Kaypro Journal - User contributions [en]

Kaypro 286

2026-09-18T00:20:44Z

FrankRahman: /* CPU boards */

==System Profile==

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286, with Kaypro exclusive Snap-In Design is the complete computer. From monitor to EGA graphics, from enhanced keyboard to flexible dual-speed processing, the KAYPRO 286 has it all - including name-brand software with WordStar Professional Release 4.0. The KAYPRO 286: Speed, power, and performance - With the Future Built In. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO 286
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, five available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

"The 80286 operates at a clock speed of 12 megahertz. A switch at one end of the board lets you change to 6 Mhz operation for software that needs a slower clock speed." (Profiles, August 1988)

===The never released future replacement cards===

"While the Kaypro 286 upgrade kit is impressive, there are even more powerful products in development. A 16 Mhz 80286 board capable of holding eight megabytes of RAM will debut soon. In development, but still many months, away is a replacement processor board based on the 80386 microprocessor." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

==Exterior==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 chris singleton.jpg|600px]] 
Chris Singleton's 286
|}

{|
|-
| [[File:286 fcc label.jpg|400px]]
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:286 case from HomeComputerMuseum.jpg|600px]] 
A machine at the Computer History Museum.
|}

==CPU boards==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board.jpg|600px]] 
81-1342 Rev. E
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board w SIMMs.jpg|600px]] 
81-1590 Rev. E
|}

Thanks go to Chris Singleton for the above photos.

[[File:Ebay photo of 286 board.jpg|200px]] 
An eBay photo of a 286 board.

==Manual==
{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286 manual.pdf|Kaypro 286 Manual]] ||
[[File:Kaypro 286 UG Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

==Upgrading a Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286==

===Required Bus Board===
Notice the three Bus Boards below. The upper left one has 4 slots populated for 16 bit cards and 5 slots for 8 bit cards. The lower left one is only setup for 9 slots of 8 bits each. The right one has 2 slots for 16 bit cards and 7 slots for 8 bit cards.

In order to take advantage of the 286's architecture the CPU card and other 16 bit cards need to plugged into the 16 bit slots.

This would only be an issue when you upgraded your Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286 and would require a replacement Bus Board or the installation of the additional 36 pin card edge connectors on the board.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Backplane.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:Backplane 2-16bit.jpg|400px]]
|}

<blockquote>
By upgrading to a processor board based on the 80286 microprocessor, you can effectively turn your computer into a fully functional AT-compatible if you have 16-bit slots. If you have 8-bit slots, you can still upgrade and achieve a degree of AT compatibly, but the shorter slots limit you. True AT compatibility requires that the computer read and write to external devices, such as AT hard disk controllers and extended memory boards, 16 bits at a time.

The first Kaypro PC bus boards had 8-bit slots. In mid-1986 Kaypro switched to a bus board with two 16-bit slots, and as of this writing (April 1988) that board is still being used. To reiterate, you can upgrade to an 80286 microprocessor even if you have 8-bit slots; but you are limited in your choice of expansion boards to those designed for PC and PC-XT compatibles.

If you are interested in obtaining a bus board that does have 16 bit slots, there are several courses open to you. First, you could go out and buy the necessary connectors and solder them in place, converting your old 8-bit board to a 16-bit
board. For those experienced with a soldering iron it is a fairly simple procedure. Others could pay to have this done, but that isn't really a good idea, because for the amount of money it would cost you could buy a brand new bus board.

The newer PC bus board with two 16-bit slots is available from your Kaypro dealer (part number 4344). Prices vary, but it should be somewhere around $100. A smarter move might be to spend a few extra dollars and order the bus board for Kaypro's new PC-286, which has four 16-bit slots (part number 5659). With one of those slots used by your new 80286 processor board, the other three are available for extended memory boards, AT-type hard disk controllers, and all kinds of 16-bit goodies. 
(Profiles, July 1988)
</blockquote>

===Memory Settings===

"The 80286 board has its own memory, which will conflict with he original memory in the Kaypro PC. You must adjust certain DIP switches in the Kaypro PC that disable the original memory before installing the 80286 board." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

===Hard drive controller===

"... the Kaypro 286 board will [not] work with the very earliest PC-10s. Their hard disk controllers run at 5 MHz, while the upgrade boards use 10 and
12 MHz speeds. If your hard disk controller consists of two boards, one bolted to the hard drive and connected by cables to another in an expansion slot, you will have to change controllers before you upgrade." 
(Profiles, September 1988)

==Ads==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 ad blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:286 ad color.jpg|400px]]
|}

==Articles==
"Kaypro Corporation recently introduced a 286
PC Card that, when exchanged for the 8088 card, enables the Kaypro PC to operate IBM PC/AT software. The "brain" of the 286 PC Card is an Intel 80286 CPU that utilizes the Kaypro PC's 16-bit potential. A trade-in allowance of $266 on your old 8088 card reduces the retail price of the 286 PC Card to $799, or $1065 without the trade-in." 
(Kugram, Jul-Aug 1986)

"Kaypro also introduced a 20-MHz version of its Series 286. The EGA system comes standard with 1 megabyte of
RAM, a 40-megabyte hard drive, MS-DOS 3.3, GW-Basic, and Microsoft Works. The system will ship in 30 days and will cost approximately $4,000." (Infoworld, November 28, 1988)

<blockquote>
Kaypro controller Bob Gorski said the shortage of DRAMs, which allow computers to store information for quick retrieval, has caused prices of the chips available to increase to as much as $10 each, compared with $3 as recently as late January.

The price increases have particularly hurt sales of Kaypro’s PC 286 model, a computer line introduced in December whose “guts” include 36 DRAMs. Despite the higher cost of the chips, Gorski said the PC 286 retail price has held steady at $2,995. 
(LA Times, March 30, 1988)
</blockquote>

Chris Singleton has contributed significantly to this page.

==Technical Notes==
<blockquote>'''KPC-286 CMOS ERROR FIX'''

The following board modification will solve many of the PC286
CMOS ram errors. Error indication is known by: 
1. Repeated "INVALID CONFIGURATION, PLEASE RUN SETUP". 
2. Audible error beep code of 1-1-3. 
3. Will boot only after Ctrl-Alt-Del. 

The fix involves replacing R9 (a 1.2K Ohm resistor) with an 1N6263 Diode. Physical placement is opposite of CR2 (the cathode band is down toward the card edge contact fingers).

Also the capacitor at C11 (upper right hand corner) must be
changed from a 0.1uf to a .47uf capacitor. This help stabilize power supply voltage at DS1210.

Technically the voltage difference between VCC (Power on) and
battery voltage (Power off) at DS1210 is not great enough. Therefore the DS1210 cannot switch voltage source or enable the CMOS ram
properly.

By replacing the series resistor R9 with a series diode, the total battery voltage drop across both diodes (CR2 & the new one at R9) is increased by approximately .7 volt. This, in turn, increases the voltage potential difference at DS1210 assuring proper operation.

Also, a 1 Meg resistor, watt, needs to be soldered from pin 2 to pin 5 at U5 on the backside of the board.

FROM: KAYPRO TECH SUPPORT

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL</blockquote>

<blockquote>
'''CONTINUOUS RESET FAILURES'''

Subject: PC286 and New 286i continuous RESET failures. 02/16/88 
FROM Kaypro tech support

RE: 3 Possible problems that cause continuous reset

1. Improper setup can cause continuous reset. Make sure, by going
through each and every parameter with the tech, that setup is
correct. This would entail making sure all third party boards or drives are identified in setup.

2. Certain 80286 processor chips, U10, are having heat related
problems that cause a continuous state of reset or reset for a
while and then lock up. The offending chips are AMD N80L286-12/S.
AMD chips can easily be identified by a large arrow on the chip.
These chips do not have a heat sink covering the chip so they are
readily readable. We are also sending an Intel 80286 chip without
a heat sink. (the AMD chip has Intel written on it for copywrite
priveleges. Don't mix these chips up). The Intel chip works fine.
We have AMD chips going out with a heat sink on the chip. These
work fine also. The offending AMD 80286 chip without a heat sink
has heat related problems. Spraying freon on the chip will make
it work properly again, for a little while. The chips do not work
in the temperature range they are specified to work in.

3. They have found several 160 watt power supplys on the production
line that are causing the continuing state of reset. It seems
crosstalk between the +5 and +12 volt lines is causing this
problem. If setup is correct and they do not have the offending
amd chip, swap out the power supply.

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL
</blockquote>

Kaypro 286

2026-09-18T00:00:42Z

FrankRahman: /* CPU boards */

==System Profile==

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286, with Kaypro exclusive Snap-In Design is the complete computer. From monitor to EGA graphics, from enhanced keyboard to flexible dual-speed processing, the KAYPRO 286 has it all - including name-brand software with WordStar Professional Release 4.0. The KAYPRO 286: Speed, power, and performance - With the Future Built In. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO 286
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, five available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

"The 80286 operates at a clock speed of 12 megahertz. A switch at one end of the board lets you change to 6 Mhz operation for software that needs a slower clock speed." (Profiles, August 1988)

===The never released future replacement cards===

"While the Kaypro 286 upgrade kit is impressive, there are even more powerful products in development. A 16 Mhz 80286 board capable of holding eight megabytes of RAM will debut soon. In development, but still many months, away is a replacement processor board based on the 80386 microprocessor." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

==Exterior==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 chris singleton.jpg|600px]] 
Chris Singleton's 286
|}

{|
|-
| [[File:286 fcc label.jpg|400px]]
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:286 case from HomeComputerMuseum.jpg|600px]] 
A machine at the Computer History Museum.
|}

==CPU boards==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board.jpg|600px]]
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board w SIMMs.jpg|600px]]
|}
Thanks go to Chris Singleton for the photos.

[[File:Ebay photo of 286 board.jpg|200px]] 
An eBay photo of a 286 board.

==Manual==
{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286 manual.pdf|Kaypro 286 Manual]] ||
[[File:Kaypro 286 UG Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

==Upgrading a Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286==

===Required Bus Board===
Notice the three Bus Boards below. The upper left one has 4 slots populated for 16 bit cards and 5 slots for 8 bit cards. The lower left one is only setup for 9 slots of 8 bits each. The right one has 2 slots for 16 bit cards and 7 slots for 8 bit cards.

In order to take advantage of the 286's architecture the CPU card and other 16 bit cards need to plugged into the 16 bit slots.

This would only be an issue when you upgraded your Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286 and would require a replacement Bus Board or the installation of the additional 36 pin card edge connectors on the board.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Backplane.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:Backplane 2-16bit.jpg|400px]]
|}

<blockquote>
By upgrading to a processor board based on the 80286 microprocessor, you can effectively turn your computer into a fully functional AT-compatible if you have 16-bit slots. If you have 8-bit slots, you can still upgrade and achieve a degree of AT compatibly, but the shorter slots limit you. True AT compatibility requires that the computer read and write to external devices, such as AT hard disk controllers and extended memory boards, 16 bits at a time.

The first Kaypro PC bus boards had 8-bit slots. In mid-1986 Kaypro switched to a bus board with two 16-bit slots, and as of this writing (April 1988) that board is still being used. To reiterate, you can upgrade to an 80286 microprocessor even if you have 8-bit slots; but you are limited in your choice of expansion boards to those designed for PC and PC-XT compatibles.

If you are interested in obtaining a bus board that does have 16 bit slots, there are several courses open to you. First, you could go out and buy the necessary connectors and solder them in place, converting your old 8-bit board to a 16-bit
board. For those experienced with a soldering iron it is a fairly simple procedure. Others could pay to have this done, but that isn't really a good idea, because for the amount of money it would cost you could buy a brand new bus board.

