Difference between revisions of "Dragon Data Ltd"
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| − | [[ | + | [[File:DragonData.jpg|right|thumb|Dragon Data Ltd Factory]] |
| − | + | Dragon Data Ltd was a Welsh producer of home computers during the early 1980s. These computers, the [[Dragon 32]] and [[Dragon 64]], strongly resembled the Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer ("CoCo")—both followed a standard Motorola datasheet configuration for the three key components (CPU, SAM and VDG). The machines came in both 32KB and (later) 64KB versions. | |
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| − | + | The history of Dragon Data Ltd in the period 1982–84 was a chequered one. The company was originally set up by a Toy Company called [[Mettoy]], and after initial good sales looked to have a bright future. At its high point it entered negotiations with [[Tano]] to form a North American branch. [[Mettoy]] then suffered financial difficulties, casting a shadow on the future of Dragon Data Ltd before it was spun off as a separate company. However, a number of circumstances (the delay in introducing the 64K model, poor colour support with a maximum of 4 colours displayable in "graphics mode" and only 2 colours in the highest 256 x 192 pixel mode, the late introduction of the external disk unit and of the supporting [[OS-9]] based software) caused the company to lose market share. | |
| − | + | To combat this, under the control of GEC, Dragon Data Ltd worked on the next generation of Dragon computers - the [[Project Alpha]] (or Dragon Professional) and [[Project Beta]] (or Dragon 128). These systems only made it to the prototype stage before the business went into receivership and was sold on to the Spanish startup [[Eurohard SA]] in 1984. Unfortunately Eurohard also suffered financial problems and went into receivership a couple of years later. | |
| − | + | In addition to the [[Dragon 32]] and [[Dragon 64]], an MSX-compatible machine, the [[Dragon MSX]] reached the prototype stage. | |
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| − | + | == History / Timeline == | |
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| − | + | To see a full history of how [[Dragon Data Ltd]] came to be, look at timeline below: | |
| − | + | [[1912 - 1933 Tipp & Co. (TCO)]] | |
| − | + | [[1933 - 1983 Mettoy]] | |
| − | [[Dragon Data]] | + | [[1982 - 1984 Dragon Data Ltd]] |
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| − | + | == Software == | |
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| − | + | '''Cartridge''' | |
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| − | + | [[All Dream]] | |
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| − | + | [[A2000 Shop Demo]] | |
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| − | + | [[Astroblast]] | |
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| − | [[ | + | [[Berserk]] |
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| + | [[Bridge Master]] (Plus Cassette) | ||
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| + | [[Cave Hunter]] | ||
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| + | [[Chess]] | ||
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| + | [[Cosmic Invaders]] | ||
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| + | [[Doodle Bug]] | ||
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| + | [[Ghost Attack]] | ||
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| + | [[LOGO]] | ||
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| + | [[Meteoroids]] | ||
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| + | [[Rail Runner]] | ||
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| + | [[Starship Chameleon]] | ||
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| + | [[Super Dragon Writer II]] | ||
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| + | '''Tapes''' | ||
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| + | [[Adventure Trilogy]] | ||
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| + | [[All Dream]] | ||
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| + | [[Astrology]] | ||
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| + | [[Beyond The Cimeeon Moon]] | ||
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| + | [[Black Sanctum]] | ||
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| + | [[Black Sanctum (Graphical)]] | ||
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| + | [[Bloc Head]] | ||
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| + | [[Bumpers]] | ||
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| + | [[Calixto Island]] | ||
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| + | [[Calixto Island (Graphical)]] | ||
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| + | [[Children From Space]] | ||
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| + | [[Cimeeon Moon]] | ||
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| + | [[Circus Adventure]] | ||
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| + | [[Computavoice]] | ||
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| + | [[Cosmic Clones]] | ||
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| + | [[Cranky]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Birthday Special]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Forth]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Mountain]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Selection 1]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Selection 2]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Selection 3]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Selection 4]] | ||
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| + | [[Dragon Selection 5]] | ||
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| + | [[Dream]] | ||
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| + | [[DreamBug]] | ||
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| + | [[El Bandito]] | ||
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| + | [[El Diablero]] | ||
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| + | [[Eno / Stalag]] | ||
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| + | [[Examples From The Manual]] | ||
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| + | TAPE FACE MAKER | ||
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| + | TAPE FEMBOTS' REVENGE | ||
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| + | TAPE FINAL COUNTDOWN | ||
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| + | TAPE FLAG | ||
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| + | TAPE FLIGHT | ||
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| + | TAPE FRUITY | ||
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| + | TAPE GALAX ATTAX | ||
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| + | TAPE GRAPHIC ANIMATOR | ||
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| + | TAPE HIDE & SEEK | ||
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| + | TAPE JUMPJET | ||
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| + | TAPE JUNIOR'S REVENGE | ||
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| + | TAPE LET'S COUNT | ||
