Interview with Marshall Mosley - Revision history

FrankRahman: /* Kaypro 286i */

2025-07-22T00:36:47Z

Kaypro 286i

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:36, 22 July 2025
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	Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor. It was 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.		Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor. It was 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.		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 wrote 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.		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.

FrankRahman: /* Grandpa Kay */

2025-07-21T13:51:38Z

Grandpa Kay

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:51, 21 July 2025
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	===Grandpa Kay===		===Grandpa Kay===
	On level four you had Grandpa Kay's workshop. He was nine million years old and at any other company he would ~~have been~~ not have been given the keys to drive anything, but at Kaypro he was given a forklift. And those electric forklifts would get up to about 20 miles an hour. He was a real hazard. What you would hear is the tires on the cement and usually at the same time him shouting at you in Polish to get out of the way – and you had better jump out of the way because he wasn’t stopping.		On level four you had Grandpa Kay's workshop. He was nine million years old and at any other company he would not have been given the keys to drive anything, but at Kaypro he was given a forklift. And those electric forklifts would get up to about 20 miles an hour. He was a real hazard. What you would hear is the tires on the cement and usually at the same time him shouting at you in Polish to get out of the way – and you had better jump out of the way because he wasn’t stopping.

	David would have to handle it when people would complain "He almost killed me" and "What kind of place are you running here?" David would try to handle it professionally which he did. But at the same time he answered to his father and his family, and doing anything about it was a non-starter.		David would have to handle it when people would complain "He almost killed me" and "What kind of place are you running here?" David would try to handle it professionally which he did. But at the same time he answered to his father and his family, and doing anything about it was a non-starter.

FrankRahman: /* Some parts names and the "little sticker" */

2025-07-20T16:14:05Z

Some parts names and the "little sticker"

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:14, 20 July 2025
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	===Some parts names and the "little sticker"===		===Some parts names and the "little sticker"===
	You had hoods and chassis. The hoods were the three-sided sort of thing that went over that had Kaypro painted on the side. Then the chassis was the the base with the vertical face in the front with the gap for the CRT and then the back with the gaps for the DB9 and the RS232 with a little sticker, there's always a little sticker on the back for assembly line ~~so it would be like there~~ would be a one or a two or a three and you would know which assembly line ~~did~~ it, ~~because~~ when it came back to repair, they ~~wanted to~~ know which group ~~was~~ more frequent~~, who~~ was building things poorly.		You had hoods and chassis. The hoods were the three-sided sort of thing that went over that had Kaypro painted on the side. Then the chassis was the the base with the vertical face in the front with the gap for the CRT and then the back with the gaps for the DB9 and the RS232 with a little sticker, there's always a little sticker on the back for the assembly line. It would be a one or a two or a three [up to 6] and you would know which assembly line assembled it, so that when it came back to repair, they would know which group had more frequent problems. Who was building things poorly.

	===Kaycomp machines on Campus===		===Kaycomp machines on Campus===

FrankRahman: /* Kaypro 286i */

2025-07-20T15:43:02Z

Kaypro 286i

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:43, 20 July 2025
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	===Kaypro 286i===		===Kaypro 286i===
	Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor. ~~Mine~~ 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.		Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor. It was 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.		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.

FrankRahman: /* Kaypro 286i */

2025-07-20T15:41:29Z

Kaypro 286i

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:41, 20 July 2025
Line 122:		Line 122:

	===Kaypro 286i===		===Kaypro 286i===
	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.		Then they did the Kaypro 286i. Based on the Intel 80286 processor. Mine 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.		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.

