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website/content/museum/eaca-colour-genie-eg-2000.md
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yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import) 
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
2026-10-13 17:26:43 +02:00

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---
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.
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