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| + | TAPE LUNAR ROVER PATROL | ||
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| + | TAPE MADNESS & THE MINOTAUR | ||
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| + | TAPE MANSION OF DOOM | ||
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| + | TAPE MIDDLE KINGDOM / BREAKOUT | ||
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| + | TAPE MONSTERS & MAGIC | ||
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| + | TAPE MOONHOPPER | ||
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| + | TAPE MUSIC BOX | ||
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| + | TAPE NERBLE FORCE | ||
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| + | TAPE NUMBER CHASER | ||
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| + | TAPE NUMBER GULPER | ||
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| + | TAPE NUMBER PUZZLER | ||
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| + | TAPE PERSONAL FINANCE | ||
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| + | TAPE PIXEL EDITOR | ||
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| + | TAPE POSEIDON ADVENTURE | ||
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| + | TAPE QUEST | ||
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| + | TAPE SAMSIM | ||
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| + | TAPE SCHOOL MAZE | ||
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| + | TAPE SEA QUEST | ||
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| + | TAPE SHAFT | ||
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| + | TAPE SHAPE UP | ||
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| + | TAPE SHARK TREASURE | ||
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| + | TAPE SHENANIGANS | ||
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| + | TAPE SHUTTLEZAP | ||
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| + | TAPE SPACE TREK | ||
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| + | TAPE STARFIGHTER | ||
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| + | TAPE STORM ARROWS | ||
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| + | TAPE SYNTHER 7 | ||
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| + | TAPE TABLE ADVENTURES | ||
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| + | TAPE TEE OFF | ||
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| + | TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - FRENCH | ||
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| + | TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - GERMAN | ||
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| + | TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - ITALIAN | ||
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| + | TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - SPANISH | ||
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| + | TAPE TIMSCRIPT | ||
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| + | TAPE TYPING TUTOR | ||
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| + | TAPE VIKING | ||
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| + | TAPE WHIRLYBIRD RUN | ||
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| + | TAPE WORDS, WORDS, WORDS | ||
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| + | == OS-9 == | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Basic 09]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 C Compiler]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Cash & VAT]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Dynacalc]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Editor Assembler]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 System]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Programmers Manual]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Pascal]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Record Management System]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Stock Recording]] | ||
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| + | [[OS-9 Stylograph]] | ||
Revision as of 21:44, 7 February 2010
Dragon Data Ltd was a Welsh producer of home computers during the early 1980s. These computers, the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64, strongly resembled the Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer ("CoCo")—both followed a standard Motorola datasheet configuration for the three key components (CPU, SAM and VDG). The machines came in both 32KB and (later) 64KB versions.
The history of Dragon Data Ltd in the period 1982–84 was a chequered one. The company was originally set up by a Toy Company called Mettoy, and after initial good sales looked to have a bright future. At its high point it entered negotiations with Tano to form a North American branch. Mettoy then suffered financial difficulties, casting a shadow on the future of Dragon Data Ltd before it was spun off as a separate company. However, a number of circumstances (the delay in introducing the 64K model, poor colour support with a maximum of 4 colours displayable in "graphics mode" and only 2 colours in the highest 256 x 192 pixel mode, the late introduction of the external disk unit and of the supporting OS-9 based software) caused the company to lose market share.
To combat this, under the control of GEC, Dragon Data Ltd worked on the next generation of Dragon computers - the Project Alpha (or Dragon Professional) and Project Beta (or Dragon 128). These systems only made it to the prototype stage before the business went into receivership and was sold on to the Spanish startup Eurohard SA in 1984. Unfortunately Eurohard also suffered financial problems and went into receivership a couple of years later.
In addition to the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64, an MSX-compatible machine, the Dragon MSX reached the prototype stage.
History / Timeline
To see a full history of how Dragon Data Ltd came to be, look at timeline below:
Software
Cartridge
Bridge Master (Plus Cassette)
Tapes
TAPE FACE MAKER
TAPE FEMBOTS' REVENGE
TAPE FINAL COUNTDOWN
TAPE FLAG
TAPE FLIGHT
TAPE FRUITY
TAPE GALAX ATTAX
TAPE GRAPHIC ANIMATOR
TAPE HIDE & SEEK
TAPE JUMPJET
TAPE JUNIOR'S REVENGE
TAPE LET'S COUNT
TAPE LUNAR ROVER PATROL
TAPE MADNESS & THE MINOTAUR
TAPE MANSION OF DOOM
TAPE MIDDLE KINGDOM / BREAKOUT
TAPE MONSTERS & MAGIC
TAPE MOONHOPPER
TAPE MUSIC BOX
TAPE NERBLE FORCE
TAPE NUMBER CHASER
TAPE NUMBER GULPER
TAPE NUMBER PUZZLER
TAPE PERSONAL FINANCE
TAPE PIXEL EDITOR
TAPE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
TAPE QUEST
TAPE SAMSIM
TAPE SCHOOL MAZE
TAPE SEA QUEST
TAPE SHAFT
TAPE SHAPE UP
TAPE SHARK TREASURE
TAPE SHENANIGANS
TAPE SHUTTLEZAP
TAPE SPACE TREK
TAPE STARFIGHTER
TAPE STORM ARROWS
TAPE SYNTHER 7
TAPE TABLE ADVENTURES
TAPE TEE OFF
TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - FRENCH
TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - GERMAN
TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - ITALIAN
TAPE THE GRUNEBERG LINKWORD LANGUAGE SYSTEM - SPANISH
TAPE TIMSCRIPT
TAPE TYPING TUTOR
TAPE VIKING
TAPE WHIRLYBIRD RUN
TAPE WORDS, WORDS, WORDS
