POURNE@Mit-Mc@sri-unix (10/24/82)
From: Jerry E Pournelle <POURNE@Mit-Mc> We have a review KayPro. The screen size is reasonable but not generous; an Osborne with larger screen is probably a little better. Osborne's keyboard is not as good as Kaypro, but the KayPro letter set is sort of ugly. Reliable it seems to be; I have no experience with the dealer net and maintainability and warranty processing. (Osborne has earned a lot of high marks for dealer willingness to take care of problems). KayPro comes as I got it with SELECT which is never going to be my favorite text editor. I am told they will shortly start delivering it with Perfect Writer which is a MINCE-like EMACS subset with all the strengths and weaknesses of emacs. The Basic that comesd with KayPro is S-Basic, which is rather nice, but is a COMPILER basic (no interpreter) and features what is probably the single most unreadable documemnt purporting to be in Eng lish I have ever seen. My own recommendation would be to get Osborne and an auxilliary screen, but that's a marginal preference, and the KayPro keyboard is definitely better than Osborne's.
POURNE@Mit-Mc@sri-unix (10/24/82)
From: Jerry E Pournelle <POURNE@Mit-Mc> The KayPro II is "the best reason for the Osborne 2 we have ever seen" says Alex; which I agree with. Hardware of KayPro is better than Osborne as that now stands (although Osborne improvements are closing some of the gap). Dealer network and service are unknowns, but unlikely to be comparable to the osborne for a while simply because of the experience factors. The screen sizes may not be such a factor as you think; I would never use the Osborne as a "sole" computer without also getting a large monitor. It's only in portability that you should worry about the on-board screen, and the Kaypro is marginally portable--I managed to get one from Chiacgo to LA on a oeing (it goes in the overhead rack) but on a Lockheed or Douglas you cannot get it in the overhead and it will not fit under a window seat. But I do like the Kaypro and I'd like it even better if it had a better software package and manuals to do justice to the machine itself; alas, the manuals furnished with mine are candidates for my annual obscurity award. Its keyboard is certainly better than Osborne's. Bottom line: both good machines. How daring are you ?