website/content/museum/tatung-einstein-tc-01.md

---
title: Tatung EINSTEIN TC-01
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Taïwan
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80 A
params:
  name: EINSTEIN TC-01
  image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_system_2.jpg
  company: /companies/tatung
  company_name: Tatung
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: EINSTEIN TC-01
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Tatung
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Taïwan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1984'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke QWERTY keyboard. 51 keys + 8 function keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80 A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB (44 KB free for user)
  - label: VRAM
    value: 16 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 8 KB (up to 32 KB)
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 / 32 columns x 24 rows
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 256 x 192 dots
  - label: COLORS
    value: '16'
  - label: SOUND
    value: 3 voices, 7 octaves
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 43.5 (W) x 51.5 (D) x 11.5 (H) cm
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: RS232c, Centronics, User port, Joystick (2), Bus Z80, Floppy Disk
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: one or two Hitachi 3'' floppy disk unit (380 KB)
  - label: OS
    value: Xtal/DOS
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in switching power supply unit
  - label: PRICE
    value: £499
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 101
  photos:
  - title: SLEEPING CAT
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This Einstein computer converted into a flower pot, seems to be an ideal nap spot for this cat !

      Thank to [Zyra website](http://www.zyra.org.uk/index.htm) for this most original picture !
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_cat.jpg
  - title: 'SYSTEM #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: One 3" Floppy disc drive version
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_console_1.jpg
  - title: 'SYSTEM #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: With Tatung color monitor.
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_system_1.jpg
  - title: 'KEYBOARD AND FDD CLOSE-UP #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_fdcloseup_1.jpg
  - title: 'KEYBOARD AND FDD CLOSE-UP #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_keybcloseup_1.jpg
  - title: BACK
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Colour monitor offered 3 video input modes:\
      \- Monochrome green mode\
      \- Linear RGB mode (Einstein native)\
      \- TTL RGB mode
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_system_back_1.jpg
  - title: EINSTEIN CONNECTORS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** RF/TV modulator output\
      **(2)** Sound volume adjustment\
      **(3)** 2 x analog joystick DIN plug\
      **(4)** Serial RS-232 DIN plug\
      **(5)** Selectable RGB video output (Linear or TTL)\
      **(6)** Parallel printer connector\
      **(7)** User programmable I/O connector\
      **(8)** Tatung Pipe connector (processor bus)\
      **(9)** External floppy disc unit connector\
      **(10)** Reset switch
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_connectors_1.jpg
  - title: EINSTEIN'S NEURONS
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Selectable RGB video output (Linear or TTL)\
      **(2)** Serial RS-232 DIN plug\
      **(3)** 2 x analog joystick DIN plug\
      **(4)** Sound volume adjustment\
      **(5)** 8251 USART (Universal Synchronus\
      Asynchronus Receiver Transmitter) used for serial port\
      **(6)** Z80 PIO (Parallel Input/Output Controller)\
      **(7)** Counter/timer Z80 CTC\
      **(8)** RF modulator for TV set connexion\
      **(9)** Keyboard connector\
      **(10)** Texas Instruments TMS 9129 video processor (same as MSX systems)\
      **(11)** General Instrument AY-8910 sound generator (7 octaves, 3 voices)\
      **(12)** Floppy disc magnetic fields protection\
      **(13)** 8 x Mostek 4564 chips hold 64 KB of RAM\
      **(14)** 8 KB 4764 EPROM holding the Einstein monitor\
      **(15)** Z80-A processor. Here a Mostek version\
      **(16)** Switching power supply\
      **(17)** Reset switch
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_inside_1.jpg
  - title: CHIPS CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Video and sound chips area.\
      Note the empty power connector, used for the second optional floppy disc drive
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_mboardcloseup_1.jpg
  - title: MANUALS SET
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_manuals_1.jpg
  - title: KUMA SOFTWARE
    subtitle: ''
    text: Kuma, an english software publisher, tried to propose some professional software for the Einstein computer
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_kumasoft_1.jpg
  - title: THE BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/tatung_einstein_box_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT.
    subtitle: ''
    text: '"A genius at your reach..."'
    image: /media/museum/pubs/tatung_einstein_pub_espacemicro.jpg
  - title: UK ADVERT
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Howard Jones for this picture.](http://wotsit.thingy.com/haj/)
    image: /media/museum/pubs/tatung_einstein_pub_2.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: BOOT SCREEN
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/tatung_einstein_boot_ss.gif
  - title: FAKE BOOT SCREEN !
    subtitle: Rescue Spectrum game...
    text: If you press "BREAK" on the menu of the Spectrum game called RESCUE from Mastertronic, you get a fake Einstein boot screen !!!
    image: /media/museum/software/tatung_einstein_rescue_ss.gif
  - title: CHUCKY EGG
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/tatung_einstein_chuckyegg_ss.gif
  emulators:
  - title: MESS
    url: http://www.mess.org/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: MESS emulator now emulates the Einstein !
  links:
  - title: EINTRANS
    url: http://MEMBERS.LYCOS.CO.UK/ALBERTSTC01/
    text: Einstein-PC Transfer Software. Useful!
  - title: Tatung Einstein Computer Web Site
    url: http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/retrocomputer/xindex.html
    text: Nice Einstein dedicated website
  - title: Tatung Einstein Electronica Message Board
    url: http://www.catharton.net/electronica/index.php?board=46
    text: Message board dedicated to the Einstein
  - title: Turn your Einstein into a Spectrum !
    url: http://www.mjwilson.demon.co.uk/crash/36/speclt.htm
    text: CRASH article on a Spectrum emulator for Einstein and Memotech MTX !
  - title: UK Einstein User Group
    url: http://members.lycos.co.uk/tatung_einstein/
    text: Miscellaneous useful stuff and form to suscribe to the user group
  oc_id: 86
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230328192201/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=86
    date: '2023-03-28'
---

