce the signal to a monitor. Here is the information many of you have been asking about.
    The pot value for the video output should be approximately 500 ohms. 300 ohms will probably work and as much as 1000 ohms will also work. Since the potentiometer is connected in series, any value over 300 ohms will work as long as it can be adjusted down in the neighborhood of 250 ohms. For those who are lacking the nerve to open their ADAM, they can connect the potentiometer by cutting the video cable and splicing the potentiometer into the cable. If you use a pot with a metal case, solder a ground wire to the metal case from the closest ground point. The diagram to the left indicates how to install the pot with the connections inside the ADAM. This will of course void any warranty. Editor's Note: It is my understanding that the new ADAM monitor cable from Coleco will also take care of the problem of too hot a signal from ADAM.
    Cut the video out wire denoted by the X and solder the end coming from the circuit board to both terminals 1 & 2 of the pot. Terminal 3 goes to the video out. Return to Top

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Product Review - Pitfall II
by Jeff Silva
Product: Pitfall II Lost Caverns
Manufacturer: Activision
Requirements: ColecoVision/ADAM, Joystick
Media: Cartridge
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $29.95 at Toys R Us
Rating: 8
    Your objective in David Crane's sequel to his hit VCS game, Pitfall, is to help Pitfall Harry explore the lost caverns, picking up gold bars, finding his niece Rhonda, a Raj diamond ring and his cowardly cat, Quickclaw. You have to avoid dangers like the familiar albino scorpions, as well as bats, condors, electric eels, and frogs, as you climb ladders, swim, fall and ride helium balloons to many different levels. You can't die. The only way to end the game is to turn it off or find all the treasures. You can be set back, however, by coming into contact with any of the earlier mentioned nasties. When this happens, your figure freezes and blinks, as he moonwalks to the last Mystic Indian Healing Symbol he has touched while exploring the caverns.
    The game is simplicity itself to play. Just drop into the caverns and start exploring. The musical theme is very lively and turns to a sad key whenever something bad happens; it picks up tempo whenever you find a treasure. Graphics are about average for ColecoVision, certainly better than the original VCS graphics. Sound effects, besides the musical score, are minimal. Play action is similar. Like Activision's Pitfall for ColecoVision, the graphics are better, but play action is no different. This version was adapted by programmer Robert Rutkowski and is, of course, completely faithful to the David Crane original.
    You have a fun time exploring the many passageways, though most are slight variations on the same floor. After playing awhile, you will find it easy to get the Raj ring and Rhonda, but much harder to get to Quickclaw (we haven't made it yet). I found it kind of disappointing that the objects are in the exact same place each time you play, but it is still a very fun game, which is stunning in the VCS version. I do wish they would have added a surprise or two for the ColecoVision version, but all in all, this game will keep you entertained for hours. Because the game remains the same each time, it lacks lasting play value once you've found all the treasures. Most of the fun is in the hunting not the finding. Return to Top

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Product Review - Pitfall II (6-2)
by Joe Blenkle
Product: Pitfall II Lost Caverns
Warranty: 1 year
Rating: 8
    It's not very often that you see a sequel live up to and even surpass the original. Such is the case with Activision's Pitfall II, the sequel to the original Pitfall.
    One unusual aspect of Pitfall is the size of the playfield. It measures some 6 screens across and 25 levels up and down.
    The game is a lot fun, but becomes frustrating at times becauseof the split second timing required to run under the flying bats and condors. Pitfall II is an excellent game. It's only real drawback is a poor instruction manual. Once you've collected all the treasures and rescued Rhonda and Quickclaw, Pitfall Harry shows you how he feels about the whole adventure and the game ends. Return to Top

