Dragon 32 & 64

The Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 were home computers released by Dragon Data Ltd, a Welsh company, in 1982 and 1984, respectively.

1. Development and Release: The Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 were designed to capitalize on the growing home computer market in the early 1980s. They were developed as successors to the Dragon 16, which was a relatively obscure machine. The Dragon 32 was released in August 1982, and the Dragon 64 followed in 1984. The numbers in their names correspond to their memory sizes, with the Dragon 32 having 32 KB of RAM and the Dragon 64 having 64 KB.

2. Hardware: Both the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 were based on the Motorola MC6809E processor running at 0.89 MHz. They featured a similar design, with a built-in keyboard and a cartridge slot for software expansion. They also had ports for connecting peripherals such as joysticks, printers, and cassette tape drives for data storage. The Dragon 64 had twice the memory of the Dragon 32, allowing for more advanced software to run on it.

3. Software Compatibility: The Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 were compatible with a wide range of software, including games, productivity applications, and programming tools. They ran the DragonDOS operating system, which was similar to TRS-DOS. The machines had a dedicated following in the UK, where they were used for both personal and educational purposes.

4. Market Performance: The Dragon computers faced stiff competition from other home computers of the era, such as the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-bit series. Despite their relatively advanced hardware and reasonable price points, they struggled to gain significant market share outside of the UK. Dragon Data Ltd eventually went bankrupt in 1984 due to financial difficulties and fierce competition in the home computer market.

5. Legacy: While the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 were not as successful as some of their competitors, they remain fondly remembered by retro computing enthusiasts, particularly in the UK. They have a dedicated community of users who continue to develop software and hardware for the machines. The Dragon computers are seen as important contributors to the history of home computing, representing the diversity of platforms available during the early 1980s.