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.
Please consider donating your old computer / videogame system to Old-Computers.com or one of our partners from anywhere in the world (Europe, America, Asia, etc.).
Hi Eddie Lee (Cardiff ),
Do you still have your Dragon 32? I know its been a few years but you might still have it.
Thanks!
Nick
Wednesday 16th June 2021
Nick Blackburn (Isle of Man, UK)
hello i typed in (9/85) dragon user a word processing program (in machine code) however i dont know the start end exec address of it
please can some 1 help me out here
thanks
Wednesday 3rd February 2021
mazhar said (United Kingdom)
First, and only home computer, was a 32 and kept it until 2000. Initially bored from playing Space Invaders non-stop for a week, I started programming. What a world that opened up! BASIC followed by machine code, dabbling in graphics, audio, and hardware interfacing. Luckily my first job used a product line with a 6809 CPU for analog and digital interfacing!
Sunday 6th September 2015
Dave (Virgina, USA)
NAME
Dragon 32
MANUFACTURER
Dragon Data Ltd
TYPE
Home Computer
ORIGIN
United Kingdom
YEAR
January 1982
BUILT IN LANGUAGE
Microsoft Extended Basic Basic Interpreter 1.0 (1982)
KEYBOARD
QWERTY Mechanical keyboard 53 keys
CPU
Motorola MC6809EP
SPEED
0,9 Mhz
CO-PROCESSOR
Motorola MC-6847 Video Display Generator
RAM
32 kb
ROM
2 x 8K or 16K EPROM comprising Microsoft Extended BASIC
TEXT MODES
32 x 16
GRAPHIC MODES
Several graphic modes, max : 256 x 192 (with 2 colors)
COLORS
8
SOUND
1 voice, 5 octaves with the Basic 4 voices, 7 octaves with machine code
SIZE / WEIGHT
38 (W) x 32.5 (D) x 9.7 (H) cm / 2.1 kg
I/O PORTS
TV connector, 2 analogue joystick ports, cassette port, Centronics parallel printer port, cartridge slot, composite monitor port
PRICE
Dragon 32 : 455 (France, november 83) Dragon 32: 211 (France, november 85)
(France, november 83)
