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my latest computer !!!

P

PS1

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2004
Messages
40
Location
Huddersfield UK
Not that old but still an iteresting machine.

Olivetti XANA 53-133

came with all original software and manuals

pentium 133 16mb ram 1.2gb harddrive.

In nice condition going to keep it as it is.

strange looking monitor speakers are set into the base with volume bass and treble controls.


8f_1.JPG
 
That is a neat looking machine.

Those speakers are attached to the monitor?

Erik
 
yes they are part of the monitor base, power is supplied to them from the computer.

think this is what attracted me to it its a bit strange.
 
"PS1" wrote:

> yes they are part of the monitor base,
> power is supplied to them from the
> computer.

> think this is what attracted me to it its
> a bit strange.

I think the speakers are in a better spot
on that machine, rather than on some
other machines where they put it alongside
the screen. I always thought that if the
speakers were hanging off the side of the
screen, then the static off them would
cause discolouration in the monitor.

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
CP/M User said:
I think the speakers are in a better spot
on that machine, rather than on some
other machines where they put it alongside
the screen. I always thought that if the
speakers were hanging off the side of the
screen, then the static off them would
cause discolouration in the monitor.

Cheers,
CP/M User.
Click to expand...

The speakers that are designed to hang on the side of the monitor (like most "computer" speakers) have metal (anti-magnetic) shielding inside of them. Heh! OTOH, when we first set up our surround-sound for the TV, we put the (tiny) front speakers on the stand next to the TV. A couple of hours later, we noticed that unmistakable distortion/discoloration in the lower corners, next to the speakers. For as much $$$ as those damn things cost, you'd think they would have included shielding, like the cheapest of computer speakers have.

--T
 
"Terry Yager" wrote:

> The speakers that are designed to hang
> on the side of the monitor (like most
> "computer" speakers) have metal
> (anti-magnetic) shielding inside of them.

Well not on the ones I've seen. And these
were brand named computers like Hewlitt
Packard, Compaq, Packard Bell. There's
only one type of anti-magnetic shielding
I've seen (which is used on my surround
sound system). None of the computers I've
mentioned above used to have this,
although it's pretty hard to keep track of
every single system in existance, unless
things have changed, they are obviously
expecting people to update their monitors
pretty quickly.

> Heh! OTOH, when we first set up our
> surround-sound for the TV, we put the
> (tiny) front speakers on the stand next
> to the TV. A couple of hours later, we
> noticed that unmistakable distortion/
> discoloration in the lower corners, next
> to the speakers. For as much $$$ as
> those damn things cost, you'd think they
> would have included shielding, like the
> cheapest of computer speakers have.

Well it's funny you should mention that
because my system does have this!! I've
never ever seen them been used on a
computer monitor though (but like I said :)

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
Is that Windows 98 on 16MB RAM? I know it will boot, but how much happens after that? Although I can see why you want to preserve it, doubling the memory to 32MB (or more!) would do wonders performance wise.

Last week I helped my boss installing a 90 MHz Commodore (!) PC which initially had 24MB. After doubling memory to 48MB (replacing 8MB with donating 32MB) and a 120 MHz processor, it became quite bearable to use.
 
CP/M User said:
Well not on the ones I've seen. And these
were brand named computers like Hewlitt
Packard, Compaq, Packard Bell. There's
only one type of anti-magnetic shielding
I've seen (which is used on my surround
sound system). None of the computers I've
mentioned above used to have this,
although it's pretty hard to keep track of
every single system in existance, unless
things have changed, they are obviously
expecting people to update their monitors
pretty quickly.
Click to expand...
Well, I guess I haven't seen everything either, so I probably shouldn't make such generalizations as that. (Actually, I can only remember opening up one pair of speakers that mount to the sides of the monitor, (Packard-Bell) and they were shielded). OTOH, I've found the shielding in lots of different computer speakers, some selling for as little as $10.00 a pair.
Well it's funny you should mention that
because my system does have this!! I've
never ever seen them been used on a
computer monitor though (but like I said :)

Cheers,
CP/M User.
Click to expand...

