--- title: Kaypro II categories: - Computers types: - Transportable origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1982' cpus: - Z80 params: name: Kaypro II company: /companies/kaypro company_name: Kaypro specs: - label: NAME value: Kaypro II - label: MANUFACTURER value: Kaypro - label: TYPE value: Transportable - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: august 1982 - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None (M-BASIC and S-BASIC on diskette) - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 70 key typewriter style keyboard with 18 programmable keys - label: CPU value: Z80 - label: SPEED value: 2.5 Mhz - label: RAM value: 64 KB - label: VRAM value: 2 KB - label: ROM value: 2 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: '80 chars x 25 lines (character matrix : 5 x 8)' - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: None - label: COLORS value: built-in 9'' non-glare green phosphor screen - label: SOUND value: Beep only - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 45 x 36 x 21 cm / 13 Kg - label: I/O PORTS value: RS232c serial port, - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: two 5.25'' SS/DD full-height floppies (190k) - label: OS value: CP/M 2.2 - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: 400 KB or 800 KB 5.25'' floppy drives, 10 MB hard disc, battery pack/charger - label: PRICE value: $1795 (USA, 1982) - £1259 (U.K., 1983) tabs: - photos - adverts - emulators - links - docs photos: - title: KAYPRO LABEL subtitle: '' text: The kaypro label is painted on the back of the case. image: null - title: KAYPRO BAG subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: MACPRO 2X? subtitle: '' text: |- This is what happens when a Kaypro 2X get married with a Macintosh! This is a Kaypro 2X portable computer case, with the electronic parts of a Macintosh Plus installed in it. It includes an 80 mb hard drive, as well. The keyboard has storage room for the mouse... Thanks to **J. Forbes** and his [site](http://www.mindspring.com/~jforbes2/) image: null - title: ANDREW KAY subtitle: '' text: |- Andrew Kay, Non-Linear Systems/Kaypro Corporation's founder, was quite a dynamic character. The son of Eastern European immigrants, he was a graduate of MIT, and a very progressive thinker for his time. He employed four generations of his family at the plant while I worked there, and was a Patriarchal figure to a lot of us employees. I believe that Non-Linear Systems is still in business in San Diego, and his son, David Kay, the former head of sales and marketing for Kaypro, runs a business that makes computerized teaching aides in town. I look back on my experience at Kaypro, the people who worked there, and the people who did business with us, with great affection. **Garr Farrell** image: null - title: ARTHUR C. CLARKE subtitle: '' text: Arthur C. Clarke working on his Kaypro II computer. He was the author of "2001, Space Odyssey" and its sequel. image: null adverts: - title: NLS ADVERT subtitle: '' text: |- An advert from Non-Linear Systems, dated July, 1982 for the KAYCOMP II that was not still called KAYPRO. Advert said: **A WORD ABOUT NLS**\ Non-Linear Systems, inc. is the originator of the digital voltmeter and an innovative leader in the field of electronic test equipment.\ Organized in 1952, NLS has been a major supplier of digital voltmeters and ratiometers to large corporations in the aerospace industry. Since 1972, NLS has been consumer directed, providing small, portable multimeters, oscilloscopes, counters, frequency meters, temperature meters. And now, NLS has entered the world of computers with one though - to provide the best value in a small, business, scientific and family computer. Standard software delivered with the KAYCOMP II: \- **CP/M 2.2** - operating system\ \- **S/BASIC** - Structured Basic compiler\ \- **PROFIT PLAN** - Electronic worksheet\ \- **SELECT** - Complete word processing system\ \- **TEACH** - A self-teaching guide to SELECT image: null - title: DISPLAY SIZE ARGUMENT CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: The Osborne 1 was the major competitor of the KAYCOMP in the portable computers field. image: null - title: 'US AD. 1983 #1' subtitle: '' text: Dual floppy drive version. image: null - title: 'US AD. 1983 #2' subtitle: '' text: |- Hard disk version "No matter how you look at it, KAYPRO is the best value you will see anawhere..." image: null - title: U.S. AD. JUNE 1983 subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: GERMAN ADVERT (1983) subtitle: '' text: |- 1983 Hannover show advert. Advert said that 30,000 Kaypro II systems were already sold in the U.S.A. image: null - title: U.K. ADVERT (1983) subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: UK ADVERT, OCT. 1983 subtitle: '' text: '' image: null emulators: - title: Kaypro II emulator url: http://www.yoy.org/kaypro/html/kayproii1.html platform: Other platform text: Simpla Java emulator. - title: MESS url: