--- title: Olivetti M20 categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - Italy years: - '1982' cpus: - Zilog Z8001 params: name: M20 image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_m20_system_1.jpg company: /companies/olivetti company_name: Olivetti specs: - label: NAME value: M20 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Olivetti - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Italy - label: YEAR value: March 1982 - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-Stroke 120 keys with numeric keypad - label: CPU value: Zilog Z8001 - label: SPEED value: 4 Mhz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: None - label: RAM value: 128 KB expandable to 512 KB - label: ROM value: 12 KB (BIOS) - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 columns x 25 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 512 x 256 pixels in 4 colours maximum - label: COLORS value: 4 or 8 with RAM extension board - label: SOUND value: Beeper - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: '42.5(W) x 51.4(D) x 15(H) cm. Weight: 10.5 Kg.' - label: I/O PORTS value: 1 x RS-232 port, 1 x RS-1232C enhanced serial port, 1 x custom monitor connector, 1 x Parallel printer port - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: |- 2 x 160, 320 or 640 KB 5.25'' F.D. drives\ or 1 x F.D. drive + 1 x 11.25 MB Hard disk - label: OS value: PCOS, CP/M8000, MS-DOS (with the APB 8086 card) - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply - label: PERIPHERALS value: 128 KB memory card, Intel 8086 microprocessor card, IEEE-488 card - label: PRICE value: $5400 (2 x F.D. version) tabs: - photos - adverts - links - docs forum_thread: 598 photos: - title: NICE ITALIAN DESIGN subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_m20_system_2.jpg - title: M-20 KEYBOARD subtitle: '' text: Keyboard and built-in F.D. drives close-up image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_m20_keyboard_1.jpg - title: INSIDE M-20 subtitle: '' text: |- The M-20 was a well designed system. Each part of the computer can be removed and put back without any tool. **(1)** 2 x Expansion board connectors. The optional 8086 board takes place here.\ **(2)** 3 x Expansion memory boards. Up to 3 x 128 KB boards can be inserted.\ **(3)** 128 KB on-board RAM memory chips (16 x 4164)\ **(4)** Zilog Z-8001 microprocessor\ **(5)** BIOS ROM chips\ **(6)** Power supply unit image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_m20_inside_1.jpg - title: UNCOVERED SYSTEM subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_m20_inside_2.jpg adverts: - title: 'U.S. AD #1 (1982)' subtitle: '' text: |- Advert said: We know your question: How could Olivetti have developped a better personal computer than the other giants?\ The answer is in a word: Experience. Olivetti introduced the world's first desktop computer in 1965. Since then, we've continued to market a variety of minicomputers and microcomputers to a wide range of users... image: /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_m20_pub_2.jpg - title: 'U.S. AD #2 (1983)' subtitle: '' text: Despite the M20 was neither software nor hardware compatible with any other computer, Olivetti had to prove that it had more computing power at a smaller pice than any competitor. image: /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_m20_pub_3.jpg - title: U.S. AD. JUNE 1983 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_m20_pub_4.jpg - title: GERMAN ADVERT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_m20_germanad_1.jpg - title: THE FIRST M20 VERSION subtitle: '' text: |- This Olivetti ancestor, also called M20, was born in 1920...\ To note the superb design all the young italian secretaries were in love of! Thanks to Karl-Heinz - www.sharpmz.org image: /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_m20_typewriter_1.jpg links: - title: Olivetti M20 site url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=home.inc text: Very complete, detailed and useful site for any M20 owner. docs: - title: USER MANUAL (GERMAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_user-manual.jpg text: |- [**USER MANUAL (GERMAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 3.2 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: INSTALLATION AND USE GUIDE (ITALIAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_installation-and-use.jpg text: |- [**INSTALLATION AND USE GUIDE (ITALIAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Tix (1000bit.net)\  type of document : PDF\  size : 49 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: HARDWARE MANUAL url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_hardware-manual.jpg text: |- [**HARDWARE MANUAL**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 5.3 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: HARDWARE MANUAL - PART 2 url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_hardware-manual_2.jpg text: |- [**HARDWARE