The newer PC bus board with two 16-bit slots is available from your Kaypro dealer (part number 4344). Prices vary, but it should be somewhere around $100. A smarter move might be to spend a few extra dollars and order the bus board for Kaypro's new PC-286, which has four 16-bit slots (part number 5659). With one of those slots used by your new 80286 processor board, the other three are available for extended memory boards, AT-type hard disk controllers, and all kinds of 16-bit goodies. 
(Profiles, July 1988)
</blockquote>

===Memory Settings===

"The 80286 board has its own memory, which will conflict with he original memory in the Kaypro PC. You must adjust certain DIP switches in the Kaypro PC that disable the original memory before installing the 80286 board." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

===Hard drive controller===

"... the Kaypro 286 board will [not] work with the very earliest PC-10s. Their hard disk controllers run at 5 MHz, while the upgrade boards use 10 and
12 MHz speeds. If your hard disk controller consists of two boards, one bolted to the hard drive and connected by cables to another in an expansion slot, you will have to change controllers before you upgrade." 
(Profiles, September 1988)

==Ads==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 ad blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:286 ad color.jpg|400px]]
|}

==Articles==
"Kaypro Corporation recently introduced a 286
PC Card that, when exchanged for the 8088 card, enables the Kaypro PC to operate IBM PC/AT software. The "brain" of the 286 PC Card is an Intel 80286 CPU that utilizes the Kaypro PC's 16-bit potential. A trade-in allowance of $266 on your old 8088 card reduces the retail price of the 286 PC Card to $799, or $1065 without the trade-in." 
(Kugram, Jul-Aug 1986)

"Kaypro also introduced a 20-MHz version of its Series 286. The EGA system comes standard with 1 megabyte of
RAM, a 40-megabyte hard drive, MS-DOS 3.3, GW-Basic, and Microsoft Works. The system will ship in 30 days and will cost approximately $4,000." (Infoworld, November 28, 1988)

<blockquote>
Kaypro controller Bob Gorski said the shortage of DRAMs, which allow computers to store information for quick retrieval, has caused prices of the chips available to increase to as much as $10 each, compared with $3 as recently as late January.

The price increases have particularly hurt sales of Kaypro’s PC 286 model, a computer line introduced in December whose “guts” include 36 DRAMs. Despite the higher cost of the chips, Gorski said the PC 286 retail price has held steady at $2,995. 
(LA Times, March 30, 1988)
</blockquote>

Chris Singleton has contributed significantly to this page.

==Technical Notes==
<blockquote>'''KPC-286 CMOS ERROR FIX'''

The following board modification will solve many of the PC286
CMOS ram errors. Error indication is known by: 
1. Repeated "INVALID CONFIGURATION, PLEASE RUN SETUP". 
2. Audible error beep code of 1-1-3. 
3. Will boot only after Ctrl-Alt-Del. 

The fix involves replacing R9 (a 1.2K Ohm resistor) with an 1N6263 Diode. Physical placement is opposite of CR2 (the cathode band is down toward the card edge contact fingers).

Also the capacitor at C11 (upper right hand corner) must be
changed from a 0.1uf to a .47uf capacitor. This help stabilize power supply voltage at DS1210.

Technically the voltage difference between VCC (Power on) and
battery voltage (Power off) at DS1210 is not great enough. Therefore the DS1210 cannot switch voltage source or enable the CMOS ram
properly.

By replacing the series resistor R9 with a series diode, the total battery voltage drop across both diodes (CR2 & the new one at R9) is increased by approximately .7 volt. This, in turn, increases the voltage potential difference at DS1210 assuring proper operation.

Also, a 1 Meg resistor, watt, needs to be soldered from pin 2 to pin 5 at U5 on the backside of the board.

FROM: KAYPRO TECH SUPPORT

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL</blockquote>

<blockquote>
'''CONTINUOUS RESET FAILURES'''

Subject: PC286 and New 286i continuous RESET failures. 02/16/88 
FROM Kaypro tech support

RE: 3 Possible problems that cause continuous reset

1. Improper setup can cause continuous reset. Make sure, by going
through each and every parameter with the tech, that setup is
correct. This would entail making sure all third party boards or drives are identified in setup.

2. Certain 80286 processor chips, U10, are having heat related
problems that cause a continuous state of reset or reset for a
while and then lock up. The offending chips are AMD N80L286-12/S.
AMD chips can easily be identified by a large arrow on the chip.
These chips do not have a heat sink covering the chip so they are
readily readable. We are also sending an Intel 80286 chip without
a heat sink. (the AMD chip has Intel written on it for copywrite
priveleges. Don't mix these chips up). The Intel chip works fine.
We have AMD chips going out with a heat sink on the chip. These
work fine also. The offending AMD 80286 chip without a heat sink
has heat related problems. Spraying freon on the chip will make
it work properly again, for a little while. The chips do not work
in the temperature range they are specified to work in.

3. They have found several 160 watt power supplys on the production
line that are causing the continuing state of reset. It seems
crosstalk between the +5 and +12 volt lines is causing this
problem. If setup is correct and they do not have the offending
amd chip, swap out the power supply.

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL
</blockquote>

File:Ebay photo of 286 board.jpg

2026-09-17T23:59:40Z

FrankRahman:

Ebay photo of 286 board

Kaypro 286

2026-09-17T23:55:46Z

FrankRahman: /* Exterior */

==System Profile==

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286, with Kaypro exclusive Snap-In Design is the complete computer. From monitor to EGA graphics, from enhanced keyboard to flexible dual-speed processing, the KAYPRO 286 has it all - including name-brand software with WordStar Professional Release 4.0. The KAYPRO 286: Speed, power, and performance - With the Future Built In. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO 286
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, five available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

"The 80286 operates at a clock speed of 12 megahertz. A switch at one end of the board lets you change to 6 Mhz operation for software that needs a slower clock speed." (Profiles, August 1988)

===The never released future replacement cards===

"While the Kaypro 286 upgrade kit is impressive, there are even more powerful products in development. A 16 Mhz 80286 board capable of holding eight megabytes of RAM will debut soon. In development, but still many months, away is a replacement processor board based on the 80386 microprocessor." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

==Exterior==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 chris singleton.jpg|600px]] 
Chris Singleton's 286
|}

{|
|-
| [[File:286 fcc label.jpg|400px]]
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:286 case from HomeComputerMuseum.jpg|600px]] 
A machine at the Computer History Museum.
|}

==CPU boards==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board.jpg|600px]]
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board w SIMMs.jpg|600px]]
|}
Thanks go to Chris Singleton for the photos.

==Manual==
{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286 manual.pdf|Kaypro 286 Manual]] ||
[[File:Kaypro 286 UG Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

==Upgrading a Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286==

===Required Bus Board===
Notice the three Bus Boards below. The upper left one has 4 slots populated for 16 bit cards and 5 slots for 8 bit cards. The lower left one is only setup for 9 slots of 8 bits each. The right one has 2 slots for 16 bit cards and 7 slots for 8 bit cards.

In order to take advantage of the 286's architecture the CPU card and other 16 bit cards need to plugged into the 16 bit slots.

This would only be an issue when you upgraded your Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286 and would require a replacement Bus Board or the installation of the additional 36 pin card edge connectors on the board.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Backplane.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:Backplane 2-16bit.jpg|400px]]
|}

<blockquote>
By upgrading to a processor board based on the 80286 microprocessor, you can effectively turn your computer into a fully functional AT-compatible if you have 16-bit slots. If you have 8-bit slots, you can still upgrade and achieve a degree of AT compatibly, but the shorter slots limit you. True AT compatibility requires that the computer read and write to external devices, such as AT hard disk controllers and extended memory boards, 16 bits at a time.

The first Kaypro PC bus boards had 8-bit slots. In mid-1986 Kaypro switched to a bus board with two 16-bit slots, and as of this writing (April 1988) that board is still being used. To reiterate, you can upgrade to an 80286 microprocessor even if you have 8-bit slots; but you are limited in your choice of expansion boards to those designed for PC and PC-XT compatibles.

If you are interested in obtaining a bus board that does have 16 bit slots, there are several courses open to you. First, you could go out and buy the necessary connectors and solder them in place, converting your old 8-bit board to a 16-bit
board. For those experienced with a soldering iron it is a fairly simple procedure. Others could pay to have this done, but that isn't really a good idea, because for the amount of money it would cost you could buy a brand new bus board.

The newer PC bus board with two 16-bit slots is available from your Kaypro dealer (part number 4344). Prices vary, but it should be somewhere around $100. A smarter move might be to spend a few extra dollars and order the bus board for Kaypro's new PC-286, which has four 16-bit slots (part number 5659). With one of those slots used by your new 80286 processor board, the other three are available for extended memory boards, AT-type hard disk controllers, and all kinds of 16-bit goodies. 
(Profiles, July 1988)
</blockquote>

===Memory Settings===

"The 80286 board has its own memory, which will conflict with he original memory in the Kaypro PC. You must adjust certain DIP switches in the Kaypro PC that disable the original memory before installing the 80286 board." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

===Hard drive controller===

"... the Kaypro 286 board will [not] work with the very earliest PC-10s. Their hard disk controllers run at 5 MHz, while the upgrade boards use 10 and
12 MHz speeds. If your hard disk controller consists of two boards, one bolted to the hard drive and connected by cables to another in an expansion slot, you will have to change controllers before you upgrade." 
(Profiles, September 1988)

==Ads==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 ad blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:286 ad color.jpg|400px]]
|}

==Articles==
"Kaypro Corporation recently introduced a 286
PC Card that, when exchanged for the 8088 card, enables the Kaypro PC to operate IBM PC/AT software. The "brain" of the 286 PC Card is an Intel 80286 CPU that utilizes the Kaypro PC's 16-bit potential. A trade-in allowance of $266 on your old 8088 card reduces the retail price of the 286 PC Card to $799, or $1065 without the trade-in." 
(Kugram, Jul-Aug 1986)

"Kaypro also introduced a 20-MHz version of its Series 286. The EGA system comes standard with 1 megabyte of
RAM, a 40-megabyte hard drive, MS-DOS 3.3, GW-Basic, and Microsoft Works. The system will ship in 30 days and will cost approximately $4,000." (Infoworld, November 28, 1988)

<blockquote>
Kaypro controller Bob Gorski said the shortage of DRAMs, which allow computers to store information for quick retrieval, has caused prices of the chips available to increase to as much as $10 each, compared with $3 as recently as late January.

The price increases have particularly hurt sales of Kaypro’s PC 286 model, a computer line introduced in December whose “guts” include 36 DRAMs. Despite the higher cost of the chips, Gorski said the PC 286 retail price has held steady at $2,995. 
(LA Times, March 30, 1988)
</blockquote>

Chris Singleton has contributed significantly to this page.

==Technical Notes==
<blockquote>'''KPC-286 CMOS ERROR FIX'''

The following board modification will solve many of the PC286
CMOS ram errors. Error indication is known by: 
1. Repeated "INVALID CONFIGURATION, PLEASE RUN SETUP". 
2. Audible error beep code of 1-1-3. 
3. Will boot only after Ctrl-Alt-Del. 

The fix involves replacing R9 (a 1.2K Ohm resistor) with an 1N6263 Diode. Physical placement is opposite of CR2 (the cathode band is down toward the card edge contact fingers).

Also the capacitor at C11 (upper right hand corner) must be
changed from a 0.1uf to a .47uf capacitor. This help stabilize power supply voltage at DS1210.

Technically the voltage difference between VCC (Power on) and
battery voltage (Power off) at DS1210 is not great enough. Therefore the DS1210 cannot switch voltage source or enable the CMOS ram
properly.

By replacing the series resistor R9 with a series diode, the total battery voltage drop across both diodes (CR2 & the new one at R9) is increased by approximately .7 volt. This, in turn, increases the voltage potential difference at DS1210 assuring proper operation.

Also, a 1 Meg resistor, watt, needs to be soldered from pin 2 to pin 5 at U5 on the backside of the board.

FROM: KAYPRO TECH SUPPORT

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL</blockquote>

<blockquote>
'''CONTINUOUS RESET FAILURES'''

Subject: PC286 and New 286i continuous RESET failures. 02/16/88 
FROM Kaypro tech support

RE: 3 Possible problems that cause continuous reset

1. Improper setup can cause continuous reset. Make sure, by going
through each and every parameter with the tech, that setup is
correct. This would entail making sure all third party boards or drives are identified in setup.

