Robie (81-012 & 81-013) - Revision history

FrankRahman: /* News (81-012) */

2026-01-07T11:25:24Z

News (81-012)

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:25, 7 January 2026
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	===News (81-012)===		===News (81-012)===
	"Other new products in the works include a ~~desk-top~~ model, code named "Roby". It will have two disk drives and be similar to the Kaypro II but will have a smaller footprint on the desk and look more like a small TV set." Note that Roby is how it was spelled in the article.<br>		"Other new products in the works include a desktop model, code named "Roby". It will have two disk drives and be similar to the Kaypro II but will have a smaller footprint on the desk and look more like a small TV set." Note that Roby is how it was spelled in the article.<br>
	(CommuniKay, June 1983)		(CommuniKay, June 1983)

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	The Robie is still in the prototype phase and remains open to changes. These could include color selection, keyboard design, and other modifications. The first production run is scheduled at 2,000 units; availability to dealers is expected in the spring of '84. The suggested retail price for this new workstation is around $2295.00.<br>		The Robie is still in the prototype phase and remains open to changes. These could include color selection, keyboard design, and other modifications. The first production run is scheduled at 2,000 units; availability to dealers is expected in the spring of '84. The suggested retail price for this new workstation is around $2295.00.<br>
	(ComminiKay, Nov/Dec 1983)</blockquote>		(ComminiKay, Nov/Dec 1983)</blockquote>


	==81-013==		==81-013==

FrankRahman: /* Production Images */

2026-01-06T16:07:42Z

Production Images

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:07, 6 January 2026
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	\| [[File:Kaypro Robie.jpg]] \|\|		\| [[File:Kaypro Robie.jpg]] \|\|
	[[File:Kaypro Robie screenshot from movie.jpg]]		[[File:Kaypro Robie screenshot from movie.jpg]]
			\|}

			{\|
			\|-
			\|
			[[File:Robie 81-012 label small.jpg\|400px]]
			\|\|
			Thank you Thomas Brase for this image
	\|}		\|}

FrankRahman: /* 81-013 */

2026-01-06T15:28:27Z

81-013

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:28, 6 January 2026
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	==81-013==		==81-013==

			===Images===
	{\|		{\|
	\|-		\|-
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	"Kaypro produced less than 500 of the tardy, touchy Robies before taking a staggering $3-million writedown on the machines."		"Kaypro produced less than 500 of the tardy, touchy Robies before taking a staggering $3-million writedown on the machines."
	(The Executive (Southern California), August 1987, pg 21)		(The Executive (Southern California), August 1987, pg 21)


	==Stories==		==Stories==

FrankRahman: /* Stories */

2026-01-06T15:27:20Z

Stories

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:27, 6 January 2026
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	I remember the Robie from a shop I worked at (WordMovers - Lawndale, Ca) while in school. Time frame was right about 1984, it had two high density 5.25 inch drives - I believe somewhere in the vicinity of 2 megs per drive w/ specially formatted floppies (supposedly available from your KayPro dealer). From what I remember, the Robie did not sell well at all (I never saw one move from the store that sold a high volume of Kaypro products). The only sound was a beep emanating from the keyboard. The Robie made a great paperweight.<br>		I remember the Robie from a shop I worked at (WordMovers - Lawndale, Ca) while in school. Time frame was right about 1984, it had two high density 5.25 inch drives - I believe somewhere in the vicinity of 2 megs per drive w/ specially formatted floppies (supposedly available from your KayPro dealer). From what I remember, the Robie did not sell well at all (I never saw one move from the store that sold a high volume of Kaypro products). The only sound was a beep emanating from the keyboard. The Robie made a great paperweight.<br>
	[https://web.archive.org/web/20230202173901/https://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?st=1&c=278 www.old-computers.com archived]		[https://web.archive.org/web/20230202173901/https://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?st=1&c=278 www.old-computers.com archived]
			</blockquote>

