Olivetti M19

Olivetti M19

Manufacturer	Olivetti
Type	Personal computer
Release date	1986; 36 years ago (1986)
Operating system	MS-DOS 2.11 / 3.1, Concurrent DOS and UCSD p-System
CPU	8088 @ 4.77 or 8 MHz
Memory	256–640 KB
Graphics	Plantronics Colorplus

The Olivetti M19 is a personal computer made in 1986 by the Italian company Olivetti. It has an 8088 at 4.77 or 8 MHz and 256–640 KB of RAM.^[1] The BIOS is Revision Diagnostics 3.71. In the UK, it was sold by Acorn Computers as the Acorn M19,^[2] with additional software also available via Acorn.^[3]

The machine came with three operating systems: MS-DOS 2.11 / 3.1, Concurrent DOS and UCSD p-System.^[1] It is capable of displaying graphics in standard CGA or Plantronics Colorplus mode (320x200 pixel with 16 colors and 640x200 with 4 colors).^[1]

The M19 was sold with two floppy disk drives (360 KB format). A hard drive option was made available later, in the form of a 5 MB (later 10 MB) hard drive in an add-on case (aka "sidecar") attached to the left hand side of the computer by four machine screws.

Paul Maynes, a technician at HBH Computers (one of Olivetti's dealerships in Durban) designed, and SA Signals Manufacturing (also of Durban) produced a bus extension card with a 90-degree bend (purportedly a world-first) that could accommodate a Seagate hard drive controller card. This allowed the second floppy drive to be removed and a 20 MB (later 40 MB) full-height hard drive installed in its place.

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  Olivetti M19 with external I/O box attached

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  Olivetti M19 rear view

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  Inside of the computer, with two 5 1⁄4-inch disk drives

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  Mainboard. An AMD P8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller is visible, together with a NEC V20 (µPD70108) main processor (instead of an Intel 8088)

See also[]

• Olivetti M24
• Plantronics Colorplus

References[]

External links[]

• Product brochure (in German)
• Product brochure (in Italian)
• Specifications
• [1]

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