2. Certain 80286 processor chips, U10, are having heat related
problems that cause a continuous state of reset or reset for a
while and then lock up. The offending chips are AMD N80L286-12/S.
AMD chips can easily be identified by a large arrow on the chip.
These chips do not have a heat sink covering the chip so they are
readily readable. We are also sending an Intel 80286 chip without
a heat sink. (the AMD chip has Intel written on it for copywrite
priveleges. Don't mix these chips up). The Intel chip works fine.
We have AMD chips going out with a heat sink on the chip. These
work fine also. The offending AMD 80286 chip without a heat sink
has heat related problems. Spraying freon on the chip will make
it work properly again, for a little while. The chips do not work
in the temperature range they are specified to work in.

3. They have found several 160 watt power supplys on the production
line that are causing the continuing state of reset. It seems
crosstalk between the +5 and +12 volt lines is causing this
problem. If setup is correct and they do not have the offending
amd chip, swap out the power supply.

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL
</blockquote>

File:286 case from HomeComputerMuseum.jpg

2026-09-17T23:54:20Z

FrankRahman:

286 case from HomeComputerMuseum

Kaypro PC

2026-09-17T23:43:40Z

FrankRahman: /* Badges */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Badges==

One of the less common versions of the Kaypro PC badge: 
[[File:KPC label blue on silver.jpg]]

The most basic badge on a Kaypro PC that I have seen. 
[[File:Simple badge.jpg]]

The Kaypro EXP badge 
[[File:KPC EXP badge.jpg]]

The Kaypro XL badge 
[[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]

==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, Green is from #418199, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! EBay1!! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428G || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-487B

|}

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks''' 
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

File:Simple badge.jpg

2026-09-17T23:40:53Z

FrankRahman:

Simple badge

Kaypro PC

2026-09-16T14:01:46Z

FrankRahman: /* Badges */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Badges==

One of the less common versions of the Kaypro PC badge: 
[[File:KPC label blue on silver.jpg]]

The Kaypro EXP badge 
[[File:KPC EXP badge.jpg]]

The Kaypro XL badge 
[[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]

==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, Green is from #418199, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! EBay1!! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428G || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-487B

|}

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks''' 
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

File:KPC EXP badge.jpg

2026-09-16T13:58:48Z

FrankRahman:

KPC EXP badge

Kaypro PC

2026-09-16T13:52:37Z

FrankRahman: /* Manuals */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Badges==

One of the less common versions of the Kaypro PC badge: 
[[File:KPC label blue on silver.jpg]]

==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, Green is from #418199, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! EBay1!! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428G || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-487B

|}

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks''' 
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

File:KPC label blue on silver.jpg

2026-09-16T13:52:14Z

FrankRahman:

KPC label blue on silver

Kaypro 286

2026-09-16T13:47:47Z

FrankRahman: /* CPU boards */

==System Profile==

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286, with Kaypro exclusive Snap-In Design is the complete computer. From monitor to EGA graphics, from enhanced keyboard to flexible dual-speed processing, the KAYPRO 286 has it all - including name-brand software with WordStar Professional Release 4.0. The KAYPRO 286: Speed, power, and performance - With the Future Built In. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO 286
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, five available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

"The 80286 operates at a clock speed of 12 megahertz. A switch at one end of the board lets you change to 6 Mhz operation for software that needs a slower clock speed." (Profiles, August 1988)

===The never released future replacement cards===

"While the Kaypro 286 upgrade kit is impressive, there are even more powerful products in development. A 16 Mhz 80286 board capable of holding eight megabytes of RAM will debut soon. In development, but still many months, away is a replacement processor board based on the 80386 microprocessor." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

==Exterior==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 chris singleton.jpg|600px]] 
Chris Singleton's 286
|}

{|
|-
| [[File:286 fcc label.jpg|400px]]
|}

==CPU boards==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board.jpg|600px]]
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board w SIMMs.jpg|600px]]
|}
Thanks go to Chris Singleton for the photos.

==Manual==
{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286 manual.pdf|Kaypro 286 Manual]] ||
[[File:Kaypro 286 UG Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

==Upgrading a Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286==

===Required Bus Board===
Notice the three Bus Boards below. The upper left one has 4 slots populated for 16 bit cards and 5 slots for 8 bit cards. The lower left one is only setup for 9 slots of 8 bits each. The right one has 2 slots for 16 bit cards and 7 slots for 8 bit cards.

In order to take advantage of the 286's architecture the CPU card and other 16 bit cards need to plugged into the 16 bit slots.

This would only be an issue when you upgraded your Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286 and would require a replacement Bus Board or the installation of the additional 36 pin card edge connectors on the board.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Backplane.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:Backplane 2-16bit.jpg|400px]]
|}

<blockquote>
By upgrading to a processor board based on the 80286 microprocessor, you can effectively turn your computer into a fully functional AT-compatible if you have 16-bit slots. If you have 8-bit slots, you can still upgrade and achieve a degree of AT compatibly, but the shorter slots limit you. True AT compatibility requires that the computer read and write to external devices, such as AT hard disk controllers and extended memory boards, 16 bits at a time.

The first Kaypro PC bus boards had 8-bit slots. In mid-1986 Kaypro switched to a bus board with two 16-bit slots, and as of this writing (April 1988) that board is still being used. To reiterate, you can upgrade to an 80286 microprocessor even if you have 8-bit slots; but you are limited in your choice of expansion boards to those designed for PC and PC-XT compatibles.

If you are interested in obtaining a bus board that does have 16 bit slots, there are several courses open to you. First, you could go out and buy the necessary connectors and solder them in place, converting your old 8-bit board to a 16-bit
board. For those experienced with a soldering iron it is a fairly simple procedure. Others could pay to have this done, but that isn't really a good idea, because for the amount of money it would cost you could buy a brand new bus board.

The newer PC bus board with two 16-bit slots is available from your Kaypro dealer (part number 4344). Prices vary, but it should be somewhere around $100. A smarter move might be to spend a few extra dollars and order the bus board for Kaypro's new PC-286, which has four 16-bit slots (part number 5659). With one of those slots used by your new 80286 processor board, the other three are available for extended memory boards, AT-type hard disk controllers, and all kinds of 16-bit goodies. 
(Profiles, July 1988)
</blockquote>

===Memory Settings===

"The 80286 board has its own memory, which will conflict with he original memory in the Kaypro PC. You must adjust certain DIP switches in the Kaypro PC that disable the original memory before installing the 80286 board." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

===Hard drive controller===

"... the Kaypro 286 board will [not] work with the very earliest PC-10s. Their hard disk controllers run at 5 MHz, while the upgrade boards use 10 and
12 MHz speeds. If your hard disk controller consists of two boards, one bolted to the hard drive and connected by cables to another in an expansion slot, you will have to change controllers before you upgrade." 
(Profiles, September 1988)

==Ads==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 ad blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:286 ad color.jpg|400px]]
|}

==Articles==
"Kaypro Corporation recently introduced a 286
PC Card that, when exchanged for the 8088 card, enables the Kaypro PC to operate IBM PC/AT software. The "brain" of the 286 PC Card is an Intel 80286 CPU that utilizes the Kaypro PC's 16-bit potential. A trade-in allowance of $266 on your old 8088 card reduces the retail price of the 286 PC Card to $799, or $1065 without the trade-in." 
(Kugram, Jul-Aug 1986)

"Kaypro also introduced a 20-MHz version of its Series 286. The EGA system comes standard with 1 megabyte of
RAM, a 40-megabyte hard drive, MS-DOS 3.3, GW-Basic, and Microsoft Works. The system will ship in 30 days and will cost approximately $4,000." (Infoworld, November 28, 1988)

<blockquote>
Kaypro controller Bob Gorski said the shortage of DRAMs, which allow computers to store information for quick retrieval, has caused prices of the chips available to increase to as much as $10 each, compared with $3 as recently as late January.

The price increases have particularly hurt sales of Kaypro’s PC 286 model, a computer line introduced in December whose “guts” include 36 DRAMs. Despite the higher cost of the chips, Gorski said the PC 286 retail price has held steady at $2,995. 
(LA Times, March 30, 1988)
</blockquote>

Chris Singleton has contributed significantly to this page.

==Technical Notes==
<blockquote>'''KPC-286 CMOS ERROR FIX'''

The following board modification will solve many of the PC286
CMOS ram errors. Error indication is known by: 
1. Repeated "INVALID CONFIGURATION, PLEASE RUN SETUP". 
2. Audible error beep code of 1-1-3. 
3. Will boot only after Ctrl-Alt-Del. 

The fix involves replacing R9 (a 1.2K Ohm resistor) with an 1N6263 Diode. Physical placement is opposite of CR2 (the cathode band is down toward the card edge contact fingers).

Also the capacitor at C11 (upper right hand corner) must be
changed from a 0.1uf to a .47uf capacitor. This help stabilize power supply voltage at DS1210.

Technically the voltage difference between VCC (Power on) and
battery voltage (Power off) at DS1210 is not great enough. Therefore the DS1210 cannot switch voltage source or enable the CMOS ram
properly.

By replacing the series resistor R9 with a series diode, the total battery voltage drop across both diodes (CR2 & the new one at R9) is increased by approximately .7 volt. This, in turn, increases the voltage potential difference at DS1210 assuring proper operation.

Also, a 1 Meg resistor, watt, needs to be soldered from pin 2 to pin 5 at U5 on the backside of the board.

FROM: KAYPRO TECH SUPPORT

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL</blockquote>

<blockquote>
'''CONTINUOUS RESET FAILURES'''

Subject: PC286 and New 286i continuous RESET failures. 02/16/88 
FROM Kaypro tech support

RE: 3 Possible problems that cause continuous reset

1. Improper setup can cause continuous reset. Make sure, by going
through each and every parameter with the tech, that setup is
correct. This would entail making sure all third party boards or drives are identified in setup.

2. Certain 80286 processor chips, U10, are having heat related
problems that cause a continuous state of reset or reset for a
while and then lock up. The offending chips are AMD N80L286-12/S.
AMD chips can easily be identified by a large arrow on the chip.
These chips do not have a heat sink covering the chip so they are
readily readable. We are also sending an Intel 80286 chip without
a heat sink. (the AMD chip has Intel written on it for copywrite
priveleges. Don't mix these chips up). The Intel chip works fine.
We have AMD chips going out with a heat sink on the chip. These
work fine also. The offending AMD 80286 chip without a heat sink
has heat related problems. Spraying freon on the chip will make
it work properly again, for a little while. The chips do not work
in the temperature range they are specified to work in.

3. They have found several 160 watt power supplys on the production
line that are causing the continuing state of reset. It seems
crosstalk between the +5 and +12 volt lines is causing this
problem. If setup is correct and they do not have the offending
amd chip, swap out the power supply.

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL
</blockquote>

Kaypro 286

2026-09-16T13:45:50Z

FrankRahman: /* CPU board */

==System Profile==

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286, with Kaypro exclusive Snap-In Design is the complete computer. From monitor to EGA graphics, from enhanced keyboard to flexible dual-speed processing, the KAYPRO 286 has it all - including name-brand software with WordStar Professional Release 4.0. The KAYPRO 286: Speed, power, and performance - With the Future Built In. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO 286
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, five available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

"The 80286 operates at a clock speed of 12 megahertz. A switch at one end of the board lets you change to 6 Mhz operation for software that needs a slower clock speed." (Profiles, August 1988)

===The never released future replacement cards===

"While the Kaypro 286 upgrade kit is impressive, there are even more powerful products in development. A 16 Mhz 80286 board capable of holding eight megabytes of RAM will debut soon. In development, but still many months, away is a replacement processor board based on the 80386 microprocessor." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

==Exterior==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 chris singleton.jpg|600px]] 
Chris Singleton's 286
|}

{|
|-
| [[File:286 fcc label.jpg|400px]]
|}

==CPU boards==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board.jpg|600px]]
|-
|
[[File:286 cpu board w SIMMs.jpg|600px]]
|}

==Manual==
{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286 manual.pdf|Kaypro 286 Manual]] ||
[[File:Kaypro 286 UG Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

==Upgrading a Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286==

===Required Bus Board===
Notice the three Bus Boards below. The upper left one has 4 slots populated for 16 bit cards and 5 slots for 8 bit cards. The lower left one is only setup for 9 slots of 8 bits each. The right one has 2 slots for 16 bit cards and 7 slots for 8 bit cards.

