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The Spectrum displays a menu when it is switched on:
* "Tape Loader" to run programs on tape,
* "Calculator" to enter operations without typing PRINT before,
* "Tape Tester" to test the input level of the tape recorder,
* "BASIC 48" and "BASIC 128".
The Spectrum 128 can use two versions of BASIC: BASIC 48 is just for the compatibility with the previous models and can't use the new features.
The Basic 128 mode has a full screen editor and the user can enter the Basic statements letter by letter instead of pressing key combinations. It has new keywords to use the extended memory as a RAM disk (unless bank-switching routines are utilized) and to handle the new sound chip and the MIDI out socket.
Because there were still large unsold stocks of Spectrum+ in the UK, the Spectrum 128 was first launched in Spain where the Speccy was already very popular. It was sold there with an external numeric keypad to connect the main unit. This "Spanish model" doesn't boot on a "start menu" as the UK version does (thus Spanish 128k models are slightly different than later UK models). But even after being introduced in UK it had a short market life and was replaced with the Spectrum +2.
The Sinclair Spectrum +2 was the first Sinclair computer made by Amstrad after they bought the rights of the Sinclair computers products. Thus, it is not surprising that the Spectrum +2 is very similar in shape and functionality to the Amstrad CPC-464. It was a kind of mix between the Spectrum 128 and the CPC-464 !
Even though it used several features of the CPC-464, such as the built-in tape recorder and a good full-stroke keyboard (at last!), it is above all an improved Spectrum 128. Thus, the sound chip used is still the well-known Yamaha AY-3-8912 which is the sound chip of the MSX computers, Oric computers,Atari ST series) and many other computers of the 80s. It was the most popular sound chip at the time.
As on the Spectrum 128, two BASIC versions were implemented : the 48k BASIC to remain compatible with the original Sinclair Spectrum, and the 128k BASIC which was already introduced with the Spectrum 128. There was still a calculator mode in the start-menu but the "Tape tester" option of the 128 had been removed since the tape-recorder was built-in.
As with the other 128k models, and due to the limitations of the Z80 CPU which can only address 65536 bytes, the 128kb RAM was not directly usable (unless with bank-switching routines), but could be used as a RAM disk.
There were several models of the Spectrum +2 : the Spectrum +2 (gray case) which had a motherboard nearly identical to that of the 128, and the Spectrum +2A and +2B (black case) which were simply Spectrum +3 computers with a tape-recorder instead of the disk drive. It means that their motherboards were quite similar to that of the +3. The difference between the +2A and +2B was mainly due to a move in production from Hong Kong to Taiwan.
Note that the first ROMs developed by Amstrad for the +2 model caused compatibility problems with the old Spectrum software, so they changed a few things in later ROMs.
When Amstrad conceived the +2A/B and the +3 they redesigned the motherboard and made some internal changes on the bus. They also removed the keypad scanning routines of the spectrum 128 and +2 (remember the keypad sold with the Spanish Spectrum 128k ?).
The Sinclair Spectrum +3 is the successor of the Spectrum +2, marketed one year earlier.
Just like the Spectrum+2 is a mix between the Spectrum 128 and the Amstrad CPC-464, the Spectrum +3 is a mix between the Spectrum 128 and the Amstrad CPC-6128. Indeed it has 3" disk-drive built-in the right-hand side of the case and a "real" full-stroke keyboard,
just like the CPC-6128.
After the launch of the first Amstrad "Sinclair computer", the Spectrum +2, they redesigned the motherboard and the content of the ROMs to produce the Spectrum +2A/B and +3. They also made some internal changes on the bus and removed the keypad scanning routines of
the Spectrum 128 and +2 (remember the keypad sold with the Spanish Spectrum 128k).
As on the Spectrum +2, two BASIC versions are implemented : the 48k BASIC to remain compatible with the original Sinclair Spectrum, and the 128k BASIC which was already introduced with the Spectrum 128.
As with the others 128k models, and due to the limitations of the Z80 CPU which can only address 65536 bytes, the 128kb RAM is not directly usable (unless with bank-switching routines), but can be used as a RAM disk (drive M :).
So, the big change is the built-in 3" disk drive, exactly the same as the CPC-6128's drive. The operating system is called +3DOS and was developed by Locomotive Software Ltd who also conceived the CPC Basics and OS. So, of course, the +3DOS is very close to the
CPCs disk operating system. The Amstrad FD-1 external drive can even be used with the Spectrum +3 as a second disk drive by connecting it directly to "DISK B PORT" at the back of the system.
The Spectrum +3 is considered the ultimate Spectrum model, gathering all the good points of the previous spectrum machines : 128k, convenient full-stroke keyboard, 3" built-in disk drive, 128k Basic, RAM disk, many interfaces... But sadly it was launched too late,
at a time where the ST and the Amiga were already fighting on the shelves. It was the last official Sinclair Spectrum model ever made. The +2A and +2B models vere launched a little later, but were just a revision of the +2 model already marketed.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Planet Sinclair -- http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/
* World of Spectrum -- http://www.worldofspectrum.org/
* Your Sinclair -- http://www.yoursinclair.co.uk/
* ZX Specticle -- http://www.worldofspectrum.org/zxspecticle/
* Speccy.cz -- http://www.speccy.cz/
* Sinclair.hu -- http://www.sinclair.hu/
* Zoom's Speccy Corner -- http://tcg.speccy.cz/zoom/
* Spectrum 128 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=35
===== Other Emulators =====
* SpecEmu -- http://homepage.ntlworld.com/paul.dunn4/
* Speccy -- http://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/
* EmuZWin -- http://kolmck.net/apps/EmuZWin_Eng.htm
* DSP -- http://leniad.cjb.net/dsp/index.htm
* Unreal Speccy -- http://alonecoder.narod.ru/zx/
* YASE -- http://www.tu-ilmenau.de/~hackbart/download.htm
* ZX Spectrum Emu -- http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/9932/
* RealSpectrum -- http://www.ramsoft.bbk.org/realspec.html
* Spectaculator -- http://www.spectaculator.com/
* GLECK -- http://gleck.emuunlim.com/