FrankRahman: Edits requested from Marshall

2025-07-20T14:23:23Z

Edits requested from Marshall

Show changes

FrankRahman: /* Kaypro 286i */

2025-07-20T00:34:29Z

Kaypro 286i

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:34, 20 July 2025
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	Kaypro had given the 286i to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pournelle Jerry Pournelle]. He wrote science fiction books with Larry Niven. He co-wrote Lucifer's Hammer. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine. We gave him a 286i, which was the only compatible for the PC-AT at the time. Because the AT was the 80286 processor.		Kaypro had given the 286i to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pournelle Jerry Pournelle]. He wrote science fiction books with Larry Niven. He co-wrote Lucifer's Hammer. He was also a columnist for Byte Magazine. We gave him a 286i, which was the only compatible for the PC-AT at the time. Because the AT was the 80286 processor.

	What I understood was that Andy had just written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan, I mean a giant check, so that we would have exclusive license to it for a year. They had illegally duplicated the IBM PC-AT.		What I understood was that Andy had just written a giant check to some manufacturer in Taiwan, I mean a giant check, so that we would have exclusive license to it for a year. They [the Taiwanese company] had illegally duplicated the IBM PC-AT.

	The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but none of it was going to stop the downward spiral. The Kaypro 386 came in like the last year that I was there.		The 286i sold more and better than the Kaypro 16. The Kaypro 16 was an 8088, but none of it was going to stop the downward spiral. The Kaypro 386 came in like the last year that I was there.

FrankRahman: /* Tandem Drive Problems */

2025-07-20T00:10:50Z

Tandem Drive Problems

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 20 July 2025
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	If you went to the Ford Motor Company and they had the official Ford Motor Company museum, they'd have the Model T as the first one. That was the Kaycomp.		If you went to the Ford Motor Company and they had the official Ford Motor Company museum, they'd have the Model T as the first one. That was the Kaycomp.

	===~~Tandem~~ Drive Problems===		===Tandon Drive Problems===
	The ~~Tandem~~ [disk] drives suck. Excuse my language. But 40 years later, the amount of pain they caused still reverberates. They were not well-made. The guys in support spent a lot of time with dealers, like a technician in Boise, explaining how to adjust the armature. And that was not their skill set. They were there mainly for how to use WordStar, how to use Perfect Filer.		The Tandon [disk] drives suck. Excuse my language. But 40 years later, the amount of pain they caused still reverberates. They were not well-made. The guys in support spent a lot of time with dealers, like a technician in Boise, explaining how to adjust the armature. And that was not their skill set. They were there mainly for how to use WordStar, how to use Perfect Filer.

	===Profiles Q&A Column===		===Profiles Q&A Column===

FrankRahman at 17:03, 19 July 2025

2025-07-19T17:03:25Z

Show changes

FrankRahman: /* Famous writers from Profiles */

2025-07-19T15:42:45Z

Famous writers from Profiles

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:42, 19 July 2025
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	===Famous writers from Profiles===		===Famous writers from Profiles===
	Profiles was this weird intersection. Don't know why it happened, but a lot of later famous writers wrote there. David Gerrold was established before he wrote for profiles [Profiles, July 1984]. He wrote the screenplay for Trouble with Tribbles, for the original Star Trek. He wrote [the novel] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Folded_Himself The Man Who Folded Himself]. He wrote the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Against_the_Chtorr Chtorr] series.		Profiles was this weird intersection. Don't know why it happened, but a lot of later famous writers wrote there.

			David Gerrold was established before he wrote for profiles [Profiles, July 1984]. He wrote the screenplay for Trouble with Tribbles, for the original Star Trek. He wrote [the novel] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Folded_Himself The Man Who Folded Himself]. He wrote the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Against_the_Chtorr Chtorr] series.

	[https://www.sfwriter.com/about.htm Robert J. Sawyer], at the time, wrote for us.		[https://www.sfwriter.com/about.htm Robert J. Sawyer], at the time, wrote for us.

	Jack Nimershine. Ted Chiang. He wrote The Story of Your Life, and it was made into that movie [Arrival], with [Amy Adams].		Jack Nimershine.

			Ted Chiang. He wrote The Story of Your Life, and it was made into that movie [Arrival], with [Amy Adams].

	===Marshall getting hired at Kaypro===		===Marshall getting hired at Kaypro===