	==Special Notes==		==Special Notes==

FrankRahman: /* Stories */

2026-01-06T15:26:18Z

Stories

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:26, 6 January 2026
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	From an archive of the old-computers.com that appears to no longer exist:		From an archive of the old-computers.com that appears to no longer exist:
	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
	Michael Robinson reports:		'''Michael Robinson reports''':<br>
	I worked at Kaypro at the time. The big shortcoming of the Robie was the too-advanced (at the time) high-density drives. The drives would literally eat through very expensive pre-formatted proprietary floppy disks. After a long enough time in the drive, you could hold a floppy up to the light, and see through the directory track where the drive heads had scraped all the oxide off the mylar substrate. Eventually, this was tracked down to a manufacturing defect that left diamond dust on the heads during the polishing step, but by then the Robie was more or less doomed.<br>		I worked at Kaypro at the time. The big shortcoming of the Robie was the too-advanced (at the time) high-density drives. The drives would literally eat through very expensive pre-formatted proprietary floppy disks. After a long enough time in the drive, you could hold a floppy up to the light, and see through the directory track where the drive heads had scraped all the oxide off the mylar substrate. Eventually, this was tracked down to a manufacturing defect that left diamond dust on the heads during the polishing step, but by then the Robie was more or less doomed.<br>
	The industrial design on the Robie was done by Janice Kay (one of the Kay clan), the architect (of sorts) who also designed the Kaypro lobby.		The industrial design on the Robie was done by Janice Kay (one of the Kay clan), the architect (of sorts) who also designed the Kaypro lobby.

	Dave Domanski adds:		'''Dave Domanski adds''':<br>
	Robie was definitely commercially available. I had it for sale in my computer store (Matrix Computers in Dearborn, Michiga) in the early 80s, seems to me it was prior to 1984 but perhaps that is about right.<br>		Robie was definitely commercially available. I had it for sale in my computer store (Matrix Computers in Dearborn, Michiga) in the early 80s, seems to me it was prior to 1984 but perhaps that is about right.<br>
	An ill-advised attempt by Non-Linear Systems (nee Kaypro) to broaden into the desktop market, Robie was the only not-specifically-portable Kaypro, but like the others it ran CP/M on a Z80 family processor. This was, of course, at a time when IBM's PC and MS-DOS were steadily crushing all else before them.<br>		An ill-advised attempt by Non-Linear Systems (nee Kaypro) to broaden into the desktop market, Robie was the only not-specifically-portable Kaypro, but like the others it ran CP/M on a Z80 family processor. This was, of course, at a time when IBM's PC and MS-DOS were steadily crushing all else before them.<br>
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	It never sold well anywhere near as well as the portable Kaypros, I think mostly due to its freakish appearance.		It never sold well anywhere near as well as the portable Kaypros, I think mostly due to its freakish appearance.

	Allen Cobb's memories:		'''Allen Cobb's memories''':<br>
	I remember the Robie from a shop I worked at (WordMovers - Lawndale, Ca) while in school. Time frame was right about 1984, it had two high density 5.25 inch drives - I believe somewhere in the vicinity of 2 megs per drive w/ specially formatted floppies (supposedly available from your KayPro dealer). From what I remember, the Robie did not sell well at all (I never saw one move from the store that sold a high volume of Kaypro products). The only sound was a beep emanating from the keyboard. The Robie made a great paperweight.<br>		I remember the Robie from a shop I worked at (WordMovers - Lawndale, Ca) while in school. Time frame was right about 1984, it had two high density 5.25 inch drives - I believe somewhere in the vicinity of 2 megs per drive w/ specially formatted floppies (supposedly available from your KayPro dealer). From what I remember, the Robie did not sell well at all (I never saw one move from the store that sold a high volume of Kaypro products). The only sound was a beep emanating from the keyboard. The Robie made a great paperweight.<br>
	[https://web.archive.org/web/20230202173901/https://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?st=1&c=278 www.old-computers.com archived]		[https://web.archive.org/web/20230202173901/https://www.old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?st=1&c=278 www.old-computers.com archived]

FrankRahman: /* Story */

2026-01-06T15:24:24Z

Story

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-==Story==
+==Stories==
 Here is an excerpt of an anexdotal story from Mark Milliorn about selling a Robie to a customer.
 <blockquote>
@@ Line 129: / Line 129: @@
 For the full posting see:[https://markmilliorn.blogspot.com/2013/09/they-shoot-magpies-dont-they.html They Shoot Magpies]
 </blockquote>
 ==Special Notes==

FrankRahman at 15:10, 6 January 2026

2026-01-06T15:10:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:10, 6 January 2026
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	Kaypro plans to make approximately 1000 Robies by the end of the year, but a positive response at COMDEX could increase production. Although the exact price hasn't been established, Kay says the Robie will cost under $2000 and will be in the stores by the end of the year.<br>		Kaypro plans to make approximately 1000 Robies by the end of the year, but a positive response at COMDEX could increase production. Although the exact price hasn't been established, Kay says the Robie will cost under $2000 and will be in the stores by the end of the year.<br>
	(Daniel Janal, Unknown source from news clipping in David Kay's collection.		(Daniel Janal, Unknown source - from news clipping in David Kay's collection.)
	</blockquote>		</blockquote>

