Name: ZX Spectrum +2
Manufacturer: Sinclair (Amstrad)
Year: 1986
Country of origin: UK
Category: Computer Hardware
Tags: Sinclair
Notes:
I was very proud to be a Spectrum owner back in the 8-bit days and the 128k Spectrum +2 was the second model that I owned, after the original 48k version. The beauty of this one was that it didn’t have the rubber keys of its earliest predecessor and also it had a built-in tape player or ‘Datacorder’ to load the games. The grey body also strayed from the trademark Spectrum black. Many of these changes were due to the new ownership of the company. Sinclair’s arch-rival Amstrad had acquired the company and this was the first machine that it it put out under its new Sinclair name. A classic machine and one that I have many fond memories playing. The model pictured to the right is the one that I owned as a child.
Mortis the Lost
Oct 27, 2014 -
Very nostalgic for me this – my younger brother had the +2 while I had the +3 (with 3″ disk drive in place of the tape deck) bother computers and few we later collected from the same period sit in a large box at our parents house with many games and accessories
Retromash
Oct 27, 2014 -
Great stuff. I had the +2 myself and always wanted to upgrade to the +3 but never got the chance. Hope you manage to get them out one day to play some of those games again!
Bob Gnarley
Oct 27, 2014 -
All of your favourite classic Spectrum games are available to play at World of Spectrum.org.
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/games/index.html
Select a game then click on the Java icon.
Fun blog by the way. Love the old Argos catalogues! Cheers!
Retromash
Oct 27, 2014 -
Yep, World of Spectrum is an incredible site. Thanks a lot for the comments!
Scott Hood
Jan 23, 2015 -
The grey model isn’t as well known as the black +2A model (and the +2B version which was indentical in appearance) but the +2A was more closely based on the +3 while the original +2 was based more on the 128 model. The +2B was made after a production location switch and dropped some +3 things from the machine without having a major impact on the machine. There was a cost saving element to this.
Retromash
Jan 23, 2015 -
Thanks for the info Scott! In my experience the grey model has always actually been the most common and the most advertised +2. But the whole Amstrad takeover of Sinclair is quite an interesting story. I always wanted a +3 myself too.