{"id":20749,"date":"2025-03-19T14:00:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T18:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=20749"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:50:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T19:50:49","slug":"vin38","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin38\/","title":{"rendered":"Olivetti M240"},"content":{"rendered":"

Olivetti M240<\/h2>\n

[vin38]<\/p>\n

The Olivetti M240, launched in 1984, was a notable IBM-compatible personal computer featuring an 8 MHz Intel 8086 processor (faster than the IBM PC’s 8088), 640 KB of RAM, support for high-density floppy drives, and a larger case with expanded ISA slots for greater customization and peripheral support. Its claim to fame was its enhanced performance and expandability, positioning Olivetti as a major European innovator in the PC market and contributing to the widespread adoption of IBM-compatible systems by offering both technical improvements and design versatility.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
  • Manufacturer<\/strong>: Olivetti, an Italian company that was one of Europe\u2019s leading computer makers during the 1980s<\/li>\n
  • Type<\/strong>: Desktop computer<\/li>\n
  • Release Date<\/strong>: 1984<\/li>\n
  • Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $2,500 (CAD ~$6,000 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n
  • MIPS<\/strong>: 0.6 (600 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n
    • CPU<\/strong>: \u00a0Intel 8086 processor running at 8 MHz<\/li>\n
    • Memory<\/strong>: Up to 640 KB RAM (standard for the era)<\/li>\n
    • Storage<\/strong>: Hard disk drive options (typically 10 MB or 20 MB)<\/li>\n
    • Video<\/strong>: CGA graphics compatibility (Color Graphics Adapter)<\/li>\n
    • Parallel and serial ports for printer and modem connections<\/li>\n
    • Detachable keyboard<\/li>\n
    • Large desktop case design for expandability<\/li>\n
    • IBM PC compatibility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Operating System & Programming Languages<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Operating System<\/strong>:\n
          \n
        • primarily ran MS-DOS (versions such as 3.20 and 3.30), which ensured compatibility with a wide range of IBM PC software.<\/li>\n
        • It could also run alternative operating systems including CP\/M-86, UCSD-P, PCOS, Xenix, and UNIX System V (on certain models)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • \n

            Supported Languages<\/strong>: GW-BASIC, Pascal, and other languages available for MS-DOS and CP\/M-86 environments, such as C, Fortran, and Assembly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Notables<\/h3>\n
              \n
            • The Olivetti M240 was an improved successor to the M24, featuring a faster Intel 8086 CPU at 8 MHz and a full 16-bit data bus, making it notably quicker than many IBM PCs of the era.<\/li>\n
            • Its large, expandable case and extra ISA slots made it highly customizable; enthusiasts have retrofitted them with modern upgrades like SCSI hard drives, VGA cards, and Sound Blaster audio.<\/li>\n
            • The M240 was sometimes humorously referenced for being “all made in Italy,” and its scarcity today makes it a prized collector’s item among vintage computing enthusiasts.<\/li>\n
            • Olivetti-branded peripherals, such as mice made by Logitech, added to its unique international flavor.<\/li>\n
            • While it didn’t have a widely recognized nickname, it was sometimes called a “super XT” by hobbyists due to its advanced features for an XT-class machine.<\/li>\n
            • The M240\u2019s significance lies in its role as a leading European IBM-compatible PC, cementing Olivetti\u2019s reputation for innovation and helping to drive the adoption of open PC architectures in the 1980s<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              <\/p>\n

              Donated by<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Olivetti M240 [vin38] The Olivetti M240, launched in 1984, was a notable IBM-compatible personal computer featuring an 8 MHz Intel 8086 processor (faster than the IBM PC’s 8088), 640 KB of RAM, support for high-density floppy drives, and a larger case with expanded ISA slots for greater customization and peripheral support. Its claim to fame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"\nOlivetti M240 - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Olivetti M240 The Olivetti M240, launched in 1984, was a notable IBM-compatible personal computer featuring an 8 MHz Intel 8086 processor (faster than the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin38\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin38\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin38\/\",\"name\":\"Olivetti M240 - 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