website/content/museum/olivetti-m24.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Olivetti M24	Computers	Professional Computer	Italy	1984	Intel 8086	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts oc_id source M24 /media/museum/photos/olivetti_m24_1.jpg /companies/olivetti Olivetti label value NAME M24 label value MANUFACTURER Olivetti label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Italy label value YEAR 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE MS-DOS and GW-Basic delivered on disks label value KEYBOARD Separated full-stroke keyboard, 102 keys, numeric keypad, 18 function keys\ A standard IBM keyboard (83 keys) was also proposed label value CPU Intel 8086 label value SPEED 8 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR optional 8087 arithmetic co-processor, NEC 6845 video generator label value RAM 128 Kb (up to 640 Kb) label value VRAM 40 / 80 x 25 label value ROM 16 Kb label value TEXT MODES 40 x 25, 80 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 320 x 200 with 4 colors / 640 x 200 monochrom / 640 x 400 monochrom label value COLORS 16 label value SOUND Tone Generator label value SIZE / WEIGHT 16 x 38 x 37 cm label value I/O PORTS Centronics, RS232c, mouse, keyboard label value BUILT IN MEDIA One or Two 5.25'' disk-drives (360k or 720k), optional 10 Mb hard-disks label value OS MS DOS 2.1, Concurrent CP/M 86, UCSD-P, PCOS label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in PSU, 135w label value PERIPHERALS Hard-disk, IEEE 488, RS 422, RS 232, PC Net boards, IBM 3278 coaxial network board, mouse label value PRICE 2 disk-drives system : 3535 (France, 84)\ color monitor, 10 Mb hard-disk : 8250 (France, 85) photos adverts 529 title subtitle text image M24 SP The M24 SP is a "super" M24 system. Its 8086 CPU is running at 10 Mhz (instead of 8Mhz), it has 512k RAM and a 20Mb hard-disk. Note the front of the main case is slightly different. /media/museum/photos/olivetti_m24sp_1.jpg title subtitle text image US ADVERT, SEPTEMBER 1985 /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_m24_pub_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (1984) /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_m24_pub_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT #2 (JUNE 1985) /media/museum/pubs/olivetti_pub_docile-compatibles_2.jpg 535 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230610142244/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=535 2023-06-10

This is a highly IBM PC compatible system. It means that it is truely hardware and sotfware compatible with the IBM PC of that time. Back then, all "PC compatible" systems were not exactly 100% compatible... so it was a real marketing argument for the Olivetti M24.
There were two true tests to know if a system was really IBM PC compatible : Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the M-24 was running both with no problem.

But in addition to its good compatibility, the Olivetti M24 was offering more than the IBM PC itself : RS232c and Centronics interface built-in, more complete keyboard, better graphic possibilities (640 x 400) and 7 free expansion slots (instead of 3 for the IBM PC). Even the CPU (8086, real 16-bit) was faster than the 8088 (16-bit with an 8-bit bus) used by the IBM PC.

It runs under MS-DOS 2.11, CP/M 86, UCSD P-System and even PCOS, the Olivetti OS used on the M20.
The 128k RAM can be expanded to 256k or 640k by adding memory directly onboard. It is also possible to connect two optional 10 Mb hard disks (one internal and one external).
The Olivetti M24 was sold with a green or yellow phosphore 12" monochrome monitor, or with a color monitor (more expensive, of course). Two keyboards were available : one absolutly identical to the IBM PC's, and an Olivetti with more keys (102 instead of 83) including 18 functions keys and a complete editing keypad.

In September 85 appears a new model, the M24 SP. It is based on a M24 but its Intel 8086 is running at 10 Mhz, it has 512k RAM (still upgradable to 640k) and a 20Mb hard-disk.

Conclusion : the Olivetti M24 was the first computer to be fully compatible with the IBM PC and to offer more features than original PC, for a cheaper price !

The Olivetti M24 was also sold as the Logabax 1600 in France (Olivetti owned Logabax) and the ATT PC-6300in the USA (Olivetti signed a distribution deal with ATT). As Olivetti was not entirely satisfied with the ATT deal, it also approached Xerox to distribute its computers in the USA.