Olivetti computers

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The Olivetti company, an Italian manufacturer of computers, tablets, smartphones, printers and other such business products as calculators and fax machines, was founded as a typewriters manufacturer by Camillo Olivetti in 1908 in the Turin commune of Ivrea, Italy. Olivetti was a pioneer in computer development, starting with the mainframe systems in the 1950s, and continuing into the 1990s with PC compatible laptops and desktops.

History[]

1950-60s[]

Central control unit of the mainframe Olivetti Elea 9003 (1957)

Between 1955 and 1964 Olivetti developed some of the first transistorized mainframe computer systems, such as the Elea 9003. Although 40 large commercial 9003 and over 100 smaller 6001 scientific machines were completed and leased to customers to 1964, low sales, loss of two key managers and financial instability caused Olivetti to withdraw from the field in 1964.

In 1965, Olivetti released the Programma 101, considered one of the first commercial desktop programmable calculators. It was saved from the sale of the computer division to GE thanks to an employee, Gastone Garziera, who spent successive nights changing the internal categorization of the product from "computer" to "calculator", so leaving the small team in Olivetti and creating some awkward situations in the office, since that space was now owned by GE.[1]

1970s[]

In 1974, the firm released the , an intelligent terminal designed to be attached to a mainframe and used in the finance sector. It was followed in 1977 by the .

1980s[]

Olivetti's first modern personal computer, the M20, featuring a Zilog Z8000 CPU, was released in 1982.[2]

The M20 was followed in 1983 by the M24,[3] a clone of the IBM PC using DOS and the Intel 8086 processor (at 8 MHz) instead of the Intel 8088 used by IBM (at 4.77 MHz). The M24 was sold in North America as the AT&T 6300. Olivetti also manufactured the AT&T 6300 Plus, which could run both DOS and Unix.[4] The M24 in the US also was sold as Xerox 6060. The Olivetti M28 was the firm's first PC to have the Intel 80286 processor. The same year Olivetti produced its M10 laptop computer,[5] a 8085-based workalike of the successful Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100, which it marketed in Europe.[6] These were the first laptops to sell in million-unit quantities, though the Olivetti M10 [it] itself only attained sales figures in the tens of thousands and went out of production within two years.

In 1985, the company acquired a controlling share in the British computer manufacturer Acorn Computers Ltd; a third partner was Thomson SA. Olivetti sold the Thomson MO6 and Acorn BBC Master Compact with brand names Olivetti Prodest PC128 and PC128S[7] respectively.

In 1987, Olivetti introduced the LSX line of computers which was based on the Motorola 68k processor. They could run either MOS or Olivetti's Unix, X/OS.[8]

In 1988, Olivetti released the , part of the - an experimental system for multimedia applications.[9] They also released the and (XT clones, similar to the Schneider Euro PC).[10][11]

In 1989, the was released, featuring an Intel 80286 at 12 MHz, 1 MB of RAM and a 30 MB hard drive.[12] That same year the company presented their 80486 based next generation of LSX workstations, with the (with ) being shown in CeBit as .

1990s[]

In 1990, Olivetti had its own distribution network in New Zealand through Essentially Software Ltd.[13] (owned by Gary McNabb) located at Mt. Eden in Auckland and Wellington, where 16 MHz PCs with 80386SX CPU were sold for NZ$7395 and used as graphical work station for design houses using Corel Draw as graphical program. The New Zealand distribution stopped in 1991 when Olivetti could not supply their PCs.

In 1991, Olivetti introduced the , a laptop in a carry case and the , a PC with VGA monitor and keyboard.[14] Olivetti also sold quasi-portable 8086/8088-based PCs with an integrated keyboard and one or two integrated 3.5" floppy disk drives, running DOS 3.27, an Olivetti OEM version of PC DOS 3.20 with minor improvements like the portable (based on M24) and the . Also later Olivetti produced interesting laptops like , , , , and series. A very interesting subnotebook was the Quaderno, about the same size as an A5 paper – it was the grandfather of the netbooks introduced 20 years later.

Olivetti did attempt to recover its position by introducing the Envision in 1995,[15] a full multimedia PC, to be used in the living room; this project was a failure. Packard Bell managed to successfully introduce a similar product in the U.S. but only some years later.[citation needed]

The company continued to develop personal computers until it sold its PC business in 1997.

