Despite its name, the Kaypro was the first Kaypro model.
It was conceived by Non Linear Systems inc., which would later become Kaypro.
The Kaypro systems were known to be square-built !
All the hardware is packed into a solid aluminum case.
These computers can resist to a lot of trouble as they proved when ten of
them (Kaypro IV & 10) were used by doctors for the Paris-Dakar 84's edition.
Non of them failed despite extreme conditions.
One asset of the Kaypro, over the Osborne 1 which was available at about the
same time, is the 9" built-in monitor, easily twice the size of the Osborne's.
Though the Kaypro 2 has no graphic features, it can display 80 x 24 characters.
There are two single-sided / double-density full-heigth 5.25'' disk-drives
(190k each). One can be used to boot CP/M and the other to run the software.
The Kaypro II is a real "luggable" system.
Even if it weights more than 10kg, it can be easily moved with the handle
found at the back.
At the back of the system, one can find a serial port, a parallel port,
a keyboard connector, a brightness control knob and reset button.
Perfect Writer, Perfect Calc, Perfect Filer, Perfect Speller, S-Basic, CP/M
and Profitplan were bundled with the system. Later WordStar was also provided.
As usual with Kaypro, the model names logic is quite dramatic to resolve.
Several Kaypro "2" were marketed :
- In 1984 a new Kaypro 2 (refered as Kaypro 2'84) is introduced.
It has two SS/DD half-height floppy drives, a Z-80A at 4.0 MHz,
2 serial ports and rudimentary graphics (through graphic characters).
- The same year, the Kaypro 2X is released.
Very similar to a Kaypro 2'84 but with DS/DD half-height drives.
- Still in 1984, in order to be compatible with IBM software, a special
version was marketed with an Intel 8088 CPU instead of the Z80A.
It was called the Kaypro II Plus 88!
- In 1985 another Kaypro 2 refered as "New 2" is sold.
It is basically an old 2X motherboard, but with just one DS/DD floppy drive.
It comes with just CP/M and Wordstar for software.
- And to spice up a bit things, Kaypro decides to rename its Kaypro 4'84
as Kaypro 2X (sometimes also known as 2X MTC),
thus dropping the previous 2X model!
(www.old-computers.com)
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