In order to take advantage of the 286's architecture the CPU card and other 16 bit cards need to plugged into the 16 bit slots.

This would only be an issue when you upgraded your Kaypro PC to a Kaypro 286 and would require a replacement Bus Board or the installation of the additional 36 pin card edge connectors on the board.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Backplane.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:Backplane 2-16bit.jpg|400px]]
|}

<blockquote>
By upgrading to a processor board based on the 80286 microprocessor, you can effectively turn your computer into a fully functional AT-compatible if you have 16-bit slots. If you have 8-bit slots, you can still upgrade and achieve a degree of AT compatibly, but the shorter slots limit you. True AT compatibility requires that the computer read and write to external devices, such as AT hard disk controllers and extended memory boards, 16 bits at a time.

The first Kaypro PC bus boards had 8-bit slots. In mid-1986 Kaypro switched to a bus board with two 16-bit slots, and as of this writing (April 1988) that board is still being used. To reiterate, you can upgrade to an 80286 microprocessor even if you have 8-bit slots; but you are limited in your choice of expansion boards to those designed for PC and PC-XT compatibles.

If you are interested in obtaining a bus board that does have 16 bit slots, there are several courses open to you. First, you could go out and buy the necessary connectors and solder them in place, converting your old 8-bit board to a 16-bit
board. For those experienced with a soldering iron it is a fairly simple procedure. Others could pay to have this done, but that isn't really a good idea, because for the amount of money it would cost you could buy a brand new bus board.

The newer PC bus board with two 16-bit slots is available from your Kaypro dealer (part number 4344). Prices vary, but it should be somewhere around $100. A smarter move might be to spend a few extra dollars and order the bus board for Kaypro's new PC-286, which has four 16-bit slots (part number 5659). With one of those slots used by your new 80286 processor board, the other three are available for extended memory boards, AT-type hard disk controllers, and all kinds of 16-bit goodies. 
(Profiles, July 1988)
</blockquote>

===Memory Settings===

"The 80286 board has its own memory, which will conflict with he original memory in the Kaypro PC. You must adjust certain DIP switches in the Kaypro PC that disable the original memory before installing the 80286 board." 
(Profiles, August 1988)

===Hard drive controller===

"... the Kaypro 286 board will [not] work with the very earliest PC-10s. Their hard disk controllers run at 5 MHz, while the upgrade boards use 10 and
12 MHz speeds. If your hard disk controller consists of two boards, one bolted to the hard drive and connected by cables to another in an expansion slot, you will have to change controllers before you upgrade." 
(Profiles, September 1988)

==Ads==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286 ad blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:286 ad color.jpg|400px]]
|}

==Articles==
"Kaypro Corporation recently introduced a 286
PC Card that, when exchanged for the 8088 card, enables the Kaypro PC to operate IBM PC/AT software. The "brain" of the 286 PC Card is an Intel 80286 CPU that utilizes the Kaypro PC's 16-bit potential. A trade-in allowance of $266 on your old 8088 card reduces the retail price of the 286 PC Card to $799, or $1065 without the trade-in." 
(Kugram, Jul-Aug 1986)

"Kaypro also introduced a 20-MHz version of its Series 286. The EGA system comes standard with 1 megabyte of
RAM, a 40-megabyte hard drive, MS-DOS 3.3, GW-Basic, and Microsoft Works. The system will ship in 30 days and will cost approximately $4,000." (Infoworld, November 28, 1988)

<blockquote>
Kaypro controller Bob Gorski said the shortage of DRAMs, which allow computers to store information for quick retrieval, has caused prices of the chips available to increase to as much as $10 each, compared with $3 as recently as late January.

The price increases have particularly hurt sales of Kaypro’s PC 286 model, a computer line introduced in December whose “guts” include 36 DRAMs. Despite the higher cost of the chips, Gorski said the PC 286 retail price has held steady at $2,995. 
(LA Times, March 30, 1988)
</blockquote>

Chris Singleton has contributed significantly to this page.

==Technical Notes==
<blockquote>'''KPC-286 CMOS ERROR FIX'''

The following board modification will solve many of the PC286
CMOS ram errors. Error indication is known by: 
1. Repeated "INVALID CONFIGURATION, PLEASE RUN SETUP". 
2. Audible error beep code of 1-1-3. 
3. Will boot only after Ctrl-Alt-Del. 

The fix involves replacing R9 (a 1.2K Ohm resistor) with an 1N6263 Diode. Physical placement is opposite of CR2 (the cathode band is down toward the card edge contact fingers).

Also the capacitor at C11 (upper right hand corner) must be
changed from a 0.1uf to a .47uf capacitor. This help stabilize power supply voltage at DS1210.

Technically the voltage difference between VCC (Power on) and
battery voltage (Power off) at DS1210 is not great enough. Therefore the DS1210 cannot switch voltage source or enable the CMOS ram
properly.

By replacing the series resistor R9 with a series diode, the total battery voltage drop across both diodes (CR2 & the new one at R9) is increased by approximately .7 volt. This, in turn, increases the voltage potential difference at DS1210 assuring proper operation.

Also, a 1 Meg resistor, watt, needs to be soldered from pin 2 to pin 5 at U5 on the backside of the board.

FROM: KAYPRO TECH SUPPORT

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL</blockquote>

<blockquote>
'''CONTINUOUS RESET FAILURES'''

Subject: PC286 and New 286i continuous RESET failures. 02/16/88 
FROM Kaypro tech support

RE: 3 Possible problems that cause continuous reset

1. Improper setup can cause continuous reset. Make sure, by going
through each and every parameter with the tech, that setup is
correct. This would entail making sure all third party boards or drives are identified in setup.

2. Certain 80286 processor chips, U10, are having heat related
problems that cause a continuous state of reset or reset for a
while and then lock up. The offending chips are AMD N80L286-12/S.
AMD chips can easily be identified by a large arrow on the chip.
These chips do not have a heat sink covering the chip so they are
readily readable. We are also sending an Intel 80286 chip without
a heat sink. (the AMD chip has Intel written on it for copywrite
priveleges. Don't mix these chips up). The Intel chip works fine.
We have AMD chips going out with a heat sink on the chip. These
work fine also. The offending AMD 80286 chip without a heat sink
has heat related problems. Spraying freon on the chip will make
it work properly again, for a little while. The chips do not work
in the temperature range they are specified to work in.

3. They have found several 160 watt power supplys on the production
line that are causing the continuing state of reset. It seems
crosstalk between the +5 and +12 volt lines is causing this
problem. If setup is correct and they do not have the offending
amd chip, swap out the power supply.

ORIGINATOR: JOHN HILL
</blockquote>

File:286 cpu board w SIMMs.jpg

2026-09-16T13:45:19Z

FrankRahman:

286 cpu board w SIMMs

Kaypro PC

2026-09-14T21:52:31Z

FrankRahman: /* Disks */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, Green is from #418199, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! EBay1!! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428G || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-487B

|}

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks''' 
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

My wiki:About

2026-09-14T20:44:42Z

FrankRahman:

Kaypro Journal is my research notes about Non-Linear Systems, Kaypro and related information.

I first encountered a Kaypro in about 1984. There was one at my mother's work. It was the first computer I was allowed to use on snow days or during the summer time when I would occasionally go with her to her work. Then I got a Commodore 64 at home and eventually an IBM PS/2 Model 30/286.

I didn't return to Kaypros until about 2018 when I bought one to add to my vintage computer collection. Finding that I had more questions about Kaypros then there were answers on the internet I choose to start recording my findings. That has turned into this website.

If you have some good resources that don't show up on this website feel free to contact me at admin@kayprojournal.com .

Items that I am especially looking for include:
* CommuniKays (employee newsletters)
* Newspaper and magazine articles about the machines and company
* NLS meters from the 50's and 60's
* Marketing photos
* Company photos
* Prototype machines, rare or odd machines and add-ons
* Software

I would like to thank a few great researchers and people that worked at Kaypro that have contributed the most to my research:
* Thomas Brase
* Don Maslin
* David Kay
* Allen Kay
* Marshall Mosley
* The members of the Facebook Kaypro Computer Users Group

You can contact me at: admin@kayprojournal.com

Kaypro PC

2026-09-14T19:36:50Z

FrankRahman: /* Disks */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! EBay1!! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428G || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-428F || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-428E || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-428A || 81-225-487B

|}

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks''' 
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

Kaypro PC

2026-09-14T19:13:33Z

FrankRahman: /* Disks */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-487B

|}

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks''' 
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

Kaypro PC

2026-09-14T19:12:55Z

FrankRahman: /* Disks */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-487B

|}

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks'''
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 
 
 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

Kaypro PC

2026-09-14T19:09:52Z

FrankRahman: /* Disks */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

Blue disks are from #335516, the others were not with a particular machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:KPC Disks Green.jpg|600px]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Disk# !! Blue !! Pink !! Orange !! Green
|-
| 5009 || 81-225-428A || 81-225-428B || 81-225-428C || 81-225-428H
|-
| 5010 || 81-225-429 || 81-225-429A || 81-225-429B || 81-225-429F
|-
| 5011 || 81-225-430 || 81-225-430A || 81-225-430B || 81-225-430G
|-
| 5012 || 81-225-431 || 81-225-431A || 81-225-431B || 81-225-431F
|-
| 5013 || 81-225-432 || 81-225-432A || 81-225-432B || 81-225-432G
|-
| 5014 || 81-225-433 || 81-225-433A || 81-225-433B || 81-225-433F
|-
| 5754 || || || || 81-225-485B
|-
| 5755 || || || || 81-225-486B
|-
| 5782 || || || || 81-225-487B

|}

[[File:335516Disks.jpg|left]]

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

'''Blue Disks'''
[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 
 
 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

File:KPC Disks Green.jpg

2026-09-14T19:07:55Z

FrankRahman:

KPC Disks Green

File:KPC Disks Orange.jpg

2026-09-14T19:07:10Z

FrankRahman:

KPC Disks Orange

File:KPC Disks Pink.jpg

2026-09-14T19:06:27Z

FrankRahman:

KPC Disks Pink

File:KPC Disks Blue.jpg

2026-09-14T19:05:42Z

FrankRahman:

KPC Disks Blue

Similar machines

2026-09-14T15:49:27Z

FrankRahman: /* Osbourne */

== Ferguson Big Board ==
[[File:Ferguson big board.jpg]] 
The Furguson Big Board (FBB) was a computer board designed for hobbyists. The FBB was a direct progenitor of the Kaypro II mainboard. Kaypro did not license this design but based on the schematics and layout of both boards it is clear. [https://retrocmp.de/kaypro/kay-p2%20hrdw.htm See RetroCMP for further details]

== Osbourne ==
[[File:Osborne Pict from David Kay Archive.jpg]] 
This picture comes out of the Archives of David Kay. To me it highlights the fact that they understood who their competition was. It was the only convention picture of another computer in his collection.

=== Osbourne 1 ===
[[File:Osborne 1.jpg]] 
The Osborne 1 shipped in July 1981. It appears that Non-Linear Systems was already developing the Kaypro II by this point but it is certain that the Osborne 1 influenced the final version version of NLS's machine. The weaknesses of the Osbourne 1 was it's 5 inch screen and single density floppy drives.

