Okay Kaypro! - pix & thoughts.

[2strokebloke]

In 1982 the Kaypro II was introduced as the world's second "portable" computer. It was produced by Non Linear systems, and named after it's owner Andy Kay. The novelty was that the computer, CRT, and disk drives were all packed into one unit, to which the keyboard could be clipped onto, and it was portable because it had a handle on the back.

To set it up, you just have to unclip the keyboard from the front, connect the keyboard cable (which is a telephone handset cord) and plug the unit in. Not so hard.

Although it became popular as a home computer because of it's integrated, easy to set up design, and the packaged software that shipped with it, the Kaypro was designed as a business computer. It's portability, and C/PM operating system made it the perfect choice for such, allowing a company to send someone home or into the field with a Kaypro, and then have him return and put any programs or data from the Kaypro onto the company's computers. However the Kaypro designs weren't very innovative, but they did boast a few "new" ideas - Kaypros were among the first computers to have internal modems, and the Kaypro 10 was fitted with a HUGE (for 1984) ten megabyte hard drive, at a time when most home computers were using hard drives with a capacity of 1 to 5 megabytes. But the C/PM operating system was archaic and limiting for home use, and most Kaypros featured no graphics capability. By the time my "New2" was produced it was the end of the line for Kaypro's C/PM luggables - and it seems as though these last machines were made mostly from spare parts and remaining stock (components inside have dates ranging from 1983 to 1986). The Kaypro 16 operated on DOS, and the Kaypro 2000 (one of the first "laptop" computers) were being introduced, so C/PM was no longer a priority.

However, the Kaypro was one of the must rugged computers ever made - Kaypro 10s were used by medical crews on the Paris Dakar rally, and one can shoot a Kaypro at close range with a shot gun without damaging the internals. Because of this rugged quality, many still survive, and many are still in use today - despite the fact that the machines are "outdated" - though I may say that a Kaypro can do anything a modern computer can do, only slower, and in monochrome.

[Andydg]

Damn...they can be shot with a shotgun and it won't damage the internals?!?!?!

That was a pretty interesting write up you did there...good job.

[Oz]

See if you can find a linux distro for it and turn it into a firewall or something.

[2strokebloke]

It's more usefull as a doorstop. Or a weapon.

[Plastic_Fork]

I used to have one of those really old "portable" Compaq's. I think it was a x286. Friend of mine used his as a coffee table at his apartment.