Tatung Einstein

Message by **admin** » 18 Jul 2012 07:49

Tatung Einstein, find out: Together with Adam Coleco and Spectravideo, Tatung Einstein is one of those microphones that we can consider as Pre-MSX systems. The Tatung Einstein is an eight-bit personal microcomputer for both home and business use, produced by the Taiwanese company Tatung, designed and assembled in Telford, England. The Einstein was marketed in the United Kingdom in the summer of 1984, and 5,000 units were exported back to Taipei later that year. A Tatung monitor (monochrome or color) and the printer are also available as options.

The machine is physically, more than an Apple] [, with an option for one or two three-inch disk drives manufactured by Hitachi. Unlike those mounted by Amstrad, those of the Eistein are totally mechanical.

It has features that make it very close to MSX machines, same video modes, same audio chip, same sprites, etc. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with MSX. An 80-column compatible card was commercialized on the market.

Another unusual feature that Einstein has at the time of its launch is its machine monitor called MOS (Operating System Machine). A variety of software and systems can be loaded from disk, including a CP / M compatible with the operating system called Xtal DOS, and a Basic interpreter (Xtal BASIC).

More expensive than most of its rivals, and an obvious lack of market niche added to Tatung that did not turn to software, Einstein's viability was commercially unsuccessful.

Later, a revised version, called Tatung Einstein 256 had a similar fate.

Technical specifications

CPU : Zilog Z80A @ 4 MHz CPU
RAM : 64 KB of RAM system; 16KB RAM video
Video : 16 colors, 32 flat sprites

NAME
EINSTEIN TC-01

MANUFACTURER
Tatung

TYPE
Home Computer PC

ORIGIN
Taïwan

YEAR YEAR
1984

LANGUAGE
None: It is loaded from OS.

KEYBOARD
Full QWERTY keyboard times. 51 keys + 8 function keys

CPU
Zilog Z80 A

SPEED
4 MHz

RAM
64 KB (44 KB free user)

VRAM
16K

ROM
8 KB (up to 32 KB)

text modes
40 /32 columns x 24 rows

MODES FIGURE
256 x 192 points

COLORS
16

SOUND
3 voices, 7 octaves

SIZE / WEIGHT
43.5 (W) x 51.5 (D) x 11.5 (H) cm

I / O PORTS
RS232c, Centronics, User port, Joystick (2), Bus Z80, Floppy Disk RS232C

MEDIA
Hitachi 3 '' floppy disk unit (380 KB)

OS
Xtal / DOSXtal

PSU
Built into the power unit

PRICE
£ 499
If you want to emulate it I recommend the MESS

Ron · Message for **rum** » 06 Sep 2012 11:26

Ron · Message by **rum** » 12 Sep 2018 09:50

Hi. Yesterday I discovered that like the MSX-DOS if it is compatible with the CP / M ..., read, read.

This I like little, but when it comes to punctuate the information will happen for example as the Hobbit for Dragon, it was always assumed that it existed but the reality was no, until pser1 changed the story.

It is not intended to change history but to correct a myth that is not real. The XtalDOS operating system of the Tatung Einstein TC-01 is not compatible with the CP / M.

So, XtalDos - pronounced crystaldos - is not as I said, compatible CP / M and will not run any CP / M software.

This is a bit bitchy because in the computer case the manufacturer boasts: "Possibility of running the CP / M software".

: cajaenisteinrw.png (111.58 KiB) Viewed 344 times

There are more than 5,000 CP / M software packages available, so you could forgive the thought that buying an Einstein was going to give you access to a large part of that huge library that we love to talk about so much.

dancresp · Message by **dancresp** » 12 Sep 2018 10:02

ron wrote: Hi. Yesterday I discovered that like the MSX-DOS if it is compatible with the CP / M ..., read, read.

Great machine, because of its size, I was about to get one ... that I lost because the seller when trying it told me that it failed.

As you say, it is one of these "almost" MSX systems, although incompatible, such as the Spectravideo SVI-318 and SVI-328.

Regarding your operating system, no idea. The only thing that I remember is that when starting up I entered a monitor program, like the SHARP MZ.

minter · Message by **minter** » 12 Sep 2018 10:29

So why do wikis say they run CPM?
This is like the Maniac Mansion, that nobody tried it until after many years someone tries it and it turns out that it does not work? (what about the MM I do in reference to the keys of the second floor in the HWLoad version)

What things. Translators will have to be pulled to see the forums of people with slanted eyes and yellow complexion to see if they realized the subject. : D

masteries · Message by **masteries** » 12 Sep 2018 11:44

A computer too huge and expensive for what it offered, true that it already had the 3-inch serial drive.
In 84 you could surely get a C64 with a floppy disk drive at a lower price, or at least similar,
but you already knew that your market was well established.

And the use of Einstein as a claim has no name!

Nandove · Message by **Nandove** » 12 Sep 2018 11:50

What was a huge pvtada was the amount of rock that bought a command there by 84-85 for a few real money, and see how in a few months came the generation of 16bis of Atari Amiga and PC for almost the same prices for the that they had caught an 8bits ...

And I think that of all the generational jumps the most gross was precisely that, from 8 to 16 bits.

Ron · Message by **rum** » 12 Sep 2018 12:46

It is already explained and tested. I paste it below: viewtopic.php? F = 106 & t = 200034199 & p = 200098700 # p200098700 In the post, it is explained that through a port to CP / M Plus (3.1), it can be launched in 40 columns from the XtalDOS, which it turns out to be the one that is not compatible with CP / M. We will be testing software in 40 columns to see how it behaves. The machine is fast, 4 MHz and it shows ...

dancresp · Message by **dancresp** » 12 Sep 2018 14:04

Ron wrote: We will be testing software in 40 columns to see how it behaves. The machine is fast, 4 MHz and it shows ...

Bufff !!!

For performance, the MSX-2 with CP / M Plus does not throw anything wrong, but the 40 columns ... for existing applications, bad.

You will tell us.

jltursan · Message by **jltursan** » 12 Sep 2018 14:48

In the case of the TC256, which is the one that is closest to me, the CP / M 2.2 is perfectly available and, as is logical, it has 80 serial columns.

In the TC01 I suppose that the support will be the same but through the card of 80 columns, if I roll up I try everything and I confirm that the disc works exactly as with the 256.

llopis · Message by **llopis** » 12 Sep 2018 15:03

Nandove wrote: What was a huge pvtada was the amount of rock that was bought ordering there by 84-85 for a few real bucks, and see how in a few months came the generation of 16bis of Atari Amiga and PC for almost the same prices for which they had caught an 8bits ...

And I think that of all the generational jumps the most gross was precisely that, from 8 to 16 bits.

It was not so bad either. At that time things did not change at the same speed, and it did not matter to be the last (not like now, otherwise you can not play with the companions Fortnite or Call of Duty or whatever).

I got my first 8 bit computer a little late (about 85-86) and it worked well until 89-90 when I already switched to a PC. Yes, there were cool games in Atari and Amiga but it did not matter much.

What failed most 8-bit companies was a transition for users to move to new computers. I actually went to a PC (and see that they were crap at the time). If Amstrad had something of 16 bit that was remotely compatible with the previous ones, another rooster will sing to them.

Ron · Message by **rum** » 12 Sep 2018 17:58

From the Popular Computer magazine, number 043

: RevistaOP043Tatung.jpg (90.91 KiB) Viewed 241 times

RetroWiki & Cacharreo [RW]

Tatung Einstein

Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Re: Tatung Einstein

Who is connected?

Original text