Tangerine Microtan 2 Prototype

The Microtan 2 was Tangerine’s planned desktop successor to the Microtan 65, developed under the Tiger name. It combined 6502 compatibility with a Z80 second processor and aimed to turn the company’s modular technology into a more conventional complete computer.

Tangerine sold the design to amplifier manufacturer HH Electronics, which completed and marketed it as the HH Tiger. The Tangerine-stage machines therefore belong to the prototype history rather than the company’s production catalogue.

Notable Features

• Planned dual-processor design combined 6502 and Z80 software environments.
• Packaged desktop format replaced the Microtan’s board-and-rack construction.
• Design rights passed to HH Electronics before commercial manufacture.

Historical Significance

• The missing evolutionary link between the Microtan system and Tangerine’s Oric direction.
• Its commercial descendant became the rare HH Tiger.

Collector’s Notes

• Tangerine prototypes and production HH machines should be distinguished by branding and revision.
• Specifications evolved after the design transferred to HH Electronics.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Tangerine Microtan 2 Prototype
Manufacturer	Tangerine Computer Systems
Launched	Thursday, January 1, 1981
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	MOS Technology 6502 with Zilog Z80 second processor
Units Sold
Operating System	Development monitor/BASIC; Z80 operating environment planned
I/O	Prototype serial, parallel and expansion interfaces
Keyboard	Integrated full keyboard
Storage	Cassette and disk options planned
Sound	Programmable sound planned
Graphics	Prototype colour and text display
Display	Monitor or television output
ROM	Development firmware
RAM	Prototype-dependent
CPU Speed	Prototype-dependent