As reported, Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA is extending its printer offerings with its natty wedge-shaped JP 250 bubble jet and is revamping its high end personal computer offerings with the M6 Suprema line (CI No 2,136). The new computer range is aimed at professional users running demanding multimedia applications or requiring other ‘value added’ extras like security and ergonomic features. It represents the next stage in the company’s three-pronged approach to the market, along with the existing consumer PCS line and standard ‘cost sensitive M300 series. The Suprema series presently comprises three models: the M6-420, based on a 33MHz 80486SX processor; the M6-440, based on a 33MHz 80486 DX; and M6-460 based on a dual-frequency 80486 DX2 processor, running at 66MHz internally and 33MHz externally. All can be upgraded using Intel’s clock-doubling OverDrive technology which is soon to offer an upgrade path to Pentium standard performance. They have hard disk capacities of 85 to 510Mb, come with 2.88Mb 3.5 and 5.25 1.2Mb drives and can accommodate up to four AT expansion boards and four internal peripherals. Standard memory is 4Mb expandable to 100Mb on the motherboard. Some 256Kb of secondary-level cache can also be installed in the M6-420 and 440 – and is already pre-installed in the 460. Special multimedia features include a built-in graphics controller which is integrated onto the CPU local bus and an audio subsystem. The machines are supplied with Microsoft Corp’s Windows Sound System software kit and support the following operating systems: Windows – including Windows NT, MS-DOS, OS/2 with Presentation Manager, Novell Inc NetWare, Olivetti and Microsoft LAN Manager, Santa Cruz Unix V and Olivetti Unix V4.0. A 33MHz 4Mb version with 85Mb hard disk, colour monitor, MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1 costs around UKP1,600; a 66MHz 8Mb version is around UKP2,400. Future additions to the range include EISA tower systems, according to Olivetti.
Generally flat year
It is hoped that the new releases will continue the minor upturn in personal computer sales seen during the fourth quarter after the release of the PCS and M300. Compared to the same period last year, sales rose 39% up from 201,000 to 280,000. This was the highlight of a generally flat year for Olivetti, during which saw its market share rise to 6.1% from 5.8%. As for its printing business – Olivetti proudly claims it produced more than 500,000 units in 1992 and is promising to make a number of new announcements through 1993. It has kicked off with its high-quality-low-cost JP250 printer which harnesses the new bubble-jet technology developed by partner Canon Inc, with which Olivetti has a joint licensing agreement (CI No 1,888). It also has a special refillable print head, designed by Olivetti, which the company reckons helps preserve printhead life and helps reduce the cost per page. It delivers 300 dpi and has two speeds – 120 characters per second in letter quality mode, and 180 characters per second in draft mode. It comes with 25 scalable Bitstream soft fonts in TrueType format and 13 resident fonts. And it has a full PCL 3 interpreter that enables it to emulate Epson FX850 or IBM PP4207 printers. It is recommended for printing word-processed documents and graphics and, Olivetti says, is ideal as a personal printer for business users and for the education market. It costs around UKP270 and will be available in May.
