--- title: Olivetti PC 1 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - Italy years: - '1988' cpus: - Nec V40 params: name: PC 1 company: /companies/olivetti company_name: Olivetti specs: - label: NAME value: PC 1 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Olivetti - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Italy - label: YEAR value: '1988' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: None - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 82 keys with 10 functions keys and numeric keypad - label: CPU value: Nec V40 - label: SPEED value: 4.77 / 8 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Yamaha custom chip - label: RAM value: 512 KB (up to 640 KB) - label: ROM value: Unknown - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 x 25 / 80 x 25 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 'CGA graphic modes : 320 x 200 / 640 x 200' - label: COLORS value: '4' - label: SOUND value: Tone Generator - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 39(W) x 31(D) x 9(H) cm. - label: I/O PORTS value: Centronics, RGB monitor and TV, RS232, Mouse, Audio, Floppy disk, Expansion connector - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 1 or 2 x 3.5'' 720 KB FDD - label: OS value: MS DOS - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: Expansion box - label: PRICE value: 3371 FF HT (France, June 1988) tabs: - photos - adverts photos: - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 1 DRIVE MODEL subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: REAR CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Expansion slot dedicated to Olivetti peripherals\ **(2)** System reset switch\ **(3)** Sound output jack\ **(4)** Parallel printer DB25 connector\ **(5)** Serial DB25 connector\ **(6)** Mouse DB9 connector\ **(7)** TV/RGB video out DIN plug.\ **(8)** RGB video out for a video monitor image: null - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- Only one board assumes all the functions of a standard PC, including video and floppy disc interfaces **(1)** Power supply unit\ **(2)** Standard DB9 CGA video connector\ **(3)** Video DIN plug allowing a TV set to be directly connected through the Scart plug\ **(4)** Mouse DB9 connector\ **(5)** Serial DB25 connector\ **(6)** Parallel DB 25 connector\ **(7)** Sound jack output\ **(8)** Intel Parallel programmable interface 8255 chip. Here a Mitsubishi version\ **(9)** BIOS ROM\ **(10)** Expansion connector for Olivetti peripherals\ **(11)** Buzzer and volume adjustment\ **(12)** Intel 8042 keyboard controller and sound generator. Here a Fujitsu version\ **(13)** Keyboard connectors\ **(14)** Western Digital floppy disc controller chip\ **(15)** External floppy disc unit connector\ **(16)** Nec V40 processor (see close-up)\ **(17)** Floppy disc drives connector\ **(18)** Characters generator ROM\ **(19)** Custom gate array chip made by Yamaha image: null - title: CUSTOM CHIP subtitle: '' text: This chip, specially manufactured for the PC1, assumes a large part of internal board functions (I/O and memory management, video display) and replaces more than 20 standard logic chips. image: null - title: NEC V40 subtitle: '' text: The V40 processor was one of the most powerful true 16 bit Intel 80186 clone. image: null adverts: - title: FRENCH ADVERT (1988) subtitle: '' text: '' image: null comments: - author: Jim Moore (England) date: Tuesday 31st March 2015 text: |- I still have one of these, it has not the DD floppy drives$ it has two 1.44MB DSHD drives. Oh, and just giving it a power on test before deciding what to do with it, you have the option on boot, during POST, as to whether or not to use Turbo Mode. Now I know it works, I think I''ll blow the dust off a couple shrinkwrapped disks and load the thing up with DOS EDIT. After all, you don''t need four cores and 8GB of RAM just to type a document, right? For that matter I could go completely retro and do my HTML coding on the thing as well! - author: Pedro Renato (Portugal) date: Monday 2nd June 2014 text: I did not know that this did Olivetti computer to compete with the Amstrad PC 1512, not least because I got to use both computers at the same time! - author: Pedro Renato (Portugal) date: Monday 2nd June 2014 text: I did not know that this did Olivetti computer to compete with the Amstrad PC 1512, not least because I got to use both computers at the same time! - author: Mario (Italy) date: Sunday 25th November 2012 text: |- There are some ERRORS/OMISSIONS in this page. The full name of this computer is OLIVETTI PRODEST PC1.