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Product Review - Tarzan
by Alan Taylor
Product: Tarzan game cartridge
Requirements: ColecoVision/ADAM, joystick
Media: Cartridge
Warranty: 90 days
Price: $34.95 at J.C. Penney
Rating: 10
    Having been a Tarzan "fan" for over 20 years, this reviewer has anxiously awaited this game since it was announced in 1983. Please note that "Tarzan fan" was used, not not "Johnny Weismuller fan", there is a definite difference. The fact that Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. has tight control over the Tarzan Character is obvious in this fresh and exciting game.
    Tarzan, in this adventure, has to save his "Mangani" (ape) friends from hunters hunters and the Beastmen of Opar. There are four difficulty levels. Regular controllers or Super Action Controllers can be used. One feature used on this game, and a welcome one, is that by pressing the # key you are able to turn off the background music and drums.
    The player is given only one Tarzan per game. How long the game lasts depends on the "vitality bar" at the top of the screen which increases or decreases as the game progresses. When the game begins, Tarzan is on the jungle floor being attacked by Bolgani, the gorilla. Tarzan can either jump and run from danger on the ground, take to the trees with Bolgani hot on his trail, or stay and fight. Pressing the left fire button will cause Tarzan to punch, momentarily stunning his opponent. Slow reactions will cause Tarzan to be hit and stunned. If there is a river on the screen, Tarzan can escape by swimming, but beware of Gimla, the crocodile. Gimla can only be eliminated by jumping or falling on him. Hista the snake must also be dealt with and eliminated in the same manner as Gimla.
    A word should be said at this point about the graphics, they are absolutely fantastic. Tarzan's movements are very fluid, especially while swimming. I find myself playing the game just to watch the action and forget about the score!
    Each jungle screen is different, with hunters' camps, cages suspended from trees and on top of poles in the hunters' camps, narrow and wide rivers, and of course a variety of vines for swinging. The Temple of Opar, the final scene, is beautiful.
    Tarzan is accompanied by N'Kima, his faithful monkey, who warns him of pitfalls and snakes. This game is a true joy to play and a must for all Tarzan fans, even if you have to buy a ColecoVision or ADAM to have it. Return to Top

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Product Review - Tarzan (6-2)
by Jeff Silva
Product: Tarzan game cartridge
Price: $29.95 at Toys R Us
Rating: 9
    In this new game from Coleco, you are Tarzan, lord of the jungle! Your adventure consists of swinging thru the treetops, battling enemies including hunters who have your faithful companion, Nkima, trapped in a cage at their camp. Once you release Nkima, he joins you in your quest to rescue the Great Ape tribe, who have been imprisoned by the Beastmen. Finally after freeing your tribe, you must confront the evil of the Flaming Idol at the Temple of the Flaming God! At any time during the game, with the press of a keypad button, Tarzan unleashes his ape-roar at friends and foes alike.
    Coleco has done a magnificent fantasy hero, like Tartan, total justice in this classic video game. I have never played a video game that more faithfully captures the essence of a super-hero than this game does. It is everything you would expect from Tarzan, and more. The graphics are superb with dense jungle foliage and blue bodies of water which Tarzan splashes in and swims in realistically. His enemies are many, but still Tarzan can and does triumph. Tarzan doesn't die, but if you let his strength bar ebb to nothing, the game ends. He gains strength by Nkima's companionship and by punching Beastmen or Hunters; he loses strength when they hit him with bullets or fists and when bitten by a snake or crocodile.
    Tarzan leaps, climbs, swings on vines, punches and roars. Coleco has done it again. I can hardly imagine how anyone can make this game better. It is further proof that Coleco knows their game machines best. Buy it! Return to Top

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Product Review - Zaxxon Super Game
by Guy Bona
Product: Zaxxon Super Game Pack
Media: Digital Data Pack
Requirements: ADAM, joysticks
Warranty: 90 days
Price: $34.95 at Montgomery Wards
Rating: 10
    This is the third super game pack (not counting Buck Rogers) that Coleco has released and is by far the best. This game has six screens and more enemies than the cartridge version. It has eight skill levels from Star Warrior, which is a practice level in which the enemy does not fire, to Star Lord, the highest skill and the most challenging level. When you load the game you are asked if you wish to play a new game or a saved game. This new feature enables you to save a game you are playing and return to it later to finish from where you left off. The graphics are excellent and it's a game you will keep coming back to. If your last plane is destroyed, you get the option to start over, select another skill level, start a new game where the curront one ended, or go to the "Hall of Fame" screen.
    If you destroy the Galactic Headquarters, it blows up, your plane flies off, returning with an astronaut floating out of the plane. Your score is then displayed and the "Hall of Fame" screen is displayed. This is a one player game.
    Overall this game is worth getting for your library. Return to Top

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Product Review - Zaxxon Super Game (6-2)
by Joe Blenkle
Price: $34.97 at Toys R Us
Rating: 10
    Super Zaxxon has got to be the best game put out by Coleco yet. Many more features and screens have been added than were available in the Zaxxon Cartridge and the game is more enjoyable to play.
    The object of the game is to guide your fighter through space and over asteroid bases in the quest to destroy the evil Zaxxon robot. Not only does this game have more asteroids than the cartridge version, but the ultimate goal is not even to destroy Zaxxon. Instead, you must battle through Zaxxon to reach the Zaxxon High Command and destroy it and, (if you can) the mini-Zaxxon guarding it.
    The features of this game are almost too many to list. In addition to the added asteroid bases, there is also a great cartoon ending to the game once you destroy the High Command.
    This game is different from the cartridge version in that it is not open-ended. There is an end.
    Other features include a Hall of Fame, pause, eight skill levels, save and restart, etc.
    If you never buy another game for your ADAM, Zaxxon is one you must have. It is definitely Coleco's best effort to date and lives up to the name Super Game. Return to Top

