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Olivetti M24
Original Olivetti M24
Also known asLogAbax Persona 1600, AT&T PC 6300, PC 6300 Plus, PC 6310, PC 6312, Xerox 6060, M24 SP
ManufacturerOlivetti
TypePersonal computer
Released1983; 43 years ago (1983)
Discontinued1989
Operating systemMS-DOS 2.1, CP/M-86, UCSD-P, PCOS, Xenix, UNIX System V (on 6300 Plus)
CPUIntel 8086; Intel 80286 (PC 6300 Plus, PC 6310, PC 6312) @ 8 MHz; 10 MHz (M24 SP); 6 MHz (PC 6300 Plus); 8 MHz (PC 6310); 12 MHz (PC 6312)
Memory128 KB or 256 KB (expandable to 640 KB)
Storage20 MB hard disk (Xerox 6060)
Removable storagefloppy disk
Display320 x 200, 640 x 200, 640 x 400 with up to 16 colors; 512 x 256 with up to 8 colors
GraphicsVideo Enhanced Adapter EGC 2413, Motorola 6845
(Enhanced CGA-compatible video card)
SoundBeeper
SuccessorOlivetti M240, Olivetti M28

The Olivetti M24 is a computer that was sold by Olivetti in 1983 using the Intel 8086 CPU.[1]

The system was sold in the United States under its original name by Docutel/Olivetti of Dallas.[2] AT&T and Xerox bought rights to rebadge the system as the AT&T PC 6300[2][3][4] and the Xerox 6060 series, respectively.[5][6] (AT&T owned 25% of Olivetti around this time.[2]) The AT&T 6300, launched in June 1984, was AT&T's first attempt to compete in the PC compatible market.[3]

It was also available in France as the PERSONA 1600,[7] built by LogAbax.[8]

Versions

[edit]
An AT&T 6300, circa 1996, displaying the game Rogue

The initial 1984 US version named AT&T 6300 came with either one or two 360 KB 5.25" floppy drives; a hard disk was not offered.

Olivetti M24SP with manuals
Olivetti M24SP I/O Board

In Europe, Olivetti launched a 10 MHz version: the Olivetti M24 SP, announced in November 1985,[9] a contender for the title of "highest clocked 8086 computer" as its processor was the fastest grade of 8086-2, rated for a maximum speed of exactly the same 10 MHz. To support this, the motherboard now featured a switchable 24/30 MHz master crystal, still divided by 3 to produce the 33% duty CPU clock, with an additional 4 MHz crystal to maintain that clock signal for peripherals that required it, and the video board receiving its own 24 MHz crystal to maintain the same image size and scan frequencies at both processor speeds.

In October 1985, AT&T launched the 6300 Plus[10] that used a 6 MHz 286 microprocessor in the same case as the 6300. Prior to release, this machine had been referred to as the 8300 and codenamed "Safari 5" (PC 7300 was "Safari 4").[11][12] On the hardware level, this machine was criticized by an InfoWorld reviewer for being incompatible with AT cards.[13] On the other hand, AT&T sold a package of the 6300 Plus bundled with Simultask, which ran MS-DOS and UNIX System V simultaneously, at a cost—with all software licenses included—on par with the IBM PC/AT with MS-DOS alone.[14] A review in PC Magazine declared that AT&T's 6300 Plus was "flat out the better machine" compared to the IBM PC/AT.[15]

The version of Simultask included with the 6300 Plus was based on Locus Computing Corporation's Merge software.[10][16] In order to allow MS-DOS applications to run as "concurrent UNIX tasks", a non-standard hardware unit known as OS Merge was provided, allowing DOS applications to "think" that they had "complete control over the system" and offering "almost complete compatibility with IBM PC software", with a reported performance penalty when running applications such as Microsoft Flight Simulator of around 15 percent.[17] Such additional hardware was necessary to support these virtualisation features due to the limitations of the 80286.[18] The PC 6300 Plus shipped with MS-DOS in 1985 though, because its Unix System V distribution would not be ready until the end of March 1986.[19] The 6300 Plus did not sell as well as the original 6300.[20] Forrester Research estimated in December 1986 that AT&T's financial losses in PC market were about $600M for the year.[20]

In 1986, AT&T began offering 3.5" 720 KB floppies and 20 MB hard disks. The Xerox 6060 came standard with a single 360 KB 5.25" drive and a 20 MB hard drive. An Iomega Bernoulli 10/10 removable cartridge drive was also offered as a factory option, as well as a "small expansion" sidecar hosting a hard drive for users who found themselves with no internal space left between floppies and expansion cards.

