Dragon Data Ltd

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.

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.

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

1982 - 1984 Dragon Data Ltd

Software

CARTRIDGE ALLDREAM

CARTRIDGE A2000 SHOP DEMO

CARTRIDGE ASTROBLAST

CARTRIDGE BERSERK

CARTRIDGE BRIDGE MASTER (PLUS CASSETTE))

CARTRIDGE CAVE HUNTER

CARTRIDGE CHESS

CARTRIDGE COSMIC INVADERS

CARTRIDGE DOODLE BUG

CARTRIDGE GHOST ATTACK

CARTRIDGE LOGO

CARTRIDGE METEOROIDS

CARTRIDGE RAIL RUNNER

CARTRIDGE STARSHIP CHAMELEON

CARTRIDGE SUPER DRAGON WRITER II

DISK BASIC O9 + MANUAL

DISK C COMPILER + MANUAL

DISK CASH + VAT

DISK DYNACALC + MANUAL

DISK EDITOR ASSEMBLER DEBUG

DISK OS9 + USER GUIDE

DISK OS9 PROGRAMMERS MANUAL

DISK PASCAL + MANUAL

DISK RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM + MANUAL

DISK STOCK RECORDING

DISK STYLOGRAPH + SPELLCHECK + MAILMERGE + MANUALS

TAPE ADVENTURE TRILOGY

TAPE ALLDREAM

TAPE ASTROLOGY

TAPE BEYOND THE CIMEEON MOON

TAPE BLACK SANCTUM

TAPE BLACK SANCTUM (GRAPHICAL)

TAPE BLOC HEAD

TAPE BUMPERS

TAPE CALIXTO ISLAND

TAPE CALIXTO ISLAND (GRAPHICAL)

TAPE CHILDREN FROM SPACE

TAPE CIMEON MOON

TAPE CIRCUS ADVENTURE)

TAPE COMPUTAVOICE

TAPE COSMIC CLONES

TAPE CRANKY

TAPE DRAGON BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

TAPE DRAGON FORTH

TAPE DRAGON MOUNTAIN

TAPE DRAGON SELECTION 1

TAPE DRAGON SELECTION 2

TAPE DRAGON SELECTION 3

TAPE DRAGON SELECTION 4

TAPE DRAGON SELECTION 5

TAPE DREAM

TAPE DREAMBUG

TAPE EL BANDITO

TAPE EL DIABLERO

TAPE ENO / STALAG

TAPE EXAMPLES FROM THE MANUAL

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