+D Totally Explained

Everything about D totally explained

The +D (or Plus D) was a floppy disk and printer interface for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer, developed as a successor to Miles Gordon Technology's earlier product, the DISCiPLE. It was designed to be smaller, cheaper, simpler and thus more reliable. It discarded a number of the less important features of the earlier product — the network and joystick ports, the inhibit button and the pass-through connector — and replaced its ancestor's plastic wedge-shaped design which fit under the Spectrum with a simple flat metal slab which protruded from the rear of the computer.
   It provided only floppy-diskette and Centronics parallel interfaces, plus a Non-Maskable interrupt button. The +D's casing was simple folded steel, which wasn't only stronger than before but acted as a heatsink, improving reliability. Apart from the missing ports, though, it was software-compatible with the larger device.
   The +D's DOS was named G+DOS, and was compatible with the DISCiPLE's DOS, GDOS. SAM DOS for MGT's SAM Coupé was backwards-compatible with GDOS and G+DOS.
   The +D and DISCiPLE so extended the capabilities of the Spectrum that a user group was formed to discuss the system's newly-expanded potential. The group, INDUG, published a newsletter called Format, and later went on to become Format Publications.
   "The Complete +D Disassembly" was published viewing the "G+DOS system 2a" version, which is now usable online at the writers page http://www.biehold.nl/rudy/index.htm for both DISCiPLE and +D usergroups like Format (UK) or DISCiPLE-Nieuwsbrief (NL) produced enhancements like for example not 3×3 but 5×3-bit grayscale printing and HP-printer settings. In later years a complete new system called UNI-Dos was developed and put in a ROM for the DISCiPLE and +D both, making up 2 new ROMs.
   For more information on the design, specification and use of the +D, see the entry on MGT.
   The +D design was later licensed by Datel and it continued on sale for some years after MGT's demise. Its design and chips have been released into the public domain and it still remains available commercially or even as a DIY project.

Further Information

Get more info on 'D'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://_d.totallyexplained.com">+D Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.