The Kaypro 10 was a well known CP/M computer.
It is one of the last portable under CP/M. Non Linear Systems had already
changed their name to Kaypro when this PC shipped. The company changed
its name in 82 and the K10 came out in 83.
It was supplied with a lot of great programs: CP/M 80, the Perfect software
suite (Perfect Writer, Perfect Calc, Perfect Filer), WordStar (word processor),
dBase II (database), Superterm (terminal emulator) and two BASICs
(Microsoft's BASIC and SBASIC, which was a compiler version written by
Gilbert, the head of Kaypro's software engineering.).
Despite its poor design (by today standards), its weight (more than 12 Kg)
and the poor quality of its built-in green monochrome screen, it had a
very great success.
"Non Linear Systems" changed their name officially to Kaypro in 1982.
The Non-Linear part continued making test equipment.
Thanks to Rick Barlett for additional info :
Rick, who worked for Kaypro from 1981 to 1989, also want to say :
"I discree with the writers statment that it was a poor design.
We were the BEST DAMN selling PC on the market from 82-84. "
Igor Pronin reports :
As a proud owner of K10 I have to back Rick Barlett:
it was good design and the price was right. I paid about 20000 FIM
(roughly 6500 USD then, which was about my 2 months salary as a software
programmer) when I bought one (with 10 MegaByte hard disk) back in 1983.
It still is in my garage.
Darrell Pittman reports :
It was *not* a poor design. It was the first luggable that had a built-in,
shock-mounted hard disk. I once read a story about a guy who took one
out to an oil-drilling site, left it on the ground and a pickup truck ran
over it, and it still ran!
(www.old-computers.com)
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