website/content/museum/epson-qx-10.md

---
title: Epson QX 10
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1982'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80-A
params:
  name: QX 10
  image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_system_s2.jpg
  company: /companies/epson
  company_name: Epson
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: QX 10
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Epson
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1982'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full stroke 103-key with numeric keypad and function keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80-A
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4 Mhz.
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB (up to 256 KB) + 2 KB CMOS RAM Battery Backup
  - label: VRAM
    value: 32 KB to 128 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 2 to 8 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 columns x 24 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 640 x 400 pixels plus 16:1 Zoom
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome monitor
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 50.8 (W) x 30.4 (D) x 10.3 (H) (CPU) / 9.4 Kg (CPU), 5.5 Kg. (Monitor), 2.5 Kg. (Keyboard)
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: RS232, video, ADC, IEEE 488, 5 x expansion slots
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: one or two 340 KB 5.25'' disk-drives double side/density
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M 80, TP/M
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in PSU 100 Watts
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Minitel emulation card (350 FF, january 1988)
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      $2,900 - £1735 (U.K., 1984)\
      1990 FF (France, january 1988)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - software
  - links
  - docs
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_system_s5.jpg
  - title: TOP VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_topview_s1.jpg
  - title: 'FRONT VIEW #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_frontview_s1.jpg
  - title: 'FRONT VIEW #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_frontview_s2.jpg
  - title: EXPANSION SLOTS
    subtitle: ''
    text: The mounted card is the Q10MF character generator ROM card. The characters mounted in the 6 ROMS are supported by the Epson Multifont CP/M. The card includes information for proportional printing.
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_expansion_s1.jpg
  - title: REAR SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      **(1)** Light pen DIN socket\
      **(2)** Composite video (or Colour RGB) DIN socket\
      **(3)** Mainboard Configuration switches\
      **(4)** Parallel printer connector\
      **(5)** Serial RS232 DB25 connector\
      **(6)** protection lids of the expansion slots.
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_rearside_s1.jpg
  - title: MAINBOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: The mainboard holds only standard chips. The RAM area is located above the expansion slots.
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_inside_s1.jpg
  - title: COLOR SUB BOARD
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The mainboard is here equipped with the color monitor sub board which allows a hi-res colour monitor to be connected to the same DIN socket as the monochrome monitor.\
      This card, uses a Nec µPD-7220 graphics CPU, 48 KB of RAM and displays 640 x 400 dots in 7 colours.
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_graphcard_s1.jpg
  - title: FLOPPY DRIVES
    subtitle: ''
    text: The Epson 1/3 height floppy drives are fixed to the top part of the case.
    image: /media/museum/photos/epson_qx10_fddrives_s1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: '1ST. U.S. ADVERT #1'
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      The first Epson QX-10 advert appeared in January 1983. It took eight pages and explained the advantages of the Valdoc system, the benefits of the CP/M operating system compatibility, and the advanced hardware concepts.

      In conclusion, it said:

      **The most important component is you**\
      You don't buy a computer for how "smart" it is. You buy one for how smart it makes you.\
      The Epson QX-10 was conceived, designed, engineered and built with just one thought in mind: to vastly expand your ability to see, to think, to create with a system that acts as a natural extension of the human mind.\
      The QX-10 is not a computer designed to play games, although it plays games as well as any and better than most.\
      It's a computer for people who think.\
      And who want to think better.
    image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_qx10_pub_1.jpg
  - title: '1ST. U.S. ADVERT #2'
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'Each picture represents a customers target. Three of them are well known: Home/entertainement, office and educational uses. A fourth one is added for the first time, the senior citizens. Epson thought the QX-10 was user-friendly enough to be used by retired people.'
    image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_qx10_pub_2.jpg
  - title: U.S. ADVERT (1983)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      February 1983

      Advert says:

      The new Epson QX-10 is unlike any personal computer you've never seen. It's a computer for people who don't have the time to learn computer; a computer you can be using within minutes...
    image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_qx10_pub_3.jpg
  - title: U.S. ADVERT (1983)
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Advert says:

      What makes the QX-10 the most remarkably usable computer to date is a unique software system called VALDOC...

