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Olivetti M19

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Olivetti M19
Olivetti M19 without the I/O box
Also known asAcorn M19, LogAbax Persona 1300
ManufacturerOlivetti
TypePersonal computer
Release date1986; 38 years ago (1986)
Operating systemMS-DOS 2.11 / 3.1, Concurrent DOS and UCSD p-System
CPU8088 or NEC V20 @ 4.77 or 8 MHz
Memory256–640 KB
Removable storageTwo floppy disk drives
Display320x200 with 16 colors; 640x200 with 4 colors
GraphicsCGA, Plantronics Colorplus
SoundBeeper
ConnectivityRS-232 serial port, Centronics parallel port, expansion slots

The Olivetti M19 was 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][2] The BIOS is Revision Diagnostics 3.71. In the UK, it was sold by Acorn Computers as the Acorn M19,[3] with additional software also available via Acorn.[4] In France, it was available as the Persona 1300,[5] sold by LogAbax.[6]

Specifications

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The machine came with three operating systems: MS-DOS 2.11 / 3.1, Concurrent DOS and UCSD p-System.[1] It was 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 disk 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.

M19 based word processors

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In 1987 Olivetti introduced the word processor systems ETV 260 and ETV 500 based on the M19.[7][8][9][10] While the ETV 500 was just a M19 accelerated to 8 MHz and equipped with two 3.5 inch 720 KB floppy drives,[10] which used optionally an Olivetti ET series typewriter (usually a ET 112 or ET 116) as a serial-attached keyboard and daisy wheel printer, the ETV 260 was a fully-integrated word processor system with the M19 / ETV 500 accelerated mainboard mounted into a high speed 35 cps (characters per second) daisy wheel typewriter chassis, equipped with two 720 KB floppy drives or a single floppy drives plus an integrated 20 MB SCSI or MFM hard disk.[8]

Both systems, ETV 260 and ETV, 500 ran MS-DOS 3 and booted directly into Olivetti's own word processor software SWS - Secretary's Work Station,[11] which could be easy used by people already familiar with Olivetti's ET series typewriters and older CP/M based ETV word processor systems (like the ETV 240, 250 or 350).

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  • Olivetti M19 with external I/O box attached
    Olivetti M19 with external I/O box attached
  • Olivetti M19 rear view
    Olivetti M19 rear view
  • Inside of the computer, with two 5 1⁄4-inch disk drives
    Inside of the computer, with two 5 1⁄4-inch disk drives
  • Mainboard. An AMD P8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller is visible, together with a NEC V20 (μPD70108) main processor (instead of an Intel 8088)
    Mainboard. An AMD P8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller is visible, together with a NEC V20 (μPD70108) main processor (instead of an Intel 8088)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Caratteristiche techniche Personal Computer M19 (PDF) (in Italian). Olivetti. March 1986.
  2. ^ "Total Hardware 1999 - Jumper settings for 14876 devices - Motherboards. 8088, 8086, 80188, V20 - OLIVETTI M19". Colorado Custom Software Applications.
  3. ^ Acorn Personal Computer M19 (PDF). Acorn Computers Limited. July 1986. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  4. ^ Acorn Personal Computer M19 Software Price List (PDF). Acorn Computers Limited. July 1986. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Logabax Persona 1300". Silicium (in French).
  6. ^ "Logabax histoire". Silicium (in French).
  7. ^ "Olivetti ETV". Verein zum Erhalt klassischer Computer e.V. (in German). Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  8. ^ a b "ETV-260". Arvutimuuseum (in Estonian). 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  9. ^ "Olivetti exercises its greatest strength. Innovation". ABA Journal. American Bar Association: 15. 1987-08-01.
  10. ^ a b "Olivetti ETV 500". ESTE Vintage Computers. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  11. ^ "CURRENT SOFTWARE PACKAGES SUPPORTED (M THRU Q)". Pivar Computing Services, Inc. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
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