website/content/museum/visual-technology-visual-1083-commuter.md

---
title: VISUAL TECHNOLOGY Visual 1083 / Commuter
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Transportable
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- Intel 8088
params:
  name: Visual 1083 / Commuter
  image: /media/museum/photos/visual_commuter_1s.jpg
  company: /companies/visual-technology
  company_name: VISUAL TECHNOLOGY
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Visual 1083 / Commuter
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Visual Technology
  - label: TYPE
    value: Transportable
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1983'
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: Unknown
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Complete full-stroke keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 8088
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4.77 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB (up to 512 KB max.)
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: |-
      80 chars. x 25 lines\
      80 chars. x 16 lines with LCD display
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: Text mode only
  - label: COLORS
    value: 'Yes'
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper (?)
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 50.8 (W) x 44.4 (D) x 18.4 (H) cm / 16 lbs (7.25 kg.)
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Expansion port, Async port (DB25 male), Parallel port, Monochrome video output (DB9), composite video output (DIN5)
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Two 360 KB 5.25'' FDD.
  - label: OS
    value: MS DOS 2.11
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: RAM expansion, LCD display, printers...
  - label: PRICE
    value: $1895 (1985, USA)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - software
  photos:
  - title: RIGHT SIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/visual_commuter_r-side.jpg
  - title: REAR
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/visual_commuter_rear.jpg
  - title: CLOSED
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/visual_commuter_closed.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: DAK ADVERT (US, 1986) - PAGE 1
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [DAK](http://www.dak.com) for this advert
    image: /media/museum/pubs/visual_commuter_pub_dak_1.jpg
  - title: DAK ADVERT (US, 1986) - PAGE 2
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [DAK](http://www.dak.com) for this advert
    image: /media/museum/pubs/visual_commuter_pub_dak_2.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: STARTUP MENU
    subtitle: (on LCD display)
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/visual_commuter_menu_ss.jpg
  comments:
  - author: John Citron (USA)
    date: Tuesday 15th February 2011
    text: |-
      I used to work for Visual Technology from 1980-1987, and from 1983-1987 as a repair technician. These were nice units to work on with everything on the single board.

      I have one that is still operational. Complete with the user guide and the troubleshooting guide with the schematics.

      These were really great systems in their day, and were quite capable of running all kinds of software including CAD programs. This was back when whole programs would fit on a 360K floppy.

      With the built-in terminal mode and the fully-functional serial ports, they have been used in the past as controllers for the diagnostic boards in AM International (Varityper Epics 20/20) typesetting system. In 1988 my family purchased a Varityper Epics 20/20 system for their graphics studio. When the Varityper technicians came in to setup the system, they brought their Visual Commuters.
  - author: Richard L. Groves Jr. (USA)
    date: Tuesday 27th May 2008
    text: |-
      It was great to see this machine listed here! Brings back lots of memories. I bought one new from DAK back in 83 or 84. It came bundled with a 12 inch amber monochrome monitor and a Silver Reed daisy wheel printer. I see that you list it as having an 8088 processor but I had the cover off mine to set it for color and it was an 8086 processor. I had the max ram of 512 and eventually put a 13 inch color monitor on it. Didn't get the LCD however. I wish I knew where it was or had some pictures of it to share.

      Thanks for bringing back fond memories
  - author: Kelly Lute (USA)
    date: Thursday 29th November 2007
    text: |-
      I had one of these! I've been trying to remember the make and model for it, for years. This was my first IBM compat after owning an Apple II+ for several years.

      I remember being WOWed by having a whole 128K of memory. The swing-up LCD display was pretty useless. Bad contrast and no graphics.

      At the end of it's reign, in my house, I unhoused the motherboard from the case and re-installed it into a tower unit, allowing otherwise impossible upgrades. I remember trying to use Windows 1.0 on this machine. Even simple uses and applications required many diskette swaps. After a lot of screwing around, I managed to mate the motherboard with a 10M Seagate HD and "install" Windows 1.0 onto it. Sort of a pointless exercise. I didn't bother with Windows again, until 3.11, and continued to use DOS along with various task switchers and TSR add-ons.

