Abstract
The Kaypro has long been one of my favorite of the early personal computers. Their strange form-factor, strong graphics and relative rarity made them into an object of desire for me.
Design
I wanted a functional personal computer that retained the CRT screen and basic form factor of the Kaypro, thus I had to devise a way of putting a color CRT with video-in where the green monochrome display once was. The Pi would sit above a metal plate for some shielding from the CRT. I ordered a small color TV, harvesting its tube and input board and putting them in the lower left of the case. An HDMI to composite converter takes the signal from the Pi and routes it to the TV screen. In the back of the case I put signal inputs that I used to attach USB peripherals. The floppy drive faceplates were detached from the drives themselves and glued together to retain the look of the drivebay without having to give so much of the internal space to the drive mechanisms.
Fabrication
Case modifications were done almost entirely with a dremel. This was an early project for me with many execution flaws, but a satisfactory result.
Conclusions
I am hoping to try this project over again with a mini-itx computer, as the Pi 3B isn't fast enough to realistically use as a PC, and I would like to switch to some sort of other method of display that fits the look while having higher resolution than the TV I am using right now. This project was a good foray into retro computer modification but far from a completed project.