After the 6300 Plus, AT&T announced that it was turning over both production and development of its PC products to Olivetti.[20] In 1987, AT&T offered a true AT-based 286, their 6310— a rebadge of Olivetti M28.[21] Equipped with a one-wait state 8 MHz processor, it was a pretty slow machine for its class, even slower than the IBM XT 286.[22] Simultask was also an option for the 6310. The later-released 6312 addressed the speed problem with a 12-MHz CPU.[22] After the announcement of the 6310, in April 1987, AT&T announced price cuts across its 6300 PC product line, with the 6300 Plus discounted by 27-38%, while the original 6300 was discounted by 17-23% (depending on configuration).[23]

6300s made in 1986-1987 have BIOS Version 1.43 which added proper support for 3.5" floppies and fixed a number of bugs. As with all contemporary systems, a BIOS upgrade required a physical chip replacement, which AT&T provided for $35.[24]

Features

[edit]

The M24 was designed to be highly compatible with IBM PC. One of its characteristics was the use of the more powerful 8.0 MHz Intel 8086 CPU rather than the 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 used in IBM's own PC XT,[25] configured for "maximum mode" that allowed direct installation of an 8087 math co-processor (also at 8 MHz) to the motherboard. The CPU clock, along with most others in the machine (other than the serial baud rate generator and an IBM-standard 14.3 MHz crystal used on the expansion board), was divided down from a 24.0 MHz master crystal, with the CPU timing in particular using an Intel 8284 clock generator, as per the IBM PC, to produce the 33% duty cycle pulse wave required by the 8086.

The system was designed "split-level", with the motherboard screwed onto the underside of the computer case and connected to the ISA bus backplane in the top section of the case via the video card which, rather than occupying an ISA slot, has two female edge connectors and plugs onto the ends of both the motherboard and the backplane, doubling as a bridge between them. The M24 has seven 8-bit ISA slots, as were standard for its time, but a number of slots (exact figure seeming to vary between one and at least four across extant machines) have proprietary second connectors to accept Olivetti-specific 16-bit cards. The machine had the bad luck of launching just a few months before the IBM PC/AT, which introduced the entirely different 16-bit connector and signalling standard extension to the PC bus now known simply as "ISA", and so ended up featuring slots incompatible on all three fronts of physical configuration, complement and arrangement of signals, and data transfer rate, significantly restricting the number of compatible 16-bit cards produced for it.

CGA compatible video card

[edit]

The M24/6300 had an unusual enhanced 32 KB CGA-compatible video card (Video Enhanced Adapter - EGC 2413)[26] which, in addition to standard 200-line CGA graphics modes (automatically line doubled, transparent to software, with text modes also using 400 scanlines with higher quality 8×16 pixel fonts, or even 16×16 in 40-column mode with an expansion ROM), also supported an additional 640×400 pixel graphics mode, as well as a poorly documented 512×256 mode for compatibility with the earlier M20 model (in conjunction with a Z8000-based emulator card that included a necessary additional clock source). All modes were non-interlaced, albeit running at a then-common 50 Hz Vsync rate, and required the dedicated OEM 26.3 kHz, 12" monitor (either colour or multi-level monochrome) because of their comparatively high line frequency, with all but the M20 mode using the 24 MHz system master crystal to drive the pixel clock either directly or (320×200 and 8×16 40-character only) divided in two (in comparison, contemporary IBM displays ran at 15.8 to 21.9 kHz with 14.3 to 16.3 MHz dot clocks).[27]

Colour depth remained the standard fixed 4-colour CGA palettes in 320×200, and "monochrome" in all higher modes (any selectable RGB(I) foreground colour/one of 15 shades, with a fixed black background), but could be expanded to 4 or 8 colours/greyscales in all resolutions, and 16 in all but 512×256, with the addition of a graphics memory expansion board holding between 32 and 96 KB RAM (the resolution:colour relationship being unintuitive due to Motorola HD6845 CRTC bandwidth and addressing limitations - 16 colours in the 640-pixel modes effectively combined the standard and expansion memory spaces into a single 64-bit wide bank); the expansion card also had its own monitor port built in allowing native dual-monitor support.

