Kaypro the Compleat Computer

Black background with blue retro-tech text in the center and white cursive-style text on the top half

Before Macs and PCs, there was Kaypro and Osbourne. These microcomputers are the ancestors of the laptops and desktops used today. The Kaypro II was launched by Non-Linear Systems in 1982. Non-Linear Systems was headed at the time by the Kaypro’s namesake, Andrew Kay. Non-Linear Systems went on to produce the Kaypro IV and the Kaypro 10. Due to its higher storage specs and larger screen as well as its price point, the Kaypro II crushed the Osbourne I in the market. In 1982, a Kaypro II cost $1,795, which is equivalent to $5,711 in 2023. In 1983, Non-Linear Systems changed its name to the Kaypro Corporation, and later that year it was named the 5^th largest personal computer manufacturer in the world. Kaypro’s reign ended in March of 1990, when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Kaypro officially sold its last assets and property in 1995, and the business shut its doors for good.