An old computer you always wanted.

Strangely the computer I always wanted and never got was the Heathkit Analog computer.

I mainly wanted one to learn how analog computers work.  Fortunately I learned over time without one.  Still, it would have been fun to have one to play around with.

Nice, that looks like it would have been a lot of fun!

I love non-digital, mechanical and quasi-digital computers. The IBM 1401 though not analog, was a quasi-digital computer. I started on an emulator for it last year whilst living in a motel. 

I always wished for an Acorn. RISC technology was so much more advanced than Intel's xx86 infrastructure.

It was like the race to conquer the video market, the better system Betacam lost to VHS in market dominance.

As did Acorn!

Those were days when connecting to a Bulletin Board with a 300 baud acoustic coupler was "high tech".

Not the one I always wanted, but my first computer 🙂 Motorola MEK6800D2. I had lots of fun with it and deployed one at an electric power plant, to

monitor and control a hydro generator. 

No sure if I attached a pic or 3 of the same. Oh well, here goes...

Ok so 3 times. Sorry...

Posted by: NewburyPi

 I had lots of fun with it and deployed one at an electric power plant, to monitor and control a hydro generator. 

That's the interesting part.  Those hobby development computers back then were actually being put to some serious use in industry.     And then were so much fun to program using JBUG etc.   The good old days.

Here's Kaypro computer that I wanted early on but couldn't afford it.   I actually have one now.  It's up in the attack.  I'll have to dig it out and see if I can get it to boot up.  Although with 5 inch floppys I'm not so sure it will work.  I don't recall if the Kaypro has any kind of ROM operating system.

In any case, here's a picture of one from the Internet.

I did work on the Kaypro for a waterworks package I did.

I just did some quick research.  I found this on Oldcomputers.net

Kaypro II Computer

Apparently it was $1595 brand new.  That was a lot of money back then!

I got mine for $25 ? That's when they were considered to be total obsolete garbage.

But now I just did  a search on eBay and they are being listed for $400 to $500 as "Vintage Computers".

I guess it's time to dig it out of the attic and list it on eBay.

The stats say that it has a Z80 CPU @ 2.5 MHz   That's actually pretty fast for the Z80.   I think my TRS-80 Model 1  only ran about at about 1.5 MHz.

It also says that it has SBASIC.  I wonder if that's on a ROM chip on the board.  If it is that would be cool.  If it runs I could write a basic program on it even if the disk drives aren't yet working.   Of course, without the disks I wouldn't be able to save the program.  But at least I could see the thing working.

It's buried in my attic.  I'm not going to dig it out today.  There are some other antique computers up there too.   When I do dig them all out and post pics of them.

$500 on eBay?  Yep, I might be parting with that old Kaypo pretty soon here.   Maybe use the cash to buy a Jeston Nano and a Lidar unit?  Whadda think?

If I remember correctly, S-Basic was a Basic compiler they offered but was on a disk. It was for their CP/M. I never used it.

Does yours work ok? I always do an Advanced search and look for sold items to see what the real go fo price is.

Scott

Posted by: jscottbee

Does yours work ok?

I have no clue.  It worked perfectly when put up in the attic.  But it's been up there for decades so it's hard to say what condition it might be in.  I don't even know how well it was boxed up or whether there were any disks left in the drives.   It would take quite a it to dig it out.   My attic is a nightmare.   But everything up there needs to come out because I'm hoping to put a new roof on the cottage possibly by fall.  I'm cutting lumber for the new roof as we speak.  I just came in from putting a log on the sawmill.

As I say, I think there are several other antique computers up there as well.   I'm half-tempted to go up right now and just see if I can find the Kaypro since we're talking about it.  If I could find it quickly and it's not too deeply buried underneath other junk I might be able to grab it.   As I say, I've got to start cleaning that attic out eventually.  Better to do it one piece at a time because I don't have the energy to try to clean the whole place out in one fell swoop.

I built a base board for my Me Arm today and was planning on messing around with that tonight.  I'm getting ready to make dinner right now, but since I checked this post first, maybe I could take a quick  peek in the attic.  I have to wear a respirator up there because there's a thick layer of dust on everything.

I'll go check it out.  If I'm not back in 15 minutes call the attic recuse squad. ? 

I found it!   It wasn't even in a box.  It was just in the leather carrying case it came with.   I also saw a Franklin Ace 1000, a Commodore computer, a Compaq 286 portable, and a Heathkit computer up there. 

In any case here's some quick photos of the Kaypro.  Apparently this is a Kaypro 16.  It only has one floppy drive and the drive has the original cardboard in it that came with the computer to protect the drive head.

No disks, no manual.  Although they might be up there in another box somewhere.

I took these pictures outside and the sun is going down so not the best.

The leather case.

That was the Kaypro IBM compatible. Looks like it has an old Winchester drive in it! 

Tomorrow I'll take the cover off and clean it up a bit.  I always like to blow old electronic equipment out with a blast of air to get rid of cobwebs, dust, and dead bugs.  Then I'll turn it on and see what happens.  Should I expect to see something on the screen?  Surely it has some amount of ROM in it that does something.   If it fires up I'll go back up in the attic and see if I can find any disks for it.

That's where I'd go. I like antiques, but the Jetson Nano has great potential make a long term name for itself. 

Posted by: NewburyPi

That's where I'd go. I like antiques, but the Jetson Nano has great potential make a long term name for itself. 

I don't expect to get $500 for the Kaypro, but if I could even squeak $200 out of it that would buy a Jetson Nano and maybe a Lidar sensor too.   I don't really want to keep the Kaypro anyway.  But I figure I should at least get it booted up and running first to get the best buck out of it.    Then put it on eBay and see if I can sell it.   That's about the only way I could afford to buy a Jetson Nano.  ?