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yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 b274874139 All machines linked to their forum thread (full comment import) 
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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: 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.
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