{"id":20753,"date":"2025-03-19T14:19:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T18:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=20753"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:38:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:38:01","slug":"vin39","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin39\/","title":{"rendered":"Olivetti M28"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-5xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 100%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Olivetti M28\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"olivetti-m28\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Olivetti M28<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>[vin39]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Olivetti M28, launched in 1986, was notable as Olivetti\u2019s first personal computer to feature the Intel 80286 processor, running at 8 MHz, and it came standard with 512 KB of RAM (expandable to 1 MB), a 20 MB hard drive, and support for both MS-DOS 3.2 and XENIX operating systems. Its claim to fame was its advanced graphics capabilities for the time\u2014supporting up to 640\u00d7400 resolution in 16 colors\u2014and expandability, including options for a math coprocessor and up to three disk units, making it a robust and versatile IBM PC-compatible system. It was rebranded and sold in North America as the AT&amp;T PC 6310.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Olivetti, an Italian company renowned for its innovative computer and electronics products<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Desktop computer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1986<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $3,000 (CAD ~$10,000 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 1.7<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"hardware-specifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW36078203 BCX0\">Hardware Specifications<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Intel 80286 CPU at 8 MHz<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Memory<\/strong>: 512 KB standard RAM, expandable to 1 MB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: 20 MB hard drive (standard), 5.25&#8243; floppy disk drive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Graphics<\/strong>: Enhanced CGA, up to 640\u00d7400 resolution in 16 colors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expansion<\/strong>: Three internal drive bays, optional Intel 80287 math coprocessor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ports<\/strong>: Serial, parallel, keyboard, video, and expansion slots<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"operating-system-programming-languages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW136206418 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Operating System<\/strong>:&nbsp; MS-DOS 3.2, XENIX<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>: Assembly language for Intel 80286, C, Pascal, FORTRAN, PL\/M (PL\/M 86 and PL\/M 286), BASIC (widely available for MS-DOS systems), and other high-level languages compatible with MS-DOS and XENIX environments, such as COBOL and dBASE<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"notables\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Olivetti M28 was the company\u2019s first PC to use the Intel 80286 processor, marking a significant technical leap for Olivetti and positioning it as a strong IBM PC-compatible system in the mid-1980s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was known for its expandability, allowing up to three disk drives and support for a math coprocessor and enhanced graphics, which was unusual for its time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The M28 was rebranded as the AT&amp;T PC 6310 in the US and as the LogAbax Persona 1800 in France, reflecting its international reach and adaptability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Its design philosophy emphasized both technical innovation and modernist aesthetics, reinforcing Olivetti\u2019s reputation for stylish, user-centric computers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The M28 helped bridge the gap between earlier PCs and more powerful AT-class systems, securing Olivetti\u2019s place as a leader in European computing during the 1980s.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\">Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Olivetti M28 [vin39] The Olivetti M28, launched in 1986, was notable as Olivetti\u2019s first personal computer to feature the Intel 80286 processor, running at 8 MHz, and it came standard with 512 KB of RAM (expandable to 1 MB), a 20 MB hard drive, and support for both MS-DOS 3.2 and XENIX operating systems. Its [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[90,123],"class_list":["post-20753","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-vintage-computing","cu_page_type-vintage-inventory"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20753"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25103,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20753\/revisions\/25103"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=20753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}