=== Osbourne Executive ===
[[File:Osborne exec.jpg]] 
The Executive was a upgraded Osbourne 1 that improved the Osbourne line to be more competitive with the Kaypro by increasing the screen from 5 to 7 inches (the Kaypro was a 9 inch screen) and double density floppy drives. It was introduced in April of 1983. 
Osbourne filed for bankruptcy in September of 1983.

== Xerox 820 ==
[[File:Xerox 820 press photo.jpg]]

The Xerox licensed the Furguson Big Board design for the mainboard of the 820.

Price: $2,995 
Release: June 1981

{|
|-
| Processor || 2.5 MHz
|-
| Screen || 12 inch white monochrome
|-
| Memory || 64KB RAM, 4K ROM
|-
| Ports || Dual Serial, Dual Parallel
|-
| Keyboard || 96 characters
|-
| Drives || 2 SSSD 5.25" or 8"
|}
Software (Xerox branded): Word Processing, CP/M, Teletype communications, M BASIC, C BASIC, Cobol 80, M Sort, Electronic Worksheet Package 
(Xerox 820 Press Release, No Date)

[[File:Xerox 820.jpg]] 

== Zorba ==
[[File:Zorba.jpg]] 
"The Zorba is a portable microcomputer designed to compete with the likes of the Osborne 1 and the Kaypro II." 
InfoWorld June 6, 1983

==Otrona==
[[File:Otrono.jpg|400px]] 
The Otrona Attaché released in April 1982 it is a CPM machine with a Z80 processor. Otrona also developed the 2001 in May 1984 which was an 8088 machine but like the Kaypro 16 was not truly IBM compatible. The company filed for bankruptcy in September of 1984.

File:Osborne Pict from David Kay Archive.jpg

2026-09-14T15:47:02Z

FrankRahman:

Osborne Pict from David Kay Archive

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-14T15:32:16Z

FrankRahman: /* ROMS */

Model Number 81-037 or 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==AD==

[[File:Kaypro 286i ad.jpg|400px]]

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]] Motherboard
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]] Harddrive and Floppy Drive Controller (Hard Drive is replaced so this could be a replacement.)
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]] Serial and Parallel Port Card 81-622
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] A: Drive Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] B: Drive Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}
====ROMS====
I suspect that the original ROMs are Phoenix. The ROM is from my loose motherboard. The header on the file says it is a Phoenix. It does not work on my 286i but that may be due to the upgraded video card (VGA) not being supported under the original BIOS? 
[[Media:286i Phoenix ROM Loose Board.bin|286i ROM 18-1524]] 
I believe it should be 81-1524 and someone flipped the first two digits.

On my complete 286i there is the "286 Modular BIOS Version 3.03HL Copyright Award Software Inc." 
The files are below and refer to the picture of the motherboard in the #417311 for placement. 
[[Media:286i H ROM -41731.bin|286i H ROM from 417311]] 
[[Media:286i L ROM -41731.bin|286i L ROM from 417311]]

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is labeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

File:286i Phoenix ROM Loose Board.bin

2026-09-14T15:25:18Z

FrankRahman:

286i Phoenix ROM Loose Board

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-14T15:01:01Z

FrankRahman: /* Kaypro 286i C #417311 */

Model Number 81-037 or 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==AD==

[[File:Kaypro 286i ad.jpg|400px]]

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]] Motherboard
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]] Harddrive and Floppy Drive Controller (Hard Drive is replaced so this could be a replacement.)
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]] Serial and Parallel Port Card 81-622
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] A: Drive Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] B: Drive Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}
====ROMS====
[[Media:286i H ROM -41731.bin|286i H ROM from 417311]] 
[[Media:286i L ROM -41731.bin|286i L ROM from 417311]]

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is labeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

File:286i L ROM -41731.bin

2026-09-14T14:58:27Z

FrankRahman:

286i L ROM -41731

File:286i H ROM -41731.bin

2026-09-14T14:55:54Z

FrankRahman:

286i H ROM -41731

NLS Manuals

2026-09-14T13:02:17Z

FrankRahman: /* Meters */

General Info:

These are the manuals that I have in my collection. If I include a manual from another source it will be noted.

A * on a date means that the manual does not have a print date and the latest date found in the manual is being used here.

==Covers==
{|
|-
|
[[File:Nls black manual cover.jpg|200px]]
|| Years used: 1956*
||
[[File:Nls white comb cover.jpg|200px]]
|| Years used: 1958*, 1959*, 1969
|-
|
[[File:NLS Blue Binder Cover.jpg|200px]]
|| Years used: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967
||
[[File:NLS blue comb cover.jpg|200px]]
|| Years used: 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1967*
|-
|
[[File:NLS x-2 Instruction Manual Cover 1969.jpg|200px]]
|| Years used: 1969
|}

==Meters==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model !! Year !! Name !! PDF
|-
| [[NLS 451|451]] || 1956* (Calibrated in 1958) || Digital Voltmeter ||
[[Media:NLS 451 Manual.pdf|NLS 451 Manual]]
|-
| 481 || 1958* || Industrial Voltmeter ||
[[Media:NLS 481 manual.pdf|NLS 481 Manual]]
|-
| M-24 & V-24 || 1958* || Transistorized Digital Volt-Ohm-Ratiometer ||
[[Media:NLS M-24 Volt-Ohm-Ratiometer.pdf|NLS M-24 Volt-Ohm-Ratiometer Manual]]
|-
| V34 & V35 || 1959* || Digital Voltmeter ||
[[Media:NLS v34 & V35 Manual.pdf|NLS v34 & V35]]
|-
| V34 & V35 || 1959* || Digital Voltmeter || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_08469/page/n1/mode/2up NLS V34 & V35 (Archive.org)]
|-
| 4512 || 1960* || Spare Parts List ||
[[Media:NLS 4512 Voltmeter Spare Parts List.pdf|NLS 4512 Voltmeter Spare Parts List]]
|-
| 784 || 1961 || Handbook for Digital Ohmmeter ||
[[Media:NLS 784 Digital Ohmmeter Handbook.pdf|NLS 784 Digital Ohmmeter Handbook]]
|-
| M-24 || 1962 || Transistorized Digital Volt-Ohm-Ratiometer ||
[[Media:NLS M24 Manual 1962.pdf|NLS M24 Manual]]
|-
| 484(A&B) & V64(A&B) || 1962 || Instruction Manual Digital Voltmeters || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_05965/page/n1/mode/2up NLS 484(A&B) & V64(A&B) Part 2 (Archive.org)]
|-
| V35RB || 1962 || Operation Instructions || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_05983/page/n1/mode/2up NLS V35RB (Archive.org)]
|-
| V35B & V35RB || 1963 || Instruction Manual Part 2 || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_05994/page/n1/mode/2up NLS V35B & V35RB (Archive.org)]
|-
| 2900 || 1965 || Operation Instructions || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_08503/page/n1/mode/2up NLS 2900 (Archive.org)]
|-
| 4206 || 1965 || Operating Instructions Digital Voltmeters ||
[https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_02537/page/n1/mode/2up NLS 4206 (Archive.org)]
|-
| 4318 || 1965 || Operating Instructions Digital Voltmeters ||
[[Media:NLS 4318 Voltmeter Op Ins.pdf|NLS 4318 Voltmeter Operator Instructions]]
|-
| 5005 || 1965 || Installation & Operation || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_08486/page/n1/mode/2up NLS 5005 Installation & Operation (Archive.org)]
|-
| 2917A & 2917S || 1966 || Instruction Manual Digital Voltmeter ||
[[Media:NLS 2917 Instruction Manual Digital Voltmeter.pdf|NLS 2917A & S Digital Voltmeter Manual]]
|-
| 3300 || 1966 || Instruction Manual Voltmeter || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_02573/page/n1/mode/2up NLS 3300 Instruction Manual (Archive.org)]
|-
| 5020 || 1966 || Preliminary Instruction Manual Digital Multi-Function Meter ||
[[Media:NLS 5020 Digital MultiFunction Meter Manual.pdf|NLS 5020 Digital MultiFunction Meter Manual]]
|-
| X-1 || 1966 || Instruction Manual || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_06017/page/n1/mode/2up NLS X-1 Instruction Manual (Archive.org)]
|-
| 5015 || 1967 || Instruction Manual Digital Voltmeter ||
[[Media:NLS 5015 Digital Voltmeter.pdf|NLS 5015 Digital Voltmeter]]
|-
| X-1 || 1967 || Modification Data 8-Range Ohmmeter ||
[[Media:NLS X-1 8-Range Ohmmeter Modification Data.pdf|NLS X-1 8-Range Ohmmeter Modification Data]] 
[[Media:NLS X-1 Range Decision.pdf|NLS X-1 Range Decision Schematic]] 
[[Media:NLS X-1 Polarity Flip-Flop.pdf|NLS X-1 Polarity Flip-Flop Schematic]]
|-
| X-1 || 1967 || Instruction Manual || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_05976/page/n1/mode/2up NLS X-1 Instruction Manual (Archive.org)]
|-
| X-2 || 1967 || Instruction Manual || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_05998/page/n1/mode/2up NLS X-2 (Archive.org)]
|-
| X-2 (37-198) || 1967 || Instruction Manual || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_05980/page/n7/mode/2up NLS X-2 (37-198) (Archive.org)]
|-
| 5005 & 5010 || 1968 || Instruction Manual || [https://archive.org/details/manualsplus_02530/page/n1/mode/2up NLS 5005 & 5010 (Archive.org)]
|-
| X-2 || 1968 || Instruction Manual Digital Voltmeter ||
[[Media:NLS X2 manual June 68.pdf|NLS X2 Manual]]
|-
| X-2 || 1969 || Instruction Manual Digital Voltmeter ||
[[Media:NLS X-2 Instruction Manual 1969.pdf|NLS X-2 Instruction Manual]]
|-
| MS-215 || 1978 || Instruction Manual Miniscope || [[Media:NLS MS-215 manual.pdf|NLS MS-215 Manual]]

|}

==AC to DC Converter (Adapter for Voltmeter)==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model !! Year !! Name !! PDF
|-
| 125 || 1959* || AC to DC Converter ||
[[Media:NLS 125 Series 1959.pdf|NLS 125 Series 1959]]
|-
| 125 || 1962 || Instruction Manual AC to DC Converter ||
[[Media:NLS 125 1962.pdf|NLS 125 1962]]
|-
| 125E || 1962 || Instruction Manual Automatic Ranging Converter ||
[[Media:NLS 125E AC to DC ARC.pdf|NLS 125E AC to DC ARC]]
|-
| || || ||
[[Media:NLS AC Converter Type 1 Op, Main, and Cal Manual.pdf|NLS AC Converter Type 1 Op, Main, and Cal Manual]]


|}

==Systems==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model !! Year !! Name !! PDF
|-
| S-1 || 1967? || Introduction an Description Data System Series S-1 ||
[[Media:NLS S-1 Section I & II.pdf|NLS S-1 Section I & II]] 
[[NLS S-1 Descriptive Literature]] (Section III) 
[[Media:S-1 Typical NLS Data Systems.pdf|NLS S-1 Section IV]]

|}

==Counters==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model !! Year !! Name !! PDF
|-
| PR-5 || 1977 || Instruction Manual Preset Counter ||
[[Media:NLS PR-5 Manual.pdf|NLS PR-5 Instruction Manual]]

|}

==Tape Punch==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model !! Year !! Name !! PDF
|-
| RS3 (156) || 1963 ||
Installation & Operation Instructions Scanner-Tape Punch
||
[[Media:NLS RS3 Manual Sep 63.pdf|NLS RS3 Scanner-Tape Punch]]
|-
| 2603 || 1967 || Tape Punch ||
[[Media:NLS 2603 Tape Punch 1967.pdf|NLS 2603 Tape Punch]]

|}

==Printer==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Model !! Year !! Name !! PDF
|-
| 155 || 1960 || Operation & Service Manual ||
[[Media:NLS 155 Printer Operations and Service Manual.pdf|NLS 155 Printer Operations and Service Manual]]
|-
| 155 || 1962 || Operation & Service Manual w/HP 130 Manual ||
[[Media:NLS 155 Printer 1962.pdf|NLS 155 Printer 1962]] 
[[Media:NLS 155 link update.pdf|NLS 155 Schematic]] Additionally the HP 150 Manual

|}

Kaypro PC

2026-09-11T02:11:20Z

FrankRahman: /* Kaypro XL */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO PC makes sense now with all the I flexibility you need for future enhancements. Thanks to Kaypro's non-obsolete design, the KAYPRO PC is a snap to update. Card-based system components — including the microprocessor — simply snap into place. 
Standard Specifications for the KAYPRO PC:
{|
| Processor: || 8088-compatible V-20 microproccessor, 8087 socket: 4.77/10MHz
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 768 KB standard
|-
| Drives: || Dual 360-KB disk drives
|-
| Ports: || IBM PC-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Nine slots, six for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure Out.jpg|250px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Brochure In.jpg|250px]]
|}

==Introduction==
The Kaypro PC was the first mostly compatible PC from Kaypro. It had it's microprocessor on a add-on board so you could update to a new processor without changing out the entire machine.

