website/content/museum/eaca-colour-genie-eg-2000.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Eaca COLOUR GENIE / EG-2000	Computers	Home Computer	Hong Kong	1982	Zilog Z80	name image company company_name specs tabs photos hardware screenshots emulators comments oc_id source COLOUR GENIE / EG-2000 /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_system_s1.jpg /companies/eaca Eaca label value NAME COLOUR GENIE / EG-2000 label value MANUFACTURER Eaca label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Hong Kong label value YEAR 1982 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft BASIC label value KEYBOARD Typewriter style, 63 keys with 4 function keys label value CPU Zilog Z80 label value SPEED 2.2 MHz label value RAM 16 KB, 32 KB with memory expansion label value ROM 16 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 columns x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 160 x 102 dots label value COLORS 8 (text mode), 4 (graphic mode) label value SOUND 3 channels (AY-8910) label value SIZE / WEIGHT 43.5 (W) x 28 (D) x 8 (H) cm / label value I/O PORTS RS232, Joystick (2), Light Pen, RGB, Audio label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS Light-pen, parallel printer, floppy disc drives label value PRICE 1100 in 1982, about 350 in 1985 photos hardware software emulators title subtitle text image LARGE VIEW /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image EG-2000 WITH JOYSTICKS Joysticks were devilered by pair in a dedicated plastic case which was connected to the computer. /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_joystick_2.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE Parallel printer flat connector, light pen and Serial port DIN sockets. /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_rightside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR CONNECTORS 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. /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TAPE GAUGE Only EACA computers offered this gauge which was very convenient to ensure a reliable file tranfer from the tape recorder. /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_gauge_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MODEL PLATE 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. /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_logo_s1.jpg title subtitle text image UNDERNEATH PLATE /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_label_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE #1 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 /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE #2 The three RAM and ROM add-on cards /media/museum/photos/eaca_eg2000_mainboard_s2.jpg title subtitle text image ORIGINAL JOYSTICK /media/museum/hardware/eaca_eg2000_joystick_1.jpg title subtitle text image ANDROMEDA /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_andromeda_ss.gif title subtitle text image ASTRAY /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_astray_ss.gif title subtitle text image ASTRONAUT A Jet-pac clone (Spectrum) /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_astronaut_ss.gif title subtitle text image BAENG BAENG /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_baeng-baeng_ss.gif title subtitle text image BALLOONS /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_balloons_ss.gif title subtitle text image CARGO Flying out of the mother ship /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cargo_ss.gif title subtitle text image CARGO Avoid the balloons ! /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cargo_ss2.gif title subtitle text image CARGO In the cave /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cargo_ss3.gif title subtitle text image CAVE MAN /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cave-man_ss.gif title subtitle text image CAVE MAN Exploring the cave /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_cave-man_ss2.gif title subtitle text image CHESS MACHINE /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_chess-machine_ss.gif title subtitle text image CHOPPER Excellent game ! Rescue the men with your helico. /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_chopper_ss.gif title subtitle text image CHOPPER Another level /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_chopper_ss2.gif title subtitle text image GORILLA Reach the top and avoid the falling balls /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_gorilla_ss.gif title subtitle text image TRITON BATTLE Scramble clone /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_triton-battle_ss.gif title subtitle text image U-BOOT Excellent conversion of this classic game /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_u-boot_ss.gif title subtitle text image ZALAGA /media/museum/software/eaca_colour-genie_zalaga_ss.gif title url platform text EACA EG 2000 Colour Genie emulator http://www.pullmoll.de/cgenie/cgeniee.htm MS DOS the Colour Genie emulator by Jürgen Buchmüller title url platform text MESS project http://mess.emuverse.com/ Windows A Colour Genie emulator is included into MESS author date text OFER (Israel) Saturday 25th May 2019 I used to own the colour genie back in the 80''s and had a 16K RAM extension. I lost my original genie long ago but recently I acquired (ebay) one (no RAM extension).\ I am looking to get extension or build one.\ If any one can help with technical information it will be great.\ Note that I do have the Colour_Genie_Technical_Manual_1984_Lowe_Electronics\ File but the information do not have complete electric diagram. author date text john Thursday 16th November 2017 It was the colour version of the VideoGenie/System 80 which were compatible with the TRS-80. It was never intended to compete with the CoCo, which wasn''t very successful anyway. author date text Jason (London - UK) Saturday 26th May 2012 This was the first computer I ever bought with my own money. I bought it as a package with a rtty decoder and software. I wish I still had that setup. btw, the first computer that the family had was a Video Genie Model 1. My cousin had a TRS-80 and we were going to get one of those but my dad saw an ad for the Video Genie and decided it was better value. author date text Rick Hamilton (Uk) Sunday 2nd January 2011 Yes that was it. It was distributed by the Colour Genie user mag Gum boot, at about the end of the era. Im afraid my genies and source tapes all ended up in a skip when I moved to America. :-( author date text Reality Check (uk) Sunday 5th December 2010 Rick, that would be Jet Set Billy. I think i still have one of these in storage with about 100 games, might have to dig it and and see if it will boot up again. author date text Rick Hamilton (UK) Monday 11th October 2010 I wrote a number of games for the Colour Genie, A10 Bomber, Geniepede, Martian Rescue, and a Jet Set Willy look-a-like (I cant remember the name now). At the time the EG2000 had a very good spec compared to other systems + it had a real keyboard. author date text Meier Gerd (Germany) Tuesday 15th April 2008 I found an old cassette from 1984 with programs for\ the colour genie. I loaded them to my PC and they\ are working with colour emu 3.0. If you are interessted I can send them to you. author date text Rajkumar Madhuram (USA) Thursday 7th August 2003 Color Genie was the first computer that I owned, I think around 1988/89. I was coveting for a ZX spectrum, but my dad bought me a Color Genie instead. It was one of the best things that happened to me. I still can remember how happy I was when I got that machine home. It had 32K RAM with around 4K for BASIC and a few K for video. Even then, it had some excellent games. I quickly learned to program in BASIC & Z-80 Assembly. It basically helped start my career in computing! author date text johnsonlam (Hong Kong) Thursday 20th March 2003 Almost 18 years ago I own a Color Genie, it's fun to play some BASIC games on it, the cassette signalling design is the best I've ever seen, a number of 4 asterisk on the top left corner flashing, telling you to adjust the volume level. I love this computer but since it's a Hong Kong product (oh ... I'm a Hong Kong Citizen!), don't have much game supporting it (some TRS-80 can run). It fade out and I trade to others. author date text Street J (Estonia) Friday 24th January 2003 I found it from the back of our physics class. I'll try to hook it up to my TV. I have never used this kind of machine, except a ZX Spectrum, at my friends in 1987. Now it's good time for nostalgie. If there's more information anywhere about the Colour Genie EG-2000 then send the URL or something to my e-mail. Thanx 128 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230618222709/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=128 2023-06-18

The Colour Genie was the successor of the Genie 1, Genie 2 and Genie 3. It was intended to compete with the Tandy 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.