Colour Genie
 EG2000 Colour Genie computer | |
| Manufacturer | EACA |
|---|---|
| Release date | August 1982 |
| Introductory price | £200 (equivalent to £892 in 2023) |
| Discontinued | 1983 |
| Operating system | 16 KB ROM containing LEVEL II BASIC |
| CPU | Zilog Z80, 2 MHz |
| Memory | 16 KB RAM, expandable to 32 KB |
| Display | PAL composite or RF out; 40×24 text, 16 colours; 160×96 graphics, 4 colours |
| Graphics | Motorola 6845 |
| Sound | AY-3-8910 |
| Input | 63-key typewriter style Keyboard with 4 programmable function keys |
| Power | 5V DC, +12V DC and -12V DC |
| Predecessor | Video Genie |
The EACA EG2000 Colour Genie was a computer produced by Hong Kong-based manufacturer EACA, and introduced in Germany in August 1982 by Trommeschläger Computer Service and Schmidtke Electronic.[1][2][3][4]
It followed their earlier Video Genie I and II computers and was released around the same time as the business-oriented Video Genie.[5]
The LEVEL II BASIC was compatible with the Video Genie I and II and the TRS-80, except for graphic and sound commands; most of the routines for Video Genie I BASIC commands were left over in the Colour Genie's BASIC ROM.[6][3] Programs were provided to load TRS-80 programs into the Colour Genie. Colour Genie disks could be read in a TRS-80 floppy disk drive and vice versa, editing the pdrive commands.
The original Video Genies had been based upon (and broadly compatible with) the then-current TRS-80 Model I. As the Colour Genie was descended from this architecture, it was incompatible with Tandy's newer TRS-80 Color Computer which – despite its name – was an entirely new and unrelated design based on an entirely different CPU, and thus incompatible with the TRS-80 Model I and derivatives such as the Color Genie.[7]
About 190 games were published for the system in English and German.[8][3][9]
A 80 column card was produced.
Modern emulators for this system exist.[10][11][12]
Technical specifications
Central Processing Unit
Z80 running at 2.2 MHz.[5] Usually using the NEC D780 (and unlicenced Japanese clone) or the SGS Z80 (a European second source for Zilog).
Internal hardware
- Video Hardware
- Motorola 6845 CRTC
- 40×24 text (original ROMs) or 40×25 text (upgraded ROMs), 16 colours, 128 user defined characters
- 160×96 graphics (original ROMs)[5] or 160×102 graphics (upgraded ROMs), 4 colours x up to 4 pages
- Sound Hardware
- General Instruments AY-3-8910[5]
- 3 sound channels, ADSR programmable
- 1 noise channel
- 2 8-bit wide I/O ports
I/O ports and power supply
- I/O ports:
- Composite video out and audio out (cinch plugs)
- Integrated RF modulator antenna output, which also carries sound, to TV
- Cartridge expansion slot (slot for edge connector with Z80 CPU address/data bus lines and control signals, as well as GND and voltage pins; used for ROM cartridges or the floppy disk controller
- 1200 baud tape interface (5 pin DIN)
- RS-232 port (5 pin DIN)[5]
- Light pen port (5 pin DIN)[5]
- Parallel port for printer or joystick controller[5]
External hardware options
- Floppy disk controller with floppy disk station.
- Supported up to 4 drives (5.25 inch).
- Support for 90 KB SS/SD up to 720 KB DS/DD drives.
- Cassette recorder
- EPROM cartridge of 12 KB
- EG2013 Joystick Controller
- 2 Analogue joysticks with keypad
References
- ^ "Hardware-Aktuell - Lexikon - Colour Genie". www.hardware-aktuell.com. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- ^ Bennett, Bill (October 1982). "Review: Colour Genie". Your Computer. pp. 34, 35.
- ^ a b c Burton, Maggie (June 1983). "Benchtest: Colour Genie". Personal Computer World. pp. 120–127.
- ^ "EG 2000 Colour Genie Homepage". EG 2000 Colour Genie Homepage. 2008. Archived from the original on 2018-03-28. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g "COLOUR GENIE / EG-2000 Eaca". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- ^ "Colour Genie Review". www.classic-computers.org.nz. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
- ^ "EG2000 Colour Genie - Computer - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
- ^ "List Of Every Colour Genie Game Going - Everygamegoing.com". 2016-03-07. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- ^ "Colour Genie Professional Games - Colour Genie World". 2019-01-02. Archived from the original on 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
- ^ "Colour Genie Homepage". gansweith.freehostia.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
- ^ "Genieous - EACA Video Genie - Downloads - Emulators". emutopia.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
- ^ "EACA Colour Genie". www.classic-computers.org.nz. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
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