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC ad non-obsolescence.jpg|400px]]
|}

[[File:Kaypro PC Ad Family Computing June 87.png]]

Family Computing June 1987

{|
|-
|
[[File:81-045-02 label.jpg]]
|| [[File:81-045-05 label.jpg]]
|}

<blockquote>
It was the only sensible decision, but that didn't make it any pleasanter. Saying farewell to a faithful retainer is never easy. Still, it had to be done, and so we pulled the plug on the old Kaypro II, closed its cover, and sent it away.

The II was one of a series of machines using the older CP/M operating system that Kaypro started making in the early 1980's. That was a time when 64K (64,000 characters) of on-board memory looked as capacious as the big-mouth logo on the Morton Downey Jr. television show; two built-in disk drives stored 180K
apiece, and the integral nine-inch monochrome monitor was a blessing to those with good eyesight or good eyeglasses. The whole package folded up into a nearly-30-pound lump that was billed as portable until true portables came along, and was later referred to as transportable, which it was in the sense that anything with a handle on it can be called transportable. The II, like other Kaypro products, came with a wide selection of software, some excellent, all usable, and at around $1,500 complete, was a great bargain.

Now, the truth of the matter is that an individual or small business can satisfy most computing needs with just such a machine. You can write letters, reports and memos, track income and outgo, organize lists of customers and inventory, craft your own specialized programs, and find a fairly large selection of commercial and public-domain software at rock-bottom prices. A well-maintained Beetle will still get you to the mall, too. But time does move on.

Just as 64K and CP/M gave way to 640K and MS-DOS, the operating system of the I.B.M. PC line, so will 640K and MS-DOS give way to memories measured in millions of characters and OS/2, the new I.B.M. operating system. But not just yet. In the mean-time, there are excellent values in machines that adhere to the old PC standard.

One such is the Kaypro PC. It is available in various configurations starting at not much more than $1,000, and it is as far ahead of the old Kaypro as it was ahead of a typewriter and mechanical calculator.

The version I have is a fully loaded model: one 5.25-inch drive for standard disks holding 360K, one 3.5-inch drive for the newer, compact disks holding 780K, and a 30-megabyte (that's 30 million characters) hard disk. There is the usual 640K of internal memory, plus an additional 128K that can be used for special purposes. The display adapter emulates both monochrome and color screens on an excellent amber monitor. The keyboard is in the style of that of the I.B.M. PC/AT, with extra-large shift and enter keys, and is quite comfortable for a fast, though not particularly accurate, touch typist.

The main unit is wide, a bit more than 19 inches, and deep, about 1.5 inches. The monitor sits on top, and the detachable keyboard in front, and it threatens to take more than its share of desk space. But a phone call to Kaypro brought assurances that there was no harm in turning the unit on its side, converting the 19 inches into vertical space, and the width into a mere 5.25 inches.

The machine comes with the operating system disk and Basic, not invariably included in the advertised prices of other computers. More important, it comes with WordStar 4.0, a professional-quality word processor that also includes a dictionary and thesaurus; PolyWindows, a collection of memory-resident programs such as a calculator, calendar and file-card generator, and more. There are other utilities for counting the number of words in a document, preparing new disks for use, copying files from one disk to another, and the like.
Best of all, these programs are accessible through a handy menu of selections; for most purposes it is not even necessary to deal with the operating system commands.

Unlike the previous line of Kaypros, a spreadsheet and a database are not included, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and the line for all of the above is drawn at something less than $2,000. By way of comparison, when the I.B.M. XT, the general class of machine to which the Kaypro PC belongs, was introduced less than five years ago, it was listed at a price of almost $5,000, with only 128K of memory, one floppy drive and a 10-megabyte hard drive, and with neither monitor nor any software included.

Rap your knuckles - not too hard, please — on the main unit and you'll discover it's made of metal. Its older brothers were also made of metal, and the Whole Earth Software Catalog said the II looked "like a piece of military surplus." The current machine also gives the impression of ruggedness, but it is handsome as
well, sort of like a designer tank.

Will the Kaypro PC be ready for the Smithsonian five years from now? It's hard to say it, but most likely yes, Still, the computer has nine slots, three of them already occupied, into which various circuit cards can be plugged to give it new or expanded capabilities. And since the main processor is installed on a changeable circuit card, even a brain transplant is not out of the question. 
(New York Times, January 19, 1988)
</blockquote>

Keys:
[[File:KPC Keys.jpg]]
The keys appear to be unique to each machine. This set will not lock/unlock any of the machines that I have.

==Understanding the Kaypro PC Models==

There is some confusion about the model numbers of the various KPC models here is a table:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Model Number !! Description
|-
| K-PC || Base model without a harddrive from the factory
|-
| K-PC 01 || "Kaypro PC Starter Kit" No Multi-Function Card No CPU Card No Video Cards
|-
| K-PC 10 || Base model with a 10MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 20 || Base model with a 20MB harddrive
|-
| K-PC 30 || Base model with a 30MB harddrive
|}

{|
|-
| This information was shipped with the Kaypro PC Starter Kit machines:
||
[[File:318211 KPC Starter Kit.jpg|400px]]
|}

===Kaypro XL===
There is one model that I am still working to get more information on it is the Kaypro XL. It might be a 286 based machine. 

{|
|-
| [[File:Kaypro XL badge.jpg]]
||
|-
|
[[File:K XL front ML.jpg]] Front and label of ML's Kaypro XL
||
[[File:K XL label.jpg]]
|}
 

"Hello, I am looking for any docs or charts on the correct DIP switch settings to configure my old v20 CPU Kaypro XL computer. I am having some problems finding them and was wondering if anyone has the info, thanks in advace." 
(comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.comm, April 1, 1995)


From COMPUTER CONCEPTS, A Kaypro XL Computer Valued At $1,195 
(The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 37, Milford, Kosciusko County, 26 October 1988)


==Manuals==
[[Kaypro_Manuals#Kaypro_PC|Kaypro PC Manuals]]

==Origins==
<blockquote>
Peter Ruber: How did you weather the shakeout of 1984-85? 
Andy Kay: A bit rocky. We dropped about $20-million in sales during the next year. CP/M systems were on the way out. Everybody was switching to IBM-compatible systems. We had to rush one [Kaypro 16] out the door to keep our dealer base happy. That was in 1984. It was a generic MSDOS system, it didn't run all the IBM-compatible software. We stuffed it inside our CP/M case. We had a fully compatible system by 1985 in the same style as IBM's [Kaypro PC]. Our sales continued to plunge. There was a lot of competition. Too much of it for my liking. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==News==
<blockquote>
Systems are available with such features as the IBM PC-compatible Kaypro PC-30 with 30 megabyte hard drive, full page monitor and adaptor, and EGA card. The systems range in price from $3,395 to $8,745.

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Upgrades ==

"If you have a Kaypro PC with 4.77 Mhz clock, you can buy one of two processor boards from Kaypro Corporation that offer faster clocks. These are the 8 Mhz 8088/V-20 board, part number 5238; and the 10 Mhz 8088/V20 board, part number 5962. Many PC owners already have one of these boards — they've been standard equipment for almost two years now. If there is a toggle switch on the back panel of your computer near the reset button, then you already have either an 8 or 10 Mhz machine." (Profiles June 1988)

== BIOS ROMS ==
{|
|-
| 81-486 H || 4.77 Single Speed Board || 81-512(3) ||
[[File:81-486 H img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 H.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 L || 4.77/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1184 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 L img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 L.bin]]
|-
| 81-486 M || 4.7/8 Dual Speed Board || 81-1230 Rev A ||
[[File:81-486 M img.jpg|200px]]
||
[[File:81-486 M.bin]]
|}

==Bus board==

<blockquote>
We used passive backplanes for decades in our military aircraft instrumentation. There are practical benefits to using a passive [4th page not in repository, will add more] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Misc (loose) Kaypro DOS Boards==

[[Kaypro DOS boards]]

==Card Comparisons==

===81-916 Multicard===
{|
|-
! REV A !! REV B
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A comp.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|257px]]
|-
|
[[File:KPC Multiboard 81-916 Rev A sold.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|285px]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #335516==
===Overview===
This is a complete (or nearly complete) Kaypro PC model 81-045-02. That has not been modified after purchase according to original owner.

[[File:335516 complete.jpg|400px]]

===Sales Receipt===
[[File:335516 receipt small.jpg|400px]] 
Notes:
* 335516 Sold on 7/29/86
* Machine upgraded to 768K without additional charge (Education Deal?)
* Image redacted for Personal Information

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-1184 Rev A 
8MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 CPU Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The standard processor card is based on an 8088 microprocessor running at 4.77 MHz. A socket on the card is provided to add an 8087 math coprocessor. Other components located on the processor card are a speaker subsystem and three counter-timers. Purchasing the processor card separately will cost you $395, including software." (Profiles, December 1985) 
Note the card from this computer is a later model with a higher speed processor which can be distinguished by the switch on the exterior plate.
See the #338575 “Expansion Unit” CPU Card for an example of the early 4.77MHz card without a switch.

||
[[File:KPC 8088 DIP settings.png|300px]] DIP switch settings 
'''Note#1:''' All 4 boards that I have have '''NO''' Co-processor but switch #1 is in the on position. The Technical Manual for the Kaypro PC confirms that this is a typo in the above chart. Switch 1 should be co-processor - OFF, no co-processor - ON 
'''Note#2:''' The last drive listed is 4 disk drives with the settings being duplicated from the 3 disk setting. The technical manual states that it should be switch 4 - OFF, switch 5 - OFF
(Profiles, August 1987)
|-
| Video Card 
Appears to be a Hercules Clone Card 
from ATI
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 Vid Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"The KPC multivideo card supports monochrome, RGB color, and composite video monitors. It features a crisper, more readable character set than the standard IBM color card, along with software selectable
color or monochrome modes. Color and graphics support are the same as found on IBM's color/graphics card. The multivideo card is $395 if you purchase it separately." (Profiles, December 1985)
||
|-
| Hard Drive Card 
ADP 50 
Appears to be an ADP50L 
from Silicon Valley Computer, Inc.
||
[[File:335516 HD Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 HD Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| "Multicard" - IO, Memory and Floppy Drive Card 
Model 81-916 Rev B 
Kaypro
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:335516 IO Mem Card Back.jpg|300px]]
|-
|
||
"Kaypro's multifunction card has room for 640K of RAM using three banks of 256K chips. On the standard system only one bank of RAM is populated, giving you 256K of system memory. The multifunction card is also home for the floppy disk controller, a Centronics parallel port, and an IBM-compatible serial port. This card is available separately for $325." (Profiles, December 1985)

<blockquote>The newer versions of the Kaypro PC multifunction boards have a different chip at U42: A 9239 floppy disk controller chip instead of the 9229. Upon first observation, you will note that pin 16 of this chip is sticking out of its socket.
Pin 16 is left out as a test point and should not be placed in the socket. If it is inadvertently inserted, you will have no video and no drive access. 
(Kugram, Nov Dec 1986)
</blockquote>
||
|-
|
||
[[File:KPC Multi board DIP.png|200px]][[File:KPC Multi board PIN 1.png|200px]]
||
[[File:KPC Multi board PIN 2.png|200px]]
|}

===Hard Drive===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Hard Drive Label || [[File:335516 HD.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Floppy Drive Board 
Both Drives are Identical
|| [[File:335516 FD board.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Floppy Drive Label || [[File:335516 FD Label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Power Supply===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Power Supply Label || [[File:335516 power label.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Documentation and Manuals===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Software Package Checklist wm.jpg|left]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Manuals that were with the computer
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro PC Users Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Kaypro PC manual.pdf|Kaypro PC Manual]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 User's Guide.jpg]] 
[[Media:Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG.pdf|Addendum to MSDOS 3.1 UG]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro MS-DOS 3.1 to 3.2 Guide.jpg]]
|}

[[Media:Addnedum Monitors.pdf|Addendum Monitors Instructions]]

[[Media:Using Half-Length Multi-Video Board.pdf|Using the Half-Length Multi-Video Board]]

===Disks===

[[File:335516Disks.jpg|left]]

Feel free to copy these for your personal use.