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Product Review - Montezuma's Revenge
by Joe Blenkle
Product: Montezuma's Revenge game
Manufacturer: Parker Brothers
Requirements: ColecoVision/ADAM, joystick
Media: Cartridge
Price: $34.95 at Sears
Rating: 10
    If you take a little bit of Pitfall and throw in a dash of Miner 2049er, you might get an idea of what Parker Brothers' new game, Montezuma's Revenge, is like. But, don't let your imagination stop there. I have this awful feeling that the people at Parker Brothers are conspiring against me, as Montezuma's Revenge is another one of those games from PB that you can't quit playing...they don't want me to ever get any sleep.
    The object of MR is to guide Panama Joe through a fortress full of treacherous death traps and fabulous jewels. There are over l00 different rooms full of Laser Gates, Conveyor Belts, Disappearing Floors, Fire Pits, Ladders, Doors, Poles and Chains, not to mention the killer Skulls, Snakes and Spiders.
    Along the way you can pick up points by collecting Jewels, Amulets, Keys, Swords and Torches. You'll need the Torches in rooms that are unlit (or you must find your way through the darkness) and the keys are needed to unlock the many doors you encounter, all color-coded to match the three different colored keys.
    You can start the game on any of the first three of the game's nine levels. Which one you start on really doesn't matter. I've found them all equally hard and frustrating. On the first level, however, you have the option ut starting the game over at zero points, after you lose your six Panama Joes, from the point where the game ended.
    MR is a role playing adventure game that totally absorbs you. You become Panama Joe in his explorations through Montezuma's fortress. You might enter a room and see a way of escaping on level one, but on level two, if you make it that far, the same room might offer no exits at all. The dangers, treasures, ways to escape and weapons found in any given room may not exist on the next level. This game definitely keeps you on your toes.
    When you finally reach the Treasure Room you must leap blindly into darkness in a wild adventure swinging chain to chain to collect all the jewels you can before time runs out or you lose your grip and fall into the next difficulty level.
    Having made it from level one to level two, I can't begin to imagine what happens when you make it through all nine levels of the game...probably total exhaustion.
    Montezuma's Revenge deserves the highest rating possible and is one of the best games I have ever encountered. If Parker Brothers continues to outdo themselves like this with each game release, I can't wait to see what comes up next. Return to Top

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Product Review - Dragon's Lair
by Jeff Silva
Product: Dragon's Lair super game
Manufacturer: Coleco Industries, Inc.
Requirements: ADAM, joystick
Media: Digital Data Pack
Price: $34.95 at Toys R Us
Rating: 9
    Coleco has finally delivered this much ballyhooed home version of the classic arcade video-disc game by Don Bluth and associates. There is no laser disc adapter for ADAM (nor is there likely to be one). This home version is instead a typical digital data pack game. Obviously there is no way that ADAM's Dragon's Lair can have the complexity and detail of the original game, but I have to admit that it comes closer than I expected.
    In this game you are Dirk the Daring and you must survive nine different screens of danger as you attempt to rescue the fair Princess Daphne from the evil clutches of Singe the diabolical dragon and his many dungeons of terror! Depending on the screen, you must jump or use your sword to destroy the many enemies out to get you. Dangers are many, including falling disks, the Skull Hallway, Burning Ropes, Weapon Room, Ramps, Tentacle Room, Deadly Checkerboard and finally the Slaying of the Dragon.
    The game takes awhile to load, but it does play a very heroic musical theme on the Dragon's Lair title screen. Anyone with the disk version should write to us and let us know how fast it loads. Also, when the game is over, it takes a little while before it starts again, similar to the Buck Roger's Super Game. This can be a little irritating and that is really my only complaint about this very fun game.
    The graphics are very close to cartoon quality as ADAM can come, and are very amusing and detailed. The music and sound effects are also excellent. There is also the usual high score screen and a pause feature. Even skill level one is hard for beginners, until you figure out when to move. This game is another fine addition to the ADAM game library and is certainly one of the very best games around. Although I haven't seen the disk version, you may be better off waiting until it becomes available because it is certain to be faster than the data pack version. Highly recommended. Return to Top