CGA compatibility was necessarily limited to "RGB" modes, and "well behaved" software that only used the BIOS-preset modes and didn't attempt too much clever direct reprogramming of the CRTC registers (including setting of pseudo-text hack modes like 160×100 16 colours), as there was no composite video output available and although some basic register settings remained the same, others were necessarily very different because of the line doubling trickery (itself a type of CRTC hack) and altered scan rates, and Olivetti's protective "scrambler" chip that attempted to convert custom settings to the nearest safe equivalents could only go so far. In its turn, the machine's headline 640×400 graphics mode received a moderate level of support from software developers, mostly for "serious" applications such as Lotus 1-2-3 and Symphony (Earl Weaver Baseball is however an example of a game that can use it), and was for a time both supported and emulated (as well as extended to e.g. 752x410) by various "Super EGA"/"any mode on any monitor" cards such as the ATI EGA Wonder. These, as well as any other replacement video card, could be used in the 6300 so long as they were designed to work either specifically with the machine (for high speed 16-bit cards), or in an IBM PC compatible mode (necessarily 8-bit at 4.77 MHz). However, the original graphics card had to remain in place even if no longer in use, as it formed an essential part of the bridge connecting the expansion board to the motherboard, and although it featured DIP switch jumpers to select between MDA/Hercules, 40 and 80 column CGA, and expanded video options including its own (as per the IBM motherboard settings), there was no "disable" switch. Instead, the (socketed) Motorola HD6845 CRTC main controller chip had to be removed, and replaced with a simple but remarkably expensive bridging circuit (or a user installed set of jumper wires to the correct half-dozen socket terminals) to bypass the necessary bus signals through the card untouched.

Some plasma-screen and early LCD based portables from Compaq and other manufacturers also copied the M24/6300's graphics hardware to make better use of early square-pixel 640×400 panels popular for Japanese and other non-IBM portables (still well suited to the basic CGA/EGA resolutions, but not so much EGA-high or MDA/EGA text, and unable to show MCGA/VGA-high or Hercules graphics without cropping or losing details) in an IBM Compatible hardware ecosystem that otherwise avoided the mode. However, it remained on the whole a poorly supported oddity, much like IBM's own PGC and most Super EGAs outside of their limited library of applications with direct driver support, and PC graphics on the whole did not exceed 640×350 in 16 colours or 720×348 in monochrome until the arrival of both the VGA standard, and Windows 3.0 which provided a simple one-driver-for-all-programs framework for future expansion cards to build on.

Keyboard

[edit]

Olivetti produced 2 official keyboards for the M24

  • Keyboard 1 - ANK 2463 (With 83 keys)
  • Keyboard 2 - ANK 2462 (With 92 keys)

The keyboard used a proprietary 9-pin D-sub connector built into the system board and had the unconventional option of plugging a mouse into the keyboard via another 9-pin D-sub connector. The mouse could be configured to simulate the usage of the keyboard's arrow keys in DOS applications without mouse support, aided by the choice of a parallel quadrature encoding design (as per the Microsoft Bus Mouse, Amiga, and Atari ST mice, all of which can be modified to work with the 6300) instead of the latterly more common 9-pin serial transmission.

