I have the main unit and power adapter.
type computer
country UK
year 1987
os basic
cpu Z80A
speed 3.54 MHz
ram 128 KB
rom 64 KB
graphic 256×192
colors 8
sound 3 channels, 8 octaves
storage built-in disk
ports expansion, tv, cassette, printer, rs323/midi, aux, rgb, two joysticks, disk B
The Sinclair ZX Spectrum +3 — The Disk Drive Spectrum
Released in 1987, the Amstrad-produced ZX Spectrum +3 was the most capable Spectrum ever made — adding a built-in 3-inch floppy disk drive (the same format used in the Amstrad CPC range), CP/M compatibility, and an enhanced operating system to the 128K Spectrum platform. The +3 could load software from disk in seconds rather than the minutes required for tape, run CP/M business software for the first time on a Spectrum, and use the 128K’s AY sound chip and additional RAM. It represented the Spectrum at its most capable, though its price and the late stage of the platform’s commercial life limited its commercial success.
The 3-inch Drive Controversy
The +3’s use of the 3-inch floppy format — rather than the more common 3.5-inch format that was rapidly becoming the industry standard — was a controversial decision. Amstrad used the 3-inch format across their CPC range and wanted to maintain disk compatibility, but the format’s limited software availability and incompatibility with the 3.5-inch drives in most other computers restricted the +3’s appeal. Despite this limitation, the +3’s disk drive dramatically improved the user experience for loading software, and a significant library of +3 disk releases was eventually produced.
CP/M — Serious Business on a Spectrum
The +3’s CP/M compatibility was technically remarkable — allowing a machine descended from the £125 ZX Spectrum to run serious business software. WordStar, dBASE, and other CP/M applications could run on the +3, transforming it from a gaming machine into a credible productivity tool. This capability was rarely exploited commercially, but it demonstrated the flexibility of the Spectrum architecture and the engineering ambition that Amstrad brought to the platform’s final iteration.