--- title: Eaca COLOUR GENIE / EG-2000 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - Hong Kong years: - '1982' cpus: - Zilog Z80 params: name: COLOUR GENIE / EG-2000 image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_system_s1.jpg company: /companies/eaca company_name: Eaca specs: - label: NAME value: COLOUR GENIE / EG-2000 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Eaca - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Hong Kong - label: YEAR value: '1982' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Microsoft BASIC - label: KEYBOARD value: Typewriter style, 63 keys with 4 function keys - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80 - label: SPEED value: 2.2 MHz - label: RAM value: 16 KB, 32 KB with memory expansion - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 columns x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 160 x 102 dots - label: COLORS value: 8 (text mode), 4 (graphic mode) - label: SOUND value: 3 channels (AY-8910) - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 43.5 (W) x 28 (D) x 8 (H) cm / - label: I/O PORTS value: RS232, Joystick (2), Light Pen, RGB, Audio - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: Light-pen, parallel printer, floppy disc drives - label: PRICE value: 1100 in 1982, about 350 in 1985 tabs: - photos - hardware - software - emulators forum_thread: 141 photos: - title: LARGE VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_system_s2.jpg - title: EG-2000 WITH JOYSTICKS subtitle: '' text: Joysticks were devilered by pair in a dedicated plastic case which was connected to the computer. image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_joystick_2.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: Parallel printer flat connector, light pen and Serial port DIN sockets. image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_rightside_s1.jpg - title: REAR CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right:\ • Tape recorder DIN socket\ • 50-pin expansion connector mainly intended for the floppy drive unit\ • RF/TV aerial cable\ • Audio and composite video output jacks\ • Power switch and cable. image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_rearside_s1.jpg - title: TAPE GAUGE subtitle: '' text: Only EACA computers offered this gauge which was very convenient to ensure a reliable file tranfer from the tape recorder. image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_gauge_s1.jpg - title: MODEL PLATE subtitle: '' text: Usually, personal computers offered cheap plastic plate where was mentioned the model name. The EG-2000 metal plate is one of the nicer ever seen on a home computer. Characters are embossed and each character of the model name is painted in a different colour. image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_logo_s1.jpg - title: UNDERNEATH PLATE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_label_s1.jpg - title: 'INSIDE #1' subtitle: '' text: |- The Colour Genie was initially marketed as a 16 KB RAM model, and later with 32 KB, which explains the second 16 KB RAM card mounted above the first one. The card holding the Basic language ROM is also separated from the main board. This is probably due to the late choice of the Microsoft Basic version. **(1)** Video RAM card mounted vertically\ **(2)** RF/TV modulator\ **(3)** Second 16 KB RAM card\ **(4)** 16 KB ROM card (4 x 2732 EPROM chips) holding the Microsoft Basic interpreter\ **(5)** Z80 processor running at 2.2 MHz\ **(6)** AY-9810, three channel sound generator programmable chipset\ **(7)** Video 6845 chipset in charge of text and graphics display\ **(8)** Power supply unit image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_mainboard_s1.jpg - title: 'INSIDE #2' subtitle: '' text: The three RAM and ROM add-on cards image: /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_mainboard_s2.jpg hardware: - title: ORIGINAL JOYSTICK subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/eaca_eg2000_joystick_1.jpg screenshots: - title: ANDROMEDA subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_andromeda_ss.gif - title: ASTRAY subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_astray_ss.gif - title: ASTRONAUT subtitle: A Jet-pac clone (Spectrum) text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_astronaut_ss.gif - title: BAENG BAENG subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_baeng-baeng_ss.gif - title: BALLOONS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_balloons_ss.gif - title: CARGO subtitle: Flying out of the mother ship text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cargo_ss.gif - title: CARGO subtitle: Avoid the balloons ! text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cargo_ss2.gif - title: CARGO subtitle: In the cave text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cargo_ss3.gif - title: CAVE MAN subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cave-man_ss.gif - title: CAVE MAN subtitle: Exploring the cave text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cave-man_ss2.gif - title: CHESS MACHINE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_chess-machine_ss.gif - title: CHOPPER subtitle: Excellent game ! Rescue the men with your helico. text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_chopper_ss.gif - title: CHOPPER subtitle: Another level text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_chopper_ss2.gif - title: GORILLA subtitle: Reach the top and avoid the falling balls text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_gorilla_ss.gif - title: TRITON BATTLE subtitle: Scramble clone text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_triton-battle_ss.gif - title: U-BOOT subtitle: Excellent conversion of this classic game text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_u-boot_ss.gif - title: ZALAGA subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_zalaga_ss.gif emulators: - title: EACA EG 2000 Colour Genie emulator url: http://www.pullmoll.de/cgenie/cgeniee.htm platform: MS DOS text: the Colour Genie emulator by Jürgen Buchmüller - title: MESS project url: http://mess.emuverse.com/ platform: Windows text: A Colour Genie emulator is included into MESS oc_id: 128 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230618222709/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=128 date: '2023-06-18' --- The Colour Genie was the successor of the [Genie 1](/museum/eaca-video-genie-1-eg-3003/), Genie 2 and [Genie 3](/museum/eaca-video-genie-iii-eg-3200/). It was intended to compete with the Tandy [Color Computer](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer/) although it was not at all compatible with its model (Z80 microprocessor instead of a Motorola 6809 in the CoCo) The graphic resolution wasn't as good as the CoCo, furthermore it was not possible to mix characters and graphics. However, the machine was reliable and solidly built. It featured a good mechanical keyboard and even a little level display located above the keyboard, which allowed to set the recording level of the tape recorder to improve reliability when writing onto a tape.