Reception

[edit]

A January 1985 review in InfoWorld declared it "a fair performer, better than the 8088-equipped IBM PC and PC XT and about equal to the 8086-based Compaq Deskpro", and taking pricing into account concluded that it was "a good deal, but by no means perfect." The reviewer wondered how the "5 MHz" 8086 in the Compaq ran as fast as the same processor at 8 MHz in the AT&T machine;[28] however, this appears to be a misunderstanding given that the Compaq was switchable between a guaranteed IBM PC-compatible 4.77 MHz and an enhanced-performance 7.16 MHz clock rate (respectively one-third and one-half of the same NTSC colourburst crystal used in the IBM, but not the Olivetti/AT&T), and defaulted to the latter on boot, as detailed in other publications of the time,[29] and endlessly misreported (including as "8 MHz", about as frequently as the miscalculated "7.14 MHz") ever since. The reason behind the M24/6300's failure to perform any better than equal with the 1/9th-slower Deskpro may be traceable, as hinted at in the InfoWorld review, to poorly optimised graphics routines in the BIOS, which would have a particularly noticeable effect in the high resolution 640x400 and extended colour modes.

A November 1985 review in PC Magazine of the hard drive-equipped version found it on par with the (6 MHz, 80286 equipped) IBM PC AT as far as processor performance was concerned, but with considerably slower I/O.[4]

The initial model of the AT&T 6300 (no hard disk and only 360K floppy) had slow sales in 1984 with only 28,500 sold compared to 1.5 million IBM PCs.[30] The sales were not much better in the first three months of 1985, with only 8,500 sold in that time period.[2] If fact, worldwide sales of the Olivetti M24 were only 42,000 in the first year, well below the planned production capacity of 200,000.[31] As a result, AT&T introduced the faster models with hard drive and a math co-processor in March.[2] Still, after about one year on the market, AT&T had only claimed about 1% of the PC market, on par with that of TeleVideo and Columbia Data Products, but well below that of Compaq and Kaypro.[3] By December 1986 however, AT&T's PC line (including the 6300 Plus, described below) put it in the fourth place in terms of market share in the US.[20]

Olivetti's M24 did much better in Europe, where it became the market leader in 1986.[32] The company produced almost half a million M24 machines that year, about 200,000 of which went to the United States.[33] As it claimed the crown of most PC machines sold in Europe that year, Olivetti also became the third largest PC manufacturer worldwide.[33] Olivetti would however be unable to repeat the feat in the subsequent years, and so 1986 represents the company's apogee in terms of PC market share.[33]

The 6300 was also supported by Unix-based operating systems particularly by Venix/86 Encore, released in September 1984,[34] and by a version of Xenix adapted for the machine by the Santa Cruz Operation and announced in June 1985.[35]

Successors in Olivetti's product line

[edit]

In response to IBM's launch of their PS/2 line, Olivetti revamped their product line in July 1987 to include 3.5" floppy drives (in 5.25-to-3.5" converted bays though) and also introduced new 80386-based products. The M24 (and M24 SP) were succeeded by the M240 (8086 at 10 MHz, which AT&T marketed in the USA as the 6300 WGS) while the M28 (and M28 SP) was succeeded by the M280 (80286 at 12 MHz). Olivetti also introduced an M380 series (both tower and desktop) using the 80386 processor.[36]

See also

[edit]

References

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Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Olivetti M24

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from Grokipedia
The Olivetti M24 is a introduced by the Italian office equipment manufacturer in , notable as one of the earliest non- implementations of an IBM PC-compatible system. It featured an microprocessor operating at 8 MHz—twice the clock speed of the IBM PC's —along with a 16-bit data bus, 128 KB of base RAM expandable to 640 KB, dual 5.25-inch drives, and optional hard disk storage up to 20 MB, all while maintaining full compatibility with and IBM PC software. Designed to capitalize on the growing personal market, the M24 represented Olivetti's shift from typewriters and calculators to advanced hardware, building on the company's earlier M20 model from 1982. Its superior performance, including faster processing and a proprietary video adapter supporting resolutions up to 640×400 pixels with dual-sync monitor compatibility, made it a landmark in European , where it became the top-selling PC in 1986 and propelled Olivetti to the position of the world's third-largest PC manufacturer by the late . The system included seven ISA expansion slots for peripherals, support for an optional math coprocessor, serial and parallel ports, and an 83- or 103-key detachable keyboard with auto-repeat functionality. Beyond its hardware, the M24's architecture allowed for versatile operating systems such as , UCSD-P-System, PCOS, , and , alongside programming languages including , Pascal, , , and assembly. Licensed variants, such as the AT&T PC 6300 and Xerox 6060, extended its reach into the U.S. market, underscoring its role in standardizing the IBM PC ecosystem globally. Production continued until 1989, with successors like the M28 incorporating 80286 processors to address evolving industry standards, though Olivetti faced challenges transitioning to later Intel architectures like the 386. Priced at around $1,991 USD at launch (equivalent to approximately $7,000 CAD adjusted for inflation), the M24 exemplified early innovation in compact, expandable desktop computing.

