--- title: Olivetti Prodest PC 128 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - Italy years: - '1986' cpus: - Motorola MC 6809e params: name: Prodest PC 128 company: /companies/olivetti company_name: Olivetti specs: - label: NAME value: Prodest PC 128 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Olivetti - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Italy - label: YEAR value: '1986' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Microsoft BASIC interpreter - label: KEYBOARD value: Full stroke 69 key with 5 function keys and arrow keys - label: CPU value: Motorola MC 6809e - label: SPEED value: 1 MHz - label: RAM value: 128 KB - label: ROM value: 64 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 40 or 80 chars x 24 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 8 modes, from 160 x 200 to 640 x 200 dots - label: COLORS value: from 2 to 16 among 4096 - label: SOUND value: 3 channels, 7 octaves + white noise channel - label: I/O PORTS value: Light Pen, Joystick, Mouse, Centronics, Cartridge, External Audio, Bus, RGB - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: built-in tape recorder - label: OS value: Microsoft BASIC - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PRICE value: '232' tabs: - photos - hardware - emulators - links - videos photos: - title: PC-128 subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: |- A nice keyboard with wisely selected colours.\ Notice that some Spanish characters are also available (Ñ, ¿) image: null - title: OLIVETTI PRODEST LOGO subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: LEFT & RIGHT SIDES subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: REAR SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- (1) Reset button\ (2) Two joystick DB9 connectors, Atari compatible\ (3) TV aerial chinch plug\ (4) Light pen DIN plug\ (5) RGB Scart (Péritel) plug\ (6) Sound output\ (7) Printer connector (same as MSX models)\ (8) Connector for extension modules. image: null - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: The keyboard and the tape recorder mechanism are fastened to the upper part of the case. image: null - title: MAINBOARD subtitle: '' text: |- There is no hardware difference between the Olivetti mainboard and the Thomsom MO6 one. (1) Two ROM chips holding two versions of Microsoft BASIC\ (2) ROM cartridges connector\ (3) TV aerial modulator\ (4) I/O are managed by Two 6821P PIA chips\ (5) EF-9369P graphics video chip\ (6) Keyboard connectors\ (7) Four 41464 (64 cells x 4 bits) chips hold 128 Kb of RAM\ (8) Custom gate array chip made by Texas Instruments\ (9) Motorola 6809EP processor\ (10) Power supply unit image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_mainboard_1.jpg - title: MAINBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: 6809 processor, and custom gate array chip. image: null - title: BOTTOM LABEL subtitle: '' text: Notice that the sticker mentions 'MO6E', the name of the Thomson original model. image: null - title: BOOT-UP SCREEN subtitle: '' text: Olivetti modified internal ROM software to add the PC-128 logo and translate menus in Italian language. image: null hardware: - title: 5.25'' DISK DRIVE subtitle: 320 KB model text: This 5.25'' disk-drive offers a 320 KB capacity (40 tracks > 16 sectors > 256 bytes) and a built-in controller. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_diskdrive_2.jpg - title: DISK CONTROLLER subtitle: CD 90-351 text: This interface was used to connect a disk drive or a Quick Disc Drive (QDD) to a TO-7, TO-7/70, MO5 or MO6. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_disk-interface.jpg - title: JOYSTICK MODULE subtitle: '' text: Dual Atari compatible joysticks module image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_joymodule_1.jpg - title: MUSIC & GAME MODULE subtitle: CM 90-112 text: This module offers two joystick connectors (Videopac joysticks can be used) and adds three channels to the TO-7 or MO-5 (resulting in a total of 4 voices). Sadly, these new sound features were scarcely used in games... image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-interface.jpg - title: 'MUSIC & GAME MODULE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_musicetjeu_s1.jpg - title: ORDI 94 subtitle: Joystick Interface text: This interface enables Atari joysticks to be used with TO-7, TO-7/70 and MO5. It was sold by Ordivisuel under the name Ordi 94. image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-atari.jpg - title: PRINTER PR-90 080 subtitle: '' text: 80 columns dot-matrix printer which was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-80 image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_imp_pr90-080.jpg - title: PRINTER PR-90 600 subtitle: '' text: 80-column 9-pin dot matrix printer. A rebadged version of the Seikosha SP-1000 with graphics capabilities image: /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_imppr90_600_1.jpg emulators: - title: DCMO5 url: http://dcmo5.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Thomson MO5 emulator for PC - title: DCMO5 Gamer Edition url: HTTP://DCMO5.FREE.FR platform: Windows text: Easy to use emulator, to run MO5 games without knowing MO5 commands - title: DCMO6 url: http://dcmo6.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Thomson MO5NR, Thomson MO6 and Olivetti Prodest PC128 emulator for PC - title: DCMOTO url: http://dcmoto.