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Product Review - Dragon's Lair (6-2)
by Jason Hirsch
Product: Dragon's Lair super game
Manufacturer: Coleco Industries, Inc.
Requirements: ADAM, joystick
Media: Digital Data Pack
Price: $36.95 at Toys R Us
Rating: 10
    This game was produced exclusively by Coleco for the Adam and if it is any indication of what is to come, Adam software certainly has a bright future. The visuals are nothing less than eye-popping. They are certainly state of the art in computer graphics and possibly the best available for any home machine. The sound and music are also spectacular.
    The game has nine screens, each somewhat based on the arcade game. You control Dirk with the joystick or Super Action Controller. The object is to rescue Princess Daphne from the evil clutches of the dragon. Screen one is the falling disk sequence, where Dirk must leap onto a round, floating platform then jump off at the appropriate time while avoiding the Air Genie. Screen two is the skull hallway. Here Dirk must destroy or avoid skeletal hands , bats, skulls and slime. Screen three is the burning ropes. Dirk must swing from rope to rope to reach the top of the screen. Screen four is the weapons room where Dirk must avoid or destroy a variety of obstacles. Screen five consists of platforms inhabited by Giddy Goons. Again, Dirk must reach the top of the screen. In the tentacle room, tentacles rise from the floor or drop from the ceiling attempting to capture our hero. Screen seven is another floating disk identical to screen one. Screen eight involves a duel with the Phantom Knight on a checkerboard-like grid suspended in mid-air. The final screen pits Dirk against Singe. You must reach the magic sword and slay the dragon. An appropriate cartoon ending follows.
    As anyone who has played the arcade game knows, you can't control Dirk's movements. You must move the joystick at the right moment for Dirk to respond. The even-numbered screens, except 8, use this play system. The odd-numbered screens are more action oriented. The combination of the two play systems works well and provides a good mix of memorization and hand-eye coordination. The game includes a "Hall of Fame," screen and pause feature. Dragon's Lair is the best game yet produced for Adam and truly a must-buy for gamers.
    The loading time on the data pack version is painfully slow. If you own a disk drive, it may be worth your while to wait for the disk version to become available. Return to Top

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Product Review - Model AD 100S Silencer
by Steve Hanam
Product: Printer Silencer
Manufacturer: Randall Manufacturing Co.
Requirements: Noisy Printer (ADAM)
Price: $80.00 plus shipping
Rating: 7 1/2
    Finally, I can run my printer at 3:00 am and my wife will let me live with her without punitive damages being paid to her for lost sleep. What arrived only 3 days late for Christmas looked at first approximation to be an excellent product. The noise silencer by Randall Co. is first, before anything, big - very big! If you have little room fr your ADAM now you will have to build an extension on your house to use this hardware. It measures 20 x 19 1/2 x8 inches without legs. The legs (to use fanfold paper) add another 3 1/4 inches to the height. The box itself is made of partical board with a very close match in color to ADAM. The top is quarter inch plexiglass that lies on top of foam rubber that also lines the inside of the box and serves as the main sound buffer. There is a pushbutton switch on the left upper front side to serve as the main control to turn on the printer and your monitor. Fanfold paper is fed through a bottom opening in the back and exits out an upper slot in the same manner - very straight forward. The system is designed quite well with little improvement that I can tell is needed, except that the paper should exit the top and should be equipped with a tear bar. I also worry a little about ventilation and excess heat build up. I have not had any problem, however. My only complaint is the lack of a real professional appearance. For instance, the legs are nothing more than door stoppers. They work, but just look bad. The hinges on the cover also appear to be less than "heavy duty." But does it work? Yes, Yes, Yes. The printer, if you can believe this, can just be heard when it is busy at work. The ever present hum that is heard when not printing is gone. It works very well. If you have 90 bucks to spend and you want peace and quiet, this piece of hardware is for you. Return to Top

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Product Review - Packcopy
by Harry L. McDonald
Product: Copy utility
Manufacturer: Unreal Software Company, c/o Sage Enterprises, Rt. 2, Box 211, Scrivner Rd., Russellville, MO 65074
Media: Digital Data Pack
Requirements: ADAM with one or two data drives or one or two disk drives
Warranty: Limited 90 day warranty
Price: $39.50 plus $2.00 shipping from Sage Enterprises
Rating: 10
    PACKCOPY copies data packs. It is just that simple. It copies the contents of one data pack to another. It copies commercial software, it copies SMARTFiler databases, it copies it all. It copies to disk it you have them.
    The documentation is rather neatly done, you must read it to appreciate the way the author did it. It's only 8 pages but it's a11 there in easy step-by-step format. Most problems likely to be encountered are mentioned so that they can be avoided, a nice touch that is wothy of imitation. The positive - I have often sat in front of my ADAM and wondered, "why in the xxxx did I buy that second data drive?" Well, now I know. While I don't have a disk drive, I do have the data drives and I tried PACKCOPY with one and then two drives. Copying with two drives is like failing off a log. Nothing is easier. Nothing. Using one drive is not hard but many swaps of the tapes are required. PACKCOPY is the only program I know of that lets you know what is going on while it works. It announces the blocks while it copies them one-by-one.
    Negative - None. Literally none.
    We have waited a long time for just such a product as this one. I paid $24 for a backup copy of SMARTBasic. That nonsense is no longer necessary. I would imagine that blank data pack makers and sellers would probably get weak in the knees if they knew of PACKCOPY. I know I've ordered a bunch of blanks. SMARTFiler is practically useless without the ability to make a backup of the file tape. Just imagine all that time and work going down the electronic tube if something happened to the tape. It makes my hair stand on end to imagine it.
    I am a member of the Association of Computing Machinery and I teach computer drafting at a state university.
    On a scale of one to ten this one is a TEN and I haven't given that one to a product in a long time. You must buy this product for your peace of mind, magnetic media is a delicate thing. Return to Top