Wow! That's kinda weird. Aussies are just the opposite as us. (I bet your toilet even flushes backwards...)

--T
 
those speakers look really cool :D

I have a "mystery" computer I am going to rebuild over Easter - mystery in the fact that all I know is the processor is a Pentium 166 (pre MMX) and that it used to be a 486 that was "upgraded" with the motherboard and such!

I'm going to put Windows 98 version A on it for fun!
 
It had windows 95 on it to begin with was upgraded to 98.

I tried to put windows 95 back on it but it has one of those restore cds
that has extra software on it such as word etc.

It seems it needs a boot floppy that is a special olivetti one, trying with a
standard 95 boot disk just ignores the cd.

As olivetti no longer make pcs there are no references for drivers or anything.........and search as much as i like i cannot find any reference to the boot floppy. :cry:

lol the joys of old computers
 
"Terry Yager" wrote:

> Wow! That's kinda weird. Aussies are
> just the opposite as us. (I bet your
> toilet even flushes backwards...)

That's why we're Down Under (& you're Up
Over)!

But which way does the Toilet flush on the
Equator?

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
CP/M User said:
"Terry Yager" wrote:

> Wow! That's kinda weird. Aussies are
> just the opposite as us. (I bet your
> toilet even flushes backwards...)

That's why we're Down Under (& you're Up
Over)!

But which way does the Toilet flush on the
Equator?

Cheers,
CP/M User.
Click to expand...

I dunno...mebbe it doesn't flush at all? What I could never figger out is how come you guys don't just fall right off, walking round upside-down all day?

--T
 
"Terry Yager" wrote:

>> Wow! That's kinda weird. Aussies are
>> just the opposite as us. (I bet your
>> toilet even flushes backwards...)

> That's why we're Down Under (& you're
> Up Over)!

> But which way does the Toilet flush on
> the Equator?

> I dunno...mebbe it doesn't flush at all?

I won't touch on that, would be too racial!

Honestly, I think it depends on which side
of the Equator your own, if the world is
perfectly round there would have to be
a downside to the Equator & an Upside
to the Equator, this would determine
how the water goes around in the toilet
(clockwise or anti-clockwise), but what
about dead centre of the Equator?!
This might in sound countries which have
one, be refered as the Toilet Free Zone
in which no-one in the right mind would
dare this sort of operation, in case
something does go horribly wrong! :)

> What I could never figger out is how
> come you guys don't just fall right off,
> walking round upside-down all day?

Er? Gravity! :)

If there was none all humans would die.
We'd simply fall off & the upper half would
slide down towards the equator then sliding
(virtually sucked) into space! ;-) Only safe
place would be the centre of the North Pole!
:)

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
PS1, which manufacturer is the CD-ROM, and does it connect to a regular IDE chain or to a special (Panasonic/Sony etc) CD-ROM controller, i.e. sound card?

I have one Creative QuadSpeed CR-581J which in fact is a Matsushita (MKE) drive. It connects to the IDE chain but is not ATAPI compatible, so the regular IDE CD-ROM driver on Windows 95/98 boot floppies refused to recognize it. Fortunately I searched the Internet and found a DOS based driver which was easy to install onto the boot floppy.

So instead of searching about how to boot an Olivetti, you might look for information and drivers about your CD-ROM. It seems that once Windows has started, it either has the required driver or borrows from the DOS driver.

Regarding replacing a 486 with Pentium; it was probably quite common as the form factor and outer requirements match (at least for non-branded tower systems). Actually my retired 200 MHz machine says DX/2 on the front. :D
 
Thanks for the info i will have a look at the cdrom.

be nice to get it back to factory standard.

i upped the memory to 32mb it does fairly well boots faster into 98 now.
 
"carlsson" wrote:

> PS1, which manufacturer is the CD-ROM,
> and does it connect to a regular IDE
> chain or to a special (Panasonic/Sony
> etc) CD-ROM controller, i.e. sound card?

Thanks for changing the subject, until now
my latest dribble in here sticks out like a
dogs dinner! ;-)

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
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