GADFRAN
Experienced Member
1] Just found your site by accident while searching the web.
2] System cut me off 4 + times so far, before I could complete this message. Hope this one works. I am also new at this, so thanks for your patience.
3] A] I have 6 working [last time I used them several years ago] Kaypro II's modified by me to Kaypro IV's + extensive spare parts [e.g., CRT's, mother boards, chips, disk drives, etc.], along with software [CP/M, Perfect system that came with it + accumulated related software], software / repair / maintenance / modification / manuals, external 5.25” drive setups, etc. These manuals may be the most valuable and desirable for the serious Kaypro person who does not have them. All stored in our home and not outside.
B] I was involved at that time with some very heavily computer professional activities and Kaypros were the best for my work, so I had to make sure they were working properly and reliably.
4] During modifications for cooling, security, etc., the cases had to be modified, so they are not "perfect body beautifuls!"
5] I am in the Allentown, PA area for pickup or possible delivery to save on shipping. From info from several sources, shipping could be more than some of this is worth to some. As you know, the Kaypro was very heavy – all metal!
6] We are downsizing a lot of our stuff as we continue to go into our retirement years and will be getting another dumpster in the Spring of 2008 [April / May]. All of this will go into the dumpster, unless there is any serious interest to make it worthwhile for me to do an inventory and make a detailed list. Right now there is no rush. This is just an inquiry about any serious interest.
7] All these items are buried in our basement, so it will take some time to get to them as we continue this downsizing. It will also take me a considerable amount of time to do a detailed inventory [with part / version numbers and other technical information that you may require, etc.] and organized lists of these items, including digital pictures and photocopies of technical information printed on each item.
8] So we do not waste the time and effort of you and me, finding a “good home” for such older items is a nice sentimental idea. But realistically, I am looking for the “right committed persons to Kaypros” who are willing and have the necessary resources to invest hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, in some of these “vintage / rare” and no longer commercially available items, for their own interests and projects.
9] In retirement, I am involved in many activities including several research projects that occupy a great deal of my time. So I am very busy with all these projects and have to carefully budget my time on only substantially worthwhile projects. Perhaps, the dumpster is the best way ultimately in such a situation, as sentimentally regretful as this may be to all of us.
10] So it may be best to have one of our local eBay “go betweens” handle all of this. In that way, both me and you will know the best price at the time was obtained. It certainly will simplify things for me, especially the time factor.
11] If you could let me know what you are specifically interested in and about what you might be willing to pay for it, it will help my eBay “go between” do their job most efficiently. I am sure that they are not in any way near as familiar with Kaypros as we are. This will get us started, so we do not post items most people are not seriously interested in.
12] If there is no real “serious” [$] interest in these items, then at least I will know that and will not feel as sentimentally bad putting all this into the dumpster.
13] Nice to see there is still some significant interest in the Kaypros! They are great and a lot of fun to work on and use. It is difficult to try to realistically compare them to current computer systems. They are what they are!
14] My modifications were according to the information provided by the journal “MicroCornucopia.” I even published a few small articles about my work on Kaypros in this journal and the Kaypro’s KUGRAM. I believe I may still have several years of back issues of this journal that was so devoted to Kaypros, if anyone is seriously interested.
15] Much of my specific Kaypro “stuff” was obtained from Erac and general chips and other items from JDR [I was designated by them as a “commercial customer” so I got some discounts even]. Radio Shack also was a source for many more generic items. My substantial Radio Shack collection as “an electronic hobbyist” is a topic for another time.
16] If you know of Erac and JDR, then you know how rare and valuable these items are in repairing and maintaining Kaypros.
17] Note, the quantities of these items are not great. I obtained what I thought would be necessary at the time to keep these 6 Kaypros running and they were kept running very reliably.
18] We also have 2 Gateway desktops, Toshiba laptops and accessories from around 1994, but I believe they are even less worthless than the Kaypros.
19] I will also post this info on several other appropriate web sites in order to best determine the “present market” so we are all as comfortable as we can be about the disposition of such items that can have some very personal and emotional attachments. But life must go on and we must be ultimately very practical about such matters. Actually, this is part of my Science, Technology and Society [STS] research projects.
20] I will certainly be willing to further “dialogue” about these items for those who are seriously interested in and capable of properly making use of these items with respect to Kaypros
I will check back periodically to see if there are any responses.
Frank
P.S.