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Product Review - Packcopy (6-2)
by Joe Blenkle
Rating: 10
    Packcopy from Unreal Software Co. (Sage Enterprises) allows the backup of almost any software made for the Coleco ADAM computer system.
    Never again need you fear of wearing out your digital data pack or disk and having to buy a replacement.
    Now you can make your own replacement.
    Packcopy comes on a DDP and contains a Basic and machine language program. After loading Basic into the computer, you load the Packcopy program, run it, and then it runs the machine language program. Packcopy allows backup from DDP to DDP with one or two drives, DDP to disk or disk to DDP. Future additions to the program will allow fur disk to disk backup backup.
    After experimenting extensively with this program I have found the following things: 1.) I have successfully backed up my SmartBasic, SmartFiler, and ADAMLink tapes to disk and then back to blank digital data packs. 2.) All those programs load exactly as the originals would, except in the case of running them from disk, they load 4-5 times faster. 3.) The instructions are well written and follow the backup procedure step-by-step.
    At the time I was testing this program I found it impossible to backup Super Games. Darrell Sage informs me however that the program will back them up. My early version of Basic (Dec. 1983) apparently has bugs in the HIMEM and LOMEM areas which are crucial to the completion of backup of Super Games. It is my understanding that the newer versions of Basic handle the program perfectly.
    Packcopy is one of the best programs to come along for the ADAM in its first year of existence. Not only can you now back up your commercial and self-written software quickly and easily, you can now transfer most DDP programs to disk and run them much faster than in their original format.
    It should be made clear though that Packcopy is intended solely for backing up software. Any sales of backed up software is piracy and software companies will not hesitate to prosecute those involved.
    Editor's Note: PACKCOPY currently will not copy some Super Games. These games were produced on short tapes. One example is Donkey Kong Jr. We are looking at this problem and will provide updates to PACKCOPY as soon as we have found a solution to this problem. PACKCOPY is now available with a two disk drive copy routine. We did not want to distribute the program until this feature had been fully tested. Tests have now been completed and the program has been updated. Return to Top

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Product Review - Q*Bert's Qubes
by Joe Blenkle
Product: Q*Bert's Qubes Game
Manufacturer: Parker Brothers
Media: Cartridge
Requirements: ColecoVision/ADAM, joystick
Warranty: 180 day
Price: $34.99 at Sears
Rating: 10
    If you like Q*Bert, you will absolutely go bonkers over Parker Brothers new game, Q*bert's Qubes.
    Like Q*bert, the object of the game is to change the color of the various cubes as you hop on them. The difference in this game is that as you hop from cube to cube, the cubes rotate. Depending on which way you jump, the various color sides of the cube come up.
    The object of the game is to line up rows of the same color in a tic-tac-toe fashion. How many rows you need depends on what level of the game you're at. A bonus round comes at the end of every four screens (one game level). The object of the bonus round is to change as many cubes as you can to the target colors before your time runs out. Completing the four rounds of each level is important here as it adds to your bonus tine. One significant factor in the bonus round is that you can't move off the cube you're on until the colors have been matched.
    Coily the snake has been replaced by Rat-a-tat-tat the Rat who can be temporarily eliminated by jumping off a cube just as he jumps on it. Meltniks can put an end to Q*bert if they touch him, but melt into cubes that have the same colored tops as they. Shoobops are Q*bert's other enemies as they busily try to undo all Q*bert's hard work by changing the colors of the cubes as they land on them. Q*bert's only friend is the familiar green ball that will temporarily freeze everything on the screen except Q*bert.
    Q*bert's Qubes is a very entertaining game. A lot more fun than the original. If you haven't already bought Q*bert, take a look at this game first...you won't be disappointed. Return to Top

