Why is the Coleco Adam so damn popular?

From: Aaron Christopher Finney <af-list_at_lafleur.wfi-inc.com>
Date: Tue Sep 14 12:11:02 1999

Speaking from the shadows of youthful ignorance (sure I owned a VW
bus, bit it was made the same year I was born), I think people bought the
Adam for the same reason that they bought the VW: price. Regardless of how
it looked, it was a *car* that could be driven on the *highway*! For next
to nothing! At least, that's why people in my family bought them. The
first-available Adams may have been no real bargain, but subsequent years
brought the price down to where you could practically trade a couple of
llama skins for one. It was the Christmas that they went under $400 for
the whole system that a bunch of my friends got them...and the same
Christmas that my parents took out a second mortgage (well, practically)
to buy me an Atari system. Believe me, every time the price came down on
the Adam I had to tell them again that I'd rather not have a computer at
all than have an Adam.

Flash idea: it seems that nostalgia seems to be a way for people to "fix"
their past mistakes, by reliving their most embarrassing moments with the
blinders of experience and knowledge. Since most people consider anything
of that era "non-useful", they can safely remember the Adam as that great
old computer they bought for next-to-nothing without having to face the
reality that it was actually a real hunk of shit. Anyone?


Aaron


On Tue, 14 Sep 1999, Jim wrote:

>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Charles E. Fox <foxvideo_at_wincom.net>
> > I think it is human sympathy for an underdog. I'm told the reason people
> >AT FIRST bought the VW Beetle was because it was so homely. (Don't shoot, I
> >had one in 1956.)
> >
> > Regards
> > Charlie Fox
> >
>
>
>
> If that is it, then it would be an interesting ploy for a marketing
> department. Although, I took such a course at the local community college
> once and we discussed the COORS beer underdog marketing campaign of the
> early and mid 70's. Seems they successfully exploited the underdog thing
> some felt.
>
> Yes, everybody laughed at the Beetle, and bought one.
>
> Whatever, it is amazing at all the Web sites and new equipment for sell on
> the Web for the Coleco Adam. I paid $800 for mine in May 1984 and that
> was/is not really that cheap. There is not that much excitement left for
> Coleco's Cabbage Patch Dolls of that time. Those dolls were making headlines
> back then.
>
> Thanks for the input,
>
> Jim Rossbach, Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club, www.TonkinYachts.cjb.net
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Tue Sep 14 1999 - 12:11:02 BST