website/content/museum/olivetti-prodest-pc-128.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Olivetti Prodest PC 128	Computers	Home Computer	Italy	1986	Motorola MC 6809e	name image company company_name specs tabs photos hardware emulators links videos comments related oc_id source Prodest PC 128 /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_system_1.jpg /companies/olivetti Olivetti label value NAME Prodest PC 128 label value MANUFACTURER Olivetti label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Italy label value YEAR 1986 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft BASIC interpreter label value KEYBOARD Full stroke 69 key with 5 function keys and arrow keys label value CPU Motorola MC 6809e label value SPEED 1 MHz label value RAM 128 KB label value ROM 64 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 or 80 chars x 24 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 8 modes, from 160 x 200 to 640 x 200 dots label value COLORS from 2 to 16 among 4096 label value SOUND 3 channels, 7 octaves + white noise channel label value I/O PORTS Light Pen, Joystick, Mouse, Centronics, Cartridge, External Audio, Bus, RGB label value BUILT IN MEDIA built-in tape recorder label value OS Microsoft BASIC label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PRICE 232 photos hardware emulators links videos title subtitle text image PC-128 /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_system_2.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP A nice keyboard with wisely selected colours.\ Notice that some Spanish characters are also available (Ñ, ¿) /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_keybcloseup_1.jpg title subtitle text image OLIVETTI PRODEST LOGO /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_prodestlogo_1.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT & RIGHT SIDES /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_2sides_1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR SIDE (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. /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_rearside_1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE The keyboard and the tape recorder mechanism are fastened to the upper part of the case. /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_uppercase_1.jpg title subtitle text image MAINBOARD 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 /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_mainboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image MAINBOARD CLOSE-UP 6809 processor, and custom gate array chip. /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_boardcloseup_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOTTOM LABEL Notice that the sticker mentions 'MO6E', the name of the Thomson original model. /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_prodestlabel_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOOT-UP SCREEN Olivetti modified internal ROM software to add the PC-128 logo and translate menus in Italian language. /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_bootup_1.jpg title subtitle text image 5.25'' DISK DRIVE 320 KB model This 5.25'' disk-drive offers a 320 KB capacity (40 tracks > 16 sectors > 256 bytes) and a built-in controller. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_diskdrive_2.jpg title subtitle text image DISK CONTROLLER CD 90-351 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. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_disk-interface.jpg title subtitle text image JOYSTICK MODULE Dual Atari compatible joysticks module /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_joymodule_1.jpg title subtitle text image MUSIC & GAME MODULE CM 90-112 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... /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-interface.jpg title subtitle text image MUSIC & GAME MODULE #2 /media/museum/hardware/thomson_mo5_musicetjeu_s1.jpg title subtitle text image ORDI 94 Joystick Interface 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. /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_joy-atari.jpg title subtitle text image PRINTER PR-90 080 80 columns dot-matrix printer which was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-80 /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to7_imp_pr90-080.jpg title subtitle text image PRINTER PR-90 600 80-column 9-pin dot matrix printer. A rebadged version of the Seikosha SP-1000 with graphics capabilities /media/museum/hardware/thomson_to9_imppr90_600_1.jpg title url platform text DCMO5 http://dcmo5.free.fr/ Windows Thomson MO5 emulator for PC title url platform text DCMO5 Gamer Edition HTTP://DCMO5.FREE.FR Windows Easy to use emulator, to run MO5 games without knowing MO5 commands title url platform text DCMO6 http://dcmo6.free.fr/ Windows Thomson MO5NR, Thomson MO6 and Olivetti Prodest PC128 emulator for PC title url platform text DCMOTO http://dcmoto.free.fr/ Windows 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 url platform text DCTO7 and DCTO8 http://dcto7.free.fr/ Windows Thomson T9000, TO7/70, TO8, TO8D emulator for Windows title url platform text TODC http://www.jplang.fr.st/ Other platform No, you are not dreaming. This is a TO-7/70 emulator for the Dreamcast game system ! title url text AmiTO8 http://membres.lycos.fr/amito8/data/Accueil.html Amiga / Thomson dedicated site. Some original stuff there! title url text Christophe's Lair http://lair.thomsonistes.org/ Lot of stuff here, a must see site (french) title url text Collection Thomson http://gfournier.free.fr/ Another great site with tons of documentation title url text DCMOTO http://dcmoto.free.fr/ Excellent site !! Home of the DCMOTO emulator. Lot od documentations and software to download. A must see ! title url text Forum Thomson http://forumthomson2001.free.fr/forum01.htm Get in contact with other Thomson fans (in french) title url text MOTO, le site Des micros Thomsons http://www.multimania.com/tonews/ Some info about the Thomson computers (french) title url text Nostalgies Thomsonistes http://nostalgies.thomsonistes.org/ Excellent site dedicated to Thomson computers (french) title url text Thomatoes http://wiki.forler.ch Thomson Wiki title url text www.logicielsmoto.com http://www.logicielsmoto.com/home.php Fantastic site! Very big software library and much more! title url text MO5 french TV commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPr7NeqMobc Length: 31 s author date text Emanuele (UK (originally from Italy) Sunday 17th July 2022 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 date text Andrea (Amsterdam, NL) Tuesday 6th February 2018 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 date text Dino (Italy/Rome) Sunday 14th December 2014 This was my first computer. it wasn'' t good for games but with it I have learned the BASIC programming. author date text Gianluca (London) Wednesday 19th December 2012 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 date text fabio (perugia-italy) Thursday 11th November 2004 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 date text Andrea (Sarzana (SP-Italy)) Sunday 29th February 2004 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 date text Fog76 (Italy) Thursday 27th November 2003 This machine was the my first computer... i lean the art of programming...\ For the italians : Qualcuno vuole vendermene uno ? author date text Vanio (Italy) Wednesday 19th November 2003 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 date text Alby (Italy) Sunday 12th October 2003 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. /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 853 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230609191256/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=853 2023-06-09

The Prodest PC-128 was a rebadged and slightly redesigned version of the French Thomson MO6

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.