      ... VALDOCS may be all the software you will never need. Right out of the box, it's a sophisticated *word processor*; an *information indexer* for easy acces to files; an *electronic mail system*;a *calculator*;an *apointment book* and *notepad*; and a *high resolution business graph drawing system*...
    image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_qx10_pub_4.jpg
  - title: UK ADVERT SEPT. 1983
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Advert says:\
      With over 20 years of experience in producing high quality printers, Epson have now masterminded a fully integrated desktop microcomputer that will more than earn its keep within your business.\
      The QX-IO is capable of performing all the tasks you will ever require of it, quickly and efficiently. Installation of the QX-IO can be carried out with the minimum of interruption, and with its easily understandable keyboard, it is simplicity itself to operate. Having such a diverse range of software packages available such as database from Pearl and office productivity and accountancy from Peachtree with CP/M and multifont BASIC as standard, the QX-IO can supply all the answers whatever your business.\
      Just look at what's on offer: a big memory - 192k upgradable to 256k RAM and all the graphics you'll ever need - and high resolution graphics at that.\
      The ability to communicate easily with other machines, including our own HX-20 and the advantage of using our fine range of printers, make the QX-lO a totally versatile system at a price you'll find impossible to equal.\
      £1735 plus VAT.\
      If you're looking at micros, look at the QX-IO. The system with all the answers.
    image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_qx10_pubuk_s1.jpg
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT
    subtitle: ''
    text: '''''Each day, go on the computing road'''''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/epson_pub_hx-qx_1.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: BOOT SCREEN
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/epson_qx10_boot-screen.gif
  links:
  - title: Epson QX10 User's Home Page
    url: http://www.qx10.com/
    text: ''
  - title: The user manual is still available (PDF) on the official Epson pages !!
    url: http://support.epson.com/hardware/computer/desktop/qx10__/documentation.html
    text: ''
  docs:
  - title: OPERATION MANUAL
    url: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Doc&oid=14165
    cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/epson_qx10_manual.jpg
    text: |-
      [**OPERATION MANUAL**](http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Doc&oid=14165)written by Epson

       compiled/archived by Epson\
       type of document : PDF\
       source : [Epson official web site](http://www.epson.com)
  comments:
  - author: Lee Huffman (Madison, AL 35758 USA) (USA)
    date: Thursday 1st November 2018
    text: |-
      Hi Walter,\
      I have one that has been in box for years, pulled it out, but can''t find video or keyboard cables. Could use yours for cables and spare parts...(not sure yet what is working!)
  - author: Walter Kessler (Willis, TX 77318 USA)
    date: Wednesday 24th October 2018
    text: |-
      Kaelan USA,\
      I just found one in my storage building. wondering if anybody needed one.\
      Walter
  - author: Kaelan (United States)
    date: Friday 3rd August 2018
    text: I have a QX-10, though there was a no keyboard, any places to look?
  - author: SCS (USA)
    date: Monday 29th January 2018
    text: I''m looking to purchase a QX-10, 11 or 16 system. Have one for sale?
  - author: Steven (USA)
    date: Monday 2nd June 2014
    text: |-
      I purchased a complete QX-10 system in 1983 for my wife to utilize while finishing her work on her Bachelors degree.\
      This was also our eight year old son''s first computer experience. Today he develops B2B software configurations\
      for businesses in Central America.\
      We still have the system and plan to give it to our son as a\
      surprise when he has his first child. (still waiting for that!)
  - author: Lawrence H Iverson (Metairie, Louisiana, USA)
    date: Tuesday 21st January 2014
    text: 'I have a complete system: computer, monitor, documentation, distribution floppies. It does not run$ I suspect the battery is dead. Is there a market for this machine—perhaps in the retrocomputer circle?'
  - author: Dave C (USA)
    date: Wednesday 25th December 2013
    text: I bought a QX10 in late 1984. The later versions of Valdocs worked rather well. We had a users group in the Detroit area that lasted into the 1990s. Eventually we all had to buy something that could to Windows. There was a group of court reporters who used that exclusively well into the late 1990s too Great machine for a starter. A lot more user friendly that the Apple or IBM of that time. Still have one in the basement but it doesn$t load in the left drive anymore. Cheers.
  - author: Cheryl (Metro Detroit, MI, USA)
    date: Tuesday 1st November 2011
    text: I seem to remember purchasing my first QX10 around 1983. As a newly minted freelance writer, I was beyond finished with typewriters of all kinds, and the thought of simple correction and printing only the final product seemed like heaven to me. Eventually, as I needed a part-time assistant, I acquired a second one, and eventually my now-husband also bought a used one in order to be able to work on projects at either his home or mine. All used ValDocs, and they certainly got the job done. I kept them for many years after they no longer were in use, but eventually did end up taking two of them to recycling, since even the offer to donate to an organization like this one was rebuffed and the basement only is so big. $) I still do have one, as well as the ValDocs disks AND the giant binder of support info. I would love to find someone in the market for all of it before it, too, ends up meeting a sad end. Good memories of the beginnings of my ongoing love/hate relationship with PCs!
  - author: Tom Anderson (USA)
    date: Saturday 18th September 2010
    text: |-
      When this machine came out, I worked at a large, mostly Apple dealer in LA. We thought this would be our star attraction, and set it up in the middle of the showroom! Imagine, integrated applications!''