I would only ask that they not be posted to other websites as long as this website is functional.

Feel free to link to this page to share with others.

[[:File:DISK1.imd|Install Disk 1]] 
[[:File:DISK2.imd|Install Disk 2]] 
[[:File:DISK3.imd|Install Disk 3]] 
[[:File:DISK4.imd|Install Disk 4]] 
[[:File:DISK5.imd|Install Disk 5]] 
[[:File:DISK6.imd|Install Disk 6]] 
 
 

=== Monitor ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Label.jpg]]
|}

===Keyboard===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 Keyboard.jpg]]
|}

===Boxes===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box label.jpg|thumb|System Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box side.jpg|thumb|System Box Side]]
|-
| [[File:335516 System Box top.jpg|thumb|System Box Top]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box label.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Front]]
|-
| [[File:335516 Monitor Box side.jpg|thumb|Monitor Box Side]]
|}

==Kaypro PC #338575 "Expansion Unit"==

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC 338575 KEU label.jpg|300px]]
|}
===Overview===
Of the “Expansion Units” that I have seen in person and online they seem to be consistant in that they are based on the “Kaypro PC” (KPC). The case and CPU Cards are the same as their KPC cousins. Where they vary is that their memory is on a separate card rather than one the KPCs “Multicard”. This also means that the IO features are performed by a different card which usually has the video output functions on it. Also the floppy drive functions are performed by a separate card.

This means that the IO functions are usually limited due to there being only a parallel port since the video port fills the other half of the card’s external plate.

To me the name “Expansion Unit” is a poor name for the functionality of these machines. I am still looking for the reason why Kaypro named them the way that they did.

Marshall Mosley commented "I believe it came with an EMS card. For Lotus 123 people. I think."

It is consistent with the review of [https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/8088-pc/ #440849] by Ancient Electronics. His machine has the same memory card. Although his machine has a separate video and IO card.

{|
|-
|
[[File:KPC EXP badge -440849.jpg|200px]]
|}

===Technical Info===
"Documentation for the Kaypro PC Expansion Unit is on the way from Kaypro Corp. The bank of five switch settings on the Expansion Unit's Processor Card works the same as on the Kaypro PC. Additionally, the bank of four switches on the Memory Card works the same as SW1 on the PC's Floppy Combo Board. In place of this, simply use the regular Kaypro PC switch settings." 
(Kugram, Jan-Feb 1987)

===News===
"... the KAYPRO EXP will now come standard with Hercules compatible, monochrome graphics capability. The KAYPRO EXP, a fully IBM PC/XT compatible, high value desktop computer system has a retail price of $1195." 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Prices" Press Release, February 1, 1987)

===Cards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| CPU Card 
Model 81-512 Rev A 
4.77MHz 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Processor Back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Video Card/IO Card 
Labeled as Kaypro #4804
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Vid IO back.jpg|300px]]

|-
| Floppy Drive Card 
Label: QEC-IVO
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Floppy Card back.jpg|300px]]
|-
| Memory Card 
Model 81-1208 Rev A 
Kaypro
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card front.jpg|300px]]
||
[[File:KPC 338575 Mem Card back.jpg|300px]]
|}

===Floppy Drives===

{| class="wikitable"

|-
| Floppy Drives || 2 Matsushita JU-455-5 DSDD drives
|}

File:K XL label.jpg

2026-09-11T02:10:18Z

FrankRahman:

K XL label

File:K XL front ML.jpg

2026-09-11T02:09:32Z

FrankRahman:

K XL front ML

Kaypro 386

2026-09-02T20:25:30Z

FrankRahman: /* Marketing */

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 386.jpg|400px]]
|}
Look into the KAYPRO 386: one of the fastest, most advanced desktop computers on the market. From networking to computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM), the KAYPRO 386 delivers the goods, running most of today's business software two to three times faster than computers in the 286 class. Exceptional Speed.
Unparalleled Performance. Unrivaled Economy. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 386 Model E
{|
| Processor: || 80386 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/16 MHz clock Socket for 80387 math co-processor
|-
| Memory: || 2.5 MB 32-bit wide RAM
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive one 40 MB hard drive, 28ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|}

==AD==
[[File:Kaypro 386 ad.jpg|400px]]

==Marketing==
{|
|-
|
[[File:386 pc photo.jpg|400px]]
|}

==Models==
Press Release February 1, 1987 
{|
|-
! Model !! Price !! RAM !! Harddrive
|-
| A || $4,995 || 512KB || None
|-
| E || $6,295 || 1MB || 40MB
|-
| E(2) || $8,595 || 1MB || 130MB
|-
| N || $14,950 || 1MB || 240MB || Network Server
|-
| N(2) || $19,950 || 1MB || 330MB || Network Server
|}

In September 1987 Byte Magazine 
{|
|-
! Model !! Price !! RAM !! Harddrive
|-
| A || $4,495 || 512KB || None
|-
| E-40 || $5,795 || 2.5MB || 40MB
|-
| E-130 || $8,095 || 2.5MB || 130MB
|-
| N-240 || $14,450 || 2.5MB || 240MB || Network Server
|-
| N-330 || $19,450 || 2.5MB || 330MB || Network Server
|}

[[File:Kaypro 386 PROFILES Volume 5 Number 1 1987-08 Kaypro Corp US.jpg]] 
(Profiles, August 1987)

==News==
"... and the Fall COMDEX [Nov 10-14, 1986] show ... the new 80386 machines were the highlight at COMDEX. Six companies showed off new 386 based computers including Convergent, Kaypro and Zenith."
(Computer Chronicles, Ramdom Access File Segment, Nov 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro Corporation has reduced prices on the Kaypro 386 line of supermicros, the Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! complete desktop publishing systems, the Kaypro 16E, and the 162E.

Prices on the Kaypro 386 Models A and E have been reduced by $500. The Model A, with 512K of RAM and a 1.2 megabyte floppy disk drive, retails for $4,495. The Kaypro 386 models E-40 and E-130 sell for $5,795 and $8,095, respectively. The Kaypro 386 is available with either a 40 or 130 megabyte hard disk drive.
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

"Enhanced versions of Kaypro's Series 386 models A and E will now be offered with a 25-MHz processor. The Model A comes standard with 1 megabyte of RAM, MS-DOS 3.3, and GW Basic. It will sell for $4,525. The Model E comes with an additional 1 megabyte of RAM, a 40-megabyte hard drive, and Microsoft Windows/386 and has a suggested retail price of $5,995. Both systems are pending FCC approval and will begin shipping within 30 days, according to Joseph W. Marcello, vice president of sales." (InfoWorld, November 28, 1988)

<blockquote>
Despite dire warnings about shortages of the 80386 chip, most hardware vendors using that platform aren't complaining 
... 
The only vendor interviewed to acknowledge problems was Kaypro Corp. According to a spokeswoman, the company currently has an order backlog it can't fulfill because of the low supplies. 
(Computer Systems News Weekly, July 20, 1987)
</blockquote>

==Motherboard==
While I haven't seen an actual Kaypro 386 machine, I have the User Guide for one. I saw on [https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/intel-301-system-board-pba-451213-xxx The Retro Web] a reference to the Intel 301 motherboard also as the "KayPro/NLS 386 E". After close investigation of the jumper settings and slot descriptions referred to in the user guide and Profiles article above to the motherboard below it does appear to be the same board.

This is also alluded to in an article in PC Magazine from August 1987, "Inside the shell of the Kaypro 386, the oscillator of Intel's prefabricated 80386 system board" and "In Short: 386 PC built around Intel's motherboard and other standard off-the-shelf components"

It is specified in Byte Magazine "All three models of the Kaypro 386 use the same motherboard, the Intel iSBC 386 AT, which has a 16-MHz 80386 microprocessor and 512K bytes of 120nanosecond
RAM." ([[Media:Byte Magazine Sep 1987 Kaypro.pdf|Byte Magazine September 1987]])

<blockquote>
Andy Kay:That fall, Compaq got the jump on IBM by releasing a 386-based computer. 
Peter Ruber: As I recall, you had a 386 on the market early in 1987, using the Intel motherboard.
AK: We used the Intel motherboard because we had no choice. We couldn't get the chips, we didn't have the design. If you wanted to bring out a 386 computer in late 86 or early '87, you had to use the Intel motherboard. That allowed us to get to market quickly, and it gave us time to work on our own design. [He goes on to talk about developing a 386 plug-in board that I have never seen.] 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>
{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 386 Intel 301.jpg|400px]]
|}

==Documentation==
{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 386 Manual.pdf|Kaypro 386 Manual]] ||
[[File:Kaypro 386 UG Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

Intel documentation:
[[Media:Kaypro 386 motherboard iSBC 386AT User guide comp.pdf|iSBC 386AT User's Guide]]

File:Kaypro 386 ad.jpg

2026-09-02T20:24:59Z

FrankRahman:

Kaypro 386 ad

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-02T17:43:36Z

FrankRahman: /* Marketing info */

Model Number 81-037 or 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==AD==

[[File:Kaypro 286i ad.jpg|400px]]

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]] Motherboard
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]] Harddrive and Floppy Drive Controller (Hard Drive is replaced so this could be a replacement.)
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]] Serial and Parallel Port Card 81-622
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] A: Drive Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] B: Drive Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is labeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

File:Kaypro 286i ad.jpg

2026-09-02T17:43:17Z

FrankRahman:

Kaypro 286i ad

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-02T16:05:09Z

FrankRahman:

Model Number 81-037 or 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]] Motherboard
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]] Harddrive and Floppy Drive Controller (Hard Drive is replaced so this could be a replacement.)
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]] Serial and Parallel Port Card 81-622
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] A: Drive Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] B: Drive Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is labeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-02T16:04:22Z

FrankRahman:

Model Number 81-063 or 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]] Motherboard
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]] Harddrive and Floppy Drive Controller (Hard Drive is replaced so this could be a replacement.)
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]] Serial and Parallel Port Card 81-622
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] A: Drive Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] B: Drive Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is labeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-02T16:02:56Z

FrankRahman: /* Kaypro 286i C #417311 */

Model Number 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]] Motherboard
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]] Harddrive and Floppy Drive Controller (Hard Drive is replaced so this could be a replacement.)
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]] Serial and Parallel Port Card 81-622
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] A: Drive Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] B: Drive Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is labeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-02T15:58:47Z

FrankRahman: /* 286i Motherboard */

Model Number 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is labeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

Kaypro 286i

2026-09-02T15:54:08Z

FrankRahman: /* Example 286i Machines */

Model Number 81-074

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i.jpg|400px]]
|}
The KAYPRO 286 - the first IBM PC/AT compatible
computer — delivers exceptional speed, remarkable memory, and a list of standard features even IBM can't match. The ideal choice for growing businesses that have outgrown the PC standard. Look to Kaypro for quality and innovation second to none. 
Standard Specifications KAYPRO 286i Model C:
{|
| Processor: || 80286 microprocessor Keyboard-selectable 8/10/16 MHz clock Socket for 80287 math cco-processor
|-
| Video/Display: || Multivideo graphics adapter, EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules compatible on most monitors; 12-inch monochrome monitor
|-
| Memory: || 1 MB expandable to 8MB on CPU board
|-
| Disk Storage: || One 1.2 MB disk drive One 40 MB hard drive, 35ms average access time
|-
| Ports: || AT-compatible serial and parallel
|-
| Expansion: || Eight slots, six available for user options
|-
| Keyboard: || Enhanced 101-style keyboard
|-
| 
|-
| BIOS: || Award
|}

==Development==
<blockquote>
Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor it was a gun-metal gray large desktop computer and a clone of the IBM PC AT – the first one in the United States. When I first got to Profiles, I got a Kaypro 286i because I needed it for evaluations. And people were angry with me. There were far more senior people who didn't have a Kaypro 286i sitting on their desk. I had a coprocessor, I had a Hercules graphics card. The head of sales would come by and just give me a dirty look.

