August 25th, 2024

Olivetti Programma 101: At the Origins of the Personal Computer – Inexhibit

The Olivetti Programma 101, introduced in 1965, is one of the first personal computers, emphasizing user experience and selling around 44,000 units, including use by NASA during Apollo 11.

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Olivetti Programma 101: At the Origins of the Personal Computer – Inexhibit

The Olivetti Programma 101, introduced in 1965, is recognized as one of the first personal computers, marking a significant shift in computing technology. Developed by Olivetti, an Italian company known for its innovative designs, the Programma 101 was designed to be compact and user-friendly, contrasting sharply with the large mainframe computers of the time. The project was led by Pier Giorgio Perotto and a team of engineers who creatively navigated corporate challenges to bring the machine to fruition. The Programma 101 featured a unique design by architect Mario Bellini, utilizing die-cast aluminum to reduce electromagnetic interference and enhance portability. Although it had limited capabilities, such as a RAM of only 1,920 bits, it could perform basic arithmetic and logical operations, making it a transitional device between calculators and modern computers. Priced at $3,200, it was accessible compared to other computers, leading to sales of approximately 44,000 units, including use by NASA during the Apollo 11 mission. The Programma 101 is celebrated not only for its technical specifications but also for its focus on user experience, making it a pioneering example of human-centered design in computing.

- The Olivetti Programma 101 is considered one of the first personal computers.

- It was designed to be compact and user-friendly, contrasting with large mainframe computers.

- The machine was developed by a team led by Pier Giorgio Perotto and designed by Mario Bellini.

- It sold around 44,000 units, including use by NASA for the Apollo 11 mission.

- The Programma 101 emphasized user experience, marking a shift towards human-centered design in technology.

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AI: What people are saying

The comments reflect a deep appreciation for Olivetti's design and innovation, as well as a recognition of its historical significance in computing.

Many commenters highlight Olivetti's iconic design and technological contributions, including the Programma 101 and other products like calculators and typewriters.
Several users share personal experiences with Olivetti products, noting their usefulness and aesthetic appeal.
There are discussions about Olivetti's historical context, including its influence on computing and the challenges it faced due to political issues in Italy.
Some comments express nostalgia for Olivetti's innovative company culture and its commitment to employee well-being.
References to related topics, such as the ARM processor and the evolution of personal computers, indicate a broader interest in computing history.

17 comments

By @wenc - 7 months

I remember Olivetti PCs from the late 80s to 90s. They were beautifully designed -- not SGI or Sun beautiful -- but beautiful for PCs. I like the "grate" design.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325569104545

The IBM PS/2 Model 30 was also quite beautiful

https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/userdata/images/large/56...

By @crispyambulance - 7 months

Olivetti had a number of iconic products both from a technological and design perspective.

My favorites (in addition to the Programma 101) was the Divisumma calculator and the Valentine typewriter.

https://www.massmadesoul.com/olivetti-divisumma-18 https://www.massmadesoul.com/olivetti-valentine

Absolutely gorgeous looks.

By @kragen - 7 months

the thing i like most about these is that, though normally they're executing their machine code from the keyboard like a normal calculator, the 'v', 'w', 'y', and 'z' keys jump to user-defined machine code addresses and start executing code from memory. i think that's an inspiring way to provide an application with programmable function keys on a really extremely limited computer, far too small for even forth

By @lnxg33k1 - 7 months

The best thing I know about Olivetti, is that nearby my city, there is a small village, where there are houses, schools, nurseries, etc. and Olivetti production centers, where Olivetti's employees were living, it is a great concept to be an innovative company, but also really think about the wellbeing of your employees, that is now lost, now they maybe give you a pizza, some ping pong, and as soon as you're not useful, you're just discarded, the american system is a disgrace

By @mattkevan - 7 months

Olivetti also owned Acorn Computer, inventor of the ARM processor, although Dave began a good few years before they bought it. Apparently the project was so secret that Olivetti didn’t know about it until the purchase was complete.

By @agentcooper - 7 months

Somewhat related: Steve Job's 1983 talk at Aspen design conference (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Q7gXwavUU) where he argues that all good designers are now busy with automobiles and buildings and no one is looking at personal computers.

By @2dvisio - 7 months

Still have one of those tucked away at my father’s place. He used to use it at the beginning of his career to run calculations for engineering structural computations before Acca and other similar softwares (in Italy due to very active seismic activity you need to run these sorts of calculations also for very small structures).

By @aj7 - 7 months

In 1966, we had one in the Stuyvesant HS computer room, along with an IBM 1130 system that ran Fortran 4. I got good at the Programma, it was quite useful. But I don’t recall 240 steps; I recall less than 100. Indeed, the much more advanced HP 9100 circa 1968, with CRT, rpn, and 10-digit accuracy, had only 196.

By @erie - 7 months

Back in the 80s, having their typewriters allowing you to delete the last 4 characters was cutting-edge material. Then a tiny screen was a 'wow moment'.

By @kmoser - 7 months

I just finished reading Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator, which describes the Programma and many of its contemporaries. Highly recommended reading if you're interested in the history of calculating machines and how they intersect with computers.

By @begueradj - 7 months

At least Italy is still interesting when it comes to software development. Unlike Japan which had a good start but it is not that good anymore (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky1nGQhHTso)

By @effed3 - 7 months

the history of p101 from one of the creators: https://archive.org/details/programma101. It's a fascinating reading (sorry, Italian language, hire google for help..), directly from the source, about those years when a new world was born, full of big promises and incredible mistakes. Olivetti is still a case study in economy and management.

By @arabello - 7 months

Silicon Valley might have started in Italy with Olivetti, but political issues and unfortunate events stopped it from happening. There's a great podcast about it (Italian): https://podcast.ilsole24ore.com/serie/olivetti-occasione-per...

By @insane_dreamer - 7 months

I had their typewriter many many years ago; didn't even know they did PCs.

By @johnkozak - 7 months

The first machine I was paid to write code for! Fond memories.

By @KingOfCoders - 7 months

Looking at eBay, 20.000 EUR

By @spiritplumber - 7 months

Olivetti was amazing but they got screwed by the Italian government. Basically executive positions were imposed by Italian politics so you ended up with an amazing company with a bunch of scumbags at the top siphoning up all the profits.