DISCiPLE
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DISCiPLE, Miles Gordon Technology's first product, was a floppy disk interface for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer.
Like Sinclair's own Interface 1, the DISCiPLE was a wedge-shaped unit fitting under the Spectrum. It was designed as a super-interface, providing all the facilities a Spectrum owner could need. In addition to floppy-disk and parallel-printer interfaces and a "magic button" (see Non-Maskable interrupt), it also offered twin joystick ports, Sinclair network ports and an inhibit button for disabling the device.
At the rear of the unit was a pass-through port for connecting further devices, although the complexity of the DISCiPLE meant that many would not work, or only if the DISCiPLE was "turned off" using the inhibit button.
The DISCiPLE was a considerable success but its sophistication meant that it was expensive and the plastic casing, located beneath the computer itself, was sometimes prone to overheating. These factors led to the development of the PlusD.
For more information on the design, specification and use of the DISCiPLE, see the entry on MGT.