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Product Review - Pitstop
by Tom Maditz
Product: Pitstop Game
Manufacturer: EPYX, Inc., 1043 Kiel Ct., Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Media: Cartridge
Requirements: ColecoVision/ADAM, joystick
Warranty: 1 year
Price: $34.95 at Camelot Music
Rating: 6
    First of all, I must admit the main reason I purchased Pitstop was it had been greatly marked down from Its original selling price of $34.95 to $9.95. I would advise all ADAM and Colecovision owners to keep their eyes open for a deal (or deals) like this. At the regular retail price. I am not sure the cartridge should be put on your list of cartridges you just have to have (unless you're a race game fan), but at $9.95 it is a STEAL!
    What sets this road race game apart from all the others is it becomes necessary to pit and resupply your racer. If you stay on the course too long, you'll either exhaust your fuel supply, or your tires will wear to the point where they will blow out, causing you to crash (bumping into other cars or the edge of the track only causes your tires to wear faster, but does not constitute a crash). Both are mistakes which will cost you the race and keep you from making top dollar on the Grand Prix Circuit.
    The game allows from 1 to 4 players (with each driver taking a turn at the wheel). It gives you a choice of three difficulty levels. There are three race lengths to choose from. Finally, Pitstop gives you a choice of three different types of circuits to run. I currently do not own the ColecoVision Expansion Module #2 (driving module), but I believe that you can play this driving game quite well without it (maybe even better).
    The instruction booklet (as with most EPYX games) is quite good, and covers all aspects of the game. It covers both the joystick and driving module options equally well. The cartridge, however, does have a few slight drawbacks. Under the one player option things can got a little boring unless you are the type who likes to keep track of your own progress. The multiple players options, meanwhile, give the racers the sense of competition, by letting them see who can reach the winner's circle. It would, however, be more fair and more competitive if each driver could pick his/her own difficulty level.
    So, if you are a road race fan (I never was until now), this cartridge gives you a pleasant change from all the others. If you are not currently a fan, get a few friends together and get involved in some fast paced competition, and remember (as the instruction booklet so wisely points out - Whew!) races can be won or lost in the pits. Return to Top

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Product Review - Address Book Filer
by Lee Smith
Product: Address Book Filer With Autodialer
Manufacturer: Coleco
Media: Digital Data Pack
Requirements: ADAM
Warranty: 90 days
Rating: 9
    The address book filer is a very good way to organize your records. It organizes your phone numbers and addresses with the capability of automatically dialing your selections. The program requires an extra data pack for saving up to 504 records. You may also include birthday dates, etc. under the heading of "note." You can search by firtst name, last name, city, note. Using the note feature allows you to set up different categories (ex. doctor, bills, Christmas, ADAM, etc.).
    The program also gives you printing capabilities to make your mailing labels. You can also make personalized form letters. This is very useful if you are planning to send a lot of letters of the same nature but with different addresses. This program will allow you to merge with Smart Letters and Forms also.
    I did experience one problem with the autodialer which was not hard to correct. The dialer did not make good contact until I added a 1/8 inch piece of cardboard of the bottom of the leg of the autodialer. This problem may be do to me having the expansion module. The game tray raises the unit by about 1/8 inch.
    I'm very impressed with this program and believe it would benefit everyone who needs to be a little more organized! Return to Top

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Product Review - Videotunes
by Joe Blenkle
Product: Music Composer
Manufacturer: Future Vision, P.O. Box 34, N. Billerica, MA 01862
Media: Digital Data Pack or Disk
Requirements: ADAM
Price: $34.95
Rating: 10
    If you're into music, or even if you're not, Future Vision's Videotunes program should be a worthwhile addition to your software library.
    What can Videotunes do? It would be easier to list what the program does not do...compose music for you. Videotunes does just about everything else. You need only listen to the selection of pre-recorded songs to get an idea of Videotunes capabilities (and ADAM's fine sound potential as well).
    It is very easy to use, allowing manipulation of notes on the screen via either the keyboard or joystick. Notes are placed on a scrolling music sheet and the program allows the full use of ADAM's sound potential, playing up to three notes at the same time. You can even title your song, add other information such as the composer, date it was composed or whatever you llke. It's possible to change the octave the song plays in up or down as well as the key it is played in.
    The options for Videotunes are almost too numerous to list, ranging from playing single notes on the screen to a screenfull or the entire composition. Forget to put a note in? No problem, you can insert them anywhere in the tune.
    You can vary the length of the note being played, the speed in which the song is played and there is even a feature that allows you to check how much space is left (the program can accomodate 1,000 notes).
    The music program is self-loading. All you need do is press the reset button on the computer. Saving and getting songs is very easy and the program automatically adjusts to whatever storage device you are using. Or if you want to load your program from disk and store on a DDP, you need only press a button to change your option. To save a song, all you do is press SHIFT and STORE/GET. To get a song you simply press STORE/GET for the menu. Videotunes is a fantastic program for the ADAM computer and despite some initial hesitations about ordering it, I now have no regrets about it. It can provide many hours of fun from either composing your own songs or simply entering others from sheet music.
    Videotunes rates a perfect 10 on the scale for ADAM software. Return to Top