http://www.mess.org platform: Multiplatform text: The MESS emulator (multiplatform) can emulate the Kaypro IIx links: - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: '' docs: - title: KAYPRO II USER'S GUIDE url: null cover: null text: |- **KAYPRO II USER'S GUIDE**\ written by Kaypro  compiled/archived by Unknown\  type of document : Online reader **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** - title: KAYPRO TECHNICAL MANUAL url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/kaypro_technical_manual.jpg text: |- **KAYPRO TECHNICAL MANUAL**\ written by Kaypro  compiled/archived by Unknown\  type of document : Online reader **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** comments: - author: Dave Williams (United States) date: Tuesday 21st August 2018 text: I worked tech support for the original Kaypro II and the Kaypro 10 as my first job out of high school. I took calls from Peter Hyams helping him send files by modem to and from Sri Lanka, and from William F. Buckley Jr. trying to format his printing in Perfect Writer. - author: Ansi Vallens (New York, NY, USA) date: Wednesday 8th August 2012 text: 'I was a freelance writer when I bought my Kaypro II about 1984 from 47th St. Photo in NYC. My productivity increased dramatically. Simple and rugged $ it was modelled as the VW of computers. Kaypro encouraged people to fix their units themselves (a la Compuserve) I remember the text on my monitor was distorted. I called California, got the service tech who told me it was an easy fix. He stayed on the line as I removed the cover and found the plastic adjustment tool (included) for the tuning pots. Just as I was about to $ the tool into one of the pots the tech warned me: "Be careful. The power source is right there. Don''''t touch it." Too late! I had a silver bracelet that glanced against the power source. The next thing I know I''''m on the ground across the room. There''''s the smell of burnt hair in the room. I can hear the voice of the tech on the phone. He must of surmised what had happened: "I told you to watch it." Love that old machine.' - author: adko (netherlands) date: Sunday 5th December 2021 text: Hello i have a Kapro II and i install the Gotek drive with flashfloppy and t works perfect with all the software for the Kapro II If you want more info. just email me Greets adko - author: bob (United States ) date: Thursday 26th August 2021 text: I bought some Kaypro 2 disks off of Ebay - I have a Mint $not so much as a scratch$ dual floppy drive Kay pro .. I wanted to sell. the Machine turns on and asks for a boot disk but the ones I bought do nothing. Where could I get a real kaypro 2 boot disk - author: mike fetting (United States) date: Saturday 7th September 2019 text: Started the restoration of the Kaypro 2x and the Kapro 10. Both were a bit dusty but cleaned up on the outside well. One keyboard has the help template attached for word processing. The other needed some cleaning, noticed the pin strip is starting to come off. The Kaypro 10 fan filter under the grill fell to pieces. They did not come with CPM floppies, has anyone made the switch to a floppy emulator? For the 10, has anyone switched to an MFM Hard Drive emulator? seeking recommendation. - author: mike fetting (United States) date: Friday 6th September 2019 text: |- I always wanted to own a Kaypro, so when I saw two for sale on craigslist I made the decision to purchase them. A Kaypro 2 (with an X label next to the 2) S/N 244666 and a Kaypro 10 S/N 122619. I was told they were owned by a pastor. He purchased the Kaypro 10 after using the Kaypro 2 for a year (or so). Having been stored, I plan to open them up clean and inspect before powering them up. A telco style connector is broken on the Kaypro 10 keyboard, so I will need to fix it. - author: David Dickerson (USA) date: Sunday 19th July 2015 text: 'I have a complete set of manuals from my old Kaypros. If you would like them or more info please email: pianotuna@hotmail.com' - author: William Hostman (USA) date: Friday 26th November 2010 text: |- I have an old Kapro II, purchased in early 1982, and it did come bundled with three basics: the interpreted obasic and mbasic, and the compiling sbasic.\ MBasic was in fact microsoft basic. Included software with purchase included also Aliens, Catchum and Ladder... text-mode clones of space invaders, PacMan, and Lode Runner. Plus a bunch of basic games, mostly in obasic. Stupid thing still run great. - author: Bob P (Florida, USA) date: Saturday 27th March 2010 text: |- Hello all.