Development and Background

Origins and Design Goals

Olivetti, long established as an Italian manufacturer of office equipment since 1908, had a foundational role in early computing through the Programma 101, introduced in 1965 as one of the world's first commercially successful desktop programmable calculators and a precursor to personal computers. Building on this legacy, the company entered the modern personal computing market in the early 1980s amid the rapid growth of the IBM PC standard. In 1982, Olivetti launched the M20, its initial foray into personal systems using a Zilog Z8000 processor, but its lack of IBM compatibility limited market penetration. Recognizing the dominance of the PC ecosystem, decided in 1982–1983 to develop a fully compatible alternative to capture share in the burgeoning PC market, prioritizing seamless operation with and software to attract business users. This shift marked a strategic pivot from proprietary designs to industry standards, positioning the M24 as a direct competitor launched in 1983. The system was later marketed in the United States through a partnership with as the PC 6300. Central to the M24's design goals were enhanced performance over the PC, achieved via the CPU with its 16-bit data bus that roughly doubled processing speed compared to the 's 8-bit external bus 8088, while ensuring 100% compatibility. Additional objectives included a more compact footprint to suit office environments, integrated expansion slots for future-proofing, and overall cost-effectiveness to appeal to professional and small business markets seeking reliable, upgradeable hardware without the premium of branding.

Partnership with AT&T

In December 1983, acquired a 25% ownership stake in Olivetti for approximately $250 million, establishing a that offered Olivetti financial backing and access to 's extensive U.S. distribution infrastructure while enabling to penetrate European markets more effectively following its divestiture. This partnership combined 's prowess with Olivetti's expertise in hardware, aiming to develop integrated voice and data solutions for applications. The alliance paved the way for Olivetti's M24 to be rebranded as the AT&T PC 6300, which launched in June 1984 as its inaugural entry into the personal computer market and sold exclusively through its U.S. dealer network, including outlets like and . Joint marketing initiatives positioned the PC 6300 as a dependable alternative to systems, highlighting its compatibility and performance advantages while utilizing 's telecom networks for product demonstrations and services. To suit the U.S. market and 's service-oriented approach, the PC 6300 was bundled with 2.11 and offered in initial configurations without a hard drive, featuring dual 360KB floppy drives instead to emphasize and ease of . These adaptations allowed to integrate the system seamlessly into its broader ecosystem of tools.

Technical Specifications

Processor, Memory, and Architecture

The Olivetti M24 utilized an operating at 8 MHz, providing a 16-bit internal that offered superior performance compared to the PC's processor, which ran at 4.77 MHz with an 8-bit external data bus. The M24SP variant upgraded this to a 10 MHz -1 for enhanced speed, while both models included a socket for an optional numeric coprocessor to handle floating-point operations. Memory in the M24 consisted of 128 KB of standard dynamic RAM (DRAM) on the , expandable to a maximum of 640 KB using socketed 64Kx1 or 256Kx1 DRAM chips across four banks, with parity checking via a ninth bit per byte for error detection. The system lacked native support for expanded memory specification (EMS) or beyond 1 MB addressing limits, relying instead on the 20-bit address bus of the 8086 for up to 1 MB total physical memory. Additionally, 16 KB of ROM on the handled diagnostics, , and basic drivers. The M24's architecture centered on an IBM PC XT-compatible bus design featuring a 16-bit data path for improved throughput over 8-bit systems, incorporating DMA via the controller and interrupt handling with the . It included seven expansion slots—three 16-bit proprietary slots and four 8-bit ISA-compatible slots—allowing integration of peripherals while maintaining compatibility with the PC software ecosystem, including 2.x. The power supply was a compact internal switching unit delivering +5 V DC (up to 16.8 A), +12 V DC (up to 4.5 A), +15 V DC (up to 1.8 A), and -12 V DC (up to 0.25 A), with selectable 100-120 V or 200-240 V AC input and protections against overload and overvoltage. The adopted a compact all-in-one desktop form factor, with the mounted at the bottom (component side down) and designed to integrate seamlessly with the monitor stand, minimizing footprint while accommodating the expansion bus converter and seven total slot connectors.