\ Colors: 4 in graphic mode (320x200) with 2 palettes, 2 colors in 640x200 mode, 16 colors in text mode\ Number of keys: 83 (not 82)\ Sound: Tone generator with volume control under the keyboard - author: Zerover (Spain) date: Friday 20th April 2012 text: Ya no tengo acceso a la página de Ciberia y parece ser que los ficheros para descargar están corruptos, así que los he vuelto a poner en este otro sitio. - author: Stephen (UK) date: Monday 8th November 2010 text: I think this model was later equipped with a 20 MB HDD, taking over one of the FDD bays. I bought the double FDD version and was annoyed to find the HDD variant in store at a similar price a few weeks later! Although there was a wedge-shaped proprietary mouse, it was not supplied as standard in the UK, but cost about £30 extra. (Of course, you could use a serial mouse so long as you put the driver on your boot diskettes and amended autoexec.bat.) When I bought one in late 1988, it was bundled with the First Choice integrated software suite, which was excellent in its day, turning the machine into a versatile home office system. - author: stefano jodice (italy) date: Thursday 18th December 2008 text: qualcuno ha trovato i driver del mouse ???? - author: Generoso Lombardi (Avellino) date: Saturday 2nd June 2007 text: |- Qualcuno possiede i driver del mouse del PC1 ?\ Io l'ho perso il disco se qualcuno c'è l'ha me lo può zippare e mandarmelo ?\ Grazie. - author: Generoso Lombardi (Avellino (Italy)) date: Thursday 8th March 2007 text: Sto cercando di costruire il cavo da 8 pin a Scart seguendo la pedinatura su questo sito. Non riesco a drovare lo spinotto 8 din in commercio, ma questa sera forse è quella buona. Qualcuno l'ha realizzato gli ha funzionato il tutto ? - author: stefano iodice (italia) date: Thursday 14th July 2005 text: |- poco... a me me l'hanno tirato dietro gratis, con HD da\ 20 Mb, floppy, monitor originale CGA e stampante Olivetti Prodest DM91. Installato windows 2.0. e il DOS. No, niente mouse. Qualcuno ne ha uno orig? a proposito, i driver per questa stampante non si trovano. Ma vanno bene anche quelli della IBM ProPrinter II. Provati con CUPS sotto Linux. - author: diego messana (canicattì AG) date: Saturday 26th March 2005 text: sarei grato se qualcuno saprebbe dirmi dove poter trovare il sistema operativo e se possibile quel giochino che all'epoca davano compreso nel sistema operativo che si chiamava load runner. grazie - author: Zerover (Spain) date: Thursday 26th February 2004 text: Por si a alguno le interesa, he colocado en la dirección "http://ciberia.ya.com/olivetti_pc1" el software que traía el ordenador. - author: Fog76 (Italy) date: Thursday 27th November 2003 text: |- I want buy a PC1.\ Qualcuno lo vende ? - author: Spanishard (Spain) date: Monday 13rd October 2003 text: Can I connect an actual computer monitor to DB9 comector in PC-1 by olivetty?. Please help me, if you know this information. - author: Bill Gate$ (Rome) date: Monday 7th April 2003 text: 'Actual Price in Italy: 15/20 €' - author: xav (France) date: Sunday 15th December 2002 text: |- When i switch on my PC1, it doesn't recognize the mouse...\ I start this computer with an old "Zenith" ms-dos disk...\ Where can i find the original content of the MS-DOS disk witch was sold with this machine ? - author: Dan (Italy) date: Wednesday 14th August 2002 text: |- Qualcuno sa indicarmi dove trovare istruzioni o software per il download?\ Does someone can tell me where I can find instructions or software to download? - author: ivan (italia) date: Tuesday 9th July 2002 text: quanto puo costare adesso per u collezionista? oc_id: 182 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608074251/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=182 date: '2023-06-08' --- The Olivetti PC 1 was designed to be a family computer and Olivetti’s answer to the [Amstrad PC 1512](/museum/amstrad-pc-1512/). It uses the TV screen instead of a special monitor, but one could be used if you wanted to use one. It was sold with a mouse.\ No internal slot : to use ISA cards, an expansion box had to be connected onto the expansion connector. This device supplied two 8-bit ISA slots, hard disk connector (for a 20 mb hard disk, 85 ms) and 128 KB ram. It runs under MS DOS 3.2. The most particular feature is the disk-drives mounted above the keyboard. The computer was sold with 1 or 2 of them.