Kaypro 2X

The Kaypro 2X is an 8 bit z80 computer with a 10 inch screen, and has 64 kilobytes of memory. The Kaypro 2X is similar, powerwise to the otrona attache. The cpu runs at 4mhz. The screen is green on black, and it not capable of displaying any type of bitmapped graphics. The Kaypro 2X is text only. it runs CP/M, as its only operating system choice, and will run basic apps. Unlike the Otrona Attache, the Kaypro 2X is not upgradable to a 16 bit intel CPU. For storage, it has two 5.25 inch floppy drives, and a rumored (unconfirmed) SCSI bus for a hard drive.

Bob McCarty of Beavercreek Ohio recently donated a Kaypro II to RICM and provided the following story.

Dan,

I bought the Kaypro in September 1983 along with a dot matrix printer and the modem for around $2500.00, as I was starting graduate school as a Captain at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). I used it as a “smart” terminal connecting it through the 300 bps modem to a CDC6600 mainframe to do my thesis in computational fluid dynamics. My area of study was ballistic reentry vehicle heating. Compared to today’s computers I don’t think the 6600 had as much computing power as my current laptop. I also wrote my thesis on it which when you look at the screen explained why my eye-sight went from 20/25 to 20/70 in 18 months. Once I graduated I continued to use the Kaypro for personal use until late 1989 when I upgraded to an Amiga with 1 MB of memory. I will always remember it as my first computer.

Bob

Recently a Kaypro 16E was donated to the museum by Andrew Krol of Krol Data Management System of Virgina

Dear RICM,

I got the Kaypro 16E computer used in about 1988 to take to college to for my mostly Pascal programming classes. It allowed me not to deal with the computer lab and work in my room – only going to the lab to print something out. But the computer’s biggest claim to fame is someone on my floor got a floppy of Mr. Boston’s 1001 drink recipes. I then programmed a quick little basic random number generator to select a number less then 1002 and every other Friday or so we’d run the random number, then look up the drink corresponding to that number. Whatever it was, someone would go out and get the ingredients needed and we have that drink to start the Friday night.

I think at one point I also did a project for a marketing professor and got SPSS loaded on there to do some of that work – don’t know if I used his pc or that kaypro for that.

I fired it up, however I didn’t realize that I didn’t have the MS-DOS floppy any longer so I wasn’t able to get to see what was still on the HD. But at least it turned on and got through the BIOS load without an issue.

Have fun.

Andrew