---
title: Kaypro 1
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Portable
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1986'
cpus:
- Z80-A
params:
  name: Kaypro 1
  image: /media/museum/photos/kaypro_1_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/kaypro
  company_name: Kaypro
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Kaypro 1
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Kaypro
  - label: TYPE
    value: Portable
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1986'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Detachable, 72 key typewriter style keyboard with 18 programmable keys.
  - label: CPU
    value: Z80-A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: Unknown
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 char. x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: Resolution unknown. Managed by Escape sequences
  - label: COLORS
    value: built-in 9'' non-glare green phosphor screen
  - label: SOUND
    value: Unknown
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 2 x RS232C serial ports, 1 x Centronics-type parallel port, 2 x RJ11 modem jacks ?
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 5.25'' DS/DD floppy drives (390 KB per disk)
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  tabs:
  - photos
  - links
  - docs
  photos:
  - title: BACK SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Reset switch\
      **(2)** Parallel printer connector\
      **(3)** General purpose serial RS232 port\
      **(4)** Second serial port dedicated to a serial printer\
      **(5)** Internal 300 baud modem RJ11 jacks\
      **(6)** Screen brightness knob
    image: /media/museum/photos/kaypro_1_back_1.jpg
  links:
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: ''
  docs:
  - 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: Richard (US)
    date: Thursday 10th February 2011
    text: |-
      I worked or Kaypro as a district manager when the Kaypro 1 was introduced. By the time the Kaypro 1 was introduced, CP/M was totally, absolutely, positively dead, and we as sales people tried until we were blue in the face to convince the Kays of that. As I recall, the Kaypro 1 sold for $999, with a dealer cost of $750 plus about $50 for shipping. Dealers had a love/hate relationship with the Kaypro. They loved them because Kaypro had a very loyal fan base, but they hated them because the margins were quite low, and there was little chance to make extra money on software and accessories because most Kaypros shipped feature-rich with the software already bundled. Dealers had no interest in the K1 because most had no one on staff who was familiar with CP/M by the time the K-1 came out, and in a market where the consumer expected a 20$ discount minimum, there just wasn''t anything in the deal for the dealer.

      The price point was fabulous for a machine for somewone who was heavy into word processing, and Word Star looked about the same in CP/M as it did in DOS, but the world was moving away from text based computing towards graphics-based computing, and neither CP/M nor DOS had much of a future left by 1986.
  related:
  - /museum/kaypro-10
  - /museum/kaypro-2x
  - /museum/kaypro-4
  - /museum/kaypro-ii
  - /museum/kaypro-iv
  - /museum/kaypro-robie
  oc_id: 831
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230603122236/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=831
    date: '2023-06-03'
---

The Kaypro 1 wasn't the first computer Kaypro launched, but quite one of the last ones.

When the company started getting strapped for money they changed the model name of some of their previous systems, modified the case design, added some minor hardware improvements and launched them as new models.

The Kaypro 1 was thus no more than a rebadged version of the 2X model which was itself a light evolution of a previous version called 4'84!

The main difference between the 1 and 2X versions was the floppy drives assembly, hozizontally mounted in the 2X, vertically in the model 1.

---

From **Robert**:\
I used to work for Kaypro back in the early and mid 80's at the headquarters in Solana Beach. Mr. Kay was a wonderful man to work for and the campus was beautiful.\
I wish Kaypro had of become the Compaq of that time. I remember Compaq being a major worry back then. I wish I could connect with some of the beautiful people that I worked with at Kaypro.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>