\ I sold computers for a couple of different dealer in Rochester, NY back from 1977 - about 1985 when I moved to Florida. Back in the day is was common for manufacturers to offer computers as prizes in sales contests. I won several computers including an Apple $$e, an Apple $$c and a Osbourne 1. I hated the Osbourne''s 5" display and knew that it was prone to floppy disk drive issues. I had a customer who wanted one in the worst way as they were in short supply at the time. I sold him mine for about $100 off normal price and instead bought a Kaypro II. It was in my opinion a much better machine. About same weight as Osbourne, about same size, bigger screen and fewer issues. - author: David McAfee (Sacramento, CA) date: Friday 25th January 2008 text: |- I purchased one of the first KPII. It was luggable weighing in at about 30 lbs. It came with Word Star, MS Basic, Sbasic and the Perfect series of software. It had two horizontal drives with 19KB each.\ I was a member of our local KP user group for years, President at the demise because we had become a Pizza club, i.e. meeting for socailable reasons once a month, not to work on the computer aspects...Killed by MSDOS.\ Because of the lack of available software I "borrowed" the Osborne public domain library and tested each disk on the Kaypro and made a Public Domain library for the Kaypro. Ending up with about 120 PD disks. I would go to the meeting (taking my computer) and copy them for the members at $5 each, come home with bills in every pocket.\ One of the members added a 10 meg disk controller to his KP and put the entire PD library on his hard drive, and he bcame the PD librarian (lot faster just writing instead of copying).\ Bought a KP 4, painted my old II a bright purple gave it to my daughter.\ Finally transitioned to a MSDOS machine, which I fitted with a CP/M emulator which allowed me to keep using the PD library.\ The screen on the Kaypro allowed a full 8" wide document display which was a whole lot better than the Osborne 4 inch.\ Key board was excellent, and I added a 10 foot telephone cord on it to allow me to sit back and copy stuff.\ At the time the 5 1/4 disks were selling for about $5 each and I made a lot of money buying in bulk for as little as 40 cents each an repacking them and selling for amounts from $2 to 70 cents according to what the traffic could bear. Probably sold 10,000 disks. - author: David Boccabella (Australia) date: Monday 4th September 2006 text: |- remeber my Kaypro II well. The company I worked of brought a couple of Northstar Avantages. And I was given a Kaypro II as a commision thanks (much to my surprize and delight). It was a briilliant machine and it was light enough to carry anywhere.\ I used CP/M and wrote in Dbase II at that time. After a few months (as I had a electronic interest) I upgraded the Kaypro's floppies to DSDD giving me a 960k per drive. Another friend of mine brought one and decided to design a graphics board. He got it working by bank switching the 64k of ram between the main CPU memoryu and the graphic memory. Of course time passed on and I started to use IBM PC's. But I still had my Kaypro. In a fit of insanity I found myself needing a IBM portable PC for contracing but they were FAR too expensive.\ So I saved up my money and brought a 386 mothboard, 200 meg HD, and a small 9" color IBM monitor. Yess - I converted my Kaypro into a portable IBM. I also modified the keyboard so that the top could lifr up giving me a cable bay, and one ot the floppies frives was removed to give a floppy storage area. It worked brilliantly and was indestructable due to the case. There are a couple of lifts with score marks on their door when they closed on me too quick. Unfortunately all things must end and I retired it several years ago but it was a wonderful machine and a legacy to its persistance. - author: Bobby Foskey (Gulfport, ms) date: Monday 16th January 2006 text: i need a boot disk for the kaypro 1 computer...anybody have a kaypro 1 ??? - author: Scott (New York) date: Saturday 21st May 2005 text: |- I came across my old Kaypro II. Its amazing how much technology has advanced in 20 years. Maby not, I guess. I have not located my original software or manuals yet but by searching the internet I was able to locate near everything. I still have the originals somewhere. I cant see ever getting rid of this system. It really has no value compared to todays technology but just by looking at it and using the keyboard you can tell that its priceless part of computing history. Im really glad I never threw it out. - author: David (Internet) date: Sunday 19th December 2004 text: |- Does anyone know how much wattage the kaypro 2's power supply is? Or How Much current it is capable of sourcing?