Difference between revisions of "Dragon Data Ltd"
From The Dragon Archive
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| − | [[ | + | [[Image:Logo dragondata.jpg|thumb|right|300px]] |
| − | + | == The people == | |
| + | *[[Tony Clarke| Clarke, Tony]] - managing director, 10.1982 - 09.1983 | ||
| + | *[[Brian Moore|Moore, Brian]] - managing director, 09.1983 - 08.1984 | ||
| + | *[[Steve Davis|Davis, Steve]] - marketing assistant, 198x - 198x | ||
| + | *[[Duncan Smeed|Smeed, Duncan]] - technical software manager, 198x - 198x | ||
| + | *[[Richard Wadman|Wadman, Richard]] - marketing director, 198x - 198x | ||
| + | *[[Derek Williams|Williams, Derek]] - technical director, 198x - 198x | ||
| − | The history | + | == The history == |
| − | + | '''Dragon Data''' was a Welsh producer of home computers during the early 1980s. These computers, the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64, strongly resembled the [[Tandy|Tandy CoCo]] as 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 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 it's 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]] before it was spun off as a separate company. However, a number of circumstances (the delay in introducing the [[Dragon 64|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 [[Dragon Data Disk Drive|external disk unit]] (and of the supporting [[OS9]]-based software) caused the company to lose market share. | |
| + | To combat this, under the control of [[GEC Dragon|GEC]], [[Dragon Data]] worked on the next generation of Dragon computers - the [[Alpha prototype|Dragon Alpha (or Professional)]] and [[Beta protoype|Beta (or 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|Eurohard]] in 1984. Unfortunately [[Eurohard SA|Eurohard]] also suffered financial problems and went into receivership a couple of years later. | ||
| − | + | In addition to the [[Dragon 32]] and [[Dragon 64|64]], an MSX-compatible machine, the [[Dragon MSX-64]] reached the production stage, with around 500 units being made. | |
| + | Parts of this article is sourced from Wikipedia under the GNU FD License. | ||
| − | + | == References == | |
| − | + | *Smeed, D. & Sommerville, I. (1983). ''[[Inside The Dragon]]''. Addison-Wesley. | |
| − | + | == Software == | |
| − | [[ | + | [[Dragon Data]] of course had their own line of software for their "beast". Many of the releases were converted [[Tandy|Tandy CoCo]] software, lisenced from the US. They released software on both cassette and floppy discs, as well as on cartridges. |
| + | {| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" width="100%" | ||
| + | |- valign="top" | ||
| + | | style="vertical-align: top" | <div style="border-right: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-right: 1em; border-top: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-left: 1em; padding-bottom: 0.5em; margin: 0px 0px 5px; border-left: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-top: 0.5em; border-bottom: #e4dede 1px solid; background-color: #f9f9f9"> | ||
| + | === Dragon Data games === | ||
| − | + | *[[Adventure Trilogy|Adventure Trilogy]] | |
| + | *[[Astroblast|Astroblast (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Berserk|Berserk (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Beyond The Cimeoon Moon]] | ||
| + | *[[Black Sanctum|Black Sanctum]] | ||
| + | *[[Bloc Head|Bloc Head]] | ||
| + | *[[Breakout|Breakout]] | ||
| + | *[[Breakout And Middle Kingdom|Breakout/Middle Kingdom]] | ||
| + | *[[Bridge Master|Bridge Master]] | ||
| + | *[[Calixto Island|Calixto Island]] | ||
| + | *[[Cave Hunter|Cave Hunter (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Circus Adventure]] | ||
| + | *[[Cosmic Clones|Cosmic Clones]] | ||
| + | *[[Cosmic Invaders|Cosmic Invaders (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Cyrus Chess|Cyrus Chess (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Doodle Bug|Doodle Bug (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Dragon Mountain|Dragon Mountain]] | ||
| + | *[[Dragon Special Selection 1|Dragon Special Selection 1]] | ||
| + | *[[Dragon Special Selection 3]] | ||
| + | *[[Dragon Special Selection 4]] | ||
| + | *[[El Bandito|El Bandito]] | ||
| + | *[[El Diablero|El Diablero]] | ||
| + | *[[Final Countdown]] | ||
| + | *[[Flag|Flag]] | ||
| + | *[[Flight|Flight]] | ||
| + | *[[Galax Attax|Galax Attax]] | ||
| + | *[[Ghost Attack|Ghost Attack (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Happy Birthday Dragon]] | ||
| + | *[[Jump Jet|Jump Jet]] | ||
| + | *[[Junior's Revenge|Junior's Revenge]] | ||
| + | *[[Lunar Rover Patrol|Lunar Rover Patrol]] | ||
| + | *[[Madness And The Minotaur|Madness And The Minotaur]] | ||
| + | *[[Mansion Of Doom]] | ||