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	(ComminiKay, Nov/Dec 1983)</blockquote>		(ComminiKay, Nov/Dec 1983)</blockquote>

	~~"Kaypro produced less than 500 of the tardy, touchy Robies before taking a staggering $3-million writedown on the machines."~~
	~~(The Executive (Southern California), August 1987, pg 21)~~

	==81-013==		==81-013==
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	\|}		\|}

	===News===		===News (81-013)===
	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
	NEW ROBIE		NEW ROBIE
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	Software included with the Robie is the same as for the 2X, plus Kaypro's Master Menu program. MasMenu is a menu-driven front end for CP/M that lets you operate the computer without regard to what programs are in which user areas. MasMenu already knows what is in each user area, so all you need to do is select a program from the menu on your screen."<br>		Software included with the Robie is the same as for the 2X, plus Kaypro's Master Menu program. MasMenu is a menu-driven front end for CP/M that lets you operate the computer without regard to what programs are in which user areas. MasMenu already knows what is in each user area, so all you need to do is select a program from the menu on your screen."<br>
	(Profiles, January 1986)		(Profiles, January 1986)

			"Kaypro produced less than 500 of the tardy, touchy Robies before taking a staggering $3-million writedown on the machines."
			(The Executive (Southern California), August 1987, pg 21)


	==Story==		==Story==

FrankRahman: /* News */

2026-01-06T15:07:52Z

News

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:07, 6 January 2026
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	\|}		\|}

	===News===		===News (81-012)===
	"Other new products in the works include a desk-top model, code named "Roby". It will have two disk drives and be similar to the Kaypro II but will have a smaller footprint on the desk and look more like a small TV set." Note that Roby is how it was spelled in the article.<br>		"Other new products in the works include a desk-top model, code named "Roby". It will have two disk drives and be similar to the Kaypro II but will have a smaller footprint on the desk and look more like a small TV set." Note that Roby is how it was spelled in the article.<br>
	(CommuniKay, June 1983)		(CommuniKay, June 1983)

FrankRahman: /* 81-013 */

2026-01-06T15:07:11Z

81-013

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:07, 6 January 2026
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	\|		\|
	[[File:Robie front.jpg\|400px]]		[[File:Robie front.jpg\|400px]]
	\|\| This is another version of the Robie. The Badging is lower on the case and the drive section is seperated by an recess rather than a narrowing like the other design. They both are featured with the DriveTEC drives. ~~'''Model 81-013'''~~		\|\| This is another version of the Robie. The Badging is lower on the case and the drive section is seperated by an recess rather than a narrowing like the other design. They both are featured with the DriveTEC drives.
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	[[File:Robie in offce.jpg\|400px]]		[[File:Robie in offce.jpg\|400px]]
	\|}		\|}

	===~~81-013~~ News===		===News===
	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
	NEW ROBIE		NEW ROBIE

FrankRahman: /* 81-012 */

2026-01-06T15:05:54Z

81-012

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:05, 6 January 2026
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	==81-012==		==81-012==
			===Prototype Image===
	{\|		{\|
	\|-
	~~\| [[File:Kaypro Robie.jpg]] \|\|~~
	~~[[File:Kaypro Robie screenshot from movie.jpg]]~~
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
	[[File:Kaypro Robie Prototype.jpg]]		[[File:Kaypro Robie Prototype.jpg]]
	\|\| Robie Prototype<br>Note that the case is white and that the keyboard case looks more like the the other CPM Kaypro keyboards (The top of the case is inset within the base).		\|\| Robie Prototype<br>Note that the case is white and that the keyboard case looks more like the the other CPM Kaypro keyboards (The top of the case is inset within the base).
			\|}
			===Production Images===
			{\|
			\|-
			\| [[File:Kaypro Robie.jpg]] \|\|
			[[File:Kaypro Robie screenshot from movie.jpg]]
	\|}		\|}

	===~~81-012~~ News===		===News===
	"Other new products in the works include a desk-top model, code named "Roby". It will have two disk drives and be similar to the Kaypro II but will have a smaller footprint on the desk and look more like a small TV set." Note that Roby is how it was spelled in the article.<br>		"Other new products in the works include a desk-top model, code named "Roby". It will have two disk drives and be similar to the Kaypro II but will have a smaller footprint on the desk and look more like a small TV set." Note that Roby is how it was spelled in the article.<br>
	(CommuniKay, June 1983)		(CommuniKay, June 1983)