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Olivetti M19
Also known as	Acorn M19, LogAbax Persona 1300
Manufacturer	Olivetti
Type	Personal computer
Release date	1986; 39 years ago
Operating system	MS-DOS 2.11 / 3.1, Concurrent DOS and UCSD p-System
CPU	8088 or NEC V20 @ 4.77 or 8 MHz
Memory	256–640 KB
Removable storage	Two floppy disk drives
Display	320x200 with 16 colors; 640x200 with 4 colors
Graphics	CGA, Plantronics Colorplus
Sound	Beeper
Connectivity	RS-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

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). An internal SCSI controller card and accompanying hard drive could be fitted instead of the second floppy drive,^[7] with a 10 MB model advertised by Olivetti,^[1] and a 20 MB model advertised for the Acorn M19.^[3]

Since the system unit was designed to occupy a smaller area than many contemporary PC-compatible systems, a smaller form of internal expansion card was used. Olivetti advertised a selection of miniature cards including a second serial port, a BSC/SNA communications board, the SCSI controller card, and local area network cards.^[1] Acorn explicitly advertised Econet connectivity,^[3] whereas Olivetti advertised support for 10 NET connectivity, its own LAN technology,^[8] as well as "LAN economica", ostensibly Acorn's Econet. To use a standard "full size" expansion card, an external expansion box could be attached to the left-hand side of the computer by four machine screws.^{[citation needed]} This add-on was available in two different versions, one of which being able to provide power to the system in a colour monitor configuration,^[1] and this powered variant was bundled with Acorn's colour models.^[3] In a monochrome configuration using Olivetti's monitor, the system power was provided by the monitor, eliminating the need for a power supply and cooling fans inside the compact case of the machine.^[9]^: 71

With only two internal expansion slots available, Olivetti incorporated various standard interfaces, specifically a serial port and Centronics parallel port together with the video circuitry and connectors, onto the motherboard itself, avoiding the need to dedicate up to three slots to provide such functionality.^[7] Other expansion and upgrade options included a mouse interface, television adapter for SCART-equipped televisions, and a "dual speed kit" offering a 8088 CPU with an operating frequency of 4.77 MHz or 8 MHz selectable by the user.^[3]

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.^{[citation needed]}

M19 based word processors

In 1987 Olivetti introduced the word processor systems ETV 260 and ETV 500 based on the M19.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13] While the ETV 500 was just a M19 accelerated to 8 MHz and equipped with two 3.5 inch 720 KB floppy drives,^[13] 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.^[11]

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,^[14] 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).

Gallery

Olivetti M19 with external I/O box attached
Olivetti M19 rear view
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)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Caratteristiche techniche Personal Computer M19 (PDF) (in Italian). Olivetti. March 1986.
^ "Total Hardware 1999 - Jumper settings for 14876 devices - Motherboards. 8088, 8086, 80188, V20 - OLIVETTI M19". Colorado Custom Software Applications.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Acorn Personal Computer M19 (PDF). Acorn Computers Limited. July 1986. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
^ Acorn Personal Computer M19 Software Price List (PDF). Acorn Computers Limited. July 1986. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
^ "Logabax Persona 1300". Silicium (in French). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
^ "Logabax histoire". Silicium (in French). Retrieved 20 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b Thompson, Anthony (September 1986). "BBC - Big Blue compatible". Your Computer. pp. 24–25. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
^ "Olivetti ships 10-Net". Practical Computing. June 1986. p. 15. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
^ Walker, Nick (June 1986). "Olivetti M19". Australian Personal Computer. pp. 68–69, 71–72, 74, 76. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
^ "Olivetti ETV". Verein zum Erhalt klassischer Computer e.V. (in German). 14 September 2015. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
^ ^a ^b "ETV-260". Arvutimuuseum (in Estonian). 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
^ "Olivetti exercises its greatest strength. Innovation". ABA Journal. American Bar Association: 15. 1987-08-01.
^ ^a ^b "Olivetti ETV 500". ESTE Vintage Computers. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
^ "CURRENT SOFTWARE PACKAGES SUPPORTED (M THRU Q)". Pivar Computing Services, Inc. Retrieved 2022-12-30.