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Product Review - Videotunes (6-2)
by D. Sage
Rating: 9
    Joe's review is difficult to follow. He seems to have covered most of the major points.
    I have used music composition software for other computers and find Videotunes to be as good or better than the ones written by such companies as Electronic Arts. This program is extremely easy to use. The data pack version is a little slow when it comes to loading and saving on DDP.
    The one thing this program lacks is a print feature. It would be nice if it provided some kind of printed output.
    My only other comment is if you are looking for a music composition program, buy this one. You will have a hard time finding anything better for the ADAM. Return to Top

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Product Review - Trek
by Neal Fredericks
Product: Space text adventure game
Manufacturer: Victory Software
Media: Digital Data Pack
Warranty: Replace defective product
Price: $24.95 from M.W. Ruth Co.
Rating: 8
    Trek is a space text adventure game where you command the controls of the Star Ship Enterprise. The game is written in BASIC, so you must load SmartBasic before loading the game.
    The instructions are adequate, but do not follow the loading instructions for the game. Here are the correct commands:

load game
load trek
run
run game
(Trek title screen appears)
run trek
Second title screen appears)
Game begins

    Make sure all the commands are in lower case. Once the game begins you must pick a difficulty level, 0-9, and then a galaxy, 000-999. Each galaxy is different. The computer then tells you what each symbol means, location and status of the star bases, how many years you have to win, and finally how many Klingons you have to destroy.
    The game screen then comes on and you begin to play. Located on the screen are your SCANNERS, direction finder, GALACTIC MAP, years left, number of Klingons, torpedoes and the damage control report. The computer then asks for a command. You have 4 choices: W-Warp, P-Phasers, T-Torpedoes, and Q-Quit. Each command is followed by more commands.
    The only way to win is to destroy every Klingon without running out of years or energy. I have yet to conquer the Klingon invasion.
    My only complaint is the loading time of the game. It takes about 10 minutes to load if you enter each command correctly. Return to Top

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Product Review - AdamCalc
by D. Sage
Product: Spreadsheet
Manufacturer: Coleco
Media: Digital Data Pack
Requirements: ADAM
Warranty: 90 day
Rating: Preliminary 10
    ADAMCalc may be the finest software product yet to come from Coleco. I have qualified this statement and my rating for a number of reasons. ADAMCalc has many features and it is difficult to test all of these in a short period of time. I found no bugs in my preliminary tests, but this does not mean that bugs will not show up later. Secondly, ADAMCalc was written by Lazer MicroSystoms for Coleco. Some of you know that Lazer also was responsible for SmartBasic. I hope they did a better job on ADAMCalc than was done on SmartBasic. Eventually we will find out.
    In order to test ADAMCalc, I ran through the samples provided in the manual. From all appearances this is asuper spread sheet. Not only is it versatile, but like most other ADAM programs, the Smart Keys make it extremely easy to use. I have had some experience with Multiplan and found their manuals to be quite confusing. With ADAMCalc you can design and use a spread sheet after a very short trial. The manual is clear and easy to use, yet quite detailed. The authors have even provided several sample spread sheets that you can load and modify for your own purposes. I plan on doing a follow up review of this product after I have had the opportunity to explore its features more fully. However, my initial reaction is extremely positive. If you need a spread sheet this is it. Return to Top

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Product Review - Frogger II: Three Deep
by D. Sage
Product: Game
Manufacturer: Parker Bros.
Media: Cartridge
Requirements: ColecoVision/ADAM, joystick
Warranty: 180 day
Price: $24.95 w/$10 rebate
Rating: 5
    Frogger II - Three Deep is a variation on the original Frogger. This adaptation is not nearly good as another sequel - Q*Bert's Qubes. The purpose remains about the same only the objects in the various screens have changed. In this version there are three game screens - underwater, surface and airborne frogger. For some reason I could just never get into this game. I found myself taking it out and replacing it with the original Frogger. While it offers more diversity in scenes, I found it tiresome. My suggestion is to try it before you buy it. Return to Top

