CFOG's PIP, October 1987, Volume 5 No. 12, Whole No. 60, page 9
New Kaypro 1 for $499!
by Benjamin H. Cohen
Copyright 1987 by Benjamin H. Cohen. All rights reserved.
Kaypro Corporation now offers a brand new Kaypro 1 CP/M computer, 2 double-sided drives (390K bytes each), CP/M 2.2, WordStar 3.3, Type-It, and a 90 day warranty, for $499. To order call 619-259-4504. This is a $100 price reduction from Kaypro's previous price.
The Kaypro price for a new machine certainly puts a lid on the value of any used CP/M computer. If a new one is about $500, a used one ought to be a good deal less, especially if it's two or three years old and hard to find service for. Kaypro, after all is said and done, is still in business and making CP/M computers at this point.
Prices of used CP/M computers reflect Kaypro's reduced price for the new one. An old Osborne 1 in tan case with single density now fetches no more than about $100 at best. Worswick Industries advertises in the Foghorn. They offer double density Osborne 1s for $250 in a tan case and $300 in a gray case. These are presumably 52 column machines.
I bought a used Kaypro 10 recently for $700. I think I paid too much: it probably should have been closer to $600. I bought an Osborne 1, 52 column DD, 384K Drive C: RAM disk, and an 11 Mb Trantor hard disk for $650, with lots of extra bundled software. I arranged for a friend to purchase a used Kaypro 2X (DSDD drives, both WS, and Perfect Series software) for $395, before Kaypro reduced the price for a new one from $599 to $499.
If you're buying, the prices are good news. If you're selling, well, you got your money's worth out of your old CP/M system and someone will be getting a bargain!