Take a detailed look at the rare Commodore VIC-Switch, a unique vintage computing hardware accessory manufactured by Handic Software AB in Stockholm, Sweden for use with Commodore 64, VIC-20, Commodore 128, and CBM PET computer systems. This unusual peripheral was designed to allow multiple Commodore computers to share a single IEC serial bus device such as a floppy disk drive, printer, or plotter.
In this video, I showcase my original Handic VIC-Switch hardware and explain how the device worked in schools, classrooms, and multi-user Commodore computing environments during the early 1980s. The VIC-Switch intelligently managed access to shared Commodore peripherals by tracking which computer was currently using the connected IEC serial device while placing other systems in a waiting queue until the resource became available.
Featured throughout the video are close-up views of the Commodore VIC-Switch hardware, the rear IEC serial ports, internal electronic components, the front and rear labels, connection methods, and discussion of compatible Commodore systems including the Commodore 64, VIC-20, Commodore 128, and CBM PET IEEE versions of the VIC-Switch hardware.
The video also explores the history of Handic Software AB and Datatronic, companies heavily involved in distributing Commodore hardware and software throughout Sweden during the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 era. Handic played an important role in the Scandinavian Commodore computing market before Commodore eventually established Commodore Sweden directly after Datatronic folded in the mid-1980s.
Collectors and enthusiasts interested in the Commodore 64, VIC-20, Commodore 128, CBM PET systems, IEC serial hardware, vintage computer peripherals, retro computing history, Commodore school computing, and rare Commodore accessories will find a lot to dig into here. The VIC-Switch remains one of the more unusual and fascinating hardware devices from the golden age of Commodore computing.