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Product Review - The Basic ADAM
by D. Sage
Product: The Basic ADAM - A Self-Teaching Guide
Authors: William Abikoff and Gary Cornell
Publisher: Wiley Press
Length: 524 pages
Price: $14.95
Rating: 7
    Books, books, and more books. How could there be so many books for a computer that was not a "success." On top of all of that, most of the books are either introductory or Basic tutorials. As of yet no book has appeared for the ADAM that deals with technical aspects.
    What about this book. Is it any good or is it just like all the others? The book is well written and easy to follow with lots of examples. It includes a number of appendices, a glossary, a reference guide and an index. Since this is part of Wiley Press's Self-Teaching Guide series it also includes exercises to determine if you have learned what a chapter was all about. The book is well organized and contains much useful information although little that hasn't already been covered in other books.
    There are a number of statements in the book that are inaccurate or were not well thought out. The authors suggest that the printer can be placed on the rug on the floor to reduce noise. This is really a bad idea. Computers do not belong on a carpet because of static and dust. A carpet could also block ventilation, causing the printer to overheat. This could also cause a fire hazard. The authors also indicate that daisy wheels are easy to change. They obviously did not change wheels on an early ADAM. The newer ones are easier to change but still not easy. They also indicate that the ADAMnet is the "outlet from the ADAM into the telephone lines." I hope no one tries plugging their ADAMnet into their telephone. This line is used by the disk drives. The only other problem I have with the book is the fact that some of the dialogue is a little too cutsy.
    Overall this book is at least as good as many of the others on the market for the ADAM. My suggestion is to take a look before you buy to see if it will meet your needs. Return to Top

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Product Review - ADAM Agenda
by D. Sage
Product: Scheduling and Calendar Software
Manufacturer: U.S. Adam Network, 71-11 Ingram St., Forest Hills, NY 11375
Media: Data Pack or Disk
Requirements: ADAM
Price: $8.00 data pack; $7.00 disk
Rating: 8
    This program was written by Jeff Harris for the U.S. ADAM Network's public domain software library. The U.S. ADAM Network is a user group; Raymond So is the current president.
    The program was supplied to us on disk and includes instructions in a SmartWriter file. Essentially the program allows you to set up and maintain a calendar of activities for an entire year. You can make entries and retrieve the information by date. The program is very well written although of somewhat limited purpose. The instructions were quite clear and easy to follow. The disk includes another program, filemaker, that is used to set up new calendar files that are used by the ADAMAGENDA program. If you are in need of a scheduling program you may want to give this one a try. The software can be ordered directly from the U.S. ADAM Network. They have indicated they plan to introduce additional software, including software for LOGO in the future. Return to Top

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High Scores
by Joe Blenkle
    Anyone wishing to add their name to the high score list should send the game, score and level to Joe Blenkle, P.O. Box 41746, Sacramento, CA 95841. PLEASE DO NOT USE EMAIL. Thank you. Due to the ever growing number of games, we are now limiting the list to newer releases. A complete list can be obtained by sending an S.A.S.E. to the above address.

ColecoVision/ADAM High Scores
GAME	PLAYER	LEVEL	SCORE
Antartic Adventure	Jeff Platt	-	176,750
B.C.'s Quest For Tires	Jeff Platt	1	39,490
Buck Rogers, Super	Jeff Platt	4	10,167,642
Bump N Jump	Jeff Platt	4	216,896
Cabbage Patch	Jeff Platt	-	114,050
Carnival	Jeff Platt	4	22,410
Centipede	Jeff Platt	1	195,032
Chuck Norris	Jeff Platt	-	196,200
Congo Bongo	Joe Blenkle	1	7,010
Defender	Jeff Platt	-	1,005,200
Destructor	Jeff Platt	1	316,620
Donkey Kong, Super	Jeff Platt	1	1,201,800
Donkey Kong Jr., Super	Jeff Platt	4	481,300
Dukes of Hazzard	Jeff Platt	4	83,570
Front Line	Robert Cavenagh	1	110,500
Gateway to Asphai	Jeff Platt	-	150,275
Gust Buster	Jeff Platt	4	122,090
Heist	Joe Blenkle	-	96,782
James Bond 007	Joe Blenkle	1	57,550
Jumpman Jr.	Jeff Platt	3	1,055,175
Miner 2049er	Jeff Platt	-	451,885
Montezuma's Revenge	Joe Blenkle	-	449,650
Motocross	Jeff Platt	2	5:46
Pitfall	Jeff Platt	-	113,458
Pitfall II	Joe Blenkle	-	195,665
Popeye	Jeff Platt	1	166,540
Q*Bert	Jeff Platt	3	1,096,030
Q*Bert's Qubes	Joe Blenkle	1	126,100
Quest For Quintana Roo	Tom Earnest, Jr.	1	91,900
River Raid	Robert Cavenagh	1	43,220
Roc N Rope	Jeff Platt	1	203,120
Rolloverture	Jeff Platt	1	42,300
Sewer Sam	Scott Swenson	-	15,779
Spectron	Jeff Platt	4	6,450
Slither	Jeff Platt	1	158,420
Squish em	Jeff Platt	1