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Universal 8-bit Thomson emulator for Windows. Emulates Thomson MO5, MO5E, MO5NR, MO6, T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D, TO9, TO9+ and Olivetti Prodest PC128 ! - title: DCTO7 and DCTO8 url: http://dcto7.free.fr/ platform: Windows text: Thomson T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D emulator for Windows - title: TODC url: http://www.jplang.fr.st/ platform: Other platform text: No, you are not dreaming. This is a TO-7/70 emulator for the Dreamcast game system ! links: - title: AmiTO8 url: http://membres.lycos.fr/amito8/data/Accueil.html text: Amiga / Thomson dedicated site. Some original stuff there! - title: Christophe's Lair url: http://lair.thomsonistes.org/ text: Lot of stuff here, a must see site (french) - title: Collection Thomson url: http://gfournier.free.fr/ text: Another great site with tons of documentation - title: DCMOTO url: http://dcmoto.free.fr/ text: Excellent site !! Home of the DCMOTO emulator. Lot od documentations and software to download. A must see ! - title: Forum Thomson url: http://forumthomson2001.free.fr/forum01.htm text: Get in contact with other Thomson fans (in french) - title: MOTO, le site Des micros Thomsons url: http://www.multimania.com/tonews/ text: Some info about the Thomson computers (french) - title: Nostalgies Thomsonistes url: http://nostalgies.thomsonistes.org/ text: Excellent site dedicated to Thomson computers (french) - title: Thomatoes url: http://wiki.forler.ch text: Thomson Wiki - title: www.logicielsmoto.com url: http://www.logicielsmoto.com/home.php text: Fantastic site! Very big software library and much more! videos: - title: MO5 french TV commercial url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPr7NeqMobc text: 'Length: 31 s' comments: - author: Emanuele (UK (originally from Italy) date: Sunday 17th July 2022 text: My dad used to work at Olivetti and got me one of these when I was 4 (1987). Had my first experience with Basic on it. I swapped it for a 80286 IBM compatible after a couple of years but I remember crying a lot because I couldn''t play the games that were available on the C64! However it''s also thanks to this that I built my passion around computing. Proud to have been an owner! - author: Andrea (Amsterdam, NL) date: Tuesday 6th February 2018 text: |- Hi! This was my first PC as well when I was a kid.\ I learned coding BASIC from its HUGE manual when I was 8y/o... Here is the link for revival! http://www.mypccollection.altervista.org/downloads/manuali/Olivetti/Olivetti$20Prodest128_manuale.pdf Originally from Italy, now I am a developer in Amsterdam, The Netherlands focused on Node.js - author: Dino (Italy/Rome) date: Sunday 14th December 2014 text: This was my first computer. it wasn'' t good for games but with it I have learned the BASIC programming. - author: Gianluca (London) date: Wednesday 19th December 2012 text: |- As I lived in Italy, this was my first computer too.\ I actually wanted to buy a Commodore 64, but in 1987 there were rumours that Commodore would discontinue it, so I bought the Olivetti. I remember I used my own money saved from tips, and I was only 13 !\ I was initially dissappointed because the games were not a big deal. However I learnt how to program in Basic with this machine, and that helped me through all my career. I remember I wrote a cool program to plot mathematical funtions for the "maturitá" exams (A-levels / baccalaureat).\ I stilll have it somewhere in the garage in Italy... - author: fabio (perugia-italy) date: Thursday 11th November 2004 text: this is my first computer too. Now i work for video e graphics with high end computer and software but i never forget my olivetti prodest, sometime i play with it... - author: Andrea (Sarzana (SP-Italy)) date: Sunday 29th February 2004 text: |- It was my first computer, too. I have start my career of programmer from this. It was a good computer, but the Commodore was better in that years... it was 1986-7 but I have this computer also now...\ It is my memento... :p - author: Fog76 (Italy) date: Thursday 27th November 2003 text: |- This machine was the my first computer... i lean the art of programming...\ For the italians : Qualcuno vuole vendermene uno ? - author: Vanio (Italy) date: Wednesday 19th November 2003 text: This was mi first computer in 1986. Due to very low quantity of software available, i had to learn programming. So, greeting to this home computer, now i'm a good computer programmer! - author: Alby (Italy) date: Sunday 12th October 2003 text: |- This was my first computer. Not bad 'bout technics but has not to much programs sigh :-(\ Sorry if my english is not to much good but i do not speek english very well.\ Now i'm affraid to have demolished it. related: - /museum/thomson-mo-5 - /museum/thomson-mo-6 - /museum/thomson-mo5-e - /museum/thomson-mo5-nr - /museum/thomson-to-7 - /museum/thomson-to-7-70 - /museum/thomson-to-8-to-8d - /museum/thomson-to-9 - /museum/thomson-to-9-plus oc_id: 853 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609191256/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=853 date: '2023-06-09' --- The Prodest PC-128 was a rebadged and slightly redesigned version of the French [Thomson MO6](/museum/thomson-mo-6/) Apart from case design touching up, technical features was the same as the MO6. This machine seems having been sold in very small quantity in Italy.
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.