\ Thanks - author: CJ Barnak ( ) date: Thursday 28th October 2004 text: I have one that I got for Christmas, and I'd like to add that the Kaypro is a cool computer, even here in 2004. It is pretty solid, and I still have fun on it. The only problems are that it makes a high-pitched sound that is like a TV's, and I tried replacing the keyboard cord and it didn't work. - author: Jim Hill (Stanwood MI) date: Saturday 9th August 2003 text: I have a Kaypro II that I bought new in the early 80's. It was damaged in a fire and I'm trying to get an estimated value for insurance purposes. Included were all the original software and manuals plus application software like WordStar, SuperCalc, and dBase II. Everything was in pristine condition. Can anyone recommend a source or bought or sold the same recently? - author: David G. (internet) date: Saturday 15th March 2003 text: |- If you want to discuss/buy/sell Kaypro computers please join this new email group. Thank you. - author: Tom Burrell (Minneapolis) date: Thursday 27th February 2003 text: |- Just hauled my old KP2 out of the closet after almost 10 years- still works and yes, I have a boot disk for CP/M 2.2-send an address and I can try to make a copy. I found that it took several tries to get the system to boot correctly (cleaning?), so if you have one that's failing, don't give up too fast. Anyone else have Wordstar? I liked that one much better than Perfectwriter, so if anyone has manuals I'd love to get ahold of them. As for value, I remember seeing one at a used computer store for $10, as-is. I think they're worth more as a keepsake than as a PC these days. - author: Francisco (Madrid(Spain)) date: Saturday 1st February 2003 text: 'Hello, I need the CP/m 2.2 for the kaypro. If you''ve got it send it to: telefrancisco@terra.com' - author: raquelle de la Rocha (Los Angeles) date: Friday 9th August 2002 text: I have a Kaypro II, which I bought in 1982, and have been the only owner. I wish to sell it. Is there a market for it? - author: Makis Skepastianos (Greece) date: Monday 13rd May 2002 text: |- It was 1984, in Greece, in a private school sponcored by NCR Hellas that i learned programming in MS/COBOL on a Kaypro II. It was either this or an IBM PC, and at the time i thought it was much prettier than the IBM. Of cource, beauty is a factor that has nothing or very little to do in specifications, but for some reason, it then stroke me better than the IBM. The keyboard was very good to work on, very easy for someone who had never been in front of a keyboard before at the time.\ CP/M was the operating system of the Kaypro II that i'm reffering to, and except Cobol we were also tought Basic and Word processing, on the Wordstar word Processor. These were the days ! The Kaypro II kept me company for almost 7 months, but at the time i was only learning, and it was not untill much later that i was able to fully understand what it ment to me. - author: Jerry Jacobson (Earth) date: Tuesday 16th April 2002 text: |- I still have one Kaypro II with a unique feature that we added to several of the Kaypros. This one has 128K of memory instead of the standard 64K. That made Supercalc "fly" much faster and obviously with greater spreadsheet capacity! I considered myself the "Perfect Maverick". At the time they were including the Perfect software series (Writer, Calc, etc.), I was using Supercalc, Wordstar and Dbase II. My favorite story from those days was my first experience with Dbase. A friend of my son gave me a floppy and said "try this new database program", and the two of them left for the evening. When you started Dbase II the only thing that appeared on the screen was a dot! Luckily after a few efforts I typed "Quit" and finally got my computer back! - author: goodcola (where) date: Wednesday 13rd March 2002 text: I'm looking for a boot disk for a kaypro 2 computer. If you can make a copy of one or have one please email me. related: - /museum/kaypro-1 - /museum/kaypro-10 - /museum/kaypro-2x - /museum/kaypro-4 - /museum/kaypro-iv - /museum/kaypro-robie oc_id: 550 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230603122659/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=550 date: '2023-06-03' --- Despite its name, the Kaypro II was the first Kaypro model. The name was KAYPRO II, because the [Apple II](/museum/apple-ii/) was the most popular system (besides the [IBM PC](/museum/ibm-pc-model-5150/)) around back then, and Kaypro decided to follow in the image. It was conceived by Non Linear Systems inc., a company with over 30 years' experience of producing small portable aerospace electronic equipment, 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](/museum/osborne-corp-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 rear 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 available. 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 running 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, with one or two DS/DD floppy drives, but no 300 baud modem previously found on the 2X. 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](/museum/kaypro-4/) as **Kaypro 2X** (sometimes also known as 2X MTC), thus dropping the previous 2X model! See ! I told you... Trivia :\ In 1985, **Arthur C. Clarke** published a sequel to 2001 : 2010 Odyssey Two. He worked with Peter Hyams in the movie version of 2010. Their work was done using a Kaypro computer and a modem, for Arthur was in Sri Lanka and Peter Hyams in Los Angeles. Their communications turned into the book The Odyssey File - The Making of 2010.\ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Thanks to [Bolo's Computer Museum](http://www.bolo.ch) for the picture.