MANUAL - PART 2**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : Unknown\  size : 5.8 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: OLIVETTI M20 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_quick-reference-guide.jpg text: |- [**OLIVETTI M20 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 4.7 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: PC-OS (ITALIAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_pc-os.jpg text: |- [**PC-OS (ITALIAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by prof.ing. Dino Molli\  type of document : PDF\  size : 7.3 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: ASSEMBLER MANUAL AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH PC-OS url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_assembler.jpg text: |- [**ASSEMBLER MANUAL AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH PC-OS**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 19.1 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: M20 MICROSOFT BASIC (ITALIAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_basic.jpg text: |- [**M20 MICROSOFT BASIC (ITALIAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by prof.ing. Dino Molli\  type of document : PDF\  size : 11.6 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: M20 ISAM MANUAL (ITALIAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_isam-uk.jpg text: |- [**M20 ISAM MANUAL (ITALIAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 10.1 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: M20 ISAM MANUAL (ITALIAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_isam.jpg text: |- [**M20 ISAM MANUAL (ITALIAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by prof.ing. Dino Molli\  type of document : PDF\  size : 3.4 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: M20 OLISORT MANUAL (ENGLISH) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_olisort_uk.jpg text: |- [**M20 OLISORT MANUAL (ENGLISH)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 24 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: M20 OLISORT MANUAL (ITALIAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_olisort.jpg text: |- [**M20 OLISORT MANUAL (ITALIAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by prof.ing. Dino Molli\  type of document : PDF\  size : 14.7 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: M20 OLIWORD MANUAL (ITALIAN) url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_oliword.jpg text: |- [**M20 OLIWORD MANUAL (ITALIAN)**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Dwight Elvey and to Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 4.7 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: I/O WITH EXTERNAL PERIPHERALS MANUAL url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_io-manual.jpg text: |- [**I/O WITH EXTERNAL PERIPHERALS MANUAL**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Chris Groessler\  type of document : PDF\  size : 14.6 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) - title: ZILOG Z8000 PROGRAMMING GUIDE url: http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/olivetti_m20_z8000-programming-guide.jpg text: |- [**ZILOG Z8000 PROGRAMMING GUIDE**](http://www.z80ne.com/m20/index.php?argument=sections/manuals/manuals.inc)written by Olivetti  compiled/archived by Jurjen Kranenborg\  type of document : PDF\  size : 4.7 MB\  source : [Olivetti M20 site](http://88.164.48.108/index.php) oc_id: 611 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230627021257/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=611 date: '2023-06-27' --- In 1972, Olivetti established in the U.S.A. (Cupertino), the Advanced Technology Centre (ATC), a research centre specialized in new technologies and office automation equipment design. During ten years the centre designed Olivetti typewriters, calculators, photocopiers, etc.... In 1980, the first Olivetti computer took form in Cupertino, and the M-20 computer was launched in March 1982. More than 50,000 units are estimated to have been shipped in the first year. The M20 was one of the very rare computers based on the Zilog Z8000, a 16 bits microprocessor very close to its 8 bits big brother the Z80. Like most of the computers designed before the IBM PC era, the M20 offered technical choices which made it totally incompatible with the rest of the micro world. The first proprietary M20 operating system, called PCOS (Professional Computer Operating System) was also very particular and didn't allowed files to be exchanged with other systems. Hopefully, MS-DOS V2.0, CP/M-86 and CP/M-80 would be later adapted to the specific M-20 hardware. Moreover, front of this compatibility problem, Olivetti developped a coprocessor board based on the 8086 chip, which offered M20 owners access to IBM PC software. The M20 came with a 12'' monochrome or colour custom built monitor. The international version had a grey plastic case, the Italian version had a brown one.