The Kaypro 2x was one of the last models Kaypro produced. Size and appearence were the same as the first Kaypro II, but Internal hardware was inspired by the Kaypro 10.
It came with a 4 MHz Z80A processor, dual slimline 400 KB floppy drives, a built-in 300 baud modem, two serial ports and a full set of Micropro software (WordStar, CalcStar, DataStar)
It is said that Arthur C. Clarke worked in the movie version of "2010: Odyssey Two", a sequel of "2001", using a Kaypro 2x and its built-in modem for transfering texts from Sri Lanka, where he lived, to Los Angeles.
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Roy Miller specifies:
I own two. One looks like the machine you have (colors
of the original 2), and has the same equipment. The other doesn't have a
modem, and came in the same color scheme as the 4, 10, and 16.
The one in the older color scheme has a sticker with an "X" on it pasted just
after the "2" on the back. The dark grey one doesn't have that. It seems
clear that they used the older 2 cases as well as newer cases.
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More info about the internal modem by David C. Oshel:
The internal modem didn't work with the software Kaypro provided, so you had to use a Hayes Smartmodem attached to a serial i/o port. The internal modem chip had a defect: One of its pinouts went low when the specs said it went high.
We put an oscilloscope on the pup and saw this for ourselves on the Beacon Microcenter (Ames, Iowa) workbench in 1983. I was able to write a driver that made it work, but nobody cared.
Please consider donating your old computer / videogame system to Old-Computers.com or one of our partners from anywhere in the world (Europe, America, Asia, etc.).
Special thanks to Tom Casey who donated us this computer !
Glendon, the technical manual warns about using telephone wiring. The wire is too thin. So build a cable with at least 28-gage wire, no more than 12 feet long.
Monday 9th September 2019
Random Passerby
I just acquired a Kaypro 2X at the local used bookstore for $50. Although the keyboard was demonstrated to me in the store, I bought it without a keyboard cable and was wondering if anybody has one. Please email me at glendon144@gmail.com if you have one, thanks. I''ve tried making one from a handset cord without succiness. The machine does boot into CP/M.
This picture looks like what I always referred to as a "New 2" - a machine that looked like the old 2, only with half-height DSDD drives.
There''s another 2X, only this one is gray and has both the modem and real-time clock. The one I currently have still keeps time, although the year went funny after 1999.
Sunday 23rd October 2011
Bryan Walker (USA)
NAME
Kaypro 2x
MANUFACTURER
Kaypro
TYPE
Transportable
ORIGIN
U.S.A.
YEAR
1984
END OF PRODUCTION
Unknown
BUILT IN LANGUAGE
None (M-BASIC and O-BASIC on diskette)
KEYBOARD
Detachable, 72 key typewriter style keyboard with 18 programmable keys.
Special thanks to Tom Casey who donated us this computer !
