Which do I get? divide or Multiface 3?
Hi,
Having come back into the scene after s short 20 year break(!) I've obtained a +3 (needs new drive belt),+2 and a toast rack. tapes have been fine but I'm planning on upgrading.
My question. am I mad considering the more 'authentic' Multiface 3 for the +3 when what I've read about divide+ plus bus expander for joystick interface indicates I'd be able to do more on all three computers for a bit more money? Or does using the divide take away some of that authentic speccy experience?
Would appreciate any thoughts from owners of both/either as keep changing my mind...
thanks guys.
Having come back into the scene after s short 20 year break(!) I've obtained a +3 (needs new drive belt),+2 and a toast rack. tapes have been fine but I'm planning on upgrading.
My question. am I mad considering the more 'authentic' Multiface 3 for the +3 when what I've read about divide+ plus bus expander for joystick interface indicates I'd be able to do more on all three computers for a bit more money? Or does using the divide take away some of that authentic speccy experience?
Would appreciate any thoughts from owners of both/either as keep changing my mind...
thanks guys.
Post edited by xbomber on
Comments
Firstly the divide and the divide+ are not the same thing.
Secondly does it have to be one of those two things? Personally I'd get a spectranet instead of either of those :)
I'm not sure how much use the multiface 3 is this day and age, you're stuck making snapshots onto floppies or tapes if I'm not mistaken.
With a spectranet you can make standard snapshots (the MF3 makes "protected" snaps) and save them to any medium that spectranet has a driver for. (currently a network filesystem and eventually a hard disk driver that I'm working on)
I don't know if any of the divide or divide+ firmwares support taking snapshots, I've never owned either so I'm not the best person to comment :)
either type of divide :p
what's wrong with my comments about the MF3?
ok so I've not owned one of those either *ahem*. I've played around under emulation.
I've not come across spectranet but sounds interesting! Not sure they're currently available which is a show stopper. I'll do.some more research...
ditto the divide+ which is why I was looking at divide with bus expander...
I think there are still some available. Winston was selling them direct at an "early adopter" price. You'd have to contact him if you wanted one.
Personally I don't understand the appeal of the divide so I'm rather biased. I know lots of people are very happy with them, they just seem rather limited and clumsy to me. Course I'm spoilt by having one of the prototype spectranets so I would say that!
I don't think I'm the only one who wonders about it :)
http://mister_beep.republika.pl/
Are they that much different in what they do? (I honestly don't know...can someone explain the difference to me?).
I've thought about getting one - but now the question is: which one is the right one? (for me, that is). :)
My games for the Spectrum: Dingo, The Speccies, The Speccies 2, Vallation, SQIJ.
Twitter: Sokurah
well it has a tape trap so you can LOAD as normal from a tap file from the active filesystem. Currently it can't mount dsk files but since most disk software uses a custom loader routine being able to mount dsk images doesn't really achieve anything on any add-on interface.
The divide+ can run ResiDOS, the original divide can't without an additional memory modification.
This is precisely why I've got to ask these questions - I'm so going to buy the wrong thing.
Thanks for all your help so far.
since I have a DivIDE, I will sware by it, its very easy to use/play with, you can even hack-onto it.... but more of that later.
The DivIDE provides your spectrum with the ability to use Harddisk IDE Devices, most people use a compact flash card adapted to ide in its place. Its an elegant solution, for a more civilized age (I have always wanted to say that)
there are initial limitations, you can load programs from, but no save them to the DivIDE adapter.
You can load TAP (tape files) and Snapshots (SNA and Z80) these can come from an emulator... such as zx Spin or Sir Clive even Eightyone
I found a few TZX formats I would load into ZXSpin and then take a snap-shot, I even used fuse on the PSP to create a snapshop of LaserSqaud remix. copied over to a FAT16 formatted CF card and then plugged this card into the DivIDE, and away it goes... simple plug and play... you press the NMI button and you are presented with a simple list-menu interface, use the cursor keys and enter to navigate directories and files.
Heres some DivIDE you tubies
DivIDE & Spectrum +3
DivIDE & Spectrum+ & AY Synth
DivIDE & Specrtum +2 & Kempston Turbo Mouse Interface
Now the DivIDE plus (and I use the word plus instead of the symbol) is a completely different animal. while it can run in a fat-ware mode like the DivIDE it also has 512KB of SRAM to store a complete opperating system, like Residos.
have a look here
while you can run residos on the DivIDE its a little more complicated and really requires the extra ram present in the DivIDE Plus.
it is important to point out that these items are not of the same family, the DivIDE plus is a closed project where as the DivIDE is open-source. two completely different products.
Out of the two I would recommend owning the standard DivIDE, this will service you well and get all that needed gaming and demo's running nice on your kit! you can exchange the DivIDE around your spectrum collection enjoying lots of retrolicious fun in the process.
If you are looking into target machine development then I would look at the DivIDE plus as a possible investment, but you could also upgrade the DivIDE with SRAM to run ResiDos as well as a few other Spectrum OS's that are availalbe. you could also look at something like this but with the Spectranet adapter too.
so for cheap and now, I would consider the DivIDE as a winner, with a view to upgrade / purchase another adapter later with the purpose of more interactivity / development from say the DivIDE plus, and or SpectraNet.
Alternatively, in the case of your Spectrum +3, you could build a small - cheap internal (8bit) IDE interface...
I have built 3 over the last day, looking forward to final testing in the morning =)
Erm, yes you can. If you're running a suitable filesystem driver.
The problem is the DivIDE is that it can be a bit of a swiss army knife when thought through.
As a standard model it will allow Fatware and fun with Snaps and Taps, great for the gamer, demo/sceener
But the DivIDE can also provide -
1. In a passive (jumper less configured mode) on appropriate +3e/2e ROM's (on the target machine) it will provide a 16bit IDE interface for loading/saving in +3e DOS.
2. With a ROM update on the DivIDE you can have different file systems, including ResiDos, TRDos amongst others.
3. With a bit of hackery you can even add 512KB of SRAM and 32KB/64KB of RAM to the unit for use with the previous listed File/Operating systems.
4. The DivIDE's price point wins it for me every day, that is to say until Winston releases SpectraNet ;D
I don't want to give the impression "oh guesser's writing a 3" floppy driver now" since I haven't even finished my hard disk driver yet... HOWEVER one of my eventual goals with my filesystem code for spectranet is to write (or better still for someone else to take it and write!) another module to use the same filesystems (e.g. +3DOS) on floppy disks on the +3.
I've not been so excited since the 128 came out. :)
How do i get one. ?? I've got sweaty cash waiting in my cold hard palm.
contact Winston and send him your money :)