System will only allow me to do "new threads" and not reply to responses.
2] System cut me off 4 + times so far, before I could complete this message. Hope this one works. I am also new at this, so thanks for your patience.
3] A] I have 6 working [last time I used them several years ago] Kaypro II's modified by me to Kaypro IV's + extensive spare parts [e.g., CRT's, mother boards, chips, disk drives, etc.], along with software [CP/M, Perfect system that came with it + accumulated related software], software / repair / maintenance / modification / manuals, external 5.25” drive setups, etc. These manuals may be the most valuable and desirable for the serious Kaypro person who does not have them. All stored in our home and not outside.
B] I was involved at that time with some very heavily computer professional activities and Kaypros were the best for my work, so I had to make sure they were working properly and reliably.
4] During modifications for cooling, security, etc., the cases had to be modified, so they are not "perfect body beautifuls!"
5] I am in the Allentown, PA area for pickup or possible delivery to save on shipping. From info from several sources, shipping could be more than some of this is worth to some. As you know, the Kaypro was very heavy – all metal!
6] We are downsizing a lot of our stuff as we continue to go into our retirement years and will be getting another dumpster in the Spring of 2008 [April / May]. All of this will go into the dumpster, unless there is any serious interest to make it worthwhile for me to do an inventory and make a detailed list. Right now there is no rush. This is just an inquiry about any serious interest.
7] All these items are buried in our basement, so it will take some time to get to them as we continue this downsizing. It will also take me a considerable amount of time to do a detailed inventory [with part / version numbers and other technical information that you may require, etc.] and organized lists of these items, including digital pictures and photocopies of technical information printed on each item.
8] So we do not waste the time and effort of you and me, finding a “good home” for such older items is a nice sentimental idea. But realistically, I am looking for the “right committed persons to Kaypros” who are willing and have the necessary resources to invest hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, in some of these “vintage / rare” and no longer commercially available items, for their own interests and projects.
9] In retirement, I am involved in many activities including several research projects that occupy a great deal of my time. So I am very busy with all these projects and have to carefully budget my time on only substantially worthwhile projects. Perhaps, the dumpster is the best way ultimately in such a situation, as sentimentally regretful as this may be to all of us.
10] So it may be best to have one of our local eBay “go betweens” handle all of this. In that way, both me and you will know the best price at the time was obtained. It certainly will simplify things for me, especially the time factor.
11] If you could let me know what you are specifically interested in and about what you might be willing to pay for it, it will help my eBay “go between” do their job most efficiently. I am sure that they are not in any way near as familiar with Kaypros as we are. This will get us started, so we do not post items most people are not seriously interested in.
12] If there is no real “serious” [$] interest in these items, then at least I will know that and will not feel as sentimentally bad putting all this into the dumpster.
13] Nice to see there is still some significant interest in the Kaypros! They are great and a lot of fun to work on and use. It is difficult to try to realistically compare them to current computer systems. They are what they are!
14] My modifications were according to the information provided by the journal “MicroCornucopia.” I even published a few small articles about my work on Kaypros in this journal and the Kaypro’s KUGRAM. I believe I may still have several years of back issues of this journal that was so devoted to Kaypros, if anyone is seriously interested.
15] Much of my specific Kaypro “stuff” was obtained from Erac and general chips and other items from JDR [I was designated by them as a “commercial customer” so I got some discounts even]. Radio Shack also was a source for many more generic items. My substantial Radio Shack collection as “an electronic hobbyist” is a topic for another time.
16] If you know of Erac and JDR, then you know how rare and valuable these items are in repairing and maintaining Kaypros.
17] Note, the quantities of these items are not great. I obtained what I thought would be necessary at the time to keep these 6 Kaypros running and they were kept running very reliably.
18] We also have 2 Gateway desktops, Toshiba laptops and accessories from around 1994, but I believe they are even less worthless than the Kaypros.
19] I will also post this info on several other appropriate web sites in order to best determine the “present market” so we are all as comfortable as we can be about the disposition of such items that can have some very personal and emotional attachments. But life must go on and we must be ultimately very practical about such matters. Actually, this is part of my Science, Technology and Society [STS] research projects.
20] I will certainly be willing to further “dialogue” about these items for those who are seriously interested in and capable of properly making use of these items with respect to Kaypros
I will check back periodically to see if there are any responses.
Frank
P.S.
System will only allow me to do "new threads" and not reply to responses.
