The DRAGON 32 enjoyed a pretty good success in Europe. Its ROM holds the Operating System and a version of the Microsoft Extended BASIC.
One of its characteristics is partial compatibility with the Tandy TRS 80 Color Series. They can use same peripherals and some cartridges, but most ROM calls will fail on the other computer.
However, the Dragon did have at least two advantages over the first TRS-80 Color computer: A typewriter-style keyboard that was somewhat better than the tandy's calculator-like keys; and a Centronics parallel-printer port.
Two years later, Welsh launched the DRAGON 64 which has the same characteristics except the added memory (64k RAM instead of 32k), a RS232c port and minor ROM changes.
I got a 32 used, from Thornleys (a pork processing plant in Chorley) in 1986. The system, a tape drive, the dragon floppy drive a a big bag of software. Plus a Juki daisywheel wide-format printer.
It ran the databases for our family business for years, and I used it daily until I moved to the US in 2002, where it was put in storage. In 91+92 i even went to the last Dragon store in Valletta to buy more software. Ah fun times.....
Hi this computer i had for a whole year and a bit - it helped me pass one o level and fail all the rest - i sent it back to the catologue company in a bid to upgrade to the Dragon64 but never did so as my parents would not let me buy a computer ever again due to me failing my exams!!
Friday 11th March 2011
Tanny
Ah these beasts helped get me into computing as a youngster! I have one but it wont seem to work anymore due to some video IC going bust I think :''( brian if yours is still available or anyone else wants to get rid of their old dragon a good home is here and I am dying to try out all my old tapes some of which should contain my own software I programmed over the long nights! (god computing was so much more fun "back in the day" lol)
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(France, november 83)
