HereBeDragons

HereBeDragons

@heredragons.be

Also known as @herebedragons3 on the other site. Collector of all things Dragon - and much else beyond. Occasional fixer of computers, more commonly a breaker of them. See also https://retrofest.uk/ and @shortcircuit.org.uk for exciting events info!

1.2K followers87 following1.1K posts

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

Ha'penny worth - even if I spent months creating a game for the Dragon, right now people will presume I did it in afternoon with help from Claude. So why not just use Claude? And down the slippery slope we go ...

Dr Johnny Blanchard@onlyretrofans.com

My issue with AI in the retro community specifically is it's allowing mass amounts of slop to enter. Retro development had a natural price of entry that meant fewer games came out. If you look at the output of the people using AI, Outrun 2026 isn't that great and the same guy decided to port

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

How cool is this? I wanted show Activision's Space Shuttle at the show in Cambridge, but I wasn't expecting to be lucky enough to get a boxed version in time, complete with dinky silver overlay. It's also a surprisingly good - and complex - game. Come see if I can land the Shuttle on the 14th/15th!

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

I think the TRS-80 version of Zaxxon is a probably my all time favourite! Who needs colour? Sound? Hi-res pixels?

The Centre for Computing History@computinghistory.org.uk

Which is the best of the classic space themed arcade games? Do you want your invaders to come from above, like Galaga or Space Invaders? Or the side, like Defender or Zaxxon? Tell us! Tickets on sale now for the Retro Computer Festival - Space Edition - www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/77371/re...

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

I'll be there, demonstrating Space Shuttle simulators - from the Atari 2600 to the Dragon 32 to Microsoft's Space Simulator! (and anything else I can fit on the table). See you all in November ...

The Centre for Computing History@computinghistory.org.uk

Retro Computer Festival 2026 is Go for Landing! This year we'll boldly go to a galaxy far far away. And Houston, we hope there's no problems. As you might have guessed, the theme is SPACE! Tickets available now - 14th / 15th Nov - no space suit required www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/77371/re...

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

I think we can all agree that the sweet and svelte Sord M5 (seen here in cost reduced 'Pro' form) is one of the prettiest of the 80s micros. But what if you don't want pretty? What if you want to make it into a BEAST? ... 1/3

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

I strongly suspect I need one of these ...

Dr Johnny Blanchard@onlyretrofans.com

A new arrival, a Fujitsu FM-77 the link between the FM7 and FM77AV ranges from- this is pretty yellowed and I suspect it’s been harvested so I have doubts it will work

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

If you're thinking this doesn't look like your typical Dragon (the green! it burns!), it's because this machine has a DragonPlus, a period modification that gives it 80 columns and 128K memory. It's seen here running OS9 and Dynacalc off a CocoSDC floppy emulator.

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HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

The mainstay of my system was the Casio FZ-1 and Atari ST. Here they've both been upgraded with Goteks to make life simpler - plus the Atari has a modern mouse and a lovely crisp VGA output ... 2/4

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

It's just over a week to #synthesized at Cambridge and I'm cutting it fine. This new toy arrived today - it's a Juno-6, it's a DX7 and it's all programmable in Python too- and it cost just $29! I have 1 week to understand it, program it, write some music for it and be able to demo it. Wish me luck!

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

Synthesized is on next Saturday and Sunday (27th/28th) at the Centre for Computing History - come and see lots of awesome synthesisers and computers talking to each other! And watch me fail to explain how the Amyboard works too :) www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/76919/sy...

computinghistory.org.ukSynthesized - Saturday June 27th 2026 - Event Ticket - Computing HistorySynthesized is a two day festival celebrating the computer and synthesiser and how the two technologies grew up together. Synthesized is a two day festival celebrating the computer and synthesiser ...
HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

I'll be there with ... something! Maybe something connected to an Atari. I'm not sure yet :)

The Centre for Computing History@computinghistory.org.uk

Synthesized is taking shape. There'll be guitar synths and homemade synths, lots of Yamahas, lots of drum machines and LOTS of cables! We still have space if you want to bring your own machines too - synths or micros, if it makes a sound, it's welcome! www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/76919/sy...

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

😱😱😱 THREE WEEKS 😱😱😱

Short Circuit@shortcircuit.org.uk

Just THREE WEEKS to go! Tickets are selling fast, so book now to avoid disappointment - www.retrofest.uk/tickets.php - and to get us in the mood, here's a few of our favourite photos from last year. Do you have favourite photos from 2025? Please post them in the replies!