      This thing was the biggest bomb and the worst experience in my computer career. I sold only five of them. All people did all day long is call me and complain. Our poor Epson rep knew me well, and the Valdocs support line people all new me. It was all software issues, the hardware seemed ok. But it just wouldn''t work! Everything from not printing correctly, to not justifying, to not saving, and a million other things I forced myself to forget. There was a writer from the LA Herald who bought one, what a horses a$$. I don''t blame him for being mad, but he kept threatening to write a column and mention my name! What a d!ck. I even offered to give him his money back, but no, he wanted the machine to work HIS way! I finally, honestly told him to F-off. It was proably the only computer store in the world I could get away with that. (The owner was awesome.) Another woman I sold one to was a nut and didn''t mind that it didn''t work, she wanted to start a users group and wanted me to stay after work and run it with her. No thanks.

      I simply stopped selling it. The next place I worked was all IBM and HP, and I never looked back.
  - author: Paul (Australia)
    date: Saturday 31st July 2010
    text: |-
      We got our QX-10 around 1982. I remember being soooo excited about it. Like the UK model ours had the multi font card installed as standard and came with MF-Basic.

      We never had valdocs. We had some locally written business software as well as visicalc (pre lotus 123) and my favourite....QXTEXT.

      QXTEXT was a wordprocessor that provided the early concept of a WYSIWYG page. The software would load and prompt you to turn the monitor on its side (yes physically pick up the mono green screen - which fortunately was quite light - and sit it on its side).

      From there the sfotware ran completely in graphics mode, and you had your page laid out in front of you and there were function key asignments to change margins etc. you could $ fonts with the special font keys and well..it really worked so neatly.

      When we retired our QX-10, I had it carefully packed and stored, but sadly it got stolen from there a few years back, and without software I''ll bet it ended up being trashed - noone would have known what to do with it. Have to keep my eye out for another one.
  - author: Tim (England, United Kingdom)
    date: Wednesday 24th March 2010
    text: Interesting that the main selling point of these machines in the US was the hardware integration with the Valdocs software. In the UK, the QX-10 was not supplied with Valdocs. Instead, we had the MultiFont card installed as standard (I believe this was an optional extra in the US), and we got MF-BASIC (Multifont Basic) programming language on disk, and a CP/M disk for running CP/M software.
  - author: David Ranch (Santa Clara, CA)
    date: Friday 15th August 2008
    text: When I think of my old QX10, I think of the 1000s of hours spent on the graphics app, Qplotter, which allowed for some great BASIC centric graphics for the time. I also think about the QX10s ultra distinctive sounding slimline floppy drives (I would love a sound clip of a QX10 booting up when those drives were seeking to track 0. Btw , those damn drives were impossible to re-align due to the way they were constructed. Oh yeah, and the ZMP terminal program using the ultra new Zmodem protocol for enjoying the BBS days at 1200 baud. Ahhh.. good times.
  - author: Earl (Portland, OR)
    date: Sunday 1st June 2003
    text: |-
      I worked with Epson technical support during the years when these machines were sold. As the summary page states, it was amazing what the software was able to do with a 4 MHz Z80! The "Valdocs" software suite was totally custom-written, and had a bug or two (what doesn't), but really was a marvel for that day and age. The software had WYSIWYG formatting, long filename support (via an 8.3 to extended filename indexing system), and performed at a reasonable speed. What's more, the machine could run standard CP/M software. I frequently used WordStar, Turbo Pascal, and dBase II (all CP/M versions) on the QX-10.

      The hardware was interesting as well. The crisp hi-res green screen, low-profile CPU unit with 1/3 height (!) drives, and custom keyboard made for a very intriguing system. The keyboard was unique - it was made to work in concert with the software, with special keys for font manipulation and other special features. No more Shift-Control-Alt-F7! All-in-all, the QX-10 was quite a system.

      Be sure to check out the HX-20 and PX-8 pages as well!
  oc_id: 200
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608091606/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=200
    date: '2023-06-08'
---

The QX-10 was a robust small business computer that used tried and tested technology rather than anything too innovative. Nevertheless, it was designed to be complete in itself for both hardware and software.

It had an enhanced keyboard with 10 function keys and up to 16 fonts can be defined. It had a battery to save clock, date and a small 2048 characters buffer. It could use MS-DOS programs thanks to an optional 8088 card.

**Byte** magazine said in January 1983:\
The QX-10 is, at first glance, not a revolutionary machine. Yet in many subtle ways it is. On the surface, its specs are not spectacular. But the real power of the machine lies in its careful integration of software and hardware. The software was designed with the hardware in mind and vice versa.

Such products reflect a growing concern for the user, a recognition that the old standards for hardware and software performance are no longer good enough. We need better-quality products, more attention to details, better-written manuals, and state-of-the-art features. Fortunately, the industry is listening.