Portable Computers - teh pwn

[MissaFX]

I was talking about the portable one, the Kaypro 2000 or whatever it was.

The Kaypro II, 4 and 10 had CRTs.

My parents got me a Kaypro 4 in 1984 or 85. Like you, it was my first computer ever. I learned rudimentary BASIC and Pascal programming on it. I remember one year for Christmas I programmed my parents some crude calculating programs in Pascal and compiled them. I created a a whole box packaged for the disks and everything.

I spent many hours playing the Colossal Cave Adventure game on that thing.

Anyway, we've hijacked AirRaidX's topic. Let's create a new thread if we want to continue this discussion.

The Kaypro II was "portable" though, the fold up keyboard proclaimed it as such.  I had the dual floppy discs, my dad had a friend who had a HD though, I remember it loaded the games a lot faster, something which seems pretty sad now.

I learned to read things more advanced that a children's book on the Kaypro II because I was 5 at the time.  Playing games like Planetfall, Zork I and a bunch of other infocom games really helped me stay ahead of children my own age.  I remember vividly crying over the death of Floyd too...err well I'm pretty sure that was his name.  You guys all know how great I am with remembering names at this point.

[Hobo Xiphas]

I've used one of these before.

Sounds similar.

[MissaFX]

[nat]

Haha, there was nothing portable at all about those things.  (BTW, I know that's how they marketed them, but that doesn't mean they were right.)

I'm too lazy to look online, but I think the Kaypro 2000 was their only real portable. That's the one I was referring to that had an LCD. I think.

We had every one of the Infocom adventure games. My parents bought those mostly for themselves though to play together. I was about 5 or 6 at that time, also. The only one of the text adventures I really liked was Colossal Cave. I played a lot of Zork too I guess, maybe that's why I like the PC-FX's Return to Zork so much (a little piece of nostalgia and all). Our Kaypro 4 came with a whole crapload of bundled software. There was a game disk with a bunch of arcade-type games. PacMan (they called it Catchum) was fun as was Space Invaders. Oh yeah, so was that game Hunt the Wumpus. Good times.

My dad still has all those Infocom games to the best of my knowledge. He still has the Kaypro too in storage. Some of those Infocom games they never even got around to opening. When I helped him move a couple years ago, I found some still had the shrinkwrap. I wonder if they're worth anything nowadays...

[MissaFX]

Try to take one of these babys on a plane today, I doubt this is the welcome responce you will get:

[nat]

How that guy can stand up straight and hold his posture carrying that thing is beyond me. The Kaypro had a thick metal case, even the keyboard was metal. The thing weighed like 100 pounds. I remember closing it up and trying to carry it around as a kid. I had to use both hands.

[MissaFX]

How that guy can stand up straight and hold his posture carrying that thing is beyond me. The Kaypro had a thick metal case, even the keyboard was metal. The thing weighed like 100 pounds. I remember closing it up and trying to carry it around as a kid. I had to use both hands.

rofl, I was thinking that too, how can the guy smile, have his hand that relaxed and be standing up straight?  He must be one of the suit goons from a martial arts movie.

[Tatsujin]

I had to use both hands.

that's because you was a kid.

[esteban]

I didn't have a portable computer when I was a kid, but my dad was awesome and bought me (well, the family, really) a "portable" BROTHER word processor.

It was totally modeled after the portable computers (monochrome, yellow, 6-9" screeen, fold-up fullsize keyboard, 3 1/2" floppy -- yes! that was considered an upgrade from the older model's 5 1/4" drive, DAISYWHEEL printer - have you ever experienced the speed and noise of a daisywheel? - etc. etc.)

Anyway, I loved that word processor and used it well into the early 90's (I got it in the mid- to late- 80's).

Considering how expensive computers and printers were at the time, the Brother was actually a very good alternative.

Oh yeah. One little thing: I wrote TurboGrafx-16 rap lyrics on that bad boy.

[nat]

DAISYWHEEL printer - have you ever experienced the speed and noise of a daisywheel? - etc. etc.)

f*ck yes.

What kind of printer do you think came with the Kaypro? That printer was such a piece of garbage.

[Kitsunexus]

The only 2 portable computers I can think of right now that I like:

The Atari Portfolio

Compaq Portable II

[nat]

That Compaq portable looks like a 100% rip-off of the Kaypro.

EDIT: There's no doubt in my mind that it is, the Kaypro was released in '82. The Compaq Portable I was released in '83. (The II you linked to in '86). They're almost identical physically, except it looks like the Compaq was made of plastic rather than a heavy metal.

The biggest difference between them was the Kaypros used a Z80 and the Compaqs were Intel-based. Although with the Kaypro 4 you could get an Intel CPU in parallel to the Z80 so you could run DOS apps in addition to the CP/M apps.

[Kitsunexus]

That Compaq portable looks like a 100% rip-off of the Kaypro.

But does the Kaypro have an SB16? I didn't think so.

[nat]

That Compaq portable looks like a 100% rip-off of the Kaypro.

But does the Kaypro have an SB16? I didn't think so.

What is an SB16?

[Kitsunexus]

That Compaq portable looks like a 100% rip-off of the Kaypro.

But does the Kaypro have an SB16? I didn't think so.

What is an SB16?

 



Sound. Blaster. 16. A FM synthesis sound card.