old-computers.com/website
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull Requests Actions Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity
Files
de1901464948adcd7a58f8e108309a930123ffe8
website/content/museum/olivetti-prodest-pc-128.md
T
yann64andClaude Opus 5.5 de19014649 Content with the complete media download (15,344 files) 
228 files were never archived; see docs/not-recovered.md in the extraction repo.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
2026-10-13 16:47:19 +02:00

286 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
Raw Blame History

---
title: Olivetti Prodest PC 128
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Italy
years:
- '1986'
cpus:
- Motorola MC 6809e
params:
name: Prodest PC 128
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_system_1.jpg
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: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_system_2.jpg
- title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
subtitle: ''
text: |-
A nice keyboard with wisely selected colours.\
Notice that some Spanish characters are also available (Ñ, ¿)
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_keybcloseup_1.jpg
- title: OLIVETTI PRODEST LOGO
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_prodestlogo_1.jpg
- title: LEFT & RIGHT SIDES
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_2sides_1.jpg
- 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: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_rearside_1.jpg
- title: INSIDE
subtitle: ''
text: The keyboard and the tape recorder mechanism are fastened to the upper part of the case.
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_uppercase_1.jpg
- 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: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_boardcloseup_1.jpg
- title: BOTTOM LABEL
subtitle: ''
text: Notice that the sticker mentions 'MO6E', the name of the Thomson original model.
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_prodestlabel_1.jpg
- title: BOOT-UP SCREEN
subtitle: ''
text: Olivetti modified internal ROM software to add the PC-128 logo and translate menus in Italian language.
image: /media/museum/photos/olivetti_pcs128_bootup_1.jpg
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.
<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>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.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>
Reference in New Issue View Git Blame Copy Permalink