Graphics and Video Capabilities

The Olivetti M24 incorporated a built-in Display Controller Board utilizing the HD6845 CRT controller, providing CGA-compatible with MDA emulation capabilities. This system supported standard resolutions of 640×200 pixels in and 320×200 pixels in mode, enabling compatibility with a wide range of PC software for rendering text and basic color using four simultaneous colors from a 16-color palette. An enhanced mode offered 640×400 pixel resolution in two colors, surpassing the standard CGA limits and allowing for sharper display of detailed content without requiring additional hardware. Through the optional Display Controller Options Board, the system could extend to 640×400 resolution with up to 16 simultaneous colors by adding bit planes and a software-controlled look-up table, though this was a enhancement not fully aligned with emerging EGA standards. The integrated video RAM consisted of 16 to 32 KB in the base configuration, expandable to 128 KB total, which facilitated simultaneous access to text and modes without the need for mode switching. Video outputs included RGBI digital signals via a 25-pin D-sub connector, alongside support for broader monitor compatibility. The design was optimized for Olivetti's 12-inch green monochrome or color CRT monitors, which used dual-sync capabilities and MON100/MON101 signals for automatic detection, ensuring reliable performance in both monochrome and color environments. This setup provided overall PC compatibility for software-based rendering, supporting graphical interfaces like early versions of and Windows at higher resolutions than many contemporaries.

Keyboard and Peripherals

The Olivetti M24 featured a detachable keyboard with a standard 83-key layout for the base model, while international variants utilized a 92-key configuration to accommodate localized characters and layouts. The keyboard employed full-travel mechanical keys for tactile feedback and durability, incorporating a built-in numeric keypad and function keys arranged in a cluster on the left side, with adjustable tilt positions of 4° or 8° for ergonomic use. It connected via a proprietary 9-pin D-sub serial connector at the rear of the system unit, using a coiled, shielded cable of 1.5 to 3.5 meters and powered by +12V DC, with the keyboard microcontroller based on an Intel 8039 processor handling scan rates of 10 ms and auto-repeat at 15 Hz. Mouse support was integrated through the keyboard's 9-pin connector on extended models, predating the PS/2 standard and utilizing a serial-like protocol compatible with early quadrature mice such as the rebranded P7-3F, which provided 8 pulses per mm resolution and three-button input for cursor control in DOS applications. This setup allowed the mouse to emulate arrow key functions, enhancing usability without requiring dedicated ports on the . Storage peripherals included two standard 5.25-inch double-density floppy drives with 360 KB capacity each, controlled by a uPD765-compatible controller supporting MFM encoding at 1 MHz data rates and DMA transfers for efficient operation. An optional 10 MB or 20 MB MFM hard drive was available in an external , such as the HDU 2111 unit, connected via the system's expansion interface to provide non-volatile storage for applications. Additional input/output options comprised a 25-pin for Centronics-compatible printers, supporting standard strobe and acknowledgment signals, and a 25-pin using an for baud rates up to 19.2 kbps in asynchronous mode. The system also offered seven expansion slots—three 16-bit proprietary and four 8-bit ISA-compatible—for attaching further peripherals like additional drives or modems.