| + | *[[Meteoroids|Meteoroids (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Middle Kingdom|Middle Kingdom]] | ||
| + | *[[Monsters & Magic|Monsters & Magic]] | ||
| + | *[[Moon Hopper|Moon Hopper]] | ||
| + | *[[Nerble Force|Nerble Force]] | ||
| + | *[[Poseidon Adventure]] | ||
| + | *[[Rail Runner|Rail Runner (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[School Maze]] | ||
| + | *[[Shaft|Shaft]] | ||
| + | *[[Shark Treasure|Shark Treasure]] | ||
| + | *[[Shuttlezap|Shuttlezap]] | ||
| + | *[[Stalag and Eno|Stalag/Eno]] | ||
| + | *[[Starfighter|Starfighter]] | ||
| + | *[[Starship Chameleon|Starship Chameleon (cartridge)]] | ||
| + | *[[Storm Arrows|Storm Arrows]] | ||
| + | *[[Tee Off|Tee Off]] | ||
| + | *[[Quest|Quest]] | ||
| + | *[[Viking|Viking]] | ||
| + | *[[Whirlybird Run|Whirlybird Run]] | ||
| + | *[[World Beyond The Cimeeon Moon|World Beyond The Cimeeon Moon]] | ||
| + | </div> | ||
| + | |} | ||
| − | + | {| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" width="100%" | |
| + | |- valign="top" | ||
| + | | style="vertical-align: top" | <div style="border-right: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-right: 1em; border-top: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-left: 1em; padding-bottom: 0.5em; margin: 0px 0px 5px; border-left: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-top: 0.5em; border-bottom: #e4dede 1px solid; background-color: #f9f9f9"> | ||
| + | === Dragon Data applications === | ||
| − | + | *[[Alldream|Alldream (cartridge)]] | |
| + | *[[Computavoice|Computavoice]] | ||
| + | *[[Dragon Forth|Dragon Forth]] | ||
| + | *[[Dragon Special Selection 2|Dragon Special Selection 2]] | ||
| + | *[[Dream|Dream]] | ||
| + | *[[Dreambug|Dreambug]] | ||
| + | *[[Examples From The Manual|Examples From The Manual]] | ||
| + | *[[Graphic Animator|Graphic Animator]] | ||
| + | *[[Music Box|Music Box]] | ||
| + | *[[Personal Finance|Personal Finance]] | ||
| + | *[[Pixel Editor]] | ||
| + | *[[Super Dragon Writer II|Super Dragon Writer II]] | ||
| + | *[[Synther 7|Synther 7]] | ||
| + | *[[Timscript]] | ||
| + | *[[Typing Tutor|Typing Tutor]] | ||
| + | </div> | ||
| + | |} | ||
| − | + | {| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" width="100%" | |
| + | |- valign="top" | ||
| + | | style="vertical-align: top" | <div style="border-right: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-right: 1em; border-top: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-left: 1em; padding-bottom: 0.5em; margin: 0px 0px 5px; border-left: #e4dede 1px solid; padding-top: 0.5em; border-bottom: #e4dede 1px solid; background-color: #f9f9f9"> | ||
| + | === Dragon Data educational software === | ||
| − | + | *[[Hide And Seek]] | |
| + | *[[Lets Count|Let's Count]] | ||
| + | *[[Number Gulper]] | ||
| + | *[[Number Puzzler]] | ||
| + | *[[Words Words Words|Words, Words, Words]] | ||
| + | </div> | ||
| + | |} | ||
| − | + | [[Category:Software_publishers]] | |
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Revision as of 23:57, 21 July 2009
File:Logo dragondata.jpg
300px
Contents
The people
- Clarke, Tony - managing director, 10.1982 - 09.1983
- Moore, Brian - managing director, 09.1983 - 08.1984
- Davis, Steve - marketing assistant, 198x - 198x
- Smeed, Duncan - technical software manager, 198x - 198x
- Wadman, Richard - marketing director, 198x - 198x
- Williams, Derek - technical director, 198x - 198x
The history
Dragon Data was a Welsh producer of home computers during the early 1980s. These computers, the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64, strongly resembled the Tandy CoCo as 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 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 it's 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 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 OS9-based software) caused the company to lose market share.
To combat this, under the control of GEC, Dragon Data worked on the next generation of Dragon computers - the Dragon Alpha (or Professional) and Beta (or 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 in 1984. Unfortunately Eurohard also suffered financial problems and went into receivership a couple of years later.
In addition to the Dragon 32 and 64, an MSX-compatible machine, the Dragon MSX-64 reached the production stage, with around 500 units being made.
Parts of this article is sourced from Wikipedia under the GNU FD License.
References
- Smeed, D. & Sommerville, I. (1983). Inside The Dragon. Addison-Wesley.
Software
Dragon Data of course had their own line of software for their "beast". Many of the releases were converted Tandy CoCo software, lisenced from the US. They released software on both cassette and floppy discs, as well as on cartridges.
Dragon Data educational software |
