Kaypro Corp. or Non-Linear Systems

From: DABIGDOG143_at_cs.com <(DABIGDOG143_at_cs.com)>
Date: Fri May 23 20:55:30 2003

In response to the question of which came first, Non-Linear Systems or,
Kaypro Corporation. I worked in the purchasing department of both companies during
the 1980s. Kaypro Corporation was a division of the parent company Non-Linear
Systems which was established in the 1950s by Andrew Kay, who was the
innovator of the digital volt meter. In the early 1980s, Non-Linear Systems began
building the Kaypro portable computer after Kay's Son-in-law, Jonathan Badder, a
local architect in partnership with Kay's Daughter Janice Kay, expressed a
desire to have a portable computer to take out to job sites.
When the Kaypro portable computer became an overnight success and far
eclipsed the volt meter business, Kay established the computer division known as
Kaypro Corporation. Both products were manufactured simultaneously at the Solana
Beach, California location at 533 Stevens Avenue, near the Lomas Santa Fe exit
of Interstate 5.
When I joined the Company in early 1983 we went from about 50 employees to
over 500 within a year. Andrew Kay was a very interesting and forward thinking
employer, hence the name of his original company Non-Linear Systems, since he
prided himself on non-linear thinking. He was a very health conscious
individual, and had a juice and salad bar installed, which all employees could dine at
for only a dollar. He tried to treat everyone as extended family, and believed
that a work environment that incorporated nature in it's design would produce
better work. Therefore, every office had windows in front and back, with a
row of trees and grass between each building. It required some considerable
walking to negotiate around the plant, but he believed that walking promoted good
health. He also was very interested in personal intellect, and in the early
stages of Kaypro, everybody had to take a sort of IQ test that he designed and
administered. He also made versions of the Kaypro that were marketed as the
"Tutor Computer" that were a learning aide for children.
It was a fun place to work in the early days, with a very young average
employee age. We were encouraged to work hard, and to play hard. Lots of parties,
barbecues, intramural sports teams, and the like. It was fun to go to work
everyday. During the push to increase shipments before the Company's initial
public stock offering, we received some very generous bonuses, including a
Christmas bonus equal to a month's salary, which we received around December 15th.
In the latter 1980s the company was plagued by poor quality, serious
inventory management problems, a revolving door on upper management that included a
long parade of self-impressed no-nothings that couldn't break free of their
linear thinking, and a serious lack of continued product innovation. After the big
boys like IBM jumped on the bandwagon of the PC and laptop market, Kaypro
just couldn't compete. All these factors and a few more, including the employment
of Kay family members in key positions that did not have the capabilities of
founder Andrew Kay, eventually led to the demise of Kaypro. I think that the
business section writer for the San Diego Union Tribune said it best when he
penned the phrase "Too many Kays and not enough Pros."
Garr Farrell
Received on Fri May 23 2003 - 20:55:30 BST