 Olivetti Programma 101
In 1967, the Programma 101, made by Olivetti, was one of the first
successful programmable electronic calculators. Today it can be seen in the
Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam, due to its outstanding exterior
design by the architect Mario Bellini.
The Programma 101 uses an arithmetic-logic unit built from separate
transistors, and a core memory module (using an acoustic delay line memory).
There are 10 registers each holding a 22-digit decimal number (in
binary-coded-decimal representation!) or a string of 24 instructions. Besides
electronics, the P101 has an appreciable amount of sturdy mechanics for its
keyboard, built-in printer and magnetic-card reader/recorder. The output was
printed on a fast, 30 column drum printer.
The machine's arithmetic operations are -, +, *, /, sqrt, abs. Other operators
include data transfer between registers, conditional and unconditional
jump. Programs containing up to 120 instructions can be recorded on a magnetic
program card. There are extensive program collections for general mathematics,
electrical and civil engineering, surveying, statistics, finance, and other disciplines. The size of
the machine is 7 × 19 × 24 inches, its weight is 78 lb. 40,000 were constructed and they were sold for $3200.
Adapted from the Computer Museum of the University of Amsterdam
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