Apple II / Spectrum + Hybrid on eBay

[cwathen]

I do think this Frankenstein creation is worth a look...a Spectrum+ with what looks like some sort of 'stringy floppy' tape cartridge system fudged into an Apple II case!

Also adorned with all sorts of labels which seem to suggest it was used as a dedicated wordprocessor for someone, yet the 'craftsman' didn't bother to find a way to use the superior Apple keyboard, the standard Sinclair spongey unit is fudged in.

Even at the time I can't imagine what possessed anyone to do this, or how it was ever thought to look good, or what specific advantage it was supposed to have.

Quite interesting though!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sinclair-ZX-Spectrum/164104341041?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20180105095853%26meid%3Dc1e4511b46c94492ae415af044bf9891%26pid%3D100903%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D20%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D164104341041%26itm%3D164104341041%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2510209&_trksid=p2510209.c100903.m5276

 

[krebizfan]

The Beta Disc is a full fledged floppy controller which accepts a cable to go to an external floppy drive. I don't understand what the little board attached to the ribbon cable and the Beta Disc does. Certainly, the result hidden inside a case will be more reliable than having the ribbon cable exposed and liable to be broken every time the keyboard is moved.

 

[rittwage]

What a bizarre creation of Dr. Frankenstein...

 

[SiriusHardware]

I doubt whether anyone destroyed a healthy Apple in order to build a Spectrum into it, the aim was obviously just to re-purpose a conveniently available wedge-shaped console to fit the computer and accessories into. I can completely understand retaining the original keyboard because the Spectrum's key legends are very specific to the machine, with most keys having at least two key words as well as the main symbol on the key. Anyone who runs a Spectrum emulator on a more modern machine knows what a headache it is not to have the original key legends on the keys of the host machine.

Exactly the same sort of thing seems to happen in the present day with all sorts of retro equipment housings being re-purposed as enclosures for Raspberry Pis.

I wouldn't dream of breaking up a complete retro computer just to use its casing for something else but I have a chunky, heavy old PC-AT Keyboard into which I have built a Raspberry Pi 1 and a USB hub and an AT to USB keyboard converter with the power, 26-way GPIO header, HDMI and USB cables brought neatly out onto panel-mount connectors on the rear edge.

For most purposes the result is almost like an old 80s wedge console computer - just needs +5V power in, HDMI video out and a mouse plugged into one of the USB ports, and the keyboard is lovely, far superior to any typical modern offering.