Dreamcast purchase considerations

[treismac]

I've been tossing around the idea of buying a Dreamcast for a while and I think I'm ready to make it happen. Before I do, I want to ask if there are any basic things to look out for in purchasing a Dreamcast. So here goes my list of questions:

Bigger concerns

* My (newly googled) understanding is that there were three versions of the Dreamcast, with the first two being more reliable than the last. Is this accurate? Are there any other differences between the different versions?

* Can all versions of the Dreamcast console play burned CD-Rs games?

* Supposedly fixing/replacing/aligning the laser for the Dreamcast is pretty easy. Does your experience bear this out?

* How well do the controllers hold out? I haven't held a Dreamcast controller since 2000, so I haven't a clue if the controllers maintain well or atrophy to hell and back.

Lesser concerns

* More or less, are the Dreamcast emulators (emulators of other systems (i.e. NES, Atari 2600, C64, etc.) on the Dreamcast) pretty good and user friendly? Is such and such emulator outstanding but such and such emulator garbage?

* Are there any controller adapters out on the market that would allow me to play the Dreamcast's emulators with other original system controllers or usb controller?

* About how much is a good going rate for a Dreamcast with one or two controllers and all the hookups? $30-40?


Thanks!