Variants and Rebranding

Core M24 Models

The original Olivetti M24, launched in 1983, utilized an processor clocked at 8 MHz, 128 KB of base RAM expandable to 640 KB, and dual 5.25-inch drives, without a included as standard. This configuration emphasized compatibility with PC standards while incorporating Olivetti's proprietary enhancements, such as an integrated display controller and expansion bus. In 1985, Olivetti introduced the M24 SP as an evolution of the base model, featuring an upgraded 10 MHz Intel 8086 processor for improved performance and optional RAM expansion up to 640 KB. The M24 SP retained the core architecture of its predecessor. These core models were typically priced at around $3,000 USD equivalent upon launch, often bundled with MS-DOS as the operating system and a for programming tasks. Production of the M24 and M24 SP occurred at Olivetti's facility in Scarmagno, .

International Versions

The AT&T PC 6300, released in 1984 for the market, was a rebranded M24 developed through a partnership between Olivetti and . It utilized an processor operating at 8 MHz, with 128 KB of RAM expandable to 640 KB, a single 360 KB 5.25-inch floppy disk drive, and an optional 10 MB in configurations beyond the base model. The system ran PC-DOS 2.1 and included AT&T's dedicated warranty and service support, distinguishing it from the standard M24. The 6060, introduced in 1984 for both the and European markets, represented another adaptation of the M24. It featured the same at 8 MHz, 128 KB RAM expandable to 640 KB, and a single 360 KB floppy drive, with an optional 20 MB . In , the Logabax Persona 1600 debuted in 1984 as a localized variant built in by Logabax, a firm majority-owned by . This 16-bit model, developed in collaboration with , incorporated an keyboard layout for French users and included bundled software with French-language manuals and demonstrations to facilitate adoption in local business and educational settings. The Olivetti M24 was distributed in other European markets like the and primarily without major modifications, as seen in contemporary advertisements and sales listings in regional publications. Minor adaptations, such as configurations for 220V electrical standards prevalent in these regions, ensured compatibility with local .

Market Reception and Impact

Sales in the United States

The Olivetti M24 entered the United States market in June 1984 through a strategic alliance with AT&T, which rebranded it as the AT&T PC 6300 to leverage its distribution channels for personal computers. This partnership aimed to supply AT&T with Olivetti products valued at $250 million for sale in America starting mid-1984, positioning the M24 as AT&T's initial foray into the IBM PC-compatible segment. However, the system's pricing—around $2,500 for the base model—and fierce competition from IBM's dominant PC and XT models contributed to underwhelming commercial performance, with initial 1984 sales of only about 28,500 units compared to 1.5 million IBM PCs, though total U.S. sales reached approximately 200,000 by the mid-1980s. Marketing challenges further hampered adoption, as the PC 6300 was often perceived as foreign technology despite AT&T's endorsement, and its availability was largely confined to business-oriented channels rather than broader retail outlets. AT&T's limited expertise in personal computing distribution exacerbated these issues, leading to slower compared to established American competitors. User feedback highlighted strengths in performance, with reviews praising the system's speed from its 8 MHz processor and overall reliability for applications. For instance, a evaluation of the equivalent Xerox 6060 model noted its superior execution of benchmarks over the IBM PC XT, attributing this to the faster clock speed and efficient design. However, critics pointed to difficulties in sourcing proprietary replacement parts, which complicated maintenance and . By 1986, U.S. sales of the original PC 6300 had waned, as transitioned to upgraded 286-based models like the 6300 Plus to remain competitive in the evolving PC market. This shift marked the effective phase-out of the M24-based system in , reflecting broader struggles in the alliance's execution.

Success in Europe

The M24 achieved remarkable market leadership in during the mid-1980s, becoming the top-selling on the continent in 1986 and elevating Olivetti to the position of leading European PC manufacturer as well as the world's third-largest PC producer that year. Key drivers of this success included its complete IBM PC compatibility, which enabled broad software support without modification, alongside extensive local service networks established by Olivetti in major markets such as Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The M24's core architecture, featuring an Intel 8086 processor and enhanced graphics capabilities, further facilitated this seamless integration into existing ecosystems. The system saw widespread adoption in European business offices for productivity tasks and in educational settings for instruction, with approximately 300,000 units sold in in 1986 alone, contributing to cumulative sales exceeding 300,000 by 1987. European publications lauded the M24 for its innovative and performance advancements, such as its faster processing and compact form factor, which contributed significantly to Olivetti's revenue peak during the mid-1980s.