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

Sun update! The ELC is now booting as nature intended, as a diskless client off the SPARCstation 2. So many ancient skills had to be dusted off, from wiring 10BASE2 coax ethernet to reconfiguring the kernel. Happy days!

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

This picture always makes me wince!

Short Circuit@shortcircuit.org.uk

It's just FOUR WEEKS to Retrofest 2026 and all our exhibitors are beavering away, getting their machines running, ready for the big weekend! How are we doing everyone? Updates please! Full exhibitor list here - www.retrofest.uk/whowhat.php and of course, tickets here - www.retrofest.uk/tickets.php

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

FIVE WEEKS 😱

Short Circuit@shortcircuit.org.uk

What does this big empty space need? Well, it needs lots and lots of vintage computers - and YOU! It's just 5 weeks to Retrofest 2026 (gulp) and tickets are selling fast. Buy yours now and do your bit to fill this big empty space! www.retrofest.uk/tickets.php

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

Indeed!. Mine is still in its original packaging, full of 80s air!

Retro Computers@retrocomps.bsky.social

While the Dragon was designed and built in Wales, a licensing agreement with a New Orleans company meant that you could get the Dragon 64, new in box, until 2017, making the Dragon 64 perhaps one of the longest market stays for any micro.

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

New toy alert! It's a Sharp MZ-2500 from 1985, otherwise known as the 'Super MZ', the last of the extensive Z80 based MZ range. Up to 256K RAM and 128K VRAM, it has a 6MHz Z80B and can do 16 colours at 640x400 (if you have all the VRAM). It also looks wonderfully like a top end HiFi separate ... 1/2

HereBeDragons reposted

ZXGuesser
@zxguesser.bsky.social

Don't let it be said I simply repost the same old crap again and again – Since last year I've created lowercase letters! 😄

Short Circuit@shortcircuit.org.uk

Retrofest 2026 is taking shape - we now have an exhibitors list and details for most of the exhibitors, including 13 who'll be new to the event! www.retrofest.uk/whowhat.php We also have a Bluesky list so you can follow them all, past and present, with one easy click - bsky.app/profile/shor...

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

All the cool kids (and me!) are on this list!

Short Circuit@shortcircuit.org.uk

Retrofest 2026 is taking shape - we now have an exhibitors list and details for most of the exhibitors, including 13 who'll be new to the event! www.retrofest.uk/whowhat.php We also have a Bluesky list so you can follow them all, past and present, with one easy click - bsky.app/profile/shor...

HereBeDragons reposted

Short Circuit
@shortcircuit.org.uk

We have every confidence in you Tom! Come see the PERQ, and hundreds of other awesome machines, at this year's RetroFest - www.retrofest.uk - just 45 days away! (gulp)

Tom Stepleton@stepleton.bsky.social

45 days until #RetroFest 2026 in Swindon. #PERQ status: - Flaky Z80-based I/O subsystem: sometimes the #Z80 jumps off the tracks and executes nonsense code - Disk boots fail: the microcode attempts to load blocks far beyond the end of the disk Trying today: DIY diagnostic microcode

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

I am sooo happy - and bubbling with nostalgia - to see this gorgeous Sun SPARCstation ELC up and running. This was Sun's low cost diskless workstation - basically a SPARCstation 1 bolted to the back of one of their mono monitors ... 1/4

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HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

It might benefit from a recap, but it's not an easy machine to work on at all. Oh, and I've cheated - I don't yet have diskless booting running, but I've taken advantage of the external SCSI to bodge something together ... 3/4

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

Oh and why the nostalgia? My first 'proper' job as a young unix sysadmin was to install a lab of these for the City of London Polytechnic (now London Guildhall University) all booting off a Sparcstation 1. So that's my next challenge, to get it talking to mine!

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

I am sooo happy - and bubbling with nostalgia - to see this gorgeous Sun SPARCstation ELC up and running. This was Sun's low cost diskless workstation - basically a SPARCstation 1 bolted to the back of one of their mono monitors ... 1/4

HereBeDragons
@heredragons.be

There was a design flaw in this however - you couldn't turn the monitor off without turning the machine off too, meaning that most were left on and running for months, slowly cooking the capacitors and burning out the screen. I have been very lucky with this machine ... 2/4

HereBeDragons reposted

The Centre for Computing History
@computinghistory.org.uk

A reminder that our upcoming Bring 'n' Byte sale is less than 2 weeks away 💻♻️ The best place to buy and exchange your retro tech! 📆 Sunday 19th April, 10 am - 5 pm 🎟️ Buy your tickets on the door, all tickets include all-day entry to our museum 📦 Bring carrier bags/boxes for the treasures you find!