{"id":22408,"date":"2025-10-15T13:25:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T17:25:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=22408"},"modified":"2025-10-15T13:32:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T17:32:02","slug":"vin85","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin85\/","title":{"rendered":"Olivetti M10"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Olivetti M10<\/h2>\n<p>[vin85]<\/p>\n<p>The Olivetti M10, released in 1983, is a historically significant vintage portable computer notable for its innovative design and strong market presence in Europe. It featured a unique tilting LCD screen for improved legibility and an excellent keyboard praised by users, particularly journalists who favored it for field use. Based on a Kyocera platform similar to the Tandy Model 100, the M10 offered long battery life (running on AA batteries), built-in software including an extended BASIC interpreter, word processor, spreadsheet, agenda, and communication program. It was widely used in Europe, especially Italy, holding a majority share of the local market and some presence internationally. The M10 is regarded as one of the earliest true notebook-form-factor computers, marking a milestone in portable computing history. Its combination of portability, usability, and built-in programming capabilities make it an important piece for tech enthusiasts and vintage computer collections. It also demonstrates Olivetti\u2019s pioneering role in blending typewriter heritage with early computing technology.<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-22410\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Olivetti M10 Laptop\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250811_181401199-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Olivetti<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Laptop<\/li>\n<li><strong>Model<\/strong>: M10<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1983<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: USD $800 (CAD ~$2,750 adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 0.1 (100 KIPS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Hardware Specifications<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: OKI 80C85 8-bit CMOS microprocessor, running at 2.4 to 3 MHz<\/li>\n<li><strong>RAM<\/strong>: 8 KB standard, expandable up to 32 KB<\/li>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: Monochrome LCD with 240 x 64 pixel resolution, tilting design for ergonomic viewing<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: Volatile RAM storage backed by battery, cassette tape interface for data saving\/loading<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keyboard<\/strong>: Full-sized QWERTY keyboard with good tactile feedback<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connectivity<\/strong>: Serial and parallel ports for modem and printer connections<\/li>\n<li><strong>Power<\/strong>: Runs on 4 AA batteries, giving approximately 20 hours of operation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: Approximately 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>OS<\/strong>: The Olivetti M10 did not have a traditional operating system but instead ran built-in firmware with an extended BASIC interpreter as its primary programming environment. This firmware provided a simple command-line interface for programming and application use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Programming Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Microsoft BASIC (an extended version customized for the M10)<\/li>\n<li>Machine code programming for the OKI 80C85 8-bit CPU (via assembly or direct binary input)<\/li>\n<li>Some third-party and user-developed software could also be loaded via cassette, but no widespread support for other high-level languages existed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Released in 1983, it was among the earliest notebook-style portable computers, predating many modern laptops.<\/li>\n<li>Known for its ergonomic tilting monochrome LCD screen, which improved readability, a feature rare for its time.<\/li>\n<li>Marketed primarily in Italy and Europe, it captured about 70% of the Italian market and 22% of the European market for portable computers in the early 1980&#8217;s.<\/li>\n<li>It was favoured by journalists and mobile professionals due to its lightweight design (~1.5 kg), long battery life (~20 hours), and excellent keyboard.<\/li>\n<li>The M10 ran an extended BASIC interpreter in firmware, enabling programming on the go, which was innovative in portability and software integration.<\/li>\n<li>Considered a pioneering machine bridging typewriter heritage and emerging personal computing technology from Olivetti, a company known for design and innovation.<\/li>\n<li>Often compared as the \u201cItalian cousin\u201d to the popular Tandy Model 100, it stands as a distinct alternative with unique features.<\/li>\n<li>Although it lacked flashy advertising campaigns, its quiet success in European markets cemented its place in vintage computing history.<\/li>\n<li>Its design and usability influenced later portable computing development, solidifying it as a key milestone in the evolution of notebooks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Arlen Michaels<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Olivetti M10 [vin85] The Olivetti M10, released in 1983, is a historically significant vintage portable computer notable for its innovative design and strong market presence in Europe. It featured a unique tilting LCD screen for improved legibility and an excellent keyboard praised by users, particularly journalists who favored it for field use. Based on a [&hellip;]<\/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":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Olivetti M10 - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Olivetti M10 The Olivetti M10, released in 1983, is a historically significant vintage portable computer notable for its innovative design and strong\" \/>\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\/vin85\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 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\/vin85\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin85\/\",\"name\":\"Olivetti M10 - 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