Legacy and Successors

Commercial Legacy

The Olivetti M24 marked a pioneering achievement as one of the first fully PC-compatible computers from a European manufacturer. This design not only set a benchmark for open compatibility but also established standards for European PC production by demonstrating that non-U.S. firms could produce high-performance clones that expanded the ecosystem without proprietary restrictions. Its launch provided a turning point for Olivetti, shifting the company from earlier setbacks like the incompatible M20 to a competitive player in the global market. The M24 significantly influenced the PC industry by accelerating adoption in non-U.S. markets, particularly , where it became a market reference and outsold competitors, with sales reaching approximately 300,000 units in 1986 alone and positioning as the European leader in PC manufacturing.[](https://www.dosdays.co.uk/computers/Olivetti M24/olivetti_m24.php) By going head-to-head with and emerging clone makers like , it reinforced the viability of third-party compatibility, indirectly bolstering MS-DOS's dominance as the for PCs worldwide through widespread support for the OS and related software. In 1986, the M24 propelled to the third-largest PC manufacturer globally, with strong sales driving the company's revenue to L 7.3 trillion that year. However, Olivetti's inability to swiftly transition to advanced architectures like the 386 in the late 1980s led to competitive disadvantages, resulting in the company's first loss in 13 years by 1991 and a sharp decline in during the . This failure culminated in exiting the PC business in 1997, as U.S. dominance and falling prices eroded its position from third-largest worldwide in the late 1980s to marginal relevance. Today, the M24 holds cultural significance as an icon of early PC innovation, preserved in institutions like the Centre for Computing History, where it exemplifies elegant Italian industrial design and the brief European challenge to American computing hegemony. In retro computing communities, it is celebrated for its aesthetic appeal and historical role in democratizing PC technology beyond the U.S. The M24's success demonstrated the feasibility of producing high-quality IBM PC clones outside the US, inspiring other European firms to develop compatible systems and contributing to the standardization of the PC architecture.

Subsequent Olivetti PCs

Following the success of the M24, which established Olivetti's strong compatibility with IBM PC standards, the company introduced direct successors that incrementally upgraded processing power while maintaining backward compatibility for software and peripherals. The Olivetti M240, released in 1987, served as an enhanced 8086-based successor to the M24, featuring a 10 MHz Intel 8086 processor for improved performance over the original's 8 MHz clock speed. It was marketed in the United States by AT&T as the 6300 WGS model, targeting business users with its compact form factor and built-in expansion capabilities. The M240 offered upgraded hard disk drive options, including up to 40 MB capacities via MFM interfaces, allowing for greater storage flexibility compared to the M24's standard 10-20 MB offerings. In 1986, Olivetti launched the M280, a more advanced 80286-based system clocked at 12 MHz, which introduced protected mode operation for enhanced multitasking and memory management under MS-DOS extensions like DOS/386. This model supported up to 1 MB of onboard RAM, expandable via slots to 16 MB, enabling better handling of memory-intensive applications such as early Windows environments. The M280 retained the M24's proprietary motherboard layout but added AT-class features like a 16-bit ISA bus for faster peripherals. The M380, introduced in 1988, marked Olivetti's entry into the 80386 era with a 16 MHz 80386DX processor, positioning it as a bridge to while supporting up to 4 MB of RAM and addressing. It appealed to professional users needing higher performance for CAD and database tasks. As the PC market evolved, Olivetti shifted toward the (EISA) bus in later models like the 1989 CP486 workstation, which supported 32-bit expansions and multi-processor configurations for enterprise use. However, delayed releases of these advanced systems, amid intensifying competition from U.S. firms like and , contributed to Olivetti's declining market share in the early , as European manufacturers struggled to match the rapid innovation cycles of American rivals.

References

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