      Thanks for the flashback!
  - author: Nick Holland (Detroit, MI USA)
    date: Tuesday 17th April 2018
    text: Richard Groves reported that his had an 8086 processor (true 16 bit) rather than the 8088 processor of the PC and most compatibles. I had reason to open my Visual Commuter today as the power supply had failed, but mine clearly has an 8088 in it (well...clearly after I got the magnifier out. My eyes are not as good as they used to be. :-/ ). I can only speak for the one I own, but I suspect they are all 8088 based.
  - author: Eric Elford (Canada)
    date: Friday 13rd March 2015
    text: Really fun to see these old dogs again. I used to sell Visual pc''s out of Edmonton, they were very nice, albeit heavy, pc''s. I recall converting at least one to an XT by adding a Hard drive. A first in the area! Thanks for the fond memories!
  - author: Mihail1810 (Ru)
    date: Friday 31st October 2014
    text: 'I have some problems vith my Visual Commuter 1083, serial ports not working. May be someone can send to me Users Manual or Trobleshootin list? My e-mail : far-w-bbs@ya.ru. Thanks.'
  - author: Miles Carter (USA)
    date: Friday 26th September 2014
    text: I had one of these as my first PC, it saw regular use with an EGA and CGA monitor into the early 90s. I remember my mom playing qubert (not Q\*Bert) on it until she filled the score counter and it went negative and then back through positive. That orange phosphor screen is burned into my memory. Also would play a tower typing game and various BASIC programs. We had a Ford Simulator on a white floppy, it played much like a Pole Position/Outrun mashup.
  - author: Michael Piccolo (US)
    date: Sunday 9th December 2012
    text: |-
      As the former VP Sales of the Eastern Region our failure was that of greed an ego between the teams of CCS and the Visual management. A bitter battle was fought on the go to market stategy and the sales team necessary for the resale of the Commuter. The former CCS sales team had over $5M of orders committed but the riff between the management factions sunk the entire project.

      I to this day love greedy idiots.

      What a shame the computer had tremendous market potential and had a follow-up notebook strategy that never evolved.
  - author: Keith Skinner (USA)
    date: Wednesday 25th April 2012
    text: I have one of these computers. I also bought mine through DAK and it was useful for my work, and more powerful than the computers at the office. And as Bill Gates was quoted to have said "Who would need more than 640 MB of memory?" This one had upper memory mapable to 1 MB.
  - author: Joshua Fowlke (United States)
    date: Saturday 4th February 2012
    text: Can anyone tell me what one of these machines is worth today? Its in perfect condition, in fact I''m almost positive that it''s never even been turned on.
  - author: Kevin Kordes (Malaysia)
    date: Wednesday 5th January 2011
    text: |-
      I bought one of these machines from DAK with the intention of semi-automating my (then) small transformer manufacturing factory in California. But, that never happened as I purchased a 286 IBM clone. It was very ruggedly built though. They don''t build equipment like this for the consumer market anymore because the Chinese have aced us out of the market.

      BTW...My factory is closed down and I''m struggling to survive in SE Asia.

      Bye...Bye America
  - author: Brandon (USA California)
    date: Friday 30th July 2010
    text: |-
      I just got one of these from work. A computer shop thats been around since the 90''s

      Still seems to post, makes the beep sound.. lcd won''t display...

      they were throwing it away and i realized it was probably about 30 years old...

      Thought I might be able to donate it to a museum. Especially seeing as how it turns on!
  oc_id: 1193
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604044446/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1193
    date: '2023-06-04'
---

Visual was the 5th largest manufacturer of office graphics terminals. They once thought they could design a nice IBM PC clone (which they did) and sell it with their terminals (which they didn't). It turned out that Visual's salesmen weren't equipped to sell computers and Visual had put too much money into these computers (the built-in color graphics, a terminal mode, 2 disk drives, etc.) to sell them at stripped down prices. So Visual sold them all to DAK (a popular US electronic reseller) and took an enormous loss.

The Visual 1083, also known as the "Commuter" is an interesting machine. It is an early MS-DOS system, thus considered as [IBM PC](/museum/ibm-pc-model-5150/) compatible. It could even be the first "IBM PC" portable computer equiped with a LCD display !

Indeed the particularity of the Commuter is to be able to a use detachable (and optional) LCD display (80x16 characters, monochrome) or a more classic RGB monitor (80x25 characters).

The LCD display can flip up and down to make the system portable. Thanks to its big sturdy handle, the "Commuter" can thus be easily carried away. The case being completely closed, the computer turns into a practical suitcase (see "more pictures" page).

Built-in the system are two 5.25" disk drives offering 360 KB each. The 83 key keyboard is identical to IBM's PC, except for the addition of lights on the "Caps Lock" and "Num Lock" keys.

The computer could be expanded by adding custom cards. There is an expansion port that can be directly connected to an IBM expansion chassis.

When turned on, the computer shows the following menu :

B - BOOT FROM DRIVE A\
E - EXTENDED DIAGNOSTICS\
S - SETUP TERMINAL PARAMETERS\
T - TERMINAL MODE

Funny to see that the choices make : BEST ...

---

**Harland LaVigne** reports:\
I was executive VP of Custom Computer Systems located in Marlboro MA. The Commuter was actually designed by our team of engineers...led by Prevez Zaki. We got the product to the prototype stage and realized we didn't have the capital necessary to mass produce the product. Therefore we sold our company to Visual Technologies in a $10M stock transaction.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>