--- title: Columbia Data Products VP categories: - Computers types: - Portable origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1983' cpus: - Intel 8088 params: name: VP image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_system_1.jpg company: /companies/columbia-data-products company_name: Columbia Data Products specs: - label: NAME value: VP - label: MANUFACTURER value: Columbia Data Products - label: TYPE value: Portable - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1983' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: Standard PC 82-key with function keys and numeric keypad - label: CPU value: Intel 8088 - label: SPEED value: 4.77 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Socket for 8087 math coprocessor - label: RAM value: 128 KB up to 256 KB on board - label: VRAM value: 16 KB - label: ROM value: 12 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 or 80 characters x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 320 or 640 x 200 pixels (CGA mode) - label: COLORS value: 16 maximum - label: SOUND value: Tone generator - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: Unknown - label: I/O PORTS value: Serial and Parallel ports - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 2 x 360 KB 5.25'' floppy disc drives - label: OS value: MS-DOS, CP/M-86 - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: 1 internal expansion slot - label: PRICE value: $2,995 tabs: - photos - adverts forum_thread: 869 photos: - title: SYSTEM subtitle: '' text: |- Dual floppy drive version Thanks to **Roxanne Anderson** - firstchoicerecycling.com image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_system_s3.jpg - title: REAR SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Brightness knob, reset switch and keyboard DIN socket\ **(2)** Parallel and Serial ports Thanks to **Roxanne Anderson** - firstchoicerecycling.com image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_rear_s1.jpg - title: COLUMBIA LABEL subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Roxanne Anderson** - firstchoicerecycling.com image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_label_s1.jpg - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- Notice the stange place where the 20 MB Seagate hard disk drive is fixed. Thanks to **Roxanne Anderson** - firstchoicerecycling.com image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_inside_s1.jpg - title: VIDEO SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- Notice the piece of wood **(1)** used as a stand for the hard disk drive! Thanks to **Roxanne Anderson** - firstchoicerecycling.com image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_videocard_s1.jpg - title: SWITCHING PSU subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Roxanne Anderson** - firstchoicerecycling.com image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_powersup_s1.jpg - title: ORIGINAL MANUALS subtitle: '' text: Thanks to **Roxanne Anderson** - firstchoicerecycling.com image: /media/museum/photos/columbia_vp_manuals_s1.jpg adverts: - title: FIRST AD. subtitle: '' text: The red part shows all the IBM-PC software boxes the VP could run. image: /media/museum/pubs/columbia_vp_pub_1.jpg oc_id: 889 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230601093609/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=889 date: '2023-06-01' --- The Columbia VP was a [Compaq Portable](/museum/compaq-portable/) like IBM PC compatible. Besides, it was said that Compaq designed the electronic part of the VP.\ It was the last computer made by Columbia, the company which made the [MPC](/museum/columbia-data-products-mpc/), first true copy of the [IBM-PC](/museum/ibm-pc-model-5150/). Columbia built a very rugged but heavy case which supported a 9" monochrome monitor, larger than the Compaq. All other features were the same as the Compaq. When the system was launched, the main argument of Columbia was the large number of software bundled with it. Among them: MS-DOS, CP/M-86, Perfect series (Writer, Filer, Speller, Calc), MS-BASIC, Macro assembler, Home accountant and Space Commander game. It seems that several versions of the VP were built: 1600/1, 1600/4, 2110, 2220, VP-Plus, but we have no information about them. --- **Stephen Somerville's memories:**\ I was the senior operations manager at Columbia Data Products from 1982 to 1984. My production team built and shipped about 2,000 VP's a month during that time.\ I still have one buried in my closet. Wish I could find the "perfect" bundled software that came with it. I'd pay big to find that software somewhere on the net.\ Anyway, those days were indeed heady times. BIG BONUSES, all expense trips for the senior staff in Vegas, and bahamas, the champange flowed like water. We were making money hand over fist, then one day, all of the sudden, I was told to layoff 400 production line workers. I ONE DAY! I quit 2 weeks later and never looked back.\ But I'll never forget those times. We took Kaypros apart, as well as commodores, compaqs, and anybody elses where we could see a better idea, cheaper method, any item to drive a higher margin. I remember sitting at a conference room table with the guts of all our competitors machines hanging out, and saying to the rest of the senior staff, "guys, there is no more profit in this box, we've trimmed everything we can".\ I remember the press coming to the company. An expedition team was taking one of our VP's to the top of mount everest to plot wind, conditions, etc. and the entire company was wearing tee shirts that read "*Columbia Data Products, computers that can climb mountains*".\ Geeez, those were heady times, we had the world by the balls. Steve
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