The Video Genie EG3003 I version 1 was considered a clone of the Tandy TRS-80 Model I, though some hardware and software differences existed. They were built in Hong Kong by EACA. Most noticeably the Genie version 1 lacked a Clear and Tab key. These were later added in Genie I version 2 at the expense of the right Shift key. The Genie II that came out in 1981 did away with the built in tape recorder and instead had a numeric keypad.
The Genie came out in 1980. It has a CPU was a Zilog 80 running at 1.76MHz, 16kB RAM, 12kB ROM, ran Microsoft Basic II. It was Monochrome and could run in Text mode at 32×16 or 64×16, or could run in Graphics mode at 128×48 pixles. Video output was in both 1Vp-p and UHF.
A Genie Expander EG3013 was available which allowed the addition of disk drives, and also allowed for a S-100 bus interface. An additional 64k RAM could be connected. A Printer interface was also possible. An RS232 interface was also an extra.
The Genie could also use TRS-80/I software. Because of its cheaper price, it sold better than the TRS-80/I in the UK. The system was priced at £339 which is £1,480 in 2020 ($1,830). The Expansion Unit was £252 which is £1,100 ($1,360). A 300k disc drive was £480 which is £2,100 ($2,600). 32kBytes of RAM for the Expansion Module was £152 which is £656 ($810). All based on 2020 price inflation.
