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From: sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.micro.6809
Subject: Tano Dragon-64
Message-ID: <354@bbncca.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 28-Nov-83 01:29:34 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncca.354
Posted: Mon Nov 28 01:29:34 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Nov-83 22:22:35 EST
Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 20

Does anyone have any hard information on the CoCo clone from Britain known
as the Dragon-64?  I have heard the following rumors, and I'd like to get them
verified or debunked:                                                

	1.) It has a true UART-based RS232 port
	2.) It also has a Centronics parallel printer port
	3.) It has composite-video output along with RF.
	4.) No disk system is available yet.
	5.) It has a built-in ROM-to-RAM routine which
	    allows a 40K user data when using BASIC.

Frankly, the composite video, RS232 and parallel ports already obsolete most of
the add-ons which I've needed to make the CoCo usable, if it's all true.
I do fear that it will be hard to break into the US market now, and that
such a superior machine will nonetheless fail.  Still, if they ever get
a disk system and OS-9 on it, it will be a strong competitor to the CoCo.
-- 
/Steve Dyer
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