It included a CRT amber screen with a wide aspect ratio (i.e. more than 4:3), a black and white thermal transfer printer, a 3.5" floppy drive for saving documents, and dedicated computing hardware, all enclosed in a single case.

The keyboard was separate and a custom design whose unusual features included a style key and not just an undo key but also a do key. The VideoWriter was not a freely programmable computer but a typewriter replacement appliance. It was not a lap-top machine but was designed to be transportable in either a cloth or hard plastic carry case accessory.