The Tatung Einstein has characteristics very near those of the [MSX machines](/museum/msx-1/) (same video modes, same sound chip, sprites, etc.) but is not compatible with this standard. It was built in the UK at Tatung's plant in Telford in Shropshire.

The Einstein runs under Xtal/DOS which is an operating system compatible with CP/M. It was possible to connect an other floppy disk drive and a 80 column card was available.

The Einstein was a very attractive computer but it was too expensive to have great market success.

**Ste Cork** recalls:\
Pretty much every 8-bit development house in the NW of the UK was using these machines in the late '80s, we'd develop for Atari, C64, ZX, Amstrad, MSX, C16, you name it. Superb keyboard, and the power-supply was so stable that you could quickly flick the switch off and on without the machine even noticing. No mains spikes could ever interrupt these things. I even wrote / sold a couple of games on it natively, they did ok. We mainly used them with 5.25 inch disks though, since the 3-inch disks it used weren't so reliable if you were writing to them continuously. The 256MB silicon-drive was a must-have.Doomed to be for hobbyists / developers only though, since it had no mass market appeal at the price / performance.

**Alan Wilson** reports us:\
This computer at the time was a programmers dream, the operating system was easy to reprogram, and an excellent MOS (Machine operating system) mode meant that disk sectors or tracks could be easily loaded into memory, edited, then written back. Because of this, they were used to develop disk copy protection for the up and coming next generation [Amiga](/museum/commodore-amiga-1000/) and [Atari ST](/museum/atari-520-st-st-stm/).

**Trefor Hazlewood-Jones** adds:\
Unlike most home computers this one boots up in MOS, it is then necessary to load Xtal/dos and a high level operating system. Xtal/basic was supplied with the machine but I also have disks to boot it into BBC/basic FORTRAN and Pascal. The right hand drive bay will accept a 3.5 inch floppy drive and the machine will happily format and use 3.5 inch floppy disks. **Note**: A 3.5" drive requires modifications to the case and it will only format 720K floppies. You need an updated DOS system first to enable you to access more than the standard DOS

Einstein and Spectrum games, by **Matthew Wilkes**:\
There was a nifty assembler specially written that we used to use at Elite Systems for programming the ZX Spectrum games - enabling you to write and assemble Z80 code, then download to the Spectrum via interface I (F5 I think it was :-)) - if your buggy code crashed, you could simply re-boot the Spectrum and debug on the Einstein.