I also had it because I had to speak to Jerry Pournelle, to whom Kaypro had given a 286i. He was a renowned science fiction writer who with Larry Niven. He co-wrote ''Lucifer's Hammer''. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine which is why he was on my radar and why we gave him a 286i.

As to how we offered the first PC AT-compatible, what I understood was that Andy had written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan -- I mean a GIANT check -- so that we would have an exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but no sales were going to stop the downward spiral. The 286i’s successor, the Kaypro 386, came in the last year that I was there. 
([[Interview with Marshall Mosley]])
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Technology was moving very swiftly now. As soon as we got our XT system out the door, IBM upped the ante by releasing the 286AT. This time, however, we planned a little better, and we had an AT on the market six months after IBM released theirs. That was in late spring of 1986, I think. We were the first one to do so, and that helped us. But we had to go to the banks to help finance the engineering and the initial manufacturing. 
(Computer Shopper, August 1989)
</blockquote>

==Marketing info==
{|
|-
| [[File:286I infoworld March 4 85.png]]
Info World March 4, 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i in tent.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:286I creative computing July 85.png]] 
Creative Computing July 1985
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro 286i with 286I screenprint.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Western horse mag 286i.jpg]]
|}

Note: While the marketing shows a black case the versions of the machine we see in the market are white/beige.

==News==
<blockquote>
The Kaypro Corporation plans to introduce a new computer today that is compatible with the PC-AT computer being sold by the International Business Machines Corporation.

The computer is likely to be the first of several AT-compatible machines coming out this year. It could provide a boost for Kaypro, which has seen sales of its main product, a low- priced portable computer, dwindle. ...

The new AT-compatible machine, which will not be portable, will sell for $4,550. It has 512,000 characters of internal memory and two floppy disk drives capable of storing 1.2 million characters of information each.

An I.B.M. machine with the same features lists for $5,785, according to David Kay, Kaypro's vice president of marketing and new product development. The new machine will be called the Kaypro 286i, after the Intel Corporation's 80286 microprocessor, which is used in the Kaypro product.

But the new marketing strategy has risks. It is not quite clear that the AT, which was introduced by I.B.M. last August and can be used by several people at the same time, will be as successful as I.B.M.'s less powerful but less expensive original PC. That could mean the market for compatible machines will be smaller.

Moreover, selling I.B.M. clones and competing on price is dangerous, because I.B.M. has huge economies of scale. Some manufacturers of I.B.M.-compatible personal computers have already gone out of business. 
(New York Times, February 25, 1985)
</blockquote>

"Kaypro's new 286i model, named to suggest the jazziness of a BMW sports car at a "Volkswagen price," is based on the same 80286 microprocessor that drives the AT. Kaypro hopes to offer the 286i for $4,550, or $1,000 less than the stripped down AT, including two drives to the basic AT's one and 512K of random access memory to the basic AT's 256K." 
(New York Times, March 12, 1985)

"Kaypro Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., said it had introduced a special, slimmed-down version of its 286i I.B.M. AT-compatible desktop computer, retailing for $2,995." 
(New York Times, May 9, 1985)

"Kaypro now has four variations of the high-performance 286i, an IBM PC AT work-alike. The "A" model comes with 512K of RAM and a single 1.2-megabyte drive. The "B" version adds a second high-density drive and the software bundle. The 286i-C has 640K of RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk and one high-density floppy drive but no software. The top-of-the-line 286i-D has 640K of RAM , one highdensity drive, a streaming tape drive for hard disk backup and the software bundle." 
(Profiles, January 1986)

"The Kaypro 286i Model C uses its enhanced speed to process 30 MB of data from its new hard drive, a 50% increase in storage capacity over the original 20 MB Model C. Model A now retails for $2495, while the Model C has been reduced to $3995!" 
(Kugram Jul-Aug 1986)

<blockquote>
Kaypro-engineeered enhancements include upgrades in both processing speed and random access memory. Both models A and C will now come standard with a 10 MHz clock, allowing the user to sort a database, copy files and sickettes or correct document errors in less time than ever. Both models will also come with 640 KB of RAM, standard.

The price of the KAYPRO 286i Model A has been reduced to $1995, while the new price of the KAYPRO 286i Model C will be reduced to $2995, a $1000 reduction over the previous model.

The KAYPRO 286i Model A features a single disk drive unit of storage capacity 1.2 million bytes per floppy disk. Standard with the KAYPRO 286i Model C is the same large-capacity floppy disk drive plus a hard drive with 30 million bytes of storage. 
("Kaypro Enhances AT-compatible, Reduces Price" Press Release, February 1, 1987)
</blockquote>

===EXTRA! EXTRA!===

<blockquote>
Kaypro unveiled its EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system at the Kaypro Cup Tradeshow in San Diego on February 16. EXTRA! EXTRA! has all the tools needed to prepare newsletters, press releases, brochures and professional presentations.

EXTRA! EXTRA!, the market's first complete turnkey desktop publishing system, contains all necessary components from one manufacturer - computer, printer, software programs - into a single, integrated system. Because it is menu driven, EXTRA! EXTRA! is easy to use.

For the low price of $8495, EXTRA! EXTRA! includes the KAYPRO 286i Model C with 640KB RAM and 40 MB hard drive, EGA graphics adapter, high resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 DPI KAYPRO PAGE PRINTER II, HP "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, and all interface cabling. EXTRA! EXTRA! which Kaypro expects to ship by April 1, also include a mouse with paint software, Ventura Desktop Publishing Software, WordStar 4.0, form generation software, MS-DOS 3.2, GW BASIC, MailMerge and CorrectStar. A digital image scanner/OCR reader will also be available from Kaypro.

Desktop publishing gives users the creativity and control to generate documents, circumventing conventional typesetting and graphics services. EXTRA! EXTRA! can combine text directly from several word processors and graphics from LOTUS 1,2,3 AUTO CAD, GEM, scanned photographs, all ASCII files, and self-generated art into high quality documents for master reproduction. EXTRA! EXTRA! requires no prior computer or publishing experience and can save companies thousands of dollars in the first months of ownership.

EXTRA! EXTRA! provides customers with the extensive system compatibility and reliability found in all Kaypro products. Each system is backed by factory hardware and software support, exceptional warranties and extended service plans, as well as quality dealer support and training.

Kaypro will provide an extensive desktop publishing training program for dealers and end users, similar to training sessions offered for the KAYPRO PC NETWORK. 
("Kaypro Introduces Complete Desktop Publishing System" Press Release, February 16, 1987?)
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The Kaypro EXTRA! EXTRA! desktop publishing system is now available in eight different configurations (see chart below for details). The basic system, available for $7,498, includes the Kaypro 286i Model C with 640K of RAM and 40 megabyte hard drive, EGA video card, high-resolution monochrome monitor, the 300 dpi Kaypro Page Printer II with Hewlett-Packard "B" fonts, an assortment of downloadable fonts, a mouse, and all interface cabling. ...

Two upgrades are also available through Kaypro. The first, which retails for $1,549, includes software (Ventura Publisher, version 1.1, GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, and GEM Draw+), and a mouse. The second upgrade, available for $4,544, includes the software, a mouse, and a laser printer.

[[File:Profiles Sept 87 prices 286i pc-30.png|400px]]
 
(Profiles, September 1987)
</blockquote>

== Example 286i Machines ==
{|
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 1.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:286i Case 2.jpg]]
||
[[File:286i Badge 12 MHz.jpg]] 
Assuming this is the second version since the original was to have a 6MHz processor.
|}

{|
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays front.jpg]]
||
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays side.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:Kaypro-286i-12mhz-double bays.jpg]]
|| Machine posted on Reddit
|}

===Kaypro 286i C #417311===
This machine was purchased with a box. The box's serial number was #417301 so it is not the box this machine came in but was likely in the same shipment. It had been used by a professor in the Kansas City area. Numerous cards and monitor appear to be upgrades after the fact.
{|
|-
|
[[File:417311 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 Label.jpg]]
||
[[File:417301 Tag.jpg]] The tag on the box is for another machine 10 serial numbers off.
|-
|
[[File:417311 MB.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 HD FD Control.jpg]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 81-623 front.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417311 81-623 back.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg]] Possibly the original drive.
||
[[File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg]] Machine likely did not come with any B: drive.
|-
|
[[File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg]] Possibly original mouse card?
||
[[File:417311 Vid Card.jpg]] Unlikely to be the original video card.
|-
|
[[File:417311 mouse top.jpg|400px]] 
Possible original?
||
[[File:417311 mouse bottom.jpg|400px]]
|-
|
[[File:417311 bios screen.jpg|400px]]
||
[[File:417301 box.jpg|400px]]

|}

==286i Motherboard==

{|
|-
|
[[File:286i motherboard.jpg|400px]]
|}

I have a spare motherboard (MBN6575) and a working machine #417311 (MBN14302). Both are Assy. No. 81-621.

Both MBN6575 and MBN14302 have pin1 lifted and bodged to pin 7 on U53.

On MBN6575 U47 is lebeled 18-1524 (Likely flipped digit from 81-1524).

On MBN14302 U47 is marked "H" and U27 is "L" both have Mitsubishi foil over the windows.

On both boards the U118 are 81-690A.

MBN6575 is missing U63 and the 286 processor.

MBN14302 has the 287 math co-processor installed.

U119 pin 19 and U92 pin 6 have a bodge wire on MBN6575 and MBN14302.

MBN14302 has a bodge wire from the via under U58 to Pins 1&2 on U134. Bodge wire on Pin 3 on U134 runs to B20 (CLK) on J4 with a 22 Ohm resistor. (Continuity test on MBN6575 do not show a connection.) (J4 was not being used when I received the machine.)

==Manual==

{|
|-
| [[Media:Kaypro 286i manual.pdf|Kaypro 286i Manual]]
||
[[File:Kaypro 286i Manual Cover.jpg|200px]]
|}

File:417311 Vid Card.jpg

2026-09-02T15:52:34Z

FrankRahman:

417311 Vid Card

File:417311 Mouse Card.jpg

2026-09-02T15:51:42Z

FrankRahman:

417311 Mouse Card

File:417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A.jpg

2026-09-02T15:50:25Z

FrankRahman:

417311 360 FD ND-04DT-A

File:417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B.jpg

2026-09-02T15:49:34Z

FrankRahman:

417311 1.2 FD Mitsubishi MF504B

File:417311 81-623 back.jpg

2026-09-02T15:48:51Z

FrankRahman:

417311 81-623 back

File:417311 81-623 front.jpg

2026-09-02T15:48:18Z

FrankRahman:

417311 81-623 front