Models[]

Name Photo Year Type CPU Created by Design by Notes
Elea Olivetti Elea 9003.jpg 1957 Mainframe Transistor based Elea series (1957–64). Entirely Transistor based.
The Elea 9003 (photo) is the first commercial model
P101 (Programma 101) Olivetti Programma 101 - Museo scienza e tecnologia Milano.jpg 1964 First Personal computer Transistor based Pier Giorgio Perotto Mario Bellini (chassis) In New York's MoMA . Golden Compass Award.[citation needed]
Olivetti P102.jpg Personal computer Pier Giorgio Perotto Version if Programma 101 with at serial connector
Olivetti Programma 203.jpg 1967 Personal computer Transistor based Pier Giorgio Perotto Mario Bellini[citation needed] P101 with Tekne 3 and Editor 4. For business, printer included
1971 Microcomputer Integrated circuit For technical or scientific usage
1972? Microcomputer Integrated circuit P602 with Editor 4. For business.
Olivetti P652.jpg 1973 Microcomputer Mario Bellini[citation needed] For technical or scientific usage
1974 Mainframe
1977 Mainframe
P6060 Computer minipersonal - Museo scienza tecnologia Milano 09298.jpg 1975[16] Personal computer PUCE1/PUCE2
TTL 		Pier Giorgio Perotto Ettore Sottsass and G. Sowden For technical or scientific usage
P6040 P 6040 Olivetti (I197902).jpg 1975[16] Personal computer Intel 8080 Pier Giorgio Perotto Mario Bellini First Olivetti computer to use a microprocessor. For technical or scientific usage. Three versions.[17]
P6066 Oli101.jpg 1975 Personal computer Similar to P6060 Pier Giorgio Perotto
1977 Mainframe

Business Computer Systems, late 1970s to early 1980s[18]

M20 L1m20ol.jpg 1982 Personal computer Zilog Z8001 4 MHz Enrico Pesatori, Enzo Torresi and project team[19][20] Ettore Sottsass

George Sowden

First Olivetti personal computer in 1982. Own operating system: PCOS. Commercial Failure[21]
M10 Sottsass05.JPG 1983 Laptop Intel 80C85 CMOS at 3 Mhz

Perry A. King

First laptop.
Present under different brand names: Kiotronic Kc-85, Tandy Trs-80, NEC PC-8201 and Olivetti M10. SMAU Industrial Design prize[22]
1983 Minicomputer Zilog Z8001 Linea L1. Operating system COSMOS IV (MOS)
Olivetti L1M40ST.jpg 1983 Minicomputer Zilog Z8001 Linea L1. Operating system COSMOS IV (MOS)
1983 Minicomputer Zilog Z8001 Linea L1
1984 Minicomputer Zilog Z8001 Linea L1. Operating system COSMOS IV (MOS)
M24 Olivetti M24 by Moehre1992.jpg 1983 Personal computer desktop Intel 8086 (16 bit) at 4 Mhz – Optional coprocessor 8087 Luigi Mercurio, Sandro Graciotti[19] E. Sottsass IBM PC compatible;

First Olivetti MS-DOS compatible computer

Olivetti M21.jpg 1983 Laptop Intel 8086 (16 bit) at 4 Mhz – Optional coprocessor 8087 Portable version of the M24 with an integrated monitor.
M19 Olivetti M19.jpg 1986 Personal computer AMD 8088 4,77MHz Economical model
M28 1986 Personal computer Intel 80286 8MHz
1986 Minicomputer Zilog Z8001 Linea L1. Operating system COSMOS IV (MOS)
1986 Home Computer Motorola 6809e 1 MHz Rebranded Thomson MO6, first on the Olivetti Prodest series.[20]
Olivetti, primo computer portatile M15, 1987 (fond. natale cappellaro).jpg 1987 Laptop Intel 80C88 4,77MHz Removable keyboard. First laptop.
1987 Home Computer MOS 6512 2 MHz Sold as the BBC Master Compact outside of Italy,[23] second in the Olivetti Prodest series.[20]
1988 Home Computer NEC V40 4.77-8 MHz, XT clone Third in the Olivetti Prodest series.[20]
1988 Personal computer NEC V40 8 MHz Parallel project to the ETV 2700 typewriter
1984 Personal computer Intel 8086 8 MHz
1986 Personal computer Intel 80286 12 MHz
1984 Personal computer Intel 80286 12 MHz [20]
1991
1996
1988 proprietary "Pandora" OS[20]
1988 Personal Computer Intel 80186 Model 380/C[20]
1988 Intel 80386DX 20 MHz Model XP1 and XP5
1989 Intel 80386DX 25 MHz Model XP7 (tower)
1990 Intel 80386SX 33 MHz Model XP9 (tower) Operating system SCO Xenix
1988
1989 Laptop NEC V30 10 MHz Mario Bellini

Bruce Fifield[citation needed]

