+dhe Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 I've owned a Coleco Adam since the early 90's, but have never taken it out of the box. As kind of a trainer, I download ColEm - can someone give me a quick run down on how to get SmartBasic loaded up and running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 Boot up ColEm. Press escape because for some reason the thing has to open a load file window. Drag and drop a smartbasic .dsk or ddp image on the program and it should boot. Provided that the .ddp is 256k and or the .dsk is 160k. ColEm is picky. The easiest and simplest way to boot into it. As for ColEm it still has a few bugs for the ADAM but I think it is currently the most complete. As far as the future of ColEm. I am not 100% sure it's even being worked on anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 (edited) 20 hours ago, dhe said: As kind of a trainer, I download ColEm - can someone give me a quick run down on how to get SmartBasic loaded up and running? ColEm v5.6 (I am assuming the Windows version) is a very nice ColecoVision and ADAM Computer emulator with a very simple point and click GUI interface that makes learning and using the emulator much simpler for the beginners. However, there are a lot of compatibility issues that remain especially concerning ADAM software. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to really stress test everything like I have done for some other emulators in the past, but I do plan to eventually get around to it and share my findings with the author in hopes that as many issues/incompatibilities can be resolved. Again, ColEm v5.6 is a good start, but when you get further along, a better option with much better compatibility will be ADAMem SDL v2.xx combined with the ADAMem Manager Frontend. ADAMem SDL does not include a point and click user interface so it's a bit involved to use without the Frontend. The Frontend was made in the late 90s for use with ADAMem DOS, but it works with ADAMem SDL and simplifies the process of mounting image files. Virtual ADAM v1.03 (a package that includes ADAMem DOS, DOSbox emulator and a very nice user interface) is much easier to use than ADAMem SDL, but it is showing it's age on systems running Windows 10 and later. It still works great, but some of the graphic depictions no longer display properly within the Frontend. Unfortunately there isn't that be-all-end-all ADAM emulator like say BlueMSX or OpenMSX for the MSX lineup of computers. Well, actually there is one that runs on a Nintendo DS/DSi/3DS handheld game system called ColecoDS. ColecoDS is my favorite ADAM emulator, but it's only for use on DS systems. Edited August 25, 2023 by NIAD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted August 25, 2023 Author Share Posted August 25, 2023 Thanks @Captain Cozmos worked like a charm. Now I'm on my way to exploring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted August 27, 2023 Author Share Posted August 27, 2023 What is the best way, with ColEM to emulate the joystick part of a Coleco Vision Controller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted August 28, 2023 Share Posted August 28, 2023 15 hours ago, dhe said: What is the best way, with ColEM to emulate the joystick part of a Coleco Vision Controller? If you have a USB controller, connect it and then in the INPUT menu, select Joypad 1 or 2 to configure it. I spent some time with ColEm v5.6 yesterday and came across numerous issues with the keyboard handler in SmartWriter (the word processor after you press ESCAPE/WP) and numerous games like tDonkey Kong Super Game... the graphics are completely corrupted rendering the game unplayable. There were others that worked fairly well, but the ADAM emulation has a ways to go and will require someone knowledgeable with the system to really give it a thorough testing in order to provide feedback to Marat. Another issue that I came across is the sound output as can be heard in Donkey Kong Jr. Super Game... the sound climbing vines or chains. I would recommend using ADAMem SDL v2.xx with the ADAMem Manager Frontend for anything related to ADAM software use. As far as ColecoVision cartridge game/rom images, ColEm is pretty good and should suffice but I prefer CoolCV or ADAMem SDL if I need to use emulation instead of the real machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted August 28, 2023 Author Share Posted August 28, 2023 Hi, Do you have the problems you have found listed some place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted August 28, 2023 Share Posted August 28, 2023 4 hours ago, dhe said: Hi, Do you have the problems you have found listed some place? Haven’t had the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted September 2, 2023 Author Share Posted September 2, 2023 (edited) I found a cpm disk: CP-M 2.2 & Assembler (1984) (Coleco) [a1].dsk I tried both dragging this disk on top of ColEm, assigning a disk number and opening the file at start, but all I get is a blue screen. I don't know much about the debugger but it doesn't look happy, can anyone give me any hints about how to get cpm to start? Is there a disk of dev tools, and I just don't know what they are called? Thanks! Edited September 2, 2023 by dhe added capture of debugger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted September 2, 2023 Share Posted September 2, 2023 CoLem still has bugs. All I know about is that it started out as DOS, I have no clue how modernized the code is or if the author will ever update it outside of his android app. Try CoolCV Un-archive it I included the disk and DDP version. Run, drag and drop. I tested it before I uploaded it to you and it did boot, I did not test after that. coolcv.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted September 2, 2023 Author Share Posted September 2, 2023 Hi, I get to here, but no prompt ever appears (boot screen is immediate, but then I waited 5 minutes)... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted September 2, 2023 Share Posted September 2, 2023 48 minutes ago, dhe said: Hi, I get to here, but no prompt ever appears (boot screen is immediate, but then I waited 5 minutes)... ? With CoolCV if you press F9 it speeds up Disk Access Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted September 2, 2023 Share Posted September 2, 2023 12 hours ago, dhe said: I found a cpm disk: CP-M 2.2 & Assembler (1984) (Coleco) [a1].dsk I tried both dragging this disk on top of ColEm, assigning a disk number and opening the file at start, but all I get is a blue screen. I don't know much about the debugger but it doesn't look happy, can anyone give me any hints about how to get cpm to start? Is there a disk of dev tools, and I just don't know what they are called? If you really want to be able to use ADAM software thru an emulator, you need to use ADAMem SDL v2.xx or Virtual ADAM v1.03. As I have said in previous posts, ColEm v5.6 compatibility is BAD concerning ADAM disk or data pack image software, but don't let that stop you from exploring further. If you do so, I would document your findings concerning each software program and supply this information to the emulator author, Marat Fayzullin. CoolCV is a big improvement over ColEm, but still lacking when compared to ADAMem SDL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted September 3, 2023 Author Share Posted September 3, 2023 @NIAD Thanks, this worked just fine for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted September 3, 2023 Share Posted September 3, 2023 7 hours ago, dhe said: @NIAD Thanks, this worked just fine for me. Great to hear. It would be nice to have a GUI like ColEm, but thankfully we got very good compatibility in ADAMem SDL and ADAMem DOS. If you want to checkout 80 column text display using T-DOS (an enhanced CP/M), you can do so using Virtual ADAM v1.03. Unfortunately, this ability isn't included in ADAMem SDL yet, but hopefully one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyzzle Posted September 3, 2023 Share Posted September 3, 2023 What is the latest version of ADAMem for DOS? I remember seeing 1.81 years ago, but haven't seen any DOS compiles of the 2.xx versions. I still use ColEm for DOS (my compiled v. 4.6 version, with SGM support, haven't tried to compile v. 5.6). it's very useful along with a new program SBEmu, which gives full sound on "newer" systems with PCI onboard sound, when booted via USB stick to regular old DOS. No Windows bloat required! I think ADAMem would work with SBEmu as well. But, want to try to get the latest extant version I can for DOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 7 hours ago, zyzzle said: What is the latest version of ADAMem for DOS? I remember seeing 1.81 years ago, but haven't seen any DOS compiles of the 2.xx versions. V1.81 is the last version of ADAMem DOS. It was updated by Doug Slopsema after decades of being abandoned by Marcel de Kogel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Cozmos Posted September 7, 2023 Share Posted September 7, 2023 Jim, the Enterprise is 20 years old, we feel her day is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted September 8, 2023 Share Posted September 8, 2023 21 hours ago, Captain Cozmos said: Jim, the Enterprise is 20 years old, we feel her day is done. Until there is a replacement that is as good or better, being decommissioned is not an option. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wavemotion Posted September 8, 2023 Share Posted September 8, 2023 On 8/25/2023 at 5:09 PM, NIAD said: Unfortunately there isn't that be-all-end-all ADAM emulator like say BlueMSX or OpenMSX for the MSX lineup of computers. Well, actually there is one that runs on a Nintendo DS/DSi/3DS handheld game system called ColecoDS. ColecoDS is my favorite ADAM emulator, but it's only for use on DS systems. For ColecoDS, I borrowed from Col-EM to start. I did have to make some improvements to the ADAM emulation to get more games/disks running... especially CPM-based software. I keep thinking I should go offer to help bring Col-EM forward to the improvements I've made. So much to do... so little hobby time. ColecoDS used to get the same CPM intro screen but no prompt when it didn't initialize memory exactly right (0x00 - all zeros - did not work). I ended up filling memory with 0x02 pattern for CPM based software and that allows them to boot up. I don't know why... I tried contacting Thomas Cherryholmes for some advice but he didn't respond (don't blame him - he doesn't know me from... um... Adam. See what I did there?! *tap tap* is this thing on?) The other big thing I did for ColecoDS is to slow down the feeding of data from DDP or DSK to the CPU. The reason is that some programs pull a nice trick where they start asking for the NEXT sector/block of data while they are reading the current one - since a real disk/tape will be slower filling the data buffer than the CPU will be emptying it... but the original emulation (from ColEM) was 'instantly' filling the buffer and that won't work fairly often (at best it produces a race condition that won't end well... corrupted graphics, etc.). Oh... and there were a couple of ADAM keys mapped incorrectly that I worked out. I don't recall which ones - none of the main A-Z, 0-9 so I think it was one or two of the other special keys. Anyway... enough ramblings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted September 9, 2023 Share Posted September 9, 2023 9 hours ago, llabnip said: Anyway... enough ramblings. I could sit here and read your rambllngs all day long! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted September 24, 2023 Author Share Posted September 24, 2023 I read, that to escape type writer mode, hit escape/WP - I hit escape, but I don't understand how to "/WP" part? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wavemotion Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 14 minutes ago, dhe said: I read, that to escape type writer mode, hit escape/WP - I hit escape, but I don't understand how to "/WP" part? It's just the name of the key. ESC/WP - when you press this, you'll switch into Word Processing mode (your screen above with all 6 of the Smartkeys Shown is in WP mode). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dhe Posted September 24, 2023 Author Share Posted September 24, 2023 Thanks, I'm reading through Kent Porter's book - Mastering the Adam. Very unique approach - making your word processor, as much as possible, work like a type writer! 😃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.