Operating system DOS 3.30
1989 Personal computer Intel 80286

12 MHz (16 bit)

Parallel project to the ETV 4000s typewriter
1989 [20]
1989
1990
1991
1990 Personal computer NEC V30 10 MHz
1991 Personal computer Intel 80286 12,5 MHz [20]
1989 Laptop Intel 80286 Operating system Windows 3.0
1989 Personal computer Intel 80286 8 MHz The 250-E model was clocked at 12 MHz
1989 Personal computer Intel 80486DX 25 MHz Tower, EISA, "Computing Platform"
1990 Personal computer Intel 80486DX 25 MHz Tower. Olivetti MS-DOS 5.00, MS Windows 3.1
1987 Personal computer Motorola 68k
1987 Personal computer Motorola 68k
1987 Personal computer Motorola 68k
Personal computer Motorola 68k
Personal computer Motorola 68k
1987 Personal computer Motorola 68k
1989 Personal computer Motorola 68k
1991 Personal computer Motorola 68k
1991 Personal computer Motorola 68k
Personal computer Motorola 68k
Personal computer Motorola 68k
1991
1992
1994
1988 [24][25]
1990 Personal computer Intel 80486SX 20 MHz Model M480-10 (EISA)
Intel 80486SX 33 MHz M480-20 (EISA)
Intel 80486DX 33 MHz M480-40/60 (EISA)
1991 Laptop Intel 80386SX 16 MHz
1988 Personal computer Intel 80386SX 20 MHz Model M300-02
Model M300-30
Model M300-04
Intel 80386SX 20 MHz Model M300-10
Intel 80486 25/50 MHz Model M300-28
1992 Personal computer Intel 80486DX 33 MHz Tower, EISA
1991 Laptop Intel 80386SX 16 MHz (Triumph Adler Walkstadtion 386SX
1991 Laptop Intel 80386 33 MHz (Triumph Adler Walkstadtion 386
Quaderno Personal computer con interfaccia grafica, mini-portatile - Museo scienza tecnologia Milano 15813.jpg 1992 Netbook NEC V30HL 16MHz Mario Bellini

Hagai Shvadron[citation needed]

precursor to the netbooks[26] 1992, 25th SMAU Industrial Design Prize (Italia)

1993, IF Auszeichnung fur gutes Design[citation needed]

Olivetti-philos-color-44.jpg 1992 Laptop photo
Olivetti Echos P75.png 1995 Laptop Intel Pentium I 75MHz Socket 5 and
Envision Envp75.jpg 1995 Multimedia Intel Pentium I 75MHz Socket 5 Michele De Lucchi Model P75. Innovative product but commercial failure. Proprietary multimedia OS[20]
Olivetti M4 454 S 01.jpg 1992 Personal computer Intel 80486 SX 25 MHz M4-M40
1992 Pentium 75 MHz M4-M464
1993 M4-P75
1996 Intel Pentium-S 75 MHz M4-P75S
1996 Intel Pentium 100 MHz M4-P100
Olivetti M8500.jpg 1999 Personal computer Intel Pentium III 500 MHz DT desktop, MT minitower

Peripherals[]

  • PR40, PR2, PR2-e, PR2+, PR2-10 Scanner Printer which was used in banking sectors
  • PG-series and PGL-series - black and white digital printers
  • d-Color p-series color digital printers
  • A3 and A4 series MFP

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Programma 101 Memory of the Future: Quando Olivetti Inventò il PC" [When Olivetti invented the PC] (Google You tube). History Channel (in Italian). June 26, 2011.
  2. ^ "Olivetti M20 D - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Olivetti M24 - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  4. ^ InfoWorld (Google Books). 1986-12-01. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  5. ^ "Olivetti M10 - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  6. ^ "The Olivetti M10". Yet Another Computer Museum. fjkraan.
  7. ^ "Olivetti Prodest PC 128S - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk.
  8. ^ "Uncle Miod's machineroom". Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  9. ^ "Olivetti M380/C (Pandora Project) - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Olivetti PC1 Prodest - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Olivetti Prodest PC1 HD - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Olivetti M290S - Computer - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  13. ^ Software spectrum acquires Australia, New Zealand supplier of PC... (article), The free library.
  14. ^ "Olivetti - Company - Computing History". Computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Olivetti Envision". Ultimate Console Database. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  16. ^ a b "Un computer su ogni scrivania: la Olivetti and i primi PC". Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Olivetti P 6040, 1977". Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Olivetti Company Computing History". computinghistory.org.uk. November 11, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Emilio. "L'avventura Olivetti". Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Olivetti - Company - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk.
  21. ^ "OLIVETTI M 20, 1981". Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  22. ^ "OLIVETTI M 10, 1983". Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  23. ^ "Italian Compact set for success". Acorn User. November 1986. p. 7. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Olivetti M290-30".
  25. ^ https://www.ardent-tool.com/Olivetti/Docs/service_guide/systems1/cap22.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  26. ^ Quaderno vs EeePC Archived 